Terrible job market RANT

[brraap]

After graduating in 2021 I got my first graphic design job. But I left at the end of 2022 due to poor pay, overworking and burnout. The company also refused to give adequate holidays (or any at all). 

I have been searching for design jobs since then, even junior roles. I haven't been getting any responses or much luck. 
 

In between I've done various roles to keep myself afloat, like admin and even warehouse. Under abysmal pay, unreliable zero hour contracts and terrible working conditions. I developed a stomach ulcer because of the stress which I have just healed. It's safe to say that I am very, very tired.

 

Recently I put so much effort into my job applications, with a new website, CV and LinkedIn profile. I finally felt like I was getting somewhere. A company made me do 3 rounds of interviews with a design task recently and I finally thought this was it…
 

Only to find out that I didn't get "shortlisted", meaning they're still going and have chosen other candidates. 

 

I don't know what else to do. How much more I can take. I'm in my mid twenties. 
 

If anyone can talk me through this that would be great, or share their experiences 

 

Love you all  

[crymelanie]

i'm close to your situation i go through gastric sleeve surgery for losing weight and i feel bad trying to recover while i skip my university classes and i'm jobless on top of that

[Uncatena]

I quit graphic design three years ago because I saw the direction the industry was going, especially with AI. I won't mince words, this is the state of the industry now and it will get worse because employers benefit from fake staff shortages in the long run. 

[brraap]

11 minutes ago, Uncatena said:

I quit graphic design three years ago because I saw the direction the industry was going, especially with AI. I won't mince words, this is the state of the industry now and it will get worse because employers benefit from fake staff shortages in the long run. 

Explain?

[brraap]

23 minutes ago, crymelanie said:

i'm close to your situation i go through gastric sleeve surgery for losing weight and i feel bad trying to recover while i skip my university classes and i'm jobless on top of that

I never get how ill people are supposed to survive. It's like we're not allowed to take time off working

[welham]

As a recent undergraduate, the situation is horrible all around. So many places ask for years (PLURAL!) of experience for supposed "entry-level" jobs. Like, I'm supposed to pull them out of my ass somehow.

 

The emotional and mental toll of the war here in the Mid-East has been brutal as it is, but the added existential anxiety from the job market is making things unbearable.

[Uncatena]

6 minutes ago, brraap said:

Explain?

in a lot of cases its basically a capital strike, meaning that holding off on hiring is an attempt to force workers into accepting less pay. this is why a lot of them hang out those "we are slow today because no one wants to work anymore :/" signs.

[Cain]

I got a graphic design degree 8 years ago and decided to pursue an academic career and get a Masters and looking back that was the right choice (even if I totally didn't do it out of future prospects, I just wanted to go to uni)

 

I think with the way the future of graphic design is looking it would be smart to pivot/diversify 

[skwonderfactory]

The entire job market is f**king sh*t right now. As @welham mentioned, entry-level positions are asking for years and years of experience. On top of that, even basic jobs like minimum wage retail and fast food workers expect so damn much that is causes massive burnout. Post-pandemic, networking has become more about who-you-know and requires absurd standards as if it wasn't heading in that direction already. Also, pay is not going up to match the ever-increasing prices and shrinkflation. For those who rely on government assistance for any reason (employed or not) it is harder and harder to get a hold of workers through B.S. phone systems that keep increasing hold times and decreasing hours you can call There is confusing paperwork, too, and when you show up in-person to their offices, they often get upset and push you away. Basically everyone who's upper class only cares about making as much money as possible out of ease and convenience without consequence. That is why the middle class is every-shrinking and so it will be just those in poverty and the upper class.

[prézli]

1 hour ago, brraap said:

After graduating in 2021 I got my first graphic design job. But I left at the end of 2022 due to poor pay, overworking and burnout. The company also refused to give adequate holidays (or any at all). 

I have been searching for design jobs since then, even junior roles. I haven't been getting any responses or much luck. 
 

In between I've done various roles to keep myself afloat, like admin and even warehouse. Under abysmal pay, unreliable zero hour contracts and terrible working conditions. I developed a stomach ulcer because of the stress which I have just healed. It's safe to say that I am very, very tired.

 

Recently I put so much effort into my job applications, with a new website, CV and LinkedIn profile. I finally felt like I was getting somewhere. A company made me do 3 rounds of interviews with a design task recently and I finally thought this was it…
 

Only to find out that I didn't get "shortlisted", meaning they're still going and have chosen other candidates. 

 

I don't know what else to do. How much more I can take. I'm in my mid twenties. 
 

If anyone can talk me through this that would be great, or share their experiences 

 

Love you all  

Oh, boy. I'm a UX/UI designer and today's job market is HORRIBLE, I agree. I work as a contractor, but it's not full-time, so I'm looking for new opportunities, but what I see is a complete disaster and I can't find anything. They want unicorns. It's going to be better, I'm sure.

Edited 1 hour ago by prézli

[prézli]

29 minutes ago, Cain said:

I got a graphic design degree 8 years ago and decided to pursue an academic career and get a Masters and looking back that was the right choice (even if I totally didn't do it out of future prospects, I just wanted to go to uni)

 

I think with the way the future of graphic design is looking it would be smart to pivot/diversify 

I'm doing a Masters right now, and I'm glad I'm doing this now because it keeps me busy and fills my free time.

[brraap]

4 minutes ago, prézli said:

Oh, boy. I'm a UX/UI designer and today's job market is HORRIBLE, I agree. I work as a contractor, but it's not full-time, so I'm looking for new opportunities, but what I see is a complete disaster and I can't find anything. They want unicorns. It's going to be better, I'm sure.

I've heard UX is very picky with juniors. Like they want 2+ years experience but entry level is virtually non existent. I have some experience in UI it but didn't pursue it fully because it looks like that industry wants you to be able to do UX/UI plus coding.

 

Hopefully it gets better. Good luck on your masters! 

[brraap]

28 minutes ago, skwonderfactory said:

The entire job market is f**king sh*t right now. As @welham mentioned, entry-level positions are asking for years and years of experience. On top of that, even basic jobs like minimum wage retail and fast food workers expect so damn much that is causes massive burnout. Post-pandemic, networking has become more about who-you-know and requires absurd standards as if it wasn't heading in that direction already. Also, pay is not going up to match the ever-increasing prices and shrinkflation. For those who rely on government assistance for any reason (employed or not) it is harder and harder to get a hold of workers through B.S. phone systems that keep increasing hold times and decreasing hours you can call There is confusing paperwork, too, and when you show up in-person to their offices, they often get upset and push you away. Basically everyone who's upper class only cares about making as much money as possible out of ease and convenience without consequence. That is why the middle class is every-shrinking and so it will be just those in poverty and the upper class.

This very much seems like the case. It feels like we are heading in the direction of a class war. People seem to forget that during the pandemic the working class were on the front lines keeping society afloat. 

[Alaska.]

I got my degree in IT a bit after the pandemic lockdown and it was a struggle. Apparently companies started a ton of projects at the beginning of lockdown, but a ton of them failed, so I had to compete on entry level jobs with people that already had some experience.

 

And even while trying to get my second job, I had to wait months on end since there's not as many oportunities at the beginning of the year. Now I'm on my third job, it's kind of boring so I want to find something more exciting, but I'm scared to leave and screw myself by joining a company that treats me like the first one did 

[prézli]

1 minute ago, brraap said:

I've heard UX is very picky with juniors. Like they want 2+ years experience but entry level is virtually non existent. I have some experience in UI it but didn't pursue it fully because it looks like that industry wants you to be able to do UX/UI plus coding.

 

Hopefully it gets better. Good luck on your masters! 

I have 4 years and am a senior, but... My biggest problem is that UX research melts into UX design (according to the COMPANIES) and I don't care about UX research, I hate doing it. 85% of my applications turned into interviews, but there were HR interviews when I said, "wtf, why did I apply for this job". I had a few interviews scheduled already when I re-read the description and I said, "ok, let's write to the HR and explain I'm not interested in this".

[Spicy Pisces]

Not to mention the f****d up situation with unpaid internships, which is what most people can only aspire even with the best of education under your belt. They last a few months, then these companies get another intern and so on, thus continuing the cycle of free labor.

 

 

Edited 51 minutes ago by Spicy Pisces

[Starfish]

Your degree is not good. The job you want to do will be completely taken over by AI. Your best option is to make peace with working menial minimum wage jobs forever or going back to school. 

[Florence Belch]

2 hours ago, brraap said:

After graduating in 2021 I got my first graphic design job. But I left at the end of 2022 due to poor pay, overworking and burnout. The company also refused to give adequate holidays (or any at all). 

I have been searching for design jobs since then, even junior roles. I haven't been getting any responses or much luck. 
 

In between I've done various roles to keep myself afloat, like admin and even warehouse. Under abysmal pay, unreliable zero hour contracts and terrible working conditions. I developed a stomach ulcer because of the stress which I have just healed. It's safe to say that I am very, very tired.

 

Recently I put so much effort into my job applications, with a new website, CV and LinkedIn profile. I finally felt like I was getting somewhere. A company made me do 3 rounds of interviews with a design task recently and I finally thought this was it…
 

Only to find out that I didn't get "shortlisted", meaning they're still going and have chosen other candidates. 

 

I don't know what else to do. How much more I can take. I'm in my mid twenties. 
 

If anyone can talk me through this that would be great, or share their experiences 

 

Love you all  

The only factual advice I can give you is telling you about the path my mother, a graphic designer for 30 years, has taken after losing her job 4 years ago: free lance as a second job, and give absolute priority to the second path you've always seen yourself in.

 

COVID and AI have completely f-cked up your world, and it's not worthy wasting your health for something that won't be treating you fairly. You're 25, you still have time and energy to create a better life for yourself! It won't be easy, but you're never alone in this lonely path. So take your time to figure out what's best for you, you can do it 

[getBusy]

Not the most helpful thing to say but please be kind to yourself - this is NOT a reflection of you, your skills or your value as an employee. It's just a really, really horrible job market. 
 

stay strong sis

[swifthino]

as someone who was struggling with health for the past 2 years and now it's over, i just wanna say that i feel your frustration about this whole job market 

 

i gave up software eng. studies because of the way AI was going and now im doing something more trade based (which is honestly one of the better options rn)

[bad guy]

I also just finished school about a year ago after changing my major three times because I was noticing the job market for each just get worse and worse  

 

I took a gap year right before the pandemic to try the whole networking thing for a job in entertainment (marketing/PR) while working full time at another job and then Covid hit so all that went away. Transferred to a different school with the same intention of pursuing something in that industry but on the arts side and quickly realized that the job market was scarce despite my school having decent connections. I didn't want to take the risk of having a useless degree and just minored in that and majored in a social science so that I can pursue law. But even law school applications want a resume with some sort of experience and finding just an internship at a firm has been nearly impossible. And the one that had set up an interview with me ghosted me. I drove past them one day saw a "FOR SALE" sign on their building so I guess no interview was needed anymore 

 

I have a few friends back home but I can't use them a connections for anything because they also can't find work, it's all just hustling. I do have one of my closest friends who will more than likely end up in the entertainment industry due to connections/talent and he's said he'd want me on a project but even his older sibling hasn't been able to find a job, so we'll see. Right now I work two jobs and do my writing on the side, and am just focusing on law school for next year. If I do well my first year I could have a good job at a firm lined up for me which can be six figures and that's enough for me to be comfortable. Plus there are pathways for me to do a myriad of things with that. It'll all depend on if I can afford it though 

 

Unfortunately AI is going to destroy any creative job that there is unless there are regulations in place. Animators are also getting steamrolled right now. Writers will be next. Then movies. Then music. These people at the top want to spend as little as possible to make as much profit as possible. They don't care about you, your talent, or even their own shitty work as long as AI gets it done and they make millions. It's already becoming so normalized. If I were you I would do freelance work while also finding another job to finance yourself. I'd say get your masters but if you're American you know how expensive that'll be. Hang in there 

[Cyanide]

You are completely right, this is ****** up and it's like the system is working against us… 

 

you aren't alone