Why are there so many open jobs but just as many rejections? Job Market of 2023 Explained & More.

I recently noticed that everywhere I shop, all the stores have added “Now Hiring” signs. However, personal experience as well as comments from other jobseekers have reported high rejection rates.

Why is the rejection rate so high as of lately, as well as the demand for employees?

There are many reasons, the first one being lack of experience. Sometimes lack of experience cannot be helped due to age. As I am writing this, I am 20 years old and starting my master’s degree August 2023. Many of the positions I have applied for tend to be for companies that are well known. I choose these companies because I know that I can trust that it isn’t a fake job posting.

Fake job postings have become popular, especially ever since the Covid-19 pandemic. This is because many jobs were switching to remote work, making it easy for scammers to advertise the same or similarly related positions. At first, I thought that perhaps it wasn’t that common to fall for such a scam. However, my thoughts soon changed after witnessing people falling for the scams in front of my eyes.

Another reason is because of the state of the economy. We are all familiar with the gas and egg prices rising, the toilet paper crisis, and inflation overall. Because all the items that we buy are going up in price, most (not all) employers have raised the pay for certain positions. I live in Kansas, and the minimum wage as of 2023 is still $7.25. According to the linked article, in order to live comfortably in the United States (on average) you need to make almost $70,000/year. That is $33.65/hour, far more than what many jobs in Kansas pay for beginners or recent graduates. Linked is an article that goes into further detail about how college graduates of 2023 like myself are struggling to get into the job market.

What can we do about this?

I can only offer advice from my personal experience that has helped me recently get job interviews as well as getting the actual job. Below are tips and advice on how I have achieved this:

• LinkedIn Learning Certificates

• Google Analytics Certificate

• Indeed & LinkedIn Jobs

• Digital Portfolio

LinkedIn Learning Certificates can be earned through LinkedIn’s Learning section. I personally have access to it for free through Full Sail University, the school where I am getting my bachelor's in Entertainment Business on June 2nd 2023. Linked is all the plans offered as well as the pricing directly from LinkedIn. Something important to know: these certificates DO NOT COUNT AS CERTIFICATIONS ON RESUMES. Believe it or not, it is actually quite common for jobseekers to get confused on what counts as an actual certification or not.

Getting your Google Analytics Certificate can be used on resumes. It is worth doing as it is fairly fast and easy to accomplish. The certificate of completion is offered and is great for posting on various professional social media platforms, especially LinkedIn. Google Analytics in general is a good tool to monitor the traffic on your web page, regardless of the industry you are in.

The best job apps in my personal opinion are Indeed and LinkedIn. Indeed is a great job seeking app that I have used to find jobs located where/near I lived. I also use LinkedIn, but to search for jobs out of state or that are remote. I recommend applying for internships or entry level positions that pique your interest, especially as a college student. It is normal and okay if you get a lot of rejections, cold calls, etc. Do not let that stop you from trying again.

Finally, one of the biggest assets that I am extremely proud of is my Digital Portfolio website. I created a new one using Wix so that it may be hosted for free (note: you can purchase the domain name to get rid of the website builder). I highly recommend using any sort of website developer in order to showcase your work/assignments, resume, and any of information that would be valuable to future employers.

In conclusion, I am by no means a job market expert. I am still on the job hunt, but have found these tools along the way that have helped. Whether it be through networking, or moving onto the second step of an interview.

References

Header Image by Rachel Claire on Pexels.com

Convert my salary to an equivalent hourly wage. (n.d.). https://www.calcxml.com/calculators/convert-salary-to-hourly?annualSalary=70000&Dispatch=submit&skn&mobileEnabled=1

Engel, I. (2023, April 4). The salary you need to live comfortably in 15 major U.S. cities. CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2023/04/04/the-salary-you-need-to-live-comfortably-in-15-major-us-cities.html

Google Analytics Individual Qualification. (n.d.). Google. https://skillshop.exceedlms.com/student/path/2938-google-analytics-individual-qualification

Guinn, J. (n.d.). Kansas Minimum Wage Guide in 2023. Toast. https://pos.toasttab.com/blog/on-the-line/kansas-minimum-wage-guide

Khrais, R. (2023, April 5). The class of 2023 is graduating into a challenging job market. Marketplace. https://www.marketplace.org/2023/04/05/class-of-2023-graduating-into-a-challenging-job-market/

LinkedIn Learning with Lynda: Online Training Courses for Creative, Technology, Business Skills. (n.d.). LinkedIn Learning With Lynda: Online Training Courses for Creative, Technology, Business Skills. https://www.linkedin.com/learning?src=go-pa&trk=sem-ga_campid.17444416955_asid.138908486113_crid.651869421255_kw.linkedin%20learning%20price_d.c_tid.kwd-324228060661_n.g_mt.e_geo.9023818&mcid=6940436762359984129&cid=&gclid=Cj0KCQjwocShBhCOARIsAFVYq0h-eRgRbROkYVvT-ezwJOcBoCPXKNGc7ccu6kX6bgFHQE0MpbnDYjwaAgfZEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Wix.com. (n.d.). wix.com. https://www.wix.com/