I’ve received over 100 rejection emails in the past year.
And almost all of them started with the exact same lines:

“After careful consideration, we have decided not to move forward with your application.”

or the classic,

“Although your qualifications are impressive, we decided to move forward with someone who aligns more closely with our expectations.”

If I had a dollar for every time I read one of those, I wouldn’t need a job.

These phrases feel like a template, impersonal, empty, and copy-and-pasted across 10,000 companies. But the repetition isn’t even what hurts the most. It’s what those emails represent: time, hope, effort, and emotional energy poured into a process that feels less human every single day.

I never questioned whether I was good enough.
Not once.

I know my skill set. I know my experience. I know what I bring to a workplace. I’ve proven it over and over again.

But when you apply to jobs you know you can do effortlessly, receptionist roles, admin roles, assistant roles, simple front-desk positions, just to keep your household stable… and you still get rejected?

That hits a different level of frustration.

Not because I doubt myself, but because the system feels like it’s doubting everyone.

I’m curious if anyone is actually seeing my resume?

Did an algorithm toss me into the “automatic no” pile before a human even looked at it?

Is there a keyword I’m missing, or one that’s flagging me?

Are hiring teams genuinely overwhelmed, or have they just stopped reading applications altogether?

Because that’s how it feels.

You spend time customizing your resume, writing a thoughtful cover letter, uploading work samples…
Only to get a rejection email that feels like no one even skimmed it.

Rejection fatigue is real, and it comes with a specific type of exhaustion:

Your chest tightens when you see a new email notification

You feel irritated more than hurt

You get tired of “staying positive”

You start applying without hope, just obligation

You wonder if job searching itself is a full-time job with no paycheck

People love to say, “Just apply to more jobs,” as if that’s the magic solution.

But they don’t see that behind every application is a piece of energy you never get back.

There’s a point where it no longer feels like you’re competing with other applicants. It feels like you’re competing with: automated filters, bots, keyword scanners, unseen biases, outdated hiring practices, overworked HR staff, and systems designed for volume, not humans.

And somehow, no matter how qualified you are, you get the same two emails:

“After careful consideration…”
or
“Although your qualifications are impressive…”

Both mean the same thing:

“We didn’t see you.”

But Somewhere Between Rejection #1 and Rejection #100… I Learned Something

These companies weren’t rejecting me because I lacked ability.
They were rejecting me because I wasn’t meant to shrink myself anymore.

Every closed door pushed me toward something I wasn’t considering before:

building my own lane, creating my own opportunities, and trusting that redirection sometimes looks like rejection.

But even with that realization, the process still took a toll.

If You’re Going Through This Too, You’re Not Alone

This job market is rough.
The hiring system is flawed.
And rejection doesn’t mean you’re unqualified, it often means you were never truly reviewed.

If you’re exhausted, burnt out, or mentally drained from the job search, hear this:

You’re not failing.
You’re not invisible.
You’re not unworthy.
You’re fighting a system that isn’t built to actually see people.

And your breakthrough, whether it’s a job or something you create for yourself, won’t require “careful consideration.”

It’ll recognize you immediately.