Mental Health Is a Hiring Issue: What We Heard at LFJP—and What Comes Next
Let’s be honest: mental health and the job search don’t get talked about enough.
The hardest part of looking for work isn’t just writing the resume or updating your LinkedIn.
It’s what happens to your sense of self when you don’t hear back.
At this month’s Last Friday Job Party (LFJP), we got real about it.
We titled the session “Mental Health and the Job Search: What No One Talks About”—because someone needed to.
Hosted by Agile, ADCC, Paladin, and SNI Technology, the webinar brought together voices from across the GEE IT family to talk about the emotional weight of layoffs, long searches, and silence.
The Emotional Cost of Job Search: Real Voices from LFJP
The job market isn’t just hard, it’s personal. That’s why LFJP took a step back this month to hold space for something bigger than interview tips.
Here’s what our speakers shared:
“The biggest thing that I felt was a was a loss of identity.”
— Ben Sheffield, SNI Technology
“I had a tremendous feeling of shame… because this is like—it was tagged to me, like this is your fault.”
— Clint Hawkins, GEE Group
“We felt that we would be doing a real disservice …. if we didn’t hold a space to talk about mental health, because the Job market has been really rough the past couple years and we’re not here to sugarcoat it.”
— Ciara Nasuti, Agile Resources
What Hiring Systems Miss (And Why It Matters)
Hiring isn’t neutral. It’s full of gaps—especially when it comes to how rejection is delivered.
Ghosting. Delayed updates. Robotic rejection emails.
None of those things consider the very real human on the other end.
At LFJP, we talked openly about how demoralizing that experience can be—and how little space most hiring systems make for emotional impact.
“This rejection that you’re going through is not who you are. They don’t know you.”
— Clint Hawkins, GEE Group
At Agile, we’ve heard these stories too—and we take them seriously.
That’s why our hiring process focuses on alignment and follow-through, not just keyword matches.
Our recruiters use a Trusted Candidate Scorecard to advocate for the full person behind the resume, factoring in stability, communication, and readiness, not just checkboxes. We believe that’s part of why so many of our placements go the distance.
💡 Learn how Agile hires differently
What You Can Control: Advice That Actually Helps
When the system feels broken, focus on what’s yours to own.
Build a routine.
“It’s a full-time job to get a job sometimes.”
— Ben Sheffield Last Friday Job Party_ …
Pick a creative or skill-based project.
Rebuilding momentum doesn’t always start with job boards. Start with something you control.
Stay out of isolation.
“Don’t get stuck in isolation.”
— Clint Hawkins Last Friday Job Party_ …
Detach your worth from the rejection.
“This rejection that you’re going through is not who you are. They don’t know you.”
— Clint Hawkins Last Friday Job Party_ …
🧰 Agile’s job seeker resources
👥 Join the LFJP LinkedIn group
Mental Health Support
You don’t need to be in crisis to seek support. But if you are, here are places to turn:
- Mental Health America – Free screening + tools
- Johns Hopkins – Caring for Your Mental Health While Job Searching
- 988 Lifeline – Call or text for immediate support
You’re Not Alone. But You Might Be Overdue for a Reset.
One of the metaphors that stuck from the session came from Clint, who compared job searching to playing a video game you keep losing. Sometimes, he said, you need to just take out the cartridge, blow on it, and start fresh.
LFJP isn’t therapy. But it is community. And if you’ve been feeling stuck, you don’t have to navigate it alone.
🎥 Watch the LFJP replay
📅 Register for next month’s event
💼 View open roles across our brands: Agile, Access Data Consulting Company, Paladin, and SNI Companies