I applied for 900 jobs after being laid off at 62. AI made the search even harder.

"When I was made redundant from my electronics marketing job in 2024 after the company downsized, the last thing I expected was that I would end up applying for 900 jobs before finally landing a new one. I put everything I had into my job search. I created tailored résumés, cover letters, and even presentations for individual roles - without using AI - and contacted employers directly, while also attending physical events to meet new contacts."

"My confidence took a beating I treated each day like a workday - often starting at 8 a.m. to search through job boards, then methodically selecting which roles to apply for based on relevance, industry, and location. I even sent my résumé to some trusted peers for feedback and refinement. I was also open about being happy to commute to an office up to an hour from where I live - in my early career, I would drive thousands of miles a year for work."

"Throughout this entire process, my motivation and confidence took a significant hit, particularly due to the frustration of conflicting feedback. Some bosses wanted experience in their industry, while others were open to people from other fields. Some were open to senior marketers, yet others told me I was overqualified. The feedback that I often got was, "You'd be bored in this job"."

Jim Herrington, 62, from Suffolk, UK, was made redundant in March 2024 after company downsizing and applied to about 900 jobs before securing a role in December 2024. He created tailored résumés, cover letters, and presentations for individual roles and avoided using AI in his applications. He contacted employers directly and attended physical networking events while treating the search like a full-time job. His motivation and confidence suffered due to inconsistent feedback from employers who alternately said he was overqualified or lacked industry experience. He believes AI helps recruiters but causes strong candidates to be overlooked, and that age bias diminished appreciation for his experience.

Read at Business Insider