{"id":325357,"date":"2025-10-23T02:26:28","date_gmt":"2025-10-23T02:26:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/325357\/"},"modified":"2025-10-23T02:26:28","modified_gmt":"2025-10-23T02:26:28","slug":"what-its-like-to-job-hunt-in-greater-boston-according-to-readers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/325357\/","title":{"rendered":"What it\u2019s like to job hunt in Greater Boston, according to readers"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tReaders Say\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tFrom endless applications to small victories, readers reveal what job hunting in Greater Boston really feels like right now.<\/p>\n

\"\"
\n\tReaders reveal what job hunting in Greater Boston really feels like right now. David L Ryan\/Globe Staff\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBy Annie Jonas<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOctober 22, 2025 | 9:39 AM\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

8 minutes to read<\/p>\n

For many in the Boston area, the job hunt has become less of a process and more of a prolonged, disheartening battle.<\/p>\n

We recently asked readers how long they\u2019ve been looking for a job<\/a>. Of the 115 respondents to our poll, 46 people (40%) said they\u2019ve been job hunting for over a year \u2014 the largest group by far. Only two people (2%) reported being on the hunt for less than a month, whereas 45% combined said they\u2019ve been looking for between one and 12 months. We also received a handful of e-mail submissions from readers who went in depth on their job hunt. <\/p>\n

How long have you been job hunting?<\/p>\n

Some have endured the process for multiple years. Kristine A. from Dorchester said she has submitted her resume to over 600 organizations over the last three years and participated in roughly 60 interviews, with no luck.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s simply grueling,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

J.D. from Somerville, who has been searching for more than a year, said it\u2019s been frustrating not even securing interviews for roles he\u2019s successfully performed before \u2014 noting that age discrimination in the tech sector \u201cis very real.\u201d<\/p>\n

Katie S. from Blackstone described the experience as eerily quiet. \u201cThe hardest part of job hunting right now is the silence,\u201d she said. \u201cThe waiting has become the hardest work of all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou put so much effort into customizing applications, but most companies never respond \u2014 not even to say no,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not just that job hunting itself is tough, readers say, but that they\u2019re juggling the slow job market on top of the state\u2019s high cost of living and other expenses.<\/p>\n

Jose G. from Amherst has been applying to jobs \u201call over New England\u201d for more than a year. He landed a job for a few months, but then the business shuttered and he found himself \u201cback at square one.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI have been turned down by many positions or in most cases have never heard back,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s been difficult for me and I assume so many others to afford to pay for student loans, rent, and everything else.\u201d<\/p>\n

Below, readers shared what it\u2019s like navigating the job market now \u2013 confronting AI\u2019s impact in the job hunt, ageism, intense competition, and more.<\/p>\n

Responses have been lightly edited for grammar and clarity.<\/p>\n

\u2018This whole process is a giant black hole\u2019<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cThe most challenging part is simply that this whole process is a giant black hole. You take time to tweak resumes and craft compelling cover letters just to hear silence in return. The competition is crazy \u2013 especially if you are looking for a fully remote role or hybrid role, like myself. On top of all of that, before AI it was all about getting yourself to the top of the resume pile. Now, you still need to get to the top but you also need to make sure your resume has the right keywords to make sure AI picks you out of the bunch as a potentially \u2018good\u2019 candidate.\u201d \u2013\u00a0Amanda D., Canton (job hunting for 5-8 months)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

\u201cFortunately I still have a job, but I have been looking for a new opportunity, but have not had any luck. I feel that resumes fall into a black hole and seldom do you hear back.\u201d \u2013\u00a0Joe, Southborough (job hunting for 5-8 months)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

\u201cFrom getting outright ghosted after speaking with hiring managers to getting auto-rejected by ATS systems and so much more, I\u2019ve seen a lot during my job search. The most challenging part has easily been putting in so much time and effort and seeing very little return on investment. I\u2019ve actually had some success in side hustle pursuits but that pales in comparison to the comp package I was getting in Big Pharma just a couple years ago before I got laid off.\u201d \u2013 Max, Cambridge (job hunting for more than a year)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u2018You start to question yourself, wondering if you\u2019ve lost your value\u2019<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cIt has been almost a year since I started looking for a job, and this journey has been one of the hardest experiences of my life.<\/p>\n

I apply to jobs every week \u2014 hundreds of them by now. Most of the time, I don\u2019t hear anything back. Some applications are met with automated rejections, others with complete silence. I follow up, I network, I rewrite my resume, and still, nothing moves. Out of all those applications, I\u2019ve had only two interviews \u2014 both of which I had to chase for months just to get a chance to speak. One ended in rejection, and I\u2019m still waiting for news on the second.<\/p>\n

Along the way, I\u2019ve encountered scammers who pretend to be recruiters or hiring managers. They sound convincing, they ask for personal information or money, and they prey on people\u2019s hope and desperation. I\u2019m an experienced professional, and even I almost got trapped. That\u2019s how sophisticated these scams have become.<\/p>\n

I have a master\u2019s degree and over fifteen years of solid experience in financial services. I\u2019ve worked since I was fourteen years old and have always taken pride in my work ethic. Until now, I\u2019ve never had a problem finding a job. But this economy \u2014 this job market \u2014 has been brutal. You start to question yourself, wondering if you\u2019ve lost your value, if something is wrong with you. It truly messes with your confidence and sense of self-worth.<\/p>\n

What hurts the most is that I\u2019ve applied for roles I\u2019m overqualified for, jobs I would gladly accept just for the opportunity to work, to contribute, to feel useful again. I\u2019ve also applied for positions at my level \u2014 roles I know I could do exceptionally well \u2014 and yet, nobody gives me a chance.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m sharing this story not out of self-pity, but because I know I\u2019m not alone. There are so many capable, hard-working people out there facing the same silence, the same discouragement, the same invisible wall. I just hope by speaking up, we can bring more attention to how broken this system feels right now \u2014 and maybe restore some humanity and fairness to the hiring process.\u201d \u2013 My N., Boston (job hunting for almost 1 year)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u2018It\u2019s jarring to feel this invisible in the job market\u2019<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been looking for work since the end of January, after being laid off from a large real estate company where I worked for almost 20 years. I was part of their in-house creative marketing team, handling video and animation. I really liked the stability and the work itself, but my role was eliminated during a restructuring.<\/p>\n

Since then, I\u2019ve been applying to three to five jobs a week, mostly in marketing, multimedia, or creative production. I\u2019ve only had a couple of interviews the whole time. Most postings have well over a hundred applicants, and 98% of the time I just get an automated rejection. Sometimes I\u2019m not even sure all the listings are real openings.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m halfway through my unemployment benefits now. I\u2019ve been able to stay afloat, but I haven\u2019t been able to afford health insurance. Even with ACA subsidies, it\u2019s too expensive when I still have to cover food and my mortgage. I\u2019ll still be penalized at tax time for not having coverage, which makes it even harder.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been frustrating. After nearly two decades of steady work, it\u2019s jarring to feel this invisible in the job market. I know a lot of people are in the same position, but it helps to see this issue being talked about.\u201d \u2013 Anonymous reader<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u2018Getting screened out by AI before the process can even begin\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cThe incursion of AI in Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) erects yet another layer between candidates and a human being. It remains to be seen whether there is any advantage to machine screening of resumes or whether better candidates may be found by having an intelligent human being read resumes.\u201d \u2013 Sam L., Worcester (job hunting for 1-4 months)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

\u201cApplying to open positions and getting ghosted because each role has thousands and thousands of applicants, which leads to recruiters using AI to sort through applications and leaving the vast majority of applicants with no response. It would be easier on the average job-seeker if real people were looking at resumes, even briefly, and using stock rejection emails for all the unqualified candidates.\u201d \u2013\u00a0Rebecca M., Andover (job hunting for 5-8 months)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

\u201cGetting screened out by AI before the process can even begin \u2013 immediate rejections despite perfect role alignment. Sifting through hundreds of fake job listings.\u201d \u2013\u00a0Lauren N., Amesbury (job hunting for 9-12 months)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u2018Graduated college in 2023, \u2018overqualified\u2019 for a lot of entry level positions\u2019<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cGetting an interview for a job with a decent salary. I am currently employed, but am making 50% of what I was making previously. I am going into a lot of debt. The job market is a confidence killer.\u201d \u2013\u00a0Katelyn, Duxbury (job hunting for more than a year)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

\u201cSalaries just seem much lower than before.\u00a0Really shocking to see the pay cut I may need to take if I do find something.\u201d \u2013\u00a0Len M., Framingham (job hunting for 1-4 months)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

\u201cGraduated college in 2023, \u2018overqualified\u2019 for a lot of entry level positions and did not hear back from more mid-level positions. Currently resorted back to hospitality full time.\u201d \u2013\u00a0Tyler F., Quincy (job hunting for 5-8 months)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

\u201cKnowing that I\u2019m often overqualified because I\u2019m having to apply to positions that I cleared decades ago and still getting rejected.\u201d \u2013\u00a0John, Worcester (job hunting for 9-12 months)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u2018I am thankful to have an offer, but it pays me 20% less than what I\u2019m making\u2019<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cGetting the offer. I was laid off in mid-July. Dozens of interviews since then, half a dozen final rounds, where I just lost out to another candidate. I am thankful to have an offer, but it pays me 20% less than what I\u2019m making, and less PTO. So, I\u2019m still looking for other opportunities, and struggling to get other offers. For context, I used to have multiple offers to choose from, as recently as mid-2023, where it took me less than a month to land a new role! Competition is insane now, employers hold all the cards, and I have an MBA and am in my 30s. If I\u2019m struggling, how are others surviving?\u201d \u2013 Anonymous reader, Greater Boston (job hunting for 1-4 months)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

\u201cThe competition. I\u2019m applying for things for which I meet or exceed every qualification, and am not even getting phone screens, let alone interviews. The only interviews\/FaceTime I seem to be getting are with LinkedIn connections and\/or people who know me from the industry, and even then I\u2019m beaten by colleagues using the same or similar tactics.\u201d \u2013\u00a0Adam, Needham (job hunting for 5-8 months)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u2018Rampant ageism\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cThe most challenging part is that absolutely no one will hire someone over 50, regardless of professional experience or being a perfect fit. At 55 I have to work for at least ten more years and put money away, but cannot get hired for a professional job.\u201d \u2013\u00a0J.M., Watertown (job hunting for more than a year)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

\u201cRampant ageism among many things. \u2018You have such good experience!\u2019\u00a0 \u2013 code for \u2018You are too old,\u2019 and I am only in my 50s. Employers shriek they cannot find workers yet there are millions of us. We just want (and need to) make more than $15 an hour to survive, especially professional workers \u2026 Getting back into the workforce during or after this time is becoming nearly impossible unless you want to do minimum wage jobs.\u201d \u2013 Amanda, Stoneham (job hunting for more than a year)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

\u201cMy issue is my age, 68 years old. I still enjoy work and contribute immensely. I consult, but I feel isolated, not working in a team\u201d \u2013\u00a0Kevin S., Newburyport (job hunting for more than a year)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Boston.com occasionally interacts with readers by conducting informal polls and surveys. These results should be read as an unscientific gauge of readers\u2019 opinion.<\/p>\n

Some responses have been edited for length or clarity. <\/p>\n

\t\t\"Profile\t<\/p>\n

Annie Jonas is a Community writer at Boston.com. She was previously a local editor at Patch and a freelancer at the Financial Times.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSign up for the Today newsletter<\/p>\n

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