This narrative originates from an in-depth conversation with Jim Herrington, a 62-year-old professional residing in Suffolk, United Kingdom, whose account has been editorially refined for both length and clarity of detail. Herrington’s story begins at an unexpected crossroads in 2024, when corporate downsizing forced him into redundancy from his long-standing career in electronics marketing. What he could not have envisioned at that difficult moment was that his search for new employment would extend through an astonishing nine hundred separate job applications before finally yielding success.
Herrington devoted himself entirely to the pursuit of new opportunities. His approach was organized, exhaustive, and almost artisanal in its meticulousness. Refusing to rely on artificial intelligence or digital shortcuts, he personally crafted highly individualized résumés and cover letters for each position, sometimes even developing visual presentations to demonstrate his understanding of the employer’s business model. He directly contacted potential employers, followed up with recruiters, and made a point of attending in-person networking events, determined to reestablish connections and create new professional relationships in an increasingly impersonal job market.
Treating his job hunt with the same discipline and structure that he had long applied to professional projects, Herrington transformed each day into a standard workday. He started his mornings around eight o’clock, systematically combing through online job boards, identifying potential openings based on an exacting set of criteria that balanced relevance, industry specialization, and geographic practicality. In pursuit of continuous improvement, he often circulated his résumé among trusted peers and mentors for constructive feedback, refining his materials after every round of critique. Acknowledging the logistical realities of employment in the United Kingdom, he remained open to commuting up to an hour each way, recalling that at earlier stages of his career, he had willingly driven thousands of miles annually in the service of professional growth.
However, as the months progressed, the psychological weight of the process became increasingly difficult to bear. Herrington’s confidence, once an unshakable component of his professional identity, began to erode under the heavy strain of rejection and contradictory employer feedback. Some prospective supervisors expressed insistence on sector-specific experience, while others claimed to welcome transferrable skills from outside the industry. At times, employers appeared to desire a veteran marketer, while others dismissed him with vague assertions that he was “overqualified.” These inconsistencies produced a confusing and disheartening pattern that slowly undermined his sense of self-assurance.
More than once, he encountered the phrase, “You’d be bored in this job.” Yet, he suspected that such comments were often coded language—a polite evasion concealing discomfort with his age rather than a true assessment of his capabilities. Rather than recognizing the immense value of his four decades of hands-on experience, professional awards, and teaching contributions, recruiters seemed to interpret his seniority as liability instead of strength.
Herrington also developed strong views on the growing influence of artificial intelligence in recruitment processes. While he acknowledged that these technologies could improve efficiency for companies overwhelmed by large applicant pools, he firmly believed that the proliferation of AI screening tools had introduced new layers of opacity and alienation. Success in many hiring systems appeared to depend not on substantive alignment with a role’s demands, but on one’s ability to incorporate an ever-changing list of algorithm-friendly buzzwords. In his eyes, this technological filter reduced human potential to keyword compliance.
The situation grew even more concerning when some companies began adopting AI-driven video interviewing tools. To Herrington, this practice symbolized a profound erosion of respect within corporate culture. The notion that a candidate’s personality, professionalism, and enthusiasm could be meaningfully evaluated by an algorithm seemed not only implausible but insulting. An employer unwilling to converse directly with an applicant, he reasoned, demonstrated a lack of basic courtesy and empathy—qualities foundational to any healthy working relationship.
Yet Herrington was not content to attribute the broken state of recruitment solely to technology or to job-seekers’ adaptation to it. In his experience, a more fundamental issue undermined the entire system: many employers failed to articulate precisely what they desired in a candidate. Job descriptions were often nebulous, contradictory, or incomplete, leaving applicants uncertain about expectations. One particularly damaging omission, he argued, was the frequent absence of salary information. When roles lacked transparency about compensation or core requirements, candidates wasted enormous energy pursuing positions that were clearly mismatched, either in seniority, scope, or remuneration. Had such key details been consistently communicated, Herrington estimated that his application count might have been closer to one hundred rather than nine hundred.
His persistence ultimately paid off toward the end of 2024, when Omega Diagnostics—a health testing company with a mission aligned to improving people’s lives—contacted him only a day after receiving his application. Their enthusiasm was immediate: “Wow, you have a great résumé. Can we talk to you?” That rapid response marked a turning point, signaling not only a professional breakthrough but also a restoration of personal confidence that had been eroded through the long months of uncertainty.
Reflecting on the ordeal, Herrington acknowledged that the experience had fundamentally reshaped his resilience and self-understanding. Repeated rejection inevitably gave rise to doubt—questions such as “Am I really as capable as I believed?”—but those same doubts also cultivated perseverance. Ultimately, Omega Diagnostics valued precisely what so many other organizations had overlooked: his senior-level experience was not a drawback but an invaluable asset. They recognized that his cross-sector versatility could inject fresh perspectives into their industry’s marketing strategies.
Today, Herrington speaks of genuine satisfaction. The role is well compensated, conveniently located, and embedded in a sector characterized by innovation and tangible social benefit. What gratifies him most is the understanding that his professional contributions now produce measurable improvements in people’s lives. After a long and often discouraging journey, he can finally endorse his work with both professional pride and personal conviction—knowing that his persistence, authenticity, and experience have led him to a position that truly makes a difference.
Sourse: https://www.businessinsider.com/lost-my-job-after-900-applications-i-finally-got-hired-2025-12
