B2 – Upper Intermediate
Have you ever opened a job website just to “look around” and suddenly spent an hour scrolling through job openings? You see interesting positions, imagine yourself doing something new, and think about applying—but somehow, you never click the apply button. This habit now has a name: doomjobbing.
Doomjobbing is more than simply looking for a new job. It can happen when people feel frustrated, anxious, or uncertain about their careers and the job market. With AI changing the way companies hire and increasing competition among applicants, finding a job can feel overwhelming.
The article explores why people keep scrolling through job ads even when they don’t actually apply—and what this behavior says about the modern hiring process.
Vocabulary Questions:
- What does “to sink into a rabbit hole” mean? “It’s where you find yourself sinking into a rabbit hole of short-form content designed to reinforce your worst perceptions of the world.” Use it in a sentence. Give a synonym or similar expression.
- What does “cookie-cutter application” mean? “Most experts agree that the best thing to do is to stop blitzing arbitrary jobs with cookie-cutter applications and instead drill down on a handful of roles that you really want.” Construct a sentence using this term. Give a synonym or similar expression.
- What does “to be sucked into a pit of despair” mean? “Set a time limit to stop yourself being sucked into a pit of despair.” Use it in a sentence. Give a synonym or similar expression.
Discussion Questions:
- How can doomjobbing affect a person’s mental well-being and motivation?
- How might doomjobbing affect a person’s career development in the long term?
- Why do you think people keep looking at job advertisements even when they are not planning to change jobs?
- How has technology changed the way people look for jobs?
- What makes a job advertisement stand out to you?