r/jobhunting • u/Nikuniku99 • 2d ago
About to be homeless…
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.
4
u/Odd_Funny_6636 2d ago
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.