The job market is absolutely cooked right now, and I’ve been watching this play out in real time through various online discussions where people are sharing their employment horror stories. What started as one person’s cautionary tale about quitting their finance job due to burnout has turned into a sobering collection of experiences that really highlights just how tough things are out there.

The original poster’s story is unfortunately becoming all too familiar - nine months of rejections after leaving a finance role, being told they’re “overqualified” for positions they desperately want, or “too expensive” for roles they’d happily take at reduced pay. It’s a catch-22 situation that would drive anyone to distraction. You’re damned if you’re overqualified, and you’re certainly damned if you’re underqualified.