Why The Job Market Is A Complete Joke | A Life After Layoff

In today’s economic environment, the job market has become increasingly difficult to navigate, leaving many job seekers frustrated and disillusioned. Bryan Creely, a corporate recruiter, hiring manager career coach, and host of A Life After Layoff shed light on some of the most significant issues plaguing the modern job search, from the prevalence of ghost jobs to the inefficiencies in the recruitment process. These issues contribute to an employment landscape that often feels more like a bad joke than a legitimate avenue for career advancement.

One of the most infuriating aspects of today’s job market is the rise of ghost jobs—positions that are advertised but don’t actually exist. Companies post these jobs to fulfill internal quotas, build a pipeline of potential candidates, or simply to test the market. For job seekers, this leads to a futile cycle of applications for roles that were never intended to be filled. The practice not only wastes time and energy but also creates false hope, making the job search an even more demoralizing experience. This tactic undermines the integrity of the job market, turning it into a deceptive game where the odds are stacked against those looking for real opportunities.

Another critical problem is the flawed recruitment process, which has become increasingly disconnected from the needs of both employers and job seekers. With the rise of ATS Software or automated systems and AI-driven algorithms, initial screenings are often handled by software that prioritizes keywords over actual experience or potential. As a result, qualified candidates are frequently overlooked because they didn’t match a specific set of criteria determined by a machine. This impersonal and mechanical approach reduces the hiring process to a numbers game, where luck plays as big a role as qualifications.

Moreover, the reliance on automation in recruitment leads to a lack of personal interaction, making it nearly impossible for candidates to stand out or receive meaningful feedback. The recruitment process, in its current state, fails to connect the right talent with the right roles, leading to mismatches that hurt both companies and employees in the long run.

Official unemployment statistics often paint a misleading picture of the job market’s health. While these numbers might suggest a thriving economy, they fail to account for underemployment, the gig economy, and those who have simply given up looking for work. Many people are stuck in low-paying jobs that don’t utilize their skills or offer any real career progression. The reality is that the job market is far less robust than it appears on paper, and the disconnect between reported statistics and actual experiences is growing wider.

The process of searching for a job has become increasingly dehumanizing. Automated rejections, ghosting by recruiters, and the sense of being treated as just another number in a system contribute to widespread frustration among job seekers. This dehumanization not only affects morale but also has significant mental health implications. Job seekers often find themselves questioning their worth and feeling hopeless in the face of a system that seems rigged against them.

In conclusion, the modern job market is fraught with challenges that make it difficult for job seekers to find meaningful employment. From ghost jobs to an impersonal and inefficient recruitment process, the system is failing those it is supposed to serve.

0:00 Intro
0:26 Why You Can't Get A Job
2:39 Why Companies Don't Care If You Get Hired
5:19 Why The Hiring Process Is Beyond Broken
7:55 How Corporate Greed Is Plaguing The Labor Market
9:41 Why Companies Are Manipulating Numbers
12:44 Why Companies Great Ghost Jobs
15:54 Why Job Requirements Feel Absurd
20:22 The Impact Recruiters Have On Ghost Jobs
26:58 Why HR Does Not Care About You Getting Hired
30:10 Practical Tips For Navigating This Labor Market

#financialfreedom #financialeducation #jobsearch

Titles for the Algo!
Why You Can't Get A Job
Why It Feels Impossible To Get A Job
Why Companies Are So Bad At Hiring
The REAL Reason You Can't Get A Job

[rochellemcdonald]

My son applied for a job in 2020. He gave his apartment people notice and gave his old employer notice, that he was moving because of a new job. About a week before he was supposed to catch his flight and his household goods were in transit, he found out the new job that he'd been accepted for was eliminated. His move had been out-of-pocket. Luckily, I had space in my home, where his family was able to stay, while he did job hunting for the next two months. One of the jobs said it could be done remotely, which looked great. There was a catch. When he did the interview, they said he was required to be in the office one day a week (four states away). Moving again was not an option.

[glennbzt]

Thank god I’m retired now ..geez the things younger people have to go through today …

[ALifeAfterLayoff]

Had a lot of fun with this conversation!

[DavidWesley]

Glad I’m in a healthcare profession and in a unionized environment. This corporate nonsense is exhausting!

[mrblank-zhxy]

Making 115M, this is the problem. Why can't these guys live on 5M? The other 110M could fund 1500 70K/yr staff salaries. These companies have executive staffs that are 100 deep. Layoffs could be avoided without this insane largesse. Why can't shareholders have reasonable expectations based on business cycles?

[sarrjel]

Job searching really is draining and exhausting. Even when you got a lot of job experiences in a few areas, good credit score, clean driving record and no criminal record, you’re still competing with a thousand people who have the same thing. It’s ridiculous and employers who make you jump through hoops, do zoom calls, 15 minute phone interviews 2 hours worth of assessments when you get there doesn’t help because now they can find out from how you score if you’re even worth hiring and how much to pay you.

[Wrighjj]

Retired now. This is what I've observed with ghost jobs: 1) Companies used to have actually post a job before they could get an H1b candidate. Posts would be made with low pay but huge skill requirements. They did not want anyone to really apply. 2) Competitive programs with DOD would have 3 or 4 competing companies posting similar jobs although only one would ever have the contract. The award is often delayed or never happens, but when there is an award they need to hit the ground running. btw, Department of Labor tracks the job postings and concludes that there is a desperate shortage of people with these skills. 3) The only way to see resumes is to post a job. Hiring manager wanting to see what's out there will post a position for everything from a summer intern to a senior staff scientist for a particular skill just to see what's out there. Often, after drawing in a stack of resumes they will decide to hire no one. Department of Labor again. I've witnessed all of these in my career.

[KJPartyof]

Since my layoff, & going through all the stages, I feel like I'm finally on the outside looking in, wondering why the heck I ever thought playing their games would get me somewhere in life? Success? A sense of accomplishment? Sacrificed time with family. How did i overlook this for 18 years?! Smh. To die at a desk before retiring and no one noticing for 4 days... That's what my future would've held for me.

[custos]

I just can't get over how often I get contacted by recruiters from companies that passed on my application previously. Why on earth would I waste my time a second time?

[EshkinKott]

Not true is that the first job is hardest to find. Actually it is your last job. Try to find a job when you are 56 yo and 9 years before retirement.

[panda]

I love the extra insight behind the curtain. It's comforting to know that there are actual people behind the masks that we hate, and genuine humanity and empathy exist, even in roles like theirs.

I really can't agree with the advice given at the end, it's just not realistic. Imagine it, you're 18, just graduated high school. You probably have a ton of misconceptions about, well, just about everything. You probably don't understand how many things work (system-wise) for companies and organizations in general. You may or may not have a passion for a particular hobby, and yet the problem with job careers is that they didn't plan on working at a company 5-10 years ago, strategize and work on molding themselves into an ideal candidate for them?

I'm sorry, that's either advice given solely to the few people dead set on a career, even after clearing up misconceptions, or people who have the freedom to take a broader approach to their careers, which isn't really relevant or applicable to anyone not going to college in this day and age. Realistically, most people in that situation are not in a position to be picky, and depending on their support network, may only be concerned with the ability the job gives them to feed and house themselves (which even currently, isn't guaranteed).

Combine that with how power dynamics work in these situations, and how easy it is to lay off workers on a whim, and it's doesn't take much to figure out why newer entrants to the labor market aren't willing to tolerate the things that older generations take for granted. Eventually, some of those generation will have to enter leadership roles, especially when the labor market thins out as the oldest generation is either finally retiring or dying at their desks.

[Sheepy]

My boomer dad said I need to go into a business, ask for a paper application/store manager, hand them your paper resume. I told him there aren't any jobs you can do this at and you need to go online, but when you do, you will probably never hear from them again.

[shrooms]

I found this to be disappointing. All I kept hearing was it is your fault for not getting hired. Because you didn't show up with all the training you could posably need for that possition. And how dare you not be able to purchase that training and certificates or diploma to prove you can do the job. You should have had a road plan to get those.

[eatright]

Bruh. What strategies are you talking about? The only strategy is how am i gonna make next month rent without committing end-game.

We need money. We need more money. Not some corporate talk about how to plan life strategically before you turn 12. People are not going to spend their precious little time they have after their overworked job and after life duties to plan some scenario that might happen with $14 in their bank account. Is selling drugs on the street considered a strategy? Cause that pays. How can we strategize when getting a job largely luck-based, timing, and who you know? I got my first job through a reference that worked at that particular place. Since then, I continue to lie and fluff up my resume to make it seem I did more when, in reality, I was just a retail employee. It's all bullshit. And I'm subscribed to him. This was largely disappointing. I was expecting more. I guess the only thing i got out of this is that i need to learn how to speak corporate without wanting to commit end-life.

[Jbig]

At this point i think the real issue is there are no more jobs in this country. We filled all roles at this point. That is why we have to do large amounts of layoffs.

[SetariM]

Man, I can't even plan my own life 2 weeks in advance much less years these days. The advice at the end of the video is nice, but most people don't make "careers" out of dead-end customer service work, which is what most people are working in. I don't think there's much to be done concerning "job strategy in finding a job" when all the cards are held in employers' hands. You can only put in so much "strategy" before it's completely out of your hands. Edit: Also this dude is really up on the flowery office lingo. He says almost nothing meaningful toward your questions, it feels like, after listening to this whole video.

[marlandkennedy]

We know the problems, what are the solutions.

[judgewest]

Job postings have always been insane. I remember in 2001 a job posting requiring 5+ years of experience in Windows 2000!!! Literally no one alive including the developers could claim that.

[RenatoTrindade-jfso]

On this day’s with you want a job, you only can get through networking.

[isaiahfuller]

Dude's talking about strategy like a religion. None of that was useful.

Clicked through and found out he's a self help guy. Figures.