employHER’s Post

This is a heartbreaking post from Britney, who has been laid off for over 2.5 months. She, like many, poured her heart into an opportunity she was incredibly excited about, only to have her hopes crushed when she was informed she didn't get the job. These words struck me: "I am probably going to lose my home and more. I'm a single parent, and I have kids that need me. I have been so positive and giving this job search all I have every single day and I have been ghosted and led on. I just want to work again and love what I do again, and I ultimately didn't get it because I wasn't able to be in the office full time and move to another city, but I was willing to sacrifice to be there as much as I could." As someone who has also been out of work for over three months, I can relate to Britney's frustration, disappointment, and desperation. The job market is incredibly tough right now, and it hurts to put your all into applications and interviews only to be met with rejection or radio silence. To my friends and colleagues who are still employed: If you know of any open roles or opportunities, share them with Britney and other job seekers in your network. A simple referral or introduction could mean the world to someone struggling to find their next opportunity. And to recruiters and hiring managers: Try to have empathy for the candidates who are applying. For many, this isn't just about landing a job—it's about keeping a roof over their heads and providing for their families. A little compassion and support can go a long way for those facing unemployment. If you can offer real help—whether it's a referral, a recommendation, or just an empathetic ear—please do so. It could make all the difference for someone in desperate need of their next opportunity. #Hiring #JobSeekers #Jobs #Recruiting #EmotionalIntelligence #Empathy #Compassion #HelpSomeoneToday

As I come up on a month of being laid off, I thought it might be a good idea to post that I am still #OpenToWork and could use your help. A simple like, comment, share goes a long way! 🤞 I've had some ups and downs over the last month. There have been days when I was excited about what opportunity will come up next, and then days where I'm down because I got yet another auto-rejection. BUT I choose to look at the blessing in it... While I am #opentowork and continue to interview, network and apply, I also look at this time as an opportunity to focus on the things that really matter. In this society, we are groomed to think the more money and things you have, the happier that you are. But the truth is it's not WHAT you have but WHO you have. Even though I spend hours every day applying and having informational conversations, I am also actively choosing to pour more into myself, my family, and my friends. If you're looking for a #DemandGeneration, #LeadGeneration, #InsideSales, #BusinessDevelopment Manager that has the ability to jump in with both feet and hit the ground running, let's chat! I have a strong background in sales and a deep understanding of the technical side, and I'm never afraid to learn something new. I've built up years of knowledge in the #LifeSciences and #CDMO space, but I am open to other industries and adventures as well. #Redundancy #OpenToWork #LayOffs #JobSearch #Network #Apply #Interview

Last week, I had the incredible opportunity to speak with the Rhize community, a collective of amazing individuals navigating the job search process together. Rhize is more than just a group. It’s a supportive network where people can share struggles, swap stories, and learn from one another in a space that truly gets it. During my presentation, I shared my layoff stories and the emotional toll job searching can take. But I also shared something I’ve learned through my own journey and my work as a career coach: no one should go through this process alone. Here are a few tips from our session that might help if you’re in the thick of it right now: 🔹 Reframe rejection as redirection: A “no” isn’t a measure of your worth. It’s just a sign that something better is out there. 🔹 Celebrate small wins: Job searching is a marathon, not a sprint. Every application you submit, every step forward you take, is progress worth recognizing. 🔹 Set small, manageable goals: The job search can feel overwhelming, but breaking it into daily tasks (like one tailored application or researching a new company) makes it more doable. To the Rhize team, thank you for letting me share my experiences and connect with your community. Your work is so important, and I’m grateful to have been a small part of it. If you’re navigating the job search and looking for a community of like-minded people who “get it,” I highly recommend checking out Rhize. Because job searching is tough, but it’s a lot easier when you’re not doing it alone. #community #jobsearch #layoffs

💚 Seeing so many green #OpenToWork banners is a reminder of the challenges many are facing as we begin 2025. 💚 Layoffs are tough, and starting the year searching for a new role can feel overwhelming. The job market is rough, but I really do believe in the saying: when one door closes, another one opens—even if it takes time to find that door. Right now, our team here at Sales Hatch is working on a variety of sales positions across industries like trade, payment processing, tech, and medical device sales. These opportunities span different experience levels and offer the chance for growth in meaningful ways. If you or someone you know is exploring new opportunities, I’d love to connect and see if one of these roles could be a fit! As we look ahead to 2025, I wanted to share some insights from a great Forbes article I came across about the future of the job market: 🥚 Experience Will Outweigh Formal Education Hands-on experience is increasingly valued over traditional degrees, especially in fast-moving fields. Whether it’s AI, machine learning, or sales, companies want results-driven professionals who’ve demonstrated success. 🐣 Pro Tip: Focus on building your skills, taking on projects, or earning certifications that showcase your expertise. Highlight measurable results on your resume—this is what stands out most. 🥚 Referrals and Internal Moves Are Key Networking has never been more important. Internal promotions and referrals are becoming central to hiring. Whether it’s within your company or through platforms like LinkedIn, building connections and showcasing your value can make all the difference. 🐣 Pro Tip: Don’t hesitate to ask for referrals when applying externally, and make sure your LinkedIn profile is polished and aligned with your career goals. 🥚 Fewer Layoffs, but Hiring Freezes May Happen While layoffs might decrease this year, hiring freezes could be more common in uncertain markets. If the process takes longer, use the time to expand your skills, network strategically, or explore freelance and contract roles. 🐣 The key to navigating the 2025 job market? Stay informed, adaptable, and proactive. To everyone currently job hunting: I see your effort and persistence! Please know that there are people rooting for you—including me. If I can help in any way, whether through connecting you to an opportunity or sharing insights, don’t hesitate to reach out. Wishing you all success, resilience, and new beginnings in 2025! 🐣✨ #SalesHatch #Hiring #OpenToWork #JobSearch #SalesCareers #Networking #ProfessionalGrowth #SalesRecruitment #HiringNow #SalesJobs

I’ve been #OpenToWork for nearly two weeks now, and I’m truly grateful for the incredible support I’ve received so far. The likes, shares, comments, and introductions have been amazing, and I’ve met some truly inspiring people doing phenomenal things. Please keep the momentum going—like, share, and comment below! 👇 But, let’s be honest, it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. I applied for a Product and Marketing Director role at a global fintech company—right in my wheelhouse. I got a call from the hiring manager who loved my CV and wanted to chat. We had a fantastic hour-long conversation. Great guy, strong chemistry, and the role seemed perfect for me. He told me I was a very good fit, had engaging energy, and wanted me to meet the Global IT Director. Brilliant! I followed up with a thank-you email, reiterated my skillset, and reached out to the IT Director directly. The next meeting went well too; we discussed the role, my experience, and everything seemed on track. Next up, a meeting with the COO. Another positive conversation, solid chemistry, and everything seemed to be lining up perfectly. Then, two days later, I received a generic, automated email saying they were not moving forward with my application. After three hour-long conversations, multiple emails, and LinkedIn messages, they sent me an automated rejection? I reached out to the hiring manager—not to challenge him or the process—but to understand what went wrong and to learn for my next application. His response? “You don’t have the skillset. You’ve got an incredible CV, so I wanted to meet you, but you weren’t right for this role.” I asked what I was missing and what had changed. He said, “I needed technical expertise.” I’m not a coder, but I’ve worked in and around tech for a long time. Based on the job spec and the previous feedback, I more than fit the brief they provided. In reality, there could be many reasons why it didn’t work out, and that’s fine. But after investing the time in their process, a 10-minute call with some constructive feedback would have been appreciated. I’m a big boy. I can deal with rejection, even if it was a ‘you’re not the right fit’ or ‘we found someone better.’ We’ve all got a job to do and it’s nothing personal. But to be shown such a lack of common courtesy felt pretty rubbish Bottom line; Kindness and empathy cost nothing. Being #OpenToWork can be a tough journey, filled with ups and downs. Recruiters and hiring managers should strive to be more communicative and supportive. You never know when paths may cross again for other roles, in future businesses and at networking events Onwards and upwards!

— ‼️ PLEASE READ: I am still #OpentoWork "I am still #OpentoWork after previously announcing that I had secured a role at Trancos, Inc. Unfortunately, like many job seekers, I fell victim to a sophisticated #jobscam. Despite my efforts to verify emails, the company website, and role details, I was deceived. Fortunately, with some help, I avoided further harm." Meet Mayah Taylor, former Community Manager at VSCO®. The layoffs impacted Mayah the day she returned to work after maternity leave and she has been open to work since Dec 2023. "This experience has been incredibly devastating and shocking. My job search began last year when I was pregnant with my son and facing challenges at my previous company. Upon returning from maternity leave, I was laid off just two hours into my first day back. Since then, I have been searching for my next opportunity. By sharing my story, I hope to support and uplift others in similar situations - WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER 🫂," Mayah wrote in her most recent open-to-work post. employHER urges everyone to help her in any way possible. You can send the right opportunities her way, recommend her to someone who is hiring, share her open-to-work post in your network, or write her a recommendation if you know her professionally. Mayah, you can also consider creating your profile on www.employHER.com and exploring the opportunities we have been posting daily. We hope you'll find the opportunities you have been looking for. Mayah is a Senior Community Manager thriving on helping provide visibility and support to online communities. She is highly motivated by the creative and analytical approach to growing, nurturing, and marketing online communities and ecosystems. Mayah is seeking mid-level to senior roles in Community Management, Creative Consulting, and Digital Marketing, bringing 5-7 years of experience to the table. She is looking for an amazingly supportive and conscientious team with strong values, ideally within small to mid-large sized companies, whether established or startups. A human-driven environment with room to grow and a great health benefits package is essential. Mayah prefers fully remote positions that are PST, MST, or CST-friendly. While a full-time role is preferred, she is also open to part-time and contract opportunities. employHER hopes that this feature will help your job hunt journey and you'll find your next employment venture very soon. https://lnkd.in/gNT-vR9t . . . . . . #opentowork #jobseeker #layoffs #mayahtaylor #employHER

Hey #recuiters in the tech space, who am I to tell you how to do your job, but do you mind if I make a suggestion to fill your pipeline very quickly? Include the #opentowork tag in front of the job title or role you are 'hunting' for in your #LinkedIn search. After hitting Enter on the keyboard, expect to be amazed by the list of highly skilled and 'hungry' professionals searching for an opportunity to enter or return to the tech workforce, waiting to hear from you. :-) #empathy #togetherstrong #jobhunting

This is not going to be one of those posts where yours truly, the "opentowork" dude, will count his months of being unemployed mentioning he was the victim of layoffs. Been there, done that, got a few likes, some comments, never made it viral, didn't plan my thoughts to become viral. People in this situation don't pay bills with likes, comments and re-posts. And there are lot of us out there. They say it's an employer's market. They say the competition is huge. Over 100 applications on a job posting 2 hours old. We all see that. You're starting to wonder if you're worth. You're starting to lose the confidence that you had when you landed the job that got you laid off. They tell you to tailor your resume but not too much. They tell you to bring your genuine self. They tell you to be positive and chirp like you've been on a casual sabbatical where all you do is eat, pray, love. Someone in my network that is stuck in a job that's doing more harm than the paycheck can cover started looking for a job. They're hitting the same wall of superficial nothingness, automated replies and default rejection. Their story brought me some uncalled for justice and closure on every negative thought I ever had regarding my own process of finding a job these months: it's not me, it's them. I AM feeling better and AM NOT happy for their temporary misery. I hope they find that next job that will fulfill them. I got rejection to last me a lifetime now. I'm not the only one. We're tens of thousands floating in these murky waters, waiting for that one chance to get out of it. This is not about your experience, your skills, your awesomeness, your value no more. These are applicable in normal circumstances, definitely not met in 2024. If you have a job, keep it. You surely have at least one person in your network that's experiencing this hellish imposed "sabbatical". Make a good deed. Reach out to them. Ask them how they're holding up. Push it one step further. Send a note to your HR team, recommend them. It won't hurt you. You know why? Because no one's seat at the table is solid no more. Be a good sport. What's the worst that can happen? Them being ghosted? Rejected? Interviewed and left waiting? They've seen that too many times. But what if they get that chance? Let's start from around us. It takes a village. #jobseekers #jobmarket #resilience #referrals #helpothers

The hardest part about being #opentowork in today's job market is that #hiring companies have no reason to take a chance on you, when there is likely someone who will fit their requirements to the letter AND have some sort of internal connection. One thing I said over the past year, ever since I got to hire for a CS role in 2023, was that any company who set themselves up to be hiring in 2024 would be able to hire a dream team. But now, on the other side, having been a "many hats" and "get the dirty work done" type in my entire #CustomerSuccess career, it's hard to frame myself in a way that cuts through the noise of a hundred other "pretty well qualified" people who are doing the extra bits and connecting with hiring managers and such. I've tried all the things that worked before, reaching out, leveraging connections and referrals... but the auto-rejects just keep piling up. Add to this the vultures trying to make money on the #greenbannermafia, the increasing price of literally everything, and the constant flow of wannabe #experts insisting that your problem is simple and they've figured out the solution... and it can feel like the entire deck is stacked against you. I've only been at this for a couple of weeks, but one of the few things keeping me sane has been the people who have genuinely tried to help, who have put in referrals, posted encouraging words, related to the trials and triumphs of the journey. Y'all are the real MVPs, and maybe this is the way to keep yourself going in challenging times like this, to focus on those people who stood up for you when you were in a position of need. I suppose that is my encouragement to all of you. Listen to Mister Rogers (or more specifically his mom), and "Look for the helpers" all around you. Purposefully savor each moment of encouragement, just as much as you do the rejection (if not moreso). We can get through this.

Feeling Defeated but Still Hopeful It’s tough to keep pushing forward when the door you were so hopeful for suddenly closes. I recently had an incredible interview for a recruiting role—great conversation, real interest—it felt like the opportunity. But then, the email came: “We’ve decided to move forward with another candidate.” This isn’t the first time, and it stings every time. As someone with two small kids and a wife to support, it’s hard not to feel like the weight of these setbacks keeps piling up. I pour my heart into every opportunity, but lately, it feels like bad luck is always just around the corner. All I need is a chance. I’m hardworking, experienced, and deeply passionate about making a difference in people’s lives—especially through recruiting. If you’re reading this, I ask you: can you take a chance on me? I’m ready to prove myself and show how much I can bring to the table. To everyone else who feels stuck or defeated—keep going. I know it’s not easy, but we’ll find our breakthrough. #OpenToWork #NeverGiveUp #Resilience #Recruiting