Job Hunting When Your World Just Collapsed (Notes From Both Sides of the Desk)

Hey there.

It just dawned on me: I’ve talked a lot about the sociological and psychological aspects of collapse—what happens when your world caves in after job loss, how to rebuild, what to watch for, how to keep your footing.

But there’s a very practical topic we haven’t really covered:

Job hunting.

Tips. Mistakes. Etiquette. What actually helps. What quietly hurts.

And since I’ve been on both sides—applying, and hiring—this is going to be blunt in a useful way.

First: the “two-way street” truth

Yes, an interview is them evaluating you.

But it’s also you evaluating them.

You can be qualified and still decide: This place doesn’t fit who I am, where I’m headed, or how I want to be treated.

That’s not arrogance. That’s discernment.

From the hiring side: what I found annoying (and why)

Two patterns used to jump out at me fast:

1. The constant pestering follow-up.
   Calling every day. Emailing every day. “Just checking in” like it’s a job in itself. In most cases, it didn’t read as “motivated.” It read as “this person will be hard to manage.”
2. The repeat-applying + job-hopping resume.
   If your work history shows three months here, three months there, a month here, a month there—an employer is going to wonder what the story is. Sometimes there’s a good reason (contract work, layoffs, caregiving, seasonal roles). Sometimes there isn’t. Either way: you need a clear explanation and a clean narrative.

And one more: the “tire kicker.” The person applying only because they’re required to apply for assistance—then they ghost the interview request.

If you’re seriously looking for work, be responsible. If you put an email address on your resume, check it. If you put a phone number on your resume, answer it (or call back). If you list text as an option, read your texts.

I have chased “strong candidates” through all three channels, only to hear: “Oh, I didn’t check my email.”

My honest reaction was always the same:

You emailed me your resume. So yes—your email is part of the job hunt.

The Job Hunt: Do’s & Don’ts (simple, practical)

Applications

• DO follow the instructions in the posting (file type, subject line, documents requested). That’s the first test.
• DO apply once, cleanly, and make it easy for them to say yes.
• DO keep a basic tracking list: job, date applied, contact name, where you applied, follow-up date.
• DON’T spam-apply with a resume that doesn’t match the role at all. It burns your name with some employers.
• DON’T follow up like you’re shaking a vending machine. One polite follow-up is fine. Repeated pestering usually backfires.

Resume: rebuild it for how hiring works now

Like it or not, many resumes get screened by software before a human ever sees them.

• DO keep formatting clean and readable (simple headings, single-column layout, standard bullets).¹
• DO use the language of the posting (skills, tools, certifications) so your resume matches what they’re searching for.²
• DO focus on proof: results, outcomes, numbers, scope, responsibility.
• DON’T use heavy graphics, tables, fancy columns, or template gimmicks if you’re applying through systems that may misread them.¹
• DON’T hide your contact info in headers/footers that software sometimes fails to parse.²

If you have job hopping / short stints: don’t pretend it won’t be noticed. Build a story that makes sense.

• Group contract/seasonal work as Contract Roles (if that’s truthful).
• Add a one-line context note where appropriate (e.g., “Seasonal role,” “Contract ended,” “Company closure”).
• Make your impact louder than your dates: what you fixed, improved, led, delivered.

Cover letters: required, optional, or pointless?

Sometimes a cover letter is required. Sometimes it’s optional. Sometimes nobody reads it.

My rule:

• DO write one when the role is competitive, the company is values-driven, or your story needs context (career change, gap, relocation).
• DO keep it short: why this role, why you, proof in 2–3 bullets, and a clean close.
• DON’T send a generic “To whom it may concern” wall of text if you can avoid it.³
• DON’T spend an hour writing a cover letter for a job you’d quit in a week. Match the effort to the role.

Interview Do’s & Don’ts

Before the interview

• DO research the company and the role. Not obsessively—just enough to sound awake.
• DO prepare 5–7 stories that prove your value (a problem you solved, a crisis you handled, an improvement you made).
• DO practice answering: “Tell me about yourself” without reciting your resume.
• DON’T show up unprepared and try to “wing it.” Most people can tell.

During the interview

• DO treat it like a working conversation.
• DO ask questions that show thinking, not just desperation.
• DON’T trash your last employer. Talk facts, not grudges.
• DON’T oversell. A calm, specific answer beats hype every time.

Questions worth asking (you are interviewing them)

• What does success look like in the first 30/60/90 days?
• What are the biggest challenges this role is walking into?
• How is performance measured?
• How does the team communicate when things go sideways?
• Why is this position open right now?

Post-interview: thank-you notes, follow-ups, and “don’t be weird”

I’ve heard the take: “Never send a thank-you after an interview—decisions are already made.”

Here’s the more practical reality: a thank-you note usually won’t rescue a bad interview, but it can reinforce a good one—especially if it’s brief, specific, and sent within about 24 hours.⁴

So:

• DO send a short thank-you email that references something real from the interview (a project, a challenge, a priority).⁴
• DO restate interest and one clear reason you’re a fit.
• DON’T write a novel.
• DON’T keep pinging them daily. If you need to follow up, wait a reasonable amount of time (often a week or so, depending on what they told you).⁵

And if you decide the company isn’t for you after the interview? That’s allowed. A polite withdrawal is better than ghosting.

New reality: your online presence is part of the interview

One thing a lot of people don’t realize these days about job hunting is this:

Some employers will do an internet search for you.⁸

I did. Especially in roles where trust mattered and people needed to be clear of certain issues, I would do a precursor search to see what pops up when your name is attached to public content.

And it’s not just Google. A lot of employers will look at public-facing social media too—X, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook—whatever is easy to find.^8,9

If you put it out there for public consumption, then whether you like it or not, it becomes part of the interview.

Because for certain jobs, your public image matters. What you post matters. The way you conduct yourself in public spaces matters.

I once worked in a place where a direct manager posted his views on lifestyle choices publicly. I didn’t agree with what he said—and it soured my attitude toward him. I lost respect for him. Not because I was hunting for reasons to be offended, but because what he chose to broadcast told me something about the person holding power over my day-to-day life.

So here’s the practical take:

• DO Google yourself (name + town + industry) and see what a stranger sees.
• DO lock down privacy settings on personal accounts if you don’t want them to be part of your professional story.
• DO keep your public-facing content aligned with the kind of trust your target roles require.
• DON’T assume “nobody will see it.” Public is public.
• DON’T confuse “I’m allowed to post it” with “it won’t affect hiring.”

And to quote a movie line that stuck with me:

“Baskin Robbins always finds out.”

Closing thought

Job hunting after collapse can feel humiliating because it puts you in a position where you need something.

But need doesn’t mean you surrender your standards.

Be professional. Be reachable. Be honest. Be strategic. And remember: you are not just trying to get hired—you’re trying to rebuild your life in a place that won’t wreck it again.

Thanks. Godspeed. Good luck.

References

1. Southern, M. (2022, November 10). 5 tips to tailor your HR resume for ATS review. Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/news/organizational-employee-development/5-tips-to-tailor-hr-resume-ats-review
2. Indeed Editorial Team. (2025, March 3). How to write your applicant tracking system (ATS) resume. Indeed Career Guide. https://ca.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters/ats-resume
3. SHRM. (2021, July 12). Salutations in cover letters and e-mail. Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/employment-law-compliance/salutations-cover-letters-e-mail
4. Maurer, R. (2024, October 14). Boost your interview chances with a thank-you note. Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/news/talent-acquisition/boost-your-interview-chances-with-a-thank-you-note
5. Indeed Editorial Team. (2025, December 11). How long after an interview should you send a thank you letter? Indeed Career Guide. https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/interviewing/how-long-to-wait-after-interview-for-thank-you-letter
6. National Association of Colleges and Employers. (2025, January 28). The attributes employers look for on new grad resumes and how to showcase them. https://www.naceweb.org/about-us/press/the-attributes-employers-look-for-on-new-grad-resumes-and-how-to-showcase-them
7. Littlefield, C. (2022, November 30; updated 2024, October 11). How to write a thank you email after an interview (with examples). Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2022/11/how-to-write-a-thank-you-email-after-an-interview
8. Segal, J. A. (2023, November 14). Social media use in hiring: Assessing the risks. Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/news/hr-magazine/legal-trends-social-media-use-hiring-assessing-risks
9. Indeed. (n.d.). Social media background checks: Everything you need to know. Indeed Hiring Resources. https://www.indeed.com/hire/c/info/social-media-background-checks