u/AstronautSalt4728 — reddlx

Hi everyone,

I’m really hoping to get some honest advice because I’m starting to panic.

I’ve been unemployed for close to 6 months now and I’m not getting through application stages, even though I’ve put a lot of effort into making my CV ATS-friendly and tailored for each role.

Background:

8+ years in Communications, PR, and Investor Relations
Experience across agency and in-house roles
Worked with C-suite, led external communications, media strategy, and stakeholder engagement
Pan-African experience across multiple sectors (financial services, fintech, mining, etc.)

I’ve been applying mainly for senior communications / external comms roles, but:

I’m either getting rejections or no response at all
Not even consistently making it to first interviews
I’ve reworked my CV multiple times and aligned it to job specs

At this point, I’m in serious financial distress and it’s becoming overwhelming.

I’d really appreciate advice on:

What I might be doing wrong in my applications
Whether the market is just extremely tough right now (especially in SA / comms roles)
If I should be targeting different roles or levels
How to stand out beyond just an ATS-friendly CV
Whether networking is the only real way in at this stage

I’m open to honest feedback — even if it’s tough to hear. I just need to figure out what to change because what I’m doing right now isn’t working.

Thank you in advance.