About to be homeless…

[u/Nikuniku99]

I’ve been in my field for 10 years, gave everything to my career, and now I’m staring at the possibility of being homeless.

Back in January I quit my job because it was SO toxic. My boss kept gaslighting, throwing tantrum at me, dumping more and more work on me, and pretending like I wasn’t already working myself into the ground. Walking away was the only sane choice I could make. I don’t regret it one bit.

I took some time to breathe, then jumped back into the job hunt. Since then? Nothing. Silence. One recruiter finally gave me a shot at a screening call, only to basically tell me I was “too qualified” and they worried I’d get bored. Like… what am I supposed to do with that?

I thought I caught a break when an old colleague asked me to help out with their business expansion. I got to work right away, felt like things were finally moving again. Two weeks later, they decided to hit pause and shift focus back to their HQ overseas. Just like that, gone.

I moved to a new country, a new city a year ago so I don’t even have a strong network here. Everything I built before feels out of reach.

I know the market sucks right now and I’ll keep trying, but damn… it feels like I’m getting crushed. And lately, I’ve been questioning if I’m even as useful as I thought I’d be in this country, in this market. I’m doubting myself hard, and it’s getting harder and harder to stay positive.

[u/chelsfc2108 → u/[deleted]]

stop advertising your shitty tool

[u/chin06]

Sorry to hear that. Are there any employment agencies in your area that could assist you in your job search? Maybe get ChatGPT to have a look over your resume?

[u/Dangerous-March389]

What is up with all the promos in the comments.

Anyway, so sorry to hear this is happening. The unfortunate truth is you have to keep going and applying. Apply strategically and follow up with the hiring team if you can.

You might have to work menial jobs until something comes along your way.

[u/Odd_Funny_6636]

That’s rough — I’m really sorry you’re going through it. You did the right thing walking away from a toxic place, but yeah, the market right now is brutal, especially if you’re in a new country without a built network. Being told you’re “too qualified” is just code for “we don’t want to pay you what you’re worth” or “we’re afraid you’ll leave fast.” It’s not a reflection of your value.

Practical stuff: don’t stop applying, but start building some local connections too — meetups, LinkedIn groups, even volunteering or contract/temp work. Anything that gets you visible. Also, don’t undersell yourself out of frustration. Tailor your resume to show impact, not just years of service, and keep multiple versions ready (one senior, one more “hands-on”).

Most importantly: you’re not useless, the system just sucks right now. Lots of people with solid backgrounds are stuck in the same grind. Keep going, and don’t be afraid to reach out for feedback on your CV/approach — sometimes tiny changes make a big difference in getting that first call back.

[u/nicklasputzer]

Ten years of experience and "too qualified" is code for "we want someone cheaper we can exploit." You know this. Stop letting their budget problems become your confidence problem.

Moving countries for work and then getting screwed is brutal. Your network is gone, your references might not translate, and every application system treats you like entry level because they can't verify international experience.

Here's what actually works for international job seekers: stop applying through normal channels. They're filtering you out automatically. LinkedIn direct outreach to hiring managers, not recruiters. Find people who moved from your country and succeeded. They'll understand your situation.

Use CareerCheck's free job analyzer to decode what "too qualified" really means for each role. Usually it's salary expectations or they assume you'll leave for something better. Address it upfront. The free ATS checker shows if your resume is even getting through. And the skills gap analyzer (also free) identifies what local employers actually want versus what you're presenting.

For immediate cash: freelance platforms don't care about local networks. Upwork, Toptal, whatever matches your field. Bridge income while you search.

Your skills didn't disappear because you changed countries. The market just doesn't know how to evaluate you yet. That's their limitation, not yours.

Free tools: careercheck.io/analyze ATS checker: careercheck.io/tools/ats-checker
Skills analyzer: careercheck.io/tools/skills-gap-analyzer

[u/Pension-Unhappy]

What industry you’re in? - I’m not sure it necessarily applies but building a portfolio of your experience over the years helps a lot, I just finished mine and I always feel like it helps to differentiate a little

[u/lovesocialmedia]

You can do a concierge jon in the time being

[u/BMfnx3]

Get into something commission based, they’re more likely to hire high risks bc they’re only paying you for what you do/sell. From there you’ll be more hireable by other companies for more stable positions bc you’ll already be employed so it won’t be as obvious that you’re willing to quit with no plan. Employers hate that.

[u/SuperSus_Fuss]

The job I’m at now also told me I’m overqualified and that I would get bored. Fortunately they gave me a shot.

I’ve been there a month and it’s working out great. I’ve taken ownership of a lot of things so I can contribute. The tech stack was no issue since I’m somewhat nerdy.

It’s so hard to find a good fit. The job sites won’t do it. I wouldn’t even have made it past the first step of resume ATS as it would appear I’m not cut out for this job.

But fortunately I had a trusted person recommend me highly and my resume was never considered.

I’m also not great at networking and that doesn’t help. So while I was recommended I would argue that networking locally may help the most, and may be a large factor in why I was jobless for too long. I also did LinkedIn and Indeed and other sites far too long, thinking they’d work for me. I found those to be useless so far.

[u/_spicyshark]

What industry are you in? Are you not getting hits at all? If that's the case, it sounds like you may want to rework your resume. Add any softwares or systems you use, highlight KPIs. Use AI - I fully believe that chatgpt is what got me my new job after six weeks of searching.

I quit my job for a similar, horribly toxic situation in July. I feel you. Something better is coming! 🫶🏼