Why Is Finding a Job So Hard? 5 Reasons and Practical Tips to Tackle

Despite endless job boards and LinkedIn posts about "we're hiring," talented professionals are spending months in search limbo.

If you're feeling like you're shouting into the void, you're not alone. The job market has fundamentally shifted, but most job seekers are still using outdated strategies. Here are five overlooked realities making your job search harder than it needs to be and what actually works now.

Key takeaways

• 75% of CVs are rejected by AI before humans see them – Optimise your CV with simple formatting and relevant keywords to get past automated screening systems.
• 35% of organisations reported increasing their use of contract or freelance workers in the past year, with the majority citing speed and flexibility as the main drivers.
• Finding a new job can now take 4-6 months, rather than 3 for some permanent positions – Set realistic timelines to avoid the confidence spiral that destroys interview performance.

The "hidden recession" in hiring decisions

Scenario 1: Have you applied to a job, only to discover further down the line that the job has been put on hold due to a budget freeze. Unfortunately, this can sometimes happen.

Recruitment agencies and direct businesses are working to fill vacancies, only to find out once they’ve engaged candidates, that the job has been put on hold, due to budget approval delays, or changes. Meanwhile, layoffs are creating an oversupply of experienced candidates in specific sectors, leaving Hiring Managers with too much choice, and delays in reviewing candidates to make a decision, due to the sheer volume. Add global remote work competition into the mix, and your local role now competes internationally.

The numbers tell a stark story. UK job vacancies dropped by 63,000 between March and May 2025, with the unemployment rate rising to 4.6%, the highest in nearly four years. Employers are holding back on hiring due to increased costs and economic uncertainty.

What we’re doing to help: We first do our best to qualify that a job is viable and a budget has been signed off, but sometimes, unforeseen circumstances, can mean we’re taken by surprise. If this is the case, we work to communicate clearly with candidates, and then help see if they are suitable for any other jobs. With hiring decisions taking longer, when there is an abundance of applications, we help narrow down the search to choose the best suited candidates, keeping them engaged and informed throughout the process.

What you can do to help your search: Target financially stable companies with confirmed hiring budgets - research if the company is financially stable checking recent funding and companies house. Focus on growth sectors like the Public Sector, Greentech, Healthtech, Fintech, Insurtech, and Cyber Security. Use recruiters with direct budget confirmation from clients rather than chasing ghost opportunities.

This hiring paralysis connects directly to another invisible barrier that's filtering out qualified candidates before they even get a chance to prove themselves.

AI screening is eliminating qualified candidates before humans see them

Scenario 2: A candidate with the right skills for a job, is rejected because their CV does not have the right keywords included to showcase those skills.

We know how frustrating it feels to send your CV into what seems like a digital black hole, never to hear back. Some CVs never reach human eyes due to the systems that manage the hiring process. They use automation and AI to screen hundreds of CVs looking for particular keywords suited to a particular role. And in fact, it works both ways. 41% of candidates are using AI tools to enhance their CV. Whilst recruiters say these screening systems have positively impacted their hiring process, 75% of applications are rejected before reaching a human recruiter. This is due to poor formatting, or too many pictures, embedded text within an image or lack of keywords.

What we are doing to help: Although we can’t do this at scale, we do advise candidates we have talked to, or worked with in the past, to update their CV layouts to help them become more visible through screening systems.

What you can do to help your search: Optimise your CV for these AI screening tools, including keywords related to your skills and the role you want to apply for, whilst maintaining readability for humans. Use simple formats like Microsoft Word are the easiest for systems to read, and try not to include images, unless absolutely necessary.

Even when you do make it past the digital gatekeepers, there's an emotional toll that nobody talks about, and it's quietly sabotaging even the most qualified candidates.

The confidence death spiral that nobody talks about

Scenario 3: You’re a senior professional, whose motivate to keep looking for the right job has dwindled, after failing to secure a new position after 3 months. You procrastinate applying for jobs, and when you do get an interview, sometimes your energy is low, after being previously rejected.  

We recognise that continuous rejection can feel like your worth is being questioned. Extended job searches, now averaging 4-6 months for some permanent positions, are destroying interview performance. Imposter syndrome intensifies with each rejection, desperation shows up in interviews and weakens your negotiating position, and the psychological toll of constant self-promotion becomes overwhelming.

What we are doing to help: We've coached hundreds of professionals through extended searches, and we work to spot confidence erosion by keeping in regular contact. By helping advise on the approach, tips for a successful interview, and generally encouraging our candidates, we help them get through what can sometimes be a long process (although we try and keep our process short through clear client communication, and timelines for hire).

The figures reveal a worrying trend: anxiety affects 79% of people looking for work, with extreme anxiety impacting 20%. Beyond that, 72% say the job search process has taken a toll on their mental health.

What you can do to help your search: Set realistic 6-month timelines to manage expectations. Give yourself weekly activity targets, set slots in your diary, and milestones to achieve. Before you know it your progress will start to push forward. Maintain meaningful projects outside of job searching to preserve your sense of worth. Use recruitment partners for honest feedback and confidence coaching. And use friends and family to practice interviewing, not just when you have interviews scheduled.

While you're rebuilding confidence, there's a strategic decision many job seekers are overlooking that could dramatically speed up their search timeline.

The permanent vs contract strategic decision

Scenario 4: You have previously worked in a permanent position, but the opportunities are limited. You want to consider a contract role, or career change, but you’re not sure where to start. Alternatively, perhaps you’ve worked as a contractor for a while, but you’re at a point in your life where you need more stability with holidays, sick pay etc… so want to consider working in a permanent job, without losing out on pay.

If you're feeling stuck in the permanent job market, you're not imagining things. Contract markets are moving faster than permanent hiring, but there are complex tax implications for contractors, particularly with regulations like IR35 in the UK.

Contract markets are moving three times faster than permanent hiring in 2024-2025. According to PwC's 2024 Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey, 35% of organisations reported increasing their use of contract or freelance workers in the past year, with the majority citing speed and flexibility as the main drivers.

What we are doing to help: We speak to may candidates looking to change their working situation from perm to contract and visa versa. The harder transition is moving from perm to contract if you haven’t done it before. To help you make this move read our article… Step-by-Step Guide to Launching Your Career as an IT Contractor.

What you can do to help your search: Assess your risk tolerance and financial runway honestly. Use tailored financial calculations, assess your savings, and find a break-even analysis template. Consider contracts as strategic career moves, not just income bridges and research the tax implications and compliance requirements in your region thoroughly. Research IR35 and implications, while understanding if you want to go Ltd or via an Umbrella Company. Understand the true cost comparison including benefits and job security.

Whether you choose permanent or contract work, there's one fundamental truth about today's job market that could transform your entire approach.

Going solo in a relationship driven market

Scenario 5: You’ve tried applying to a number of jobs but with little successes. But you haven’t tapped into your own network to spread your reach to jobs that might not be publicly visible on jobs boards and business/recruitment websites.  

The loneliness of job searching can feel overwhelming, but the quoted numbers circulated by numerous sources add more pressure. There are many publications that estimate 70% of roles are never publicly advertised, forming the hidden job market – but where is the actual study for this? I’d suggest numbers are much lower, but that doesn’t mean there a number of hidden jobs which are never advertised on jobs boards due to confidentiality, niche targeting and internal hiring. Hiring Managers can often prefer referred candidates to reduce risk, internal candidates and succession planning limit external opportunities, and job boards show historic demand, not current openings. This is especially true in saturated candidate markets.

According to a 2024 CNBC article, experts estimate that 70-80% of jobs are filled via networking and referrals, rather than being publicly advertised – although again, I think this stat is probably too high, at least in the UK.

What we are doing to help: 60% of our successful placements come through existing relationships with candidates on our database or referrals from our network. We, of course, review new applications, but sometimes word of mouth and direct relationships can help us fill jobs faster, especially in the fast-paced contractor market.

What you can do to help your search: Build relationships with specialist recruiters before you need them. Attend networking events and build connections, find a mentor who can help advise and refer you, and importantly, maintain your relationships, through quick check-ins. Leverage recruiters' market intelligence and client access connecting with ones that specialise in your area of expertise. Use recruitment partners for salary benchmarking and feedback, e.g. 2025 Big Tech Employment Survey.

Strategy beats persistence

The job market rewards strategic thinking over hard work alone. Understanding these hidden dynamics lets you focus effort where it actually matters: building relationships, targeting the right opportunities, and maintaining confidence throughout the process.

At Gravitas Recruitment Group, we help professionals navigate these exact challenges daily. Our market intelligence, client relationships, and candidate coaching turn job searching from a numbers game into a strategic advantage.

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Connect with our author, Rhianna McArdle here, or browse our latest job opportunities.