A video has gone viral on social media after a woman shares the struggle of applying for "countless" jobs and being ghosted.
A TikTok user named @kvora__ displayed her frustrations on job ghosting, with many users relating to her issue. The viral video has over 30,000 likes and 369,000 views.
"No one tells you how mentally draining and depressing job hunting and interviewing is," she wrote in the text displayed in the video, "Applying to countless jobs just to get ghosted. I feel so lost and am losing confidence. Been in a depressive rut for two weeks now and I'm just so exhausted."
With almost 700 comments, many users share similar experiences in the career-hunting world.
"I wish people talk about that more! I did not understand the difficulty until I already tried," one user exclaimed.
"Omg same," another echoed, "I cant even get proper sleep because i am constantly thinking I should be applying more or what i am doing wrong, how to improve resume etc."
A user said, "On my job hunt right now - it's brutal."
"I can't seem to find anything I'd actually wanna do. I keep applying to jobs I don't want just to feel like I'm making progress [because] I never hear back," one admitted.
Another user gave the original poster some words of encouragement, "Keep going don't give up! I was recently where u were and I now landed [an] awesome remote job."
Newsweek has reached out to @kvora__ for comment.
What is 'job ghosting'?
"'Ghosting' is a hot topic in the hiring world, and one that we've seen pick up steam in recent years," Andrew Seaman, managing editor for Jobs and Careers at LinkedIn, told Newsweek. "It can be on the side of the hiring manager or job seeker, and it's when a person fails to respond or engage with you despite an ongoing conversation."
Recently, LinkedIn surveyed its members to learn more about ghosting in the job industry. They discovered that 93 percent said they've been "ghosted" by an employer after an interview.
Seaman explained what is considered ghosting, saying many job-search experts agree that if a hiring manager doesn't respond to a candidate after having contact with them, it is considered ghosting. It isn't ghosting if a candidate hasn't heard back from the hiring manager at all.
He added that most recruiting and talent professionals say that it's bad to "leave a candidate in the dark." However, some hiring managers have busy schedules and cannot respond back to every candidate, Seaman told Newsweek. The professionals he speaks with say there's "no excuse" for ghosting an applicant.
What candidates can do to potentially avoid 'ghosting'
Seaman continued to Newsweek that some candidates do not receive an interview due to certain fields being more competitive.
He said, "It's always best to take a holistic and targeted approach to your job search to increase your odds of success. Instead of sending out a mountain of applications, have a list of specific companies and/or roles you want to apply to."
"Tailor your resume and cover letter for each role. And most importantly, activate your network. Do you have a connection or a friend of a friend who can give you a referral or at least an introduction? A successful job search is often the result of people using a combination of these methods," Seaman added.
He recommended that if a candidate hears back from a hiring manager, they should ask if they can follow up with them in the days following the interview. After the interview is completed, candidates should ask the hiring manager when they expect to hear back from them.
Seaman concluded to Newsweek that it is OK to follow up with hiring managers throughout the application process. Hiring managers on LinkedIn suggest following up with recruiters at least three times, while adding the candidate's experiences and interest in the job.
"Make sure you leave things in a positive place, even if you're frustrated with the process - you never know when another position will open up, and you may end up being first in line," Seaman said.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Ashley Gale is a Newsweek reporter based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her focus is reporting on trends. She has covered trends, ... Read more
