Job hunting is like dating now—in all the worst ways

Messages that stopped after meeting a couple of times. Paying for premium tiers to get better matches. Settling for something good enough until something better comes along. These aren’t descriptors of the modern dating scene, but the realities of searching for a job in 2026. What connects the two worlds are frustrating parallels: Technology promised to help us sift through an enormous number of options until we find the perfect match. Instead, each endeavor has created environments where everyone feels simultaneously overwhelmed by choice and disposable to everyone they encounter. Just as relentless swiping took the humanity out of dating, automated screening and mass applications have made it harder to get respected (or even noticed) as a serious candidate in this job market: Job seekers are feeling exhausted, both mentally and financially, by having to invest up front in services like LinkedIn Premium or Indeed Pro—especially when finding a job, much like a relationship, used to be ostensibly free. Meanwhile, ghosting—a term that was coined from the dehumanizing way some people stop responding after a few dates—has crept into job seekers’ lives, too. Many experience an intervie…