Careers
Decoded
What is doomjobbing? The rise of compulsive job searching
Even people who aren't planning to leave their jobs are spending hours scrolling through vacancies, driven by uncertainty, stress, or the fear of missing out. As workplace anxiety grows, doomjobbing is becoming the career equivalent of doomscrolling – and it's reshaping how we think about work and opportunity.
Job searching as a panic response is nothing new. But in 2026, AI-driven layoffs and a volatile, inflexible job market have given us yet another buzzword in an era defined by rapid digital transformation and uncertainty. And like so many buzzwords, it is rather on the nose: Doomjobbing is doomscrolling, but for jobs.
It’s the act of endlessly swiping for new jobs that often don’t align with your skillset and applying without much thought. It’s reactive, erratic and driven by work stress - and that Easy Apply button on LinkedIn.
Doomjobbing is becoming a common habit among high-performing professionals. Mid-career women make up a significant portion, not because they are unfocused, but because their worklife demands are often complex - and not being met.
This may feel like a reasonable response in unstable times, but therapists and career coaches warn that it can have a less than desirable effect. Unlike regular jobhunting, doomjobbing is defined as frantic, fear-based and compulsive. The digital relative of doomscrolling, it hijacks your attention with content that reinforces your negative perceptions.
This habit can rob much of your free time and, as the rejections mount up - from roles that were unsuitable, below level and underpaid - it gradually erodes your sense of self worth.
(Ron Lach/Pexels)
A fear-based response
“Doomjobbing seems to me to be a fear-based response to a very tough job market,” says Rebecca Cockayne, founder of coaching and therapy practice Delphi.
One in six UK employers have plans to reduce their staff this year, in response to the evolving use of AI at work - with one quarter predicting they will be forced to cut more than 10% of their workforce, according to a survey from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).
Redundancies ramp up competition for new jobs, but job vacancies are in decline. Job opportunities saw a 3.9% drop in January to March - reaching the lowest level since April 2021, according to the Office for National Statistics. Again, AI disruption appears to be the front player, reshaping which jobs exist and thinning out potential roles.
“The job hunt has seemingly gotten tougher over the past three years,” says Cockayne. “Clients who I would have predicted to get a job in less than 6 months are now taking 6-12 months instead. When you're faced with this scenario it can feel very futile and hopeless.”
Psychotherapist and menopause specialist Meera Mehat adds that for women in perimenopause and menopause, the endless scroll-and-apply loop is especially hard to break.
“Doomjobbing isn't a productivity issue; it's a neurological one. Fluctuating oestrogen directly affects executive function, decision-making and dopamine regulation. Layer on top the identity shifts, confidence loss and hormonal anxiety that so many midlife women are quietly navigating, and you have a perfect storm.”
“Doomjobbing is a fear-based response to a very tough job market”
Rebecca Cockayne, career coach
Anxiety meets dissatisfaction
Professionals often start doomjobbing when economic anxiety meets job dissatisfaction and burnout - setting in motion a desire for both stability and something better, without the tools to carry this out in a calm, intentional way.
Cockayne points out that burned out women carry a particularly heavy mental load: “As life ‘gets in the way’ it can feel like there is less and less time to figure out who you are and what you want from a career. Women are socialised to consider family wellbeing more in their decision making - add career decision making on top of all of this, and it can feel very overwhelming.”
Shaun Bettman, CEO and chief mortgage broker of Eden Emerald Mortgages, agrees that working women are feeling the weight of work and home-life demands: “These women are looking for a job that pays well, is flexible and does not penalise mothers for having children. The job market is not providing what these women need and that's why doomjobbing is on the rise,” he says.
Bettman, who has spent his career reviewing the financial positions of hundreds of professionals, has seen what career step-backs cost women over time. He adds that working mothers have a lot to consider while screening jobs: school pickup compatibility, childcare cost offset, remote or hybrid options and if the company culture will truly honour the flexibility they're promising in the job posting.
“Most don't,” he says, “and women with kids know this firsthand, which is why they keep swiping and swiping to find the job that suits them.”
The number of full-time office jobs among Fortune 500 companies has almost doubled from late 2024 to mid-2025, from 13% to 24%*, which has taken away the flexibility that made many jobs manageable for mothers in the first place.
Rather than signifying a lack of direction, doomjobbing appears to be a response to the narrowed scope of realistic options. When there's no fit, the application volume goes up while the quality and conviction behind each application drops.
(Unsplash)
Swapping quantity for quality
Doomjobbing feels draining and demotivating, with one-size-fits-all applications often leading to rejection emails - or total silence. It also plays into another AI-led challenge in how candidates are now screened and selected.
According to a CV Library survey, eight in 10 recruiters believe that AI-generated CVs have surged in the past year, and that applications are becoming less distinctive in the process. Once key differentiators, personality and individuality are increasingly lost.
Putting your time and energy into a handful of applications that suit your skills and needs is the best way to go, according to experts. Peter Duris, CEO and co-founder of Kickresume, shares his advice for job seekers who are feeling demotivated in their search.
Narrow your search
Create a list of criteria, set a salary range, filter by the type of work arrangement you want and make sure you meet the requirements in the job description.
Tailor each application
You don’t need to completely rewrite your CV for every role, but make sure it focuses on the skills and experience most relevant to that job. Cover letters should be personalised to the role and company. You can also use AI to save time, but always review and edit everything before sending.
ATS optimise your CV
Applicant tracking systems (ATS) are software tools that filter CVs for hiring managers. Optimise by embedding keywords and using a clear and scannable format with simple headings and bullet points. There are online tools available to check if your CV is optimised or not.
Turn on job alerts
Many job boards send job alerts to notify you for relevant roles, helping to make you one of the first applicants and boost your chances.
Ignore the competition
Platforms like LinkedIn show how many people have applied for each job. Remember this doesn’t equate to meaningful competition, as it includes applicants who won’t have tailored their CV to fit the role.
“It’s best to be intentional,” Duris says. “Take your time applying to relevant roles and check multiple job boards. Don’t fall into the trap of clicking ‘apply’ on every job you come across where you vaguely meet the criteria - as this can become discouraging.”