This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Valerie Lockhart, a job seeker in her 40s based in Georgia. She was previously a vice president at Morgan Stanley until she was laid off last year. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
One day last March, I was working from the office when I was asked to have a meeting with my manager’s boss.
It didn’t feel out of the ordinary at first because I’d met with them before, and our last meeting had been canceled, so I assumed we were just making it up. But when I walked into the conference room and saw an HR representative sitting there, I realized something was wrong.
I learned I was being laid off, and later found out many others were, too — including several people I knew personally.
This set me on an ongoing search for a stable, full-time role — one that has been deeply discouraging and has significantly strained my finances.
I took some time to process the layoff before searching for jobs
The layoff came as a complete surprise, and I don’t know exactly why I was selected. However, I think being based in Georgia may have worked against me. My manager at Morgan Stanley was in New York, along with many of my colleagues and the company’s leadership, so there weren’t many people who saw my contributions in person. I think the distance may have also created some communication challenges.
While I was laid off in March, I appreciated that I was kept on the payroll through May, which meant I still had healthcare coverage. I also received one month of severance. It wasn’t much since it was based on my tenure with the company, and I had only started there in late 2023.
The extra months gave me a little time to process everything instead of immediately diving into a job search. By mid-April, though, I was actively looking for work — and I’ve been searching ever since.
I applied to over 500 jobs, but still struggled to land one
Before I started submitting applications, I updated my LinkedIn and analyzed my résumé to make sure the ATS systems that screen résumés these days would actually read it.
Then I started applying to roles online and reaching out to my network about opportunities, with a focus on governance, risk, and compliance roles at larger companies.
I consider myself fairly organized, so I created a spreadsheet to track every job I’ve applied to. By November, I had applied to more than 550 jobs. The hundreds of roles I applied for weren’t random applications. They were positions I carefully selected.
Out of those, I heard back — beyond a basic “no thank you” email — from about 25 of them.
I made it to the final round multiple times, but none of those interviews led to an offer. At the last stage, something always seems to flip, and it doesn’t work out.
My search has taken a financial toll
My job search has had a significant impact on my finances, as I’m the primary earner for my family — my spouse, my son, and me. We’ve relied on general savings, retirement accounts, and unemployment benefits. It’s affected every aspect of our financial life.
Paying our mortgage has been the biggest challenge. We’ve tried to cut back wherever we can, including canceling some entertainment services. Every bit of savings helps, but it doesn’t change the reality that housing is expensive.
Unexpected expenses have only made things harder. One day last September, we came home to find the right side of our garage — where we stored some valuable items — flooded. There were thousands of dollars’ worth of damaged property.
We later learned that a pipe leak under the house was to blame. While our home insurance would help cover some of the damage, we were responsible for thousands of dollars in plumbing repairs. Paying that bill would’ve meant using money we needed to stay afloat and put food on the table.
So we delayed the repair, knowing that until it was fixed, we wouldn’t have hot water. It felt like our own “Little House on the Prairie” moment.
To try to raise money for the repair, we started a GoFundMe campaign that, after some hesitation, I shared on LinkedIn. We raised a few hundred dollars, but it wasn’t enough to cover the full cost.
Some companies seem to be looking for unicorn candidates
Eventually, I had a bit of luck. In January 2026 — about seven months after I began looking for work — I started a temporary, full-time contract role. I was finally able to save enough money to repair the hot water.
Because the position is temporary, I haven’t stopped looking for work.
While my connections have helped me land some interviews, I’ve had to broaden my search beyond the companies where I have strong ties. At times, it feels like I’m either underqualified or overqualified for the roles I apply to. Some companies seem to be looking for unicorn candidates and would rather leave positions empty than hire someone.
I’m still applying and hoping something works out. At this point, I just need one opportunity.
Do you have a story to share about struggling to find work? Fill out this form, or contact this reporter via email at [email protected], or via Signal at jzinkula.29.
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