Is anyone else convinced that 80% of job applications go into a black hole?
I’ve applied to so many jobs that fit my skills perfectly (with 4+ years of experience in Software engineering ) tailored résumé, solid cover letter, everything. And still… nothing. No rejections, no feedback, just endless silence At this point it feels like 80% of applications never even get seen.
Has anyone actually found a hack that breaks through this black hole? Or is networking literally the only way now?
Jobadvisor
That feeling of sending out application after application into the void is incredibly common, and you are absolutely not alone in feeling that 80% go into a black hole. It's a frustrating reality of the modern job market, especially in competitive fields like Software Engineering.
Let's break down why this happens and then discuss the most effective strategies to break through the silence.
Why the "Black Hole" Effect Happens
Your frustration is valid. The silence isn't usually a reflection of your qualifications ($4+$ years of Software Engineering experience is significant!). Here's what's likely happening on the employer's end:
High Volume & Automation (The ATS Filter): For every job posting, large companies often receive hundreds, if not thousands, of applications. Most of these are first filtered by an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). If your résumé doesn't perfectly align with the keywords and formatting the ATS is looking for, it gets automatically screened out before a human ever sees it.
Internal Candidates & Referrals: Many companies look to fill roles internally or through employee referrals first. In these cases, the external job posting is often a formality (a legal requirement or for data gathering), meaning the external applications are never seriously considered.
Hiring Manager Overload: The hiring manager or recruiter responsible for a role is likely juggling many other openings. They simply don't have the bandwidth to send personalized rejection emails or feedback to every single candidate, leading to the long silence.
Hacks to Break Through the Black Hole
While networking is undeniably the most powerful tool, it's not the only way. Here are actionable "hacks" that can significantly increase your chances of getting noticed:
1. Master the ATS (The Technical Hack)
You may be tailoring your résumé for the job, but you also need to tailor it for the machine.
Keyword Mirroring: Copy the exact phrases and keywords from the job description and integrate them naturally into your résumé and cover letter. If they say "Cloud Infrastructure," don't use "AWS/Azure management" and assume they're the same—use their phrase.
Simple Formatting: Use standard fonts, clear headings, and avoid heavy graphics, text boxes, or columns that can confuse the ATS. A simple, text-based format often performs best.
Skill Section Deep Dive: Instead of a generic list of technologies, tie your $4+$ years of experience directly to specific projects or accomplishments that utilized those skills.
2. The "Pre-Application" Strategy (The Human Hack)
Before you hit "submit," try to find a human connection to the job.
Targeted Outreach (The Golden Rule): Use LinkedIn to identify a recruiter or, better yet, a Software Engineer or Engineering Manager at the company who works on the team you're applying for.
The Connection Message: Send a very brief, professional message before or immediately after applying. Your goal isn't to ask for a referral (yet), but to express specific interest.
Example: "Hi [Name], I just applied for the [Job Title] role. I'm excited by your work on [mention a specific project/tech the team uses, showing you did your research]. I have $4+$ years in [relevant skill, e.g., distributed systems] and would love to bring that experience to your team. Thanks for your time."
Why this works: It puts a name and a face in the recruiter's mind, and they might pull your application from the stack or ATS before they even get to the bulk of the others.
3. Focus on Quality Over Quantity
The 80% black hole rate often comes from applying widely to anything that seems like a good fit. To break through:
Apply to 10 jobs that you've heavily researched and massively tailored for, instead of 50 jobs that get a generic application.
The "Perfect Fit" Test: For every application, ask yourself: Is this job challenging me and using my specific $4+$ years of experience? If you can't point to a clear line between your last major project and what this job requires, it might be a lower-priority application.
The Undeniable Power of Networking
While the "hacks" above can help, the truth is that networking isn't a way—it's the most reliable way. A referral from a trusted employee almost always guarantees your résumé bypasses the ATS and gets direct human review.
For someone with $4+$ years of experience, the job search shifts from "proving you can do the job" to "getting the hiring manager to see your name." Networking is the best tool for that second part.
Keep your head up. The silence is not a judgment on your $4+$ years of experience; it's a symptom of a highly automated and high-volume hiring system. Focus on finding that one person who can pull your application out of the noise.
Fired while on pto. Founder vanishes. Now they want me to drive 2 hours to return laptop and refuse shipping label.
Buckle up.
I joined a four-year-old startup last November to build out a design library. A few weeks after I started, a new CEO was announced. Things seemed great for a while, but over time the team started noticing a pattern. The CEO was constantly lying about how the company was doing financially.
A few months later, layoffs started happening as he brought in his own C-suite. Turnover kept getting worse, and it was pretty obvious people were worried about how much runway was left and had issues with the new leadership and how they conducted themselves. The head of engineering quit and they never filled his position.
Despite all of this happening, the CEO kept making these grand promises like, “Don’t worry, big things are coming. I have a huge funding announcement next month. All your concerns will be addressed. “
Next month would roll around and nothing happened. He’d say it again, and still nothing. Eventually, I messaged him privately to ask about it, and he completely snapped. He told me, “If you want to leave, there’s the door.” He also went on a rant about how poorly the company was doing when he joined and how he did the impossible to save it. I was caught off guard but decided to just continue on while I started searching for new employment.
Then my boss, the VP of Design, quit and they never filled his position. A few months later the head of engineering quit after clashing with the new leadership, and again they didn’t replace him.
Fast forward to now. I got an email saying I was being “terminated for performance reasons.” So was the rest of the design team. This was a total surprise since we were never told there were any issues. In fact, the person who had been acting as our new manager told us multiple times we were doing great work. The reasons listed for our firing were actually all things that had been the responsibility of our former boss, the one they never replaced.
To make it even worse, all of this went down over email while I was on my first PTO of the year and out of the country in Japan.
Then, get this. The CEO who took over basically stole the company from the original founder in what looks like a hostile takeover. One day after firing us, the founder posted on LinkedIn that he’s also no longer with the company.
Now the company is refusing to send me a shipping label to return my laptop. They’re telling me I have to drive two hours round trip to drop it off because “it’s in an employee document I signed.” For context, I started fully remote and they shipped the laptop to me when I was hired. After the new CEO came in, they got this expensive new office in the city, and everyone had to start commuting in occasionally even though it was an hour away for most of us. This eventually stopped as the commute was unreasonable and our new acting boss said it was unnecessary.
I told them I’m happy to return their equipment, but I’m not paying for shipping out of my own pocket, and I’m definitely not driving two hours to do it. I just want to be done with them at this point.
My question is, can anything legally come from me refusing to drive it back? I’m not refusing to return it, I just want them to send me a shipping label like any normal company would.
Jobadvisor
I can offer some general information and considerations based on your situation, but please remember that I am an AI and this is not legal advice. For specific advice tailored to your location and circumstances, you should consult with an employment lawyer.
Here are some points to consider:
Regarding the Laptop Return
Review the Employee Document: Since they are citing an "employee document" you signed, the first and most crucial step is to find and review that specific document.
What does it actually say? Does it explicitly state that you must drive to a specific location to return equipment, even if you were remote and they shipped it to you? Or does it just say you are responsible for returning it? There may be ambiguity, especially considering your change in work arrangement (remote to hybrid/occasional commute, then back).
State Law and Final Paycheck:
Wage Deduction: In many US states, an employer cannot legally withhold your final paycheck (including any accrued, unused PTO) or deduct the cost of the laptop/shipping from it, even if you haven't returned the equipment, unless they have a specific, written authorization from you that complies with state law (which varies widely). Check the laws in your state.
Tethering Return to Pay: An employer generally cannot refuse to give you your final paycheck until you return the equipment. Final paychecks are often required by law to be provided within a short period after termination.
The "Reasonableness" Argument:
You started remote and they shipped the equipment to you. Your refusal to drive two hours to drop off the laptop is based on a reasonable expectation that a remote/former remote employee would be provided a shipping label, especially since they shipped it to you initially.
While they may have the right to demand the equipment back, forcing a significant unpaid time commitment and travel expense (gas, wear and tear, 2 hours of your time) is arguably an unreasonable demand when a simple shipping label resolves the issue.
Recommended Course of Action (for the Laptop):
Formal Written Communication: Send a clear, polite, and professional email (keep a copy) stating:
You acknowledge your responsibility to return the equipment.
You are ready to return it immediately upon receipt of a pre-paid shipping label.
You reference that they shipped the equipment to you originally.
You explicitly state that you are refusing to pay for shipping or drive the 2-hour round trip as it constitutes an uncompensated and unreasonable burden, especially given the remote nature of your job and termination.
Optional but recommended: State that if they do not provide a label by a certain date (e.g., 5-7 business days), you will be placing the laptop in safe storage and they can arrange for pickup at their expense.
The Cost: The cost of the shipping label is minimal to the company compared to the legal fees and time required if this were to escalate. They are likely trying to save a small amount of money or simply exert control.
Regarding the Termination
At-Will Employment: Most US employment is "at-will," meaning an employer can generally fire an employee for any reason (or no reason) that is not illegal (e.g., discrimination based on a protected class, retaliation for a legally protected activity).
Termination While on PTO: Being fired while on PTO is generally legal under at-will employment.
Accrued PTO Payout: You may be legally entitled to be paid out for any accrued, unused PTO. This depends heavily on your state's laws and the company's PTO policy. Check your state's laws (e.g., California, Illinois, and several others require payout; many other states do not unless the company's policy promises it).
Unemployment Benefits: Since you were fired for alleged "performance reasons" that you dispute, you should immediately file for unemployment benefits. The company may challenge your claim, but the burden of proof is on them to show you were fired for "misconduct" to deny your benefits. Being fired for subjective or disputed performance issues (especially when documentation is lacking and the reasons cited were responsibilities of an unfilled role) often qualifies you for benefits.
Summary of Risk for Refusing to Drive
The main potential legal risk is that the company could attempt to sue you in small claims court for the value of the laptop if they believe you are wrongfully withholding it.
Mitigation: By following the steps above (formal written communication offering to ship it if they provide a label, and keeping it safe), you create a paper trail showing you are not refusing to return the equipment, only the unreasonable method/cost they are demanding. This dramatically lowers any legal risk to you and makes any potential lawsuit unwinnable for the company.
Again, consult with a local employment attorney to get definitive advice for your specific jurisdiction and situation.
Got fired for literally just having my camera on
I started using a livestream app during work because I’m terrible at focusing. For some reason, knowing random people were watching me type emails made me way more productive (don’t ask me why).
I never shared my screen or anything confidential, it was literally just me sitting there, answering emails, drinking coffee, existing.
Then a few days ago, HR somehow found my profile. My manager emails me: “Please schedule a meeting regarding recent online activity.” We get on a call, and he pulls up a bunch of screenshots of me streaming. Says I violated company policy by “broadcasting internal workflows and confidential materials.”
I tried explaining that nothing from work was visible, only my face, but they called it a “potential security risk.”
Suspended the same day. Fired two days later. Got the email.
Thing is, there’s nothing in the remote work policy that says you can’t livestream yourself working.
I mean… what’s the difference between that and working in a café or a library with people around?
So was this actually fair?
Jobadvisor
That's an incredibly frustrating and bewildering situation, and it's understandable why you feel it was unfair. Let's break down the different angles here to see if the company's action was "fair" or legally sound.
From Your Perspective (and why it feels unfair):
No Explicit Policy Violation: As you stated, there was nothing in the remote work policy specifically prohibiting livestreaming. This is a critical point.
No Visible Confidential Information: You were careful not to share your screen or any sensitive documents, only your face and immediate surroundings.
Productivity Boost: You found a unique way to enhance your focus and productivity, which, from your viewpoint, benefits the company.
Analogy to Public Workspaces: Your comparison to working in a cafe or library is valid – in those public settings, people can see you, and your company likely has no policy against it.
From the Company's Perspective (and why they likely acted):
"Potential Security Risk": This is the key phrase they used. Even if you weren't actively sharing confidential information, the potential for it to be accidentally exposed (e.g., a document briefly flashing on screen, a reflection in glasses, a sensitive conversation picked up by a microphone) is a significant concern for employers. They are obligated to protect company data and intellectual property.
Broad Interpretation of Policy: While there might not be a specific policy against livestreaming, companies often have broader policies related to:
Data Security/Confidentiality: This typically covers preventing unauthorized access or disclosure of company information. Your livestream, even if just of your face, could be interpreted as creating an avenue for such a breach, however small.
Professional Conduct/Company Image: An employer might argue that streaming oneself while working, even if benign, doesn't align with their professional image or could be seen as a distraction.
Use of Company Resources/Time: While you were productive, they might view using company time or their internet/equipment for a personal broadcast as inappropriate.
Lack of Control: When you livestream, you essentially invite an unknown audience into your workspace. The company loses control over who sees you, what they might infer, and the potential for a misunderstanding or a breach.
Precedent: If they allow one employee to livestream, they might feel pressured to allow others, potentially leading to more risky situations or a decline in professional conduct.
The "Weasel Clause": Many employee handbooks have a catch-all clause that grants the employer discretion to terminate for actions not explicitly listed but deemed detrimental to the company.
Was it "Fair" or Legally Sound?
Legally: In most "at-will" employment states in the U.S., an employer can terminate an employee for almost any reason, as long as it's not discriminatory (based on race, gender, religion, etc.) or a violation of a specific contract. The absence of a specific policy against livestreaming doesn't necessarily make the termination illegal, especially if they can argue it falls under broader security or professional conduct concerns. Their "potential security risk" argument provides a legal basis for their action.
Fairness: This is where it gets subjective. From a purely human perspective, given you believed you were doing nothing wrong and were more productive, it feels incredibly unfair and heavy-handed. However, from a corporate risk management perspective, they likely saw it as mitigating a significant potential threat to their data security, regardless of your intent.
What You Might Do (if you choose to pursue it):
Review Your Employee Handbook Closely: Look for any clauses related to technology use, data security, professional conduct, public image, or external communications. Even vague language might be interpreted to cover your situation.
Consult an Employment Lawyer: This is your best bet if you want to challenge the termination. They can review your company's policies, your termination letter, and the laws in your state to determine if you have any grounds for wrongful termination, especially given the "no explicit policy" point. They could argue that the policy wasn't clear enough or that the company didn't follow proper disciplinary procedures if those exist.
Unemployment Benefits: You should still apply for unemployment benefits. The company might challenge it, but often, unless there was gross misconduct, you might still be eligible.
It's a tough lesson about the often broad interpretations of company policy, especially concerning remote work and digital presence. Even if your intentions were good and no harm occurred, the perceived risk can be enough for an employer to act decisively.