I never thought I would ever start the first edition of a newsletter with the following sentence, but here we go:
I hope you DO NOT subscribe to my newsletter.
I hope you DO NOT share it with your family, friends, and colleagues.
And I would actually hope that NOBODY you know would want to read it.
I’m dead serious.
Nothing would make me happier than that.
Why?
Because that would mean that you, your friends, family, and everyone around you, have a job that brings food to the table (and allows for a bit of fun here and there), lets you sleep well at night, and lets you spend your days without financial worries or the dread of not knowing what to do with your life.
And therefore, you would have ZERO interest in reading, sharing, or thinking about a “job search” newsletter.
No “how can I pay my bills this month?”
No “will I ever work in my industry again at my age?”
No “I thought my job was safe…. until it wasn’t.”
No “I went to school for 16 years to be told all I know can be done by AI now.”
None of that sh*t.
Just the bliss of feeling safe, knowing what tomorrow will bring, and no existential dread.
The unfortunate reality is: This warm and cozy feeling will be a luxury for more and more people.
You work in Tech? Amazon is laying off 30,000 people. And so far this year, there are about 115,000 more tech jobs lost just in the US.
You just got your degree? Welcome to a 25% chance of being unemployed (if you’re lucky, sprinkled with some 6-figure student debt).
But Rob, I’m not in tech, I’m in ze German manufacturing industry! Zey told me zet I am safe?
Yeah… no. 150,000 jobs being cut as we speak.
You’re a smart white-collar worker in…
- Tech?
- Legal?
- IT?
- Education?
Let me sum it up for you:
You’re cooked, as my teenage daughters like to say.
So yeah, here we are.
So you may wonder – why this newsletter?
(Who reads newsletters anymore, anyway?)
Here’s the story.
I know what it feels like to wake up at 3 AM with half a panic attack because you don’t know what’s next. I’ve been there myself, and if you’re in that situation, the “why” doesn’t really matter.
Over the last 6 months, I’ve been developing a software project in the AI space, which at some point pivoted to a platform to support people looking for employment. (I’ll tell you about it another time, if you’re interested.)
But what I realized in these 6 months, talking to people from all walks of life, is that unemployment doesn’t have “a” face.
I’ve talked to former CEOs, CFOs, and CIOs that can’t find a job.
I’ve talked to brilliant tech people who thought nothing would ever happen to them as long as there are computers around us. And now, at 57, in that wonderful stage of “too old to be hired, too young to retire,” they get rejection after rejection after rejection and have no idea what to do next or if they will EVER find employment again.
I’ve talked to parents whose kids are fresh out of university and keep hearing they “lack experience” (for an entry-level job). AI is cheaper, faster, better.
(Sorry about that law degree, bro.)
And of course, I’ve also talked to some absolute morons that made me wonder how they even HAD a job in the past. But that’s the beautiful variety of life.
But jokes aside, I’ve gotten a glimpse into a world that I truly don’t wish on anyone – but that’s affecting more and more people.
But I also realized that there’s a pattern in the people that I talk to.
It’s a mix of “not knowing what’s next” and feeling without orientation (about themselves).
It’s about an overwhelm to find jobs that are a good match, where your skills are needed, and that don’t make you jump in front of a train every morning.
And it’s just the grind of writing application after application after application and… not even getting a response. Not even a “no.”
You’re just being ignored.
And that hurts the first time, the 10th time, and it hurts even more when it’s the 137th time.
And, let’s admit it, it’s all a bit ridiculous.
So me and some friends decided to create this newsletter that addresses these issues and will give practical tips beyond the usual corporate nonsense.
Welcome to The Existential Job Search.
The only career advice that admits it's all a bit ridiculous.
This newsletter is the anti-career-advice career advice.
We’re going to talk about the real problems: the existential terror, the imposter syndrome, and the sheer exhaustion of trying to find a job that doesn't make you want to quit life.
As I said, I hope you don’t have to. But IF you do, why should you subscribe and share this?
- It’s not AI-written. (Well, mostly. Okay, yes, we use AI to put our ideas into nice words before we edit it, but we sure as hell won’t feed you that ridiculous smiley-infested AI slop that’s clogging up your LinkedIn feed. )
- It’s actually helpful. We’ll give you practical, no-BS strategies that work in the real world. (No more advice on "optimizing your personal brand.")
- It’s free therapy. You get to laugh at the absurdity of the job market with thousands of other confused, slightly cynical professionals.
Hit that subscribe button and share this with anyone who needs a weekly dose of career clarity (and dark humor).
Since you’ve had to read enough already (I’m surprised you’re even here, still!), I’ll keep the content short on this one but just give you a glimpse of what’s to come.
(And did I mention it would be great if you could share this newsletter? Oh.. okay.)
Let’s start with something most people won’t talk about.
In particular, not successful, driven, well-networked people like you and me – who will NEVER lose their job. And IF we would, the next opportunity would be just around the corner, right?
The Existential Dread of "What's Next For Me?"
Being unemployed is a special kind of hell.
It’s not just the financial stress. It’s the sheer, unadulterated existential terror that hits you at 3 AM.
You’re lying there, staring at the ceiling, and the question isn't "When will I get a job?"
It’s "What the actual hell am I supposed to do with my life?"
You’ve applied to 58 jobs. You’ve only had 3 interviews. You got zero offers.
You’ve updated your LinkedIn profile so many times it’s starting to look like a hostage note.
But here’s a secret: The job search is broken because you’re searching for the wrong thing.
You’re looking for a job title. You should be looking for a problem you actually want to solve.
The Problem with "Finding Your Passion"
Everyone tells you to "Follow your passion."
F*ck that.
That is terrible advice.
Passion is for hobbies. Passion is for that sourdough starter you abandoned after two weeks. Passion is too fragile to build a career on.
What you need is Orientation.
Think of it this way: You’re not a ship looking for a port (a job title).
You’re a very confused, slightly leaky submarine looking for a deep-sea trench where your specific brand of weirdness is useful.
You need to figure out your internal compass before you start navigating the external world.
Step 1: Stop Listing Skills. Start Listing Superpowers.
Your resume lists "Proficient in Microsoft Excel."
That is not a superpower.
That is, in 2025, a basic human requirement.
A superpower is a skill you have that is so ingrained, so natural, that you don't even realize it's a skill. It's the thing you do better than everyone else, without even trying.
- The Chaos Whisperer: You love taking a mess of disorganized data and making it clean.
- The Human Lie Detector: You can read a room and know exactly who is stressed or who is about to quit.
- The Unflappable: When the server crashes, you are the one making coffee and calmly delegating.
You need to stop selling your skills and start selling your unique ability to solve problems.
If you don't know your superpower, you’re just a generic applicant. And generic applicants get eaten by the Applicant Tracking System (we’ll talk about these nasty abominations in an upcoming episode).
Step 2: The "Hate List" is More Important Than the "Love List"
Forget what you think you want. That’s just noise.
What did you absolutely, fundamentally hate about your last job?
- Did you hate the endless meetings? (You need a solo, project-based role.)
- Did you hate the lack of human interaction? (You need a client-facing, team-heavy role.)
- Did you hate the feeling that your work didn't matter? (You need a mission-driven role.)
Your "Hate List" is a crystal-clear map of your boundaries. It tells you exactly what kind of job will make you miserable.
If you know what you hate, you can eliminate 80% of the wrong jobs immediately.
That’s not cynicism. That’s efficiency.
Step 3: Stop Asking "What Should I Do?"
This is the most existential question of all, and it’s a trap.
It implies there is one single, perfect answer waiting for you. There isn't.
Instead, ask: "What is the smallest, most interesting problem I can solve right now?"
The job search is not a sprint to the finish line. It’s a series of small, slightly less miserable steps.
Figure out your superpower, know your boundaries, and then find the next interesting problem.
That’s how you beat the existential dread.
And now I’m sure the question that you’re asking yourself is:
"Rob, you better tell me HOW to FIND these jobs in these miserable times, instead of being a smart-ass!"
Well… if you're curious about that and other questions, then I’ll tell you more in the next episode of The Existential Job Search, coming next Tuesday.
Which is why you should subscribe, and share….
Go forth and be slightly less miserable in your job hunt!
I'll see you on Tuesday next week, with the first "real" edition of The Existential Job Search.
