I applied to over 6,000 jobs and relied on a food pantry after being laid off. Here's what finally got me hired.
A former PayPal employee shares his 16-month struggle to find a new job after being laid off, detailing the financial and emotional toll of applying to over 6,000 positions. He eventually secured a new role through a professional connection rather than traditional job boards.
Why it matters
It highlights the harsh realities of the modern white-collar job market and the limitations of automated application systems.
John Huân Vũ applied to more than 6,000 jobs over 16 months after being laid off in July 2024. John Huân Vũ John Huân Vũ applied to more than 6,000 jobs after being laid off from PayPal. To get by, he relied on a food pantry, SNAP benefits, Buy Nothing groups, and his church community. In the end, he found a job not through job boards, but through a work connection he'd previously helped. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with John Huân Vũ, a senior consultant at Visa who lives in San Jose. He previously worked for PayPal for 10 years before being laid off in 2024. The following has been edited for length and clarity. When I got laid off from PayPal in July 2024, I was in complete shock. The next day, it felt really weird not to be working anymore.
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