Technologies
Why Can’t I Get a Job Right Now? 9 Expert Tips to Stand Out to Recruiters
From ghosting to burnout, here’s how you can stay sane and get hired in a brutal job market.

Since getting laid off from a tech marketing role last November, Stephanie Wandell has applied to hundreds of jobs. She’s heard back from only a handful of recruiters, without any offers.
«I was a little bit naive going into it, thinking I could do what I always do and depend on applying to as many places as I can,» said Wandell. «It became pretty clear that this time is different.»
Ask anyone who’s unemployed and they’ll tell you today’s job market is more challenging than it used to be. In the past several months, my LinkedIn social feed has been a testament to that. Laid-off professionals share posts about their agonizing battles to find employment, with job searches stretching more than a year.
Amid signs of an economic slowdown, companies are pulling back on hiring, leaving job seekers in the lurch. Facing fierce competition for a shrinking pool of open positions, candidates are trying to master new strategies to get past AI screeners into the hands of a human recruiter. Some wait months for a response, only to be ghosted by HR departments.
Even if official unemployment figures appear relatively low, millions of Americans are wading through this emotional and financial roller coaster. The health of the job market is measured by people’s ability to get a job, said Daniel Zhao, lead economist at the career and job search site Glassdoor.
Hearing these experiences, I had a lot of questions. Is the job hunt miserable for everyone? Why are so many qualified and talented workers getting the silent treatment? How are folks using AI in their search? What is HR actually looking for?
I spoke with several career specialists to gather the most straightforward advice for helping job seekers on their journey. I also compiled a list of free employment resources and upskilling platforms below.
1. Focus on quality over quantity
Sending out hundreds of applications with the same resume might feel like the right approach but it’s not the best use of your time.
«We find many job seekers in the market haphazardly applying to any and/or all jobs instead of targeting relevant ones,» said Chad Sowash of the Chad and Cheese Podcast, which covers recruitment technology, talent management and workforce economics.
Instead of spending several hours applying to multiple jobs, use that time to tailor each resume toward the role you really want. Companies are becoming increasingly selective in their hiring practices so job seekers also need to be choosier about where they apply.
«Not all positions and hiring companies will be a fit so don’t try to be all things to all people,» Sowash said.
To narrow down your search, think about what you’re looking for in terms of work environment and responsibilities, said Sam DeMase, career expert at ZipRecruiter. «Don’t just throw spaghetti at the wall and see what sticks.»
Identify the value that makes you an exceptional candidate. «If your resume is very generic and doesn’t speak to your specific superpowers, you’re not going to get as many hits as you would with a hyper-tailored resume,» DeMase said.
2. Optimize your resume for automated software
When you apply to a job online, your resume likely won’t go straight to a recruiter or hiring manager. Nearly all Fortune 500 companies use an applicant tracking system, or ATS, to process applications and dismiss candidates automatically.
As my CNET colleague pointed out in a 2023 story on resume robots, the ATS software scans applications for a specific percentage of matching keywords, typically 70% to 80%. If there’s not a high match with the posting, your application probably won’t make it to the next stage, regardless of your qualifications.
To create an ATS-friendly resume, read the job description thoroughly and note particular keywords, phrases or skills. If the requirements accurately align with your qualifications, add them to your resume using the same language. That said, don’t go overboard. While keywords are important, stuffing your resume with too many can read as unnatural.
Jobscan, Skillsyncer and multiple other online platforms provide free resume scanning tools geared toward optimizing your application for ATS.
Zhao said resume keyword optimization isn’t about «beating» the computer. It’s about making sure recruiters and hiring managers see your skills and experience.
Once you have the right balance of keywords, simplify your formatting to make it clean and concise, which helps the ATS and recruiters review your resume. Avoid using fancy headers and footers, graphics or tables, which often get garbled by the computer software.
3. Be ready to act fast
Set up multiple job alerts and be ready to act immediately on the openings you like the most. DeMase recommends being one of the first people to apply to the job posting so that your resume doesn’t get pushed to a later round.
«Unfortunately, these jobs are getting posted and have more than 100 applicants within 48 hours or sooner,» said Demase. If you have multiple versions of your resume ready, you can adapt quickly.
Just because a posting is still up after several weeks doesn’t mean the company is still reviewing applications or looking for new candidates.
4. Leverage AI, but don’t rely on it
In 2024, more than 50% of job seekers used AI to draft resumes and cover letters. While generative AI tools like ChatGPT can speed up the writing process, they tend to produce generic, impersonal content.
«One of the issues I see with job seekers who overly rely on AI is that their application ends up looking like everybody else’s who is using AI as well,» said Zhao.
To avoid the same formulaic responses, provide detailed prompts that emphasize the parts of your application that align with the job description and make your background and experience unique. For example, you can ask the chatbot to review your cover letter and suggest ways to make it more compelling based on your abilities and interests.
«It’s important for people to think about how their resume distinguishes them, how their skill set, even if it’s nontraditional, might give them a different perspective than other people in the candidate pool,» Zhao said.
5. Network strategically
Even in today’s digital age, networking remains incredibly powerful for landing a job, especially considering that many roles aren’t advertised online but filled through referrals.
If you’re new to networking, start reaching out to the people around you: family and friends, alumni and former co-workers. Ask them if they know anyone in a career field that interests you or works at a company you’re curious about.
«Folks can go quiet after a layoff, because there’s a deep sense of shame, particularly in our society, where so much of our identity is associated with our work and our productivity,» said Lisa Countryman-Quiroz, CEO of JVS Bay Area, a workforce development nonprofit. «It’s important to fight through that, tap into your network and let people know you’re looking.»
Instead of just requesting a job or connection, actively engage in conversations, ask thoughtful questions, share your own insights and look for ways to offer value, said DeMase. Sending out a handful of personalized emails will get you farther than dozens of generic copy-and-paste notes.
6. Build additional skills
Showcasing competitive skills like data analysis, digital collaboration and AI tool expertise is crucial in today’s job market. Instead of prioritizing traditional credentials like education, 76% of employers put greater value on actual work experience and demonstrated abilities, even if you’re self-taught.
«You can make yourself stand out by indicating the different things you’ve learned on your own and how that could apply to that employer,» said Countryman-Quiroz.
Free online courses, such as LinkedIn Learning or IBM SkillsBuild, can help you learn valuable skills or even obtain official certification. Local colleges and community centers frequently provide low-cost courses on anything from digital marketing to insurance licensing.
If you’ve been unemployed for a long time, you can use courses and training to fill in the gaps on your resume, which shows that you’re proactive and self-directed.
7. Mentally prepare for ghosting
For many, the toughest part of job hunting is never hearing back. Though being ghosted by an employer or recruiter can feel incredibly personal, it’s not a reflection of your skills or qualifications. Research from LinkedIn found that almost 40% of candidates say they’re applying to more jobs than ever and hearing back less.
There are countless reasons why HR doesn’t follow up: budget cuts, hiring freezes, internal shifts or too many applicants. You might never know the real reason.
You can send a polite follow-up email to the hiring manager to demonstrate your continued interest, which may prompt them to respond. But try not to blame yourself or spend too much time dissecting why you didn’t hear back.
After being ghosted following multiple interviews, Wandell started The Job Ghosting Project, a list of anonymous stories from job seekers who’ve been ignored by companies. Within a week of posting the survey, Wandell received more than 500 submissions, with responses ranging from recent grads to high-level executives.
«The goal is really just to document these patterns, validate the job seekers and push for accountability in the hiring process,» said Wandell.
8. Set up thoughtfully for interviews
Interview prep goes beyond knowing your resume and the role. You’ll need to show why you want this specific job with this specific employer.
Start with research. Look at the company’s recent news, press releases, social media and reviews. Understand their latest projects, challenges and competition.
Use the STAR method. Break down each requirement in the job description and connect it to a specific example from your experience. Practice structuring your answers using the STAR method (situation, task, action, result) to demonstrate your impact in a clear and concise way.
Practice, practice, practice. Say your interview answers out loud, not just in your head. If possible, do a practice interview with someone you trust and get honest feedback. That can help identify awkward phrasing and make you more confident during the real thing.
Prepare questions for the interviewer. Asking thoughtful questions of the hiring team shows your engagement and understanding of the role/company.
9. Make the search sustainable
It’s common to feel discouraged, stressed and embarrassed when faced with rejection. «The job search is a slog and you have to make sure that you’re doing it in a sustainable manner,» said Zhao. «You can’t just apply to 100 jobs every day because you’ll burn yourself out.»
Set clear boundaries for your job-hunting hours, schedule regular breaks and set up informal meetings to network. Focus on having a support system in place, especially with other people looking for work. Being in a group with people in the same situation can really «diminish the shame that so many feel around not being employed,» said Countryman-Quiroz.
After joining a job-seeker support group during a previous layoff, Wandell started her own group this past year. It started with five people and it’s now grown to 50 to 100 participants. «It’s a space for people to vent but also to ask questions, network and brainstorm,» said Wandell.
Read more: Layoffs Are Happening. How to Prepare if You Think You Might Lose Your Job
Free job search platforms and upskilling resources
We compiled a list of resources to help sharpen your skills and streamline your search.
General job boards
Industry-specific/niche job boards
- InHerSight: Organization providing career advice and job matching specifically for women.
- Jobs in Logistics: Job search site for employment in logistics, supply chain, transportation, inventory management and more.
- The Mom Project: Resource community geared toward working mothers seeking out family-friendly companies.
- Recruit Military: A military-to-civilian recruiting company connecting military veterans, transitioning military service members and their spouses with employment opportunities.
- Remote Jobs: Site curated by remote work specialist Rowena Hennigan, providing resources for remote work openings.
- SchoolSpring: National job board for teachers and others in education.
- Superpath: Job board for content strategists, writers and freelance bloggers.
- Working Nomads: Job search site for global remote work tailored specifically toward digital working nomads.
- VC Job Boards: Curated list of job boards featuring venture capital positions.
Workplace development nonprofits
- STRIVE: Offers tuition-free skills training, job readiness support and personal coaching for those seeking to improve their career prospects.
- NPower: Provides part-time tech skills training, including IT, cloud computing and cybersecurity, with opportunities for paid internships.
- Goodwill: Offers job training and employment services, career development and financial literacy programs, as well as job placement assistance.
- Year Up: Focuses on helping low-income young adults gain IT and business skills through paid internships and job placement.
Upskilling
- Coursera: Offers courses, certificates, and degrees from top universities and companies, covering subjects like computer science, business and data science.
- Udemy: A vast online marketplace for courses, with options ranging from health and fitness to IT and software, and more.
- LinkedIn Learning: Provides courses on business, creative, and technology skills, taught by industry experts.
- Skillshare: A community-based platform for creative and curious people, with classes in illustration, design, photography and more.
- edX: Offers university-level courses from various institutions, including MIT and Harvard, covering a range of topics.
- IBM SkillsBuild: Provides free access to learning materials and certifications in areas like cloud computing and AI.
- HubSpot Academy: Offers free courses and resources on marketing, sales and customer service.
- Google Skillshop: Provides free digital skills training through online learning platforms.
- Microsoft Learn: Offers free online training and certifications on Microsoft products.
- freeCodeCamp: A platform for learning web development through online courses.
- MIT OpenCourseWare: Provides access to free MIT course materials.
Technologies
Uber Adds Rental Car Delivery and Discounted Airport Rides Before July 4 Weekend Surge
Look for new airport pickup options and more flexibility for hotel food deliveries.

With AAA forecasting that a record-breaking 72 million Americans will travel during the week of July 4, ride-hailing and delivery company Uber is launching various updates to make summer vacations more seamless. Uber is significantly expanding its rental-car delivery service, introducing new airport options for ride-sharing and prescheduled pickups, and adding more flexibility for hotel food deliveries.
Read also: Uber’s Simplified App for Seniors Is Launching Nationwide
Car rental dropoff expands
One of the biggest updates is the expansion of Uber Rent — the service’s car-rental department — by adding car delivery, which allows users to have a rental car dropped off at their home, office or hotel. This summer, the service is rolling out to 15 additional US cities, including Dallas, Phoenix, Charlotte and Las Vegas, bringing the total to 24 cities nationwide.
Travelers can book a rental car as little as 2 hours in advance or up to six months ahead. Uber also notes that there’s no fee to cancel, as long as it’s at least 2 hours before the scheduled drop-off.
More affordable airport rides
Uber is also expanding Uber Share at Airports, a carpool-style option where travelers heading to or from the airport can share a ride with one other passenger and save up to 25% compared to a standard UberX, which is the regular Uber tier. Even if no match is found, riders still pay the discounted rate.
This feature is now available at more than 40 additional airports, including Chicago Midway, Nashville, Washington Reagan, and international cities like Paris, Lisbon and Stockholm.
Enhanced hotel food delivery
The company is adding new delivery options for travelers relying on Uber Eats while staying at hotels. Users can now select how they want their food dropped off: meeting the courier in the lobby, having the food left at the front desk or requesting direct delivery to their hotel room doorway.
Travelers staying at Marriott properties can also now earn Marriott Bonvoy points on Uber Eats orders, provided their loyalty account is linked in the app.
More airport pickup options in the suburbs
Uber is also expanding its Reserve Airport Pickup feature to 70 more airports in the US and Canada, with a focus on smaller towns and suburban destinations such as Reno, Green Bay and Sarasota. Reserve rides can be scheduled in advance, a convenience for travelers flying into areas with fewer transit options.
These updates are arriving just in time for one of the busiest travel weeks of the year. Additional changes are listed in the Uber Newsroom post.
Technologies
Microsoft Layoffs Are Here and These 3 Games Have Already Been Canceled
Microsoft is cutting more than 9,000 jobs — 4% of its global workforce — and as a result, Everwild and the Perfect Dark reboot have been put out to pasture.

Microsoft is moving ahead with mass layoffs, cutting a little less than 4% of its workforce or about 9,000 roles across the company. As a result, multiple games brewing within Xbox Game Studios were canceled, including some fairly high-profile projects.
When reached for comment, Microsoft directed CNET to reports Wednesday by Variety, confirming their accuracy.
«To position Gaming for enduring success and allow us to focus on strategic growth areas, we will end or decrease work in certain areas of the business and follow Microsoft’s lead in removing layers of management to increase agility and effectiveness,» Microsoft Gaming chief Phil Spencer wrote in a staff memo Wednesday morning, as published by Variety.
Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty confirmed the game cancellations in an internal email published by Variety, naming Perfect Dark and Everwild specifically, as well as other «unannounced» titles.
«We have made the decision to stop development of Perfect Dark and Everwild as well as wind down several unannounced projects across our portfolio,» Booty wrote in the email. «As part of this, we are closing one of our studios, The Initiative.»
Booty added that the decisions to axe these games «reflect a broader effort to adjust priorities and focus resources to set up our teams for greater success within a changing industry landscape. We did not make these choices lightly, as each project and team represent years of effort, imagination and commitment.»
What Xbox games have been canceled?
Perhaps the most significant title canceled amid these new layoffs was a reboot of the classic FPS series, Perfect Dark. The studio that had been working on this new title, The Initiative, will be shut down entirely.
The long-awaited new entry in the sci-fi espionage series has been in the works since the studio opened in 2018 and first showed off gameplay footage for the title during an Xbox Games Showcase in June 2024.
Another notable title getting the axe is Everwild, a long-gestating new IP from Rare, the revered British studio Sea of Thieves, which Microsoft acquired in 2002. Over the decades, the studio has also produced the original Donkey King Country games for the SNES, the original Perfect Dark for the Nintendo 64, Conker’s Bad Fur Day and the Banjo-Kazooie series.
According to unnamed sources who spoke to Video Games Chronicle, numerous job cuts and a broader restructuring are expected at Rare, resulting in the game’s cancellation. The sources also confirmed reports over the years about Everwild’s somewhat turbulent development, claiming that it had «struggled to nail down a clear direction for the title.»
The game has reportedly been in development for the better part of a decade, being officially announced in 2019, followed by a trailer in 2020. In 2021, reports emerged that development on the game had been «rebooted.»
The other title reportedly put out to pasture was an untitled new MMORPG from Zenimax Online Studios, the creator of the popular MMO Elder Scrolls Online, which has reportedly reached upward of 25 million players since launching in 2014.
Details about what this title was are sparse, with Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier reporting that the game went by the codename «Blackbird» and had been in the works since 2018. Windows Central said in its report about Perfect Dark’s cancellation that Blackbird was once intended to act as a successor of sorts to Elder Scrolls Online.
David Lumb, a senior reporter at CNET, noted how these new developments at Microsoft underscored the recent job instability in the gaming industry, as well as the uncertainty the cancellations are sure to cause among gamers.
«The biggest losses are to the seemingly thousands of people who are out of a job in a tumultuous industry that’s seen record layoffs year over year,» Lumb explained, adding, «The cancellations of big games like the upcoming Perfect Dark and Rare’s next game Everwild are concerning for Microsoft’s next few years of releases, but also to confidence that a game being teased at, say, an Xbox Showcase will end up coming out.»
According to Variety, all games that were shown off during the 2025 Xbox Games Showcase in June will continue being developed.
Technologies
Razer Handheld Dock Chroma Follows Its Accessories’ Formula: High Quality With a Higher Price
Review: The Razer Handheld Dock Chroma is great for traveling with your gaming handheld, but it’s not the only option.

The Handheld Dock Chroma from Razer is a compact stand and dock for portable gaming consoles and tablets, offering charging and an interface to send your games to a bigger screen. As the name suggests, it includes RGB lighting that’s part of Razer’s Chroma ecosystem. It was announced at CES in January, and it recently started shipping. Is it any good? Well, largely yes, with some important caveats.
What I like about the Razer Handheld Dock Chroma
The Razer Handheld Chroma Dock is well built. It follows the company’s signature trend of delivering high-quality accessories that look great and are reliably durable. The metal build quality is a nice touch against all the other plastic, cheap-feeling options out there. It’s also fairly small, making it easy to drop in a bag as you head out. That’s kind of the point, as Razer designed this dock to be portable, fitting in nicely with the whole idea of handheld gaming in the first place.
One big difference of the Dock Chroma, compared to other docks and which also plays well into the portability aspect, is that the stand to hold the handheld is adjustable. It will lie flat, covering the mounting deck entirely and turning the whole thing into a little cube. Or you can adjust it as steep as 75 degrees to find the perfect viewing angle while gaming.
As the Chroma name suggests, there’s an RBG light strip on the front that syncs up with your Chroma settings. If you aren’t using a device that supports Chroma, there’s a button on the right side you can use to cycle between some preset lighting scenes.
What I don’t like about the Razer Handheld Dock Chroma
The first odd design choice almost flies in the face of the whole portable idea: There’s a USB-C cable sticking out of the back. This is what you connect to your handheld but oddly it can’t be detached or even folded into the dock itself. So it’s a bit clunky from a portability standpoint.
Then there’s the port selection. There’s a 100-watt USB-C port, three USB-A Gen 1 ports, a gigabit Ethernet port and an HDMI 2.0 port. That’s not a terrible port selection for a docking station, but the lack of a second USB-C, DisplayPort or a 3.5mm headphone port is rather disappointing.
Performance
For something that’s essentially a docking station for handheld gaming rigs, the Chroma Dock works well. I hooked it up to a ROG Ally and had no issues at all. It was cool to be able to drop the Ally onto the dock, Switch-style, and instantly have my games up on my monitor and TV. The plethora of ports navigating Windows 11 on the Ally makes it so much easier by letting me use a keyboard and mouse with it.
The Chroma Dock works with any device that supports USB-C, including the Nintendo Switch. Just be aware that it’s kinda awkward with the Switch because you have to set it upside down for it to work, and you’ll need to use the original Nintendo charger that came with it. You’ll also need to provide your own charger for any device you use as Razer doesn’t include one in the box. But for the Switch specifically, you’ll need the Nintendo one.
Technically, you could mount any USB-C device onto the dock, including a tablet or phone, to have an all-in-one sort of situation. If you’re on the go a lot, this might be a game-changer in more ways than one.
Should you get the Razer Handheld Dock Chroma?
If you’re ready to pay the Razer premium, then perhaps. The Chroma Dock will set you back $80, which is more than double the price of most other similar docks. That’s a lot to ask for something like this. But if you want that Razer brand and you have other Chroma lighting gear, it’s well-built, if lacking in some features.
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