Blake Farmer

It's like a big game of musical chairs was going on after the COVID pandemic.

Employees were job hopping and chasing higher pay and better benefits.

But those who ended up without a seat have had a really tough time finding a place to fit back in.

Laniece Harris had difficulty landing a role that fit her executive experience in HR.

So she ended up pivoting.

She's now a career coach.

That lived experience on the job hunt does give her some cred in her new line of work.

Tip one, don't let the job hunt dominate every minute of your life.

Then you leave space for taking care of yourself.

You can't afford to burn out before you even start a new job.

Harris says do set aside time for work that pays the bills.

And even if it's gig work like driving for rideshare or delivery apps, don't hide all that hustling in your interviews.

The hardest part, Harris says, is remembering you are not defined by what you do.

Steve Jones was marketing director for a global sewing machine company and laid off about a year ago in a corporate restructuring.

Being in his mid-50s, he feels his experience level works against him with recruiters, even if he would accept a pay cut.

So he's considering a pivot to get him through to retirement age and making the most of the moment.

It might amount to nothing, but at least he can say he fulfilled a lifelong dream amid the frustration of a drawn-out job hunt.

In Nashville, I'm Blake Farmer for Marketplace.

And yet... We have the glorious challenge, truly, of figuring out how to make it happen in a state where there's no mandate, probably never will be.

We're like the conductor of the food scrap orchestra in Cleveland.