Post by David Perlitz

Let's talk about hiring right now, because something's off and pretending otherwise doesn't help anyone. Job postings for coordinator-level roles asking for a bachelor's degree, five years of experience, and a salary that would've made sense in 2014. The requirements lists are so long that it's hard to tell whether they're hiring a person or trying to clone their last three employees into one. And then there's the quiet, unspoken thing a lot of experienced candidates are running into: somehow having too much background works against you. Overqualified. Not a culture fit. We're worried you'll leave in six months (as if anyone applying wants to job-hop right now). None of that is your imagination. The market is tight. Companies are asking for more while offering less, and a lot of good, capable people are getting filtered out by requirements that don't reflect what the job actually needs — or what they are willing to pay. And let's be honest about something else — a lot of these same companies tightening the screws on candidates are reporting record profits. The squeeze isn't because the money isn't there. It's easy to get discouraged, or even a little angry, when you start noticing that pattern — rejections handed out like Halloween candy from companies posting record earnings, all while salaries get squeezed tighter and tighter. That frustration is valid. But don't let it turn into bitterness, and don't let it talk you into giving up. That's not the same as staying quiet about it — it's just refusing to let the process take something from you that it has no right to. Here's what I keep coming back to, though: none of that is a verdict on your worth. A rejection from a system that's asking for a unicorn at intern pay isn't a referendum on your skills, your experience, or what you bring to the table. Sometimes the math just doesn't work, and that's on the market — not on you. So if you're in the middle of this right now, sending applications into what feels like a void, getting passed over for reasons that don't quite add up — take a breath. Keep your standards for yourself intact, even when the market doesn't seem to have any. Your experience is an asset. Your track record is real. The right fit is still out there, even on the days it doesn't feel like it. Hang in there. You're worth more than an algorithm's checklist.