A woman who previously worked with companies like Coca-Cola and Microsoft has opened up about the emotional and financial struggles of long-term unemployment, saying repeated layoffs and job rejections deeply affected her mental health and confidence.
According to Business Insider, a US-based woman who spent years working in finance and tech-related roles has shared how repeated layoffs and unsuccessful job applications pushed her into financial stress and emotional burnout. Dominique Alexander, who lives in Louisiana, said the uncertainty of not knowing when stable work would return became one of the hardest parts of her experience.
Alexander said she lost multiple jobs over the last decade and has been trying to rebuild her career ever since. Despite working with major companies including Coca-Cola and Microsoft, she said landing another stable role has been far more difficult than she expected.
‘Job searching can really mess with your head’
Speaking about her experience after her Microsoft contract role ended in 2021, Alexander said the repeated cycle of applications and rejection started affecting her mentally.
“Since my contract role at Microsoft ended in late 2021, I’ve dealt with a lot of rejection, which can really mess with your head,” Alexander said, according to Business Insider.
She added that one of the biggest challenges during unemployment is the uncertainty around how long the situation will continue.
“I’ve read that for humans, some of the most stressful types of situations are ones where we don’t know how long they’ll last. This is part of why job searching can be so stressful.”
Alexander also encouraged job seekers to speak openly about their struggles instead of hiding them.
“One piece of advice I have for other job seekers is to be vulnerable about what you’re going through. Telling people you’re out of work can help lead to opportunities.”
After losing her finance manager role at a major tobacco company in 2018, Alexander moved to Atlanta hoping family contacts and professional connections would help her find work. She focused heavily on getting a role at Coca-Cola, believing her internal connection at the company would improve her chances.
After months of interviews, she finally secured a senior manager position in 2019. But the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted her onboarding and work routine, and she was laid off again in January 2021.
From Amazon warehouse to Microsoft contract role
Following the layoff, Alexander struggled to find another corporate job and eventually started working part-time at an Amazon warehouse to manage expenses.
Later, through a friend’s connection, she joined a consulting firm working with Microsoft as a finance program manager on a contract basis. However, the role lasted only a few months before ending in November 2021.
Alexander said she then spent almost the entire next year trying to secure a permanent role at Microsoft, believing her previous work experience there would help.
“In hindsight, though, I think I wasted a year of my life; the company was laying people off, and I think hiring may have slowed more than I realized.”
By 2023, the pressure of job searching had become overwhelming. She moved to Louisiana to stay in a house owned by her parents so she could reduce living costs and focus on her mental health.
She later took a complete break from LinkedIn and job applications during 2024 to mentally recover before restarting her search again this year.
Since returning to job hunting in 2025, she has applied for finance and project management positions and also completed a professional certification course to improve her profile. While she briefly worked as a seasonal tax advisor earlier this year, she is still searching for long-term employment.
Alexander said one frustrating reality she discovered is that some companies post jobs publicly even when they already intend to fill them internally.
“Even if a company posts a job online, they sometimes plan to fill the role internally — if they plan to fill it at all.”
She also said résumé gaps created by layoffs often become another hurdle for applicants.
“Recruiters have told me that employers can look down on applicants with gaps, even when they’re out of your control.”
Despite the setbacks, Alexander said she continues trying to stay hopeful and patient while searching for a stable opportunity again.