I’m not even talking about full-time work, just some extra hours with contracting. I’ve been applying to different positions whenever I can, but I’m barely even getting any emails back. Six months ago, my inbox was filled with interview requests, and I even turned down a few offers.
There was one job I applied for where the description matched my experience and resume almost perfectly, but I didn’t even get a call. Is anyone else having the same issue?
It’s rough out here. My contract is ending soon, and I’m already noticing a huge difference from a year ago.
Callen said:
It’s rough out here. My contract is ending soon, and I’m already noticing a huge difference from a year ago.
What kind of SEO work do you do?
Callen said:
It’s rough out here. My contract is ending soon, and I’m already noticing a huge difference from a year ago.
What kind of SEO work do you do?
I work on enterprise SEO, mostly technical and content-related tasks.
@Callen
Got it. Just guessing here, but do you find it hard to turn people’s ideas into strategy or define the actual strategy? I feel like most people struggle with that, honestly. Even those fancy AI tools out there can’t handle it properly.
Honestly, I think you should take whatever job you can find for now and then keep looking for your ideal position. Money is important, after all.
Yeah, the market is tough across the board. Six months ago things started to slow down. I haven’t personally been job hunting since 2005, but I know a lot of companies are cutting back due to uncertainty in the economy. It doesn’t help that it’s election year; things always get crazy around this time.
I still get job alerts from LinkedIn daily, so there are some good opportunities out there. If you haven’t already, make sure your LinkedIn profile is optimized.
Also, if Trump wins, we might see a lot more jobs opening up—unless something really wild happens.
Alternative Idea: I know a friend who didn’t like working at agencies, so he started offering his services to SEO agencies for overflow work. He makes good money, doesn’t deal with ongoing projects, and works from home. People email me for freelance work sometimes too. You just have to set a competitive hourly rate and deliver quality work. It might end up being better than your current situation.
In New York, I’m seeing a different trend. SEO’s been struggling to get respect, and with the rise of AI, a lot of folks think SEO can be replaced. This is why I always say that content marketing is NOT the same as SEO.
There are so many AI tools now claiming they can do 90% of SEO better than an agency, but these tools don’t understand the real complexities of SEO. They can’t handle things like page titles properly and definitely can’t create strategies. AI is fine for small tasks, but it’s not replacing the human element anytime soon.
While AI is a great tool to scale certain efforts like reports or keyword lists, it can’t replace things like strategy or creative problem-solving. If you’re looking to stand out in SEO, focus on what really matters: building targets for specific keywords and using the right tools to get there. Too many resumes come across my desk where people just talk about basic tasks like fixing 404s. That’s not enough. You need to show how you can move the needle for actual rankings. Share real examples of things you’ve done that made a difference.
Yeah, the market is really slow right now. Jobs are hard to come by, and I’m in the same boat, barely getting any calls.
A lot of job listings these days are “ghost jobs.” Companies post them to scare current employees or to scout for replacements at a lower cost. It’s creating unnecessary fear in the market.
MissNicklaus said:
A lot of job listings these days are “ghost jobs.” Companies post them to scare current employees or to scout for replacements at a lower cost. It’s creating unnecessary fear in the market.
I don’t believe that. What’s your proof?