/Career-job-opportunities

Hi folks, new here. I like the topics, so I signed up. Lost my job back in July 2026. I hated that toxic place anyway. I was expected to "make a difference" and "make things happen", but was refused the tools to do so, and couldn't get into "the club" (the folks that can screw everything up, and no one blinks an eye). That's the short story. So they "fired" me because of a made-up reason. Actually, they fired me for a reason, but I proved they had no reason at all, so after a short pause where all three of their brains short circuited, the HR lady said, "Well, a decision has already been made..." So yeah, I got fired for no reason. lol, the state unemployment office says the company hasn't responded to an inquiry for 2 weeks - they try a half dozen times to get their side of the story. if there's no response, they said they just take the employee's side and start paying unemployment. Previously (in October 2024), a company I worked for was purchased by a larger company who wanted to off-shore engineering to India, so my position was eliminated. I went back to contracting as a cable / internet installer, which is something I'm really good at (20 years experience). It's boom or bust - feast or famine. You make a ton of money one day, and none for the next 3. not stable in this area. Spent 6 months doing that before getting picked up by the toxic employer. I only bring up these two unemployment scenarios to share the following: From Oct 2024 - Mar 2025, I was on the usual places: Indeed, LinkedIn, applying for 3 - 4 jobs per day. That was my goal. I got maybe 2 interviews doing it that way. The economy really sucked. I finally got hired because a former coworker had a contact at the toxic company. I didn't have warm fuzzy feelings during the interview (the boss is a narcissist), but I really needed a job, so.... In May of 2026, I saw the writing on the wall at the toxic company, and knew they were plotting to fire me, so I started up again with applying for work - 3-4 jobs per day. When they made it official the last week of July, I stepped it up to 10 applications per day. I talked to a friend last week who got a new job last year, and he thought 20-50 per day was what was needed. I've toyed with the idea of using one of these AI websites to just auto-apply, but I'm not sure I trust them yet. Still, the world is moving in this direction. I used AI to tweak my resume because you definitely need all the keywords in there to even apply. So, at 3-4 applications per day from May - July, and then 10-15 from end of July to present, that's 90 x 3 = 270 applications + 220 more since end of July = 490 applications filed. 0 interviews. The only responses I've received have been rejection emails. Yes, I'm applying for jobs that I meet or exceed the qualifications - I've even applied for tutoring jobs, customer service jobs, tech support jobs - stuff that doesn't even require a degree (I have 2 B.S.'s - math, telecom). A few weeks ago, I asked AI, "If my resume is ATS compliant, I'm well qualified, and I've applied for 400+ jobs, why am I not getting interviews?" They are almost all "ghost jobs". Companies are posting jobs they have no intent to fill. They are just hedging their bets in this sucky economy. The BLS jobs report came out in early August - July LOST 23K jobs. So all these job postings are fake. I did some more research and it looks like only 1% of the job seekers are getting hired. it used to be you could apply for 30 jobs and get 1 interview, but AI is now checking resumes and a human is not seeing your experience. I calculate that it will take about 600 applications before I get a job. So I changed tactics - I started networking. that's how I got the toxic job, and almost every job I've ever had - by knowing someone. I emailed everyone I knew and asked them if their company was hiring. Made posts on social media highlighting my skills. I have several folks on the lookout with folks they know to see about jobs. It has not produced any fruit, yet, but I am hopeful. Also, guess when the worst time to find a job is in any year? December. The next worst time? July and August because hiring managers are on vacation. September is the month everyone starts looking at their end-of-year budgets and decides whether to finally fill a few of those ghost jobs they've had out there for months. I have to say: I could probably get a job tomorrow, if I didn't have any limitations on location or pay, but I am primary caretaker for my wife who is disabled. This also means I can't take jobs with travel, so this is limiting where I can apply. I need "remote only" and "no travel". With all that said, here's the point: Today, I noticed a change in LinkedIN - I've clicked on a half dozen job links that say the position is closed - even though it was only posted on LinkedIN an hour ago. Yes, I know there are reports of LinkedIN posting old jobs and such - but 6 closed jobs on the same day? Also, lots of new jobs I haven't seen before. I think this is a good sign. I think this means the hiring freeze is about to thaw - maybe a little. I don't see "a roaring economy" in the future, but maybe some hiring happens before the end of the year. So that's my input. ************************************** extras: I don't have a mortgage or car payments. We worked really hard to build a house all by ourselves with no loans, and that was the smartest thing I've ever done financially. The job is needed for insurance and the projects I have going on (I'm building a garage). I have some student loans that are almost paid off, but due to not having a job, it was pragmatic to ask for a deferment until I know what the future holds. so I just need food and utilities. Your thoughts?