Let’s kill the myth right now:
If you’re struggling to find a creative job, the problem is not you.
It’s the game you’ve been forced to play—rigged, bloated, and in many places, fake.
The modern job market has become a bizarre blend of theater, automation, exploitation, and illusion. If you’ve been sending out 100+ applications with little to no response, it’s not because you’re unqualified. It’s because you’re navigating a system built to waste your time.
Let’s break down what’s really going on out there.
Ghost Jobs: The Corporate Catfishing of Hiring
You’ve seen them: slick job descriptions, promising roles, multiple listings from the same company. So you apply. You tailor your resume. You send a thoughtful cover letter. And then… nothing.
That job never existed.
Welcome to the world of ghost jobs—positions posted purely for show. Companies do this to:
• Appear like they’re growing during layoffs.
• Build a resume database for “someday.”
• Collect data on market salary expectations.
• Keep investors or boards happy by pretending there’s demand.
A 2023 ResumeBuilder.com survey found 39% of hiring managers admit to posting jobs that aren’t real. And that’s just the ones who told the truth.
Even worse? Some companies repost roles that were filled months ago. Not because they need more people. Because it looks good on LinkedIn.
If you’ve ever gotten ghosted after multiple interviews, it’s not always because you “weren’t the right fit.” It might be because they were never hiring in the first place.
LinkedIn Theater: Now Hiring… and Laying Off?
There are companies right now with 50+ job postings on LinkedIn while simultaneously laying off thousands of employees. How?
Because LinkedIn job postings have become brand assets, not actual openings.
They create the illusion of innovation, growth, and opportunity.
Behind the curtain, teams are gutted. Departments are frozen. Hiring budgets are slashed. But the job board keeps filling up, because it’s better for optics than saying “we’re bleeding talent.”
It’s a bait-and-switch.
Except the bait is your hope.
And the switch is silence.
The Franchise Trap: Preying on the Desperate
Let’s talk about the newest wave of vultures circling the unemployed and underemployed: franchise peddlers.
You’ve probably gotten one of these messages:
“Saw your profile and wanted to offer an exciting opportunity to own your own business!”
What they’re offering isn’t a job. It’s a financial trap dressed up like empowerment. These folks are pitching buy-in “starter kits” to desperate people who are simply looking for work.
They exploit your fear, your ambition, and your LinkedIn job-seeking status. Then they try to get you to spend thousands on a “franchise model” or “business coaching program” that has no accountability and often no success record.
This isn’t entrepreneurship. It’s multi-level marketing with better branding.
AI, ATS, and the Great Resume Black Hole
Meanwhile, your resume is being judged by algorithms. Not people.
An estimated 75% of resumes are never seen by a human, according to Jobscan. Why? Because applicant tracking systems (ATS) automatically filter and rank candidates based on keyword matching and formatting quirks.
Which means:
That clever headline you wrote? Ignored.
The design-forward resume you made as a creative? Penalized.
Your thoughtful cover letter? Probably never opened.
You’re tailoring applications for robots that weren’t built to understand creativity, nuance, or potential. The system favors compliance over originality, and then hiring managers complain that “no one is standing out.”
It’s broken—and the people who built it are still profiting.
Freelance Inflation and Fake Titles
Let’s say you do break through. Congrats—you’re now interviewing for a role called “Brand Narrative Optimization Strategist.” The title is new. The expectations are vague. The pay is… disappointing.
Many roles in the creative sector are now just over-glorified freelance gigs. Companies want:
• The skill of a senior designer.
• The hustle of a junior marketer.
• The strategy of a director.
• The pay of an intern.
And they want it on a short-term contract, with no benefits, no path to growth, and no actual team to support you. You’re the department.
This isn’t career building. This is skill extraction at scale.
So What the Hell Are You Supposed to Do?
First, know this: you’re not crazy.
This is an unwell system.
You’re not lazy. You’re navigating lies.
Second, start approaching job hunting like it’s a sales process—not a numbers game. You’re not just “applying,” you’re qualifying companies. Here’s how:
• Research company financials and layoffs before applying.
• Check LinkedIn employees to see if the team that would hire you even exists.
• Use your network to validate whether a job is actually open or just posted.
• Stop writing cover letters to job descriptions that look like they were written by ChatGPT and approved by Legal.
• Ask hard questions during interviews. If they don’t like it, you dodged a bullet.
Third, stop blaming yourself.
The industry has commodified creative labor, dehumanized hiring, and replaced opportunity with noise. And yet it still wants you to show up with a smile.
You don’t owe them polish. You owe yourself truth.
