This week, I had an interview that seemed promising. The interviewer told me there were strong chances I could get hired before Christmas. The recruiter had already sent my profile to the client, the client liked me enough to schedule the interview quickly, and everything looked aligned.
Then something changed. The very next day, the recruiter emailed me saying the client decided to pause the position. No warning. No gradual slowdown. Just paused.
The Low Rate That Did Not Matter After All
What made the situation even more unusual is that the rate for this role was far below what I normally charge. And after two months of interviews, both technical and HR, I accepted the low rate out of curiosity. I wanted to understand if maybe this is the reason so many positions disappear. Perhaps companies were cutting costs and simply refusing to move forward with higher rates.
But this was not the reason.
The role vanished even with a low rate.
That is when things started to feel strange.
A Market With No Stability
What I am seeing now is a pattern where stability no longer exists. A role can look solid today and disappear tomorrow. Clients change direction instantly. Recruiters often do not have answers. Candidates are left guessing.
And it is not just one cause. The market is influenced by many factors at the same time.
Uncertain budgets. Internal reorganizations. Hiring freezes. Risk avoidance.
Sometimes, even politics inside companies.
But there is something deeper happening, too.
A Theory That Does Not Sound Impossible Anymore
Here is a thought that started as a joke but does not feel unrealistic anymore.
Maybe companies are quietly testing the market.
Testing how low candidates are willing to go.
Testing how much instability people can tolerate.
Testing how desperate the talent pool really is.
When candidates panic, they compromise more. When everyone compromises, the benchmark shifts. And companies notice.
This would explain why even low-rate roles still get frozen. It is not about the money. It is about uncertainty and hesitation spreading across the entire hiring ecosystem.
And the weird part is that nobody talks about this openly, but everyone feels it.
So, Will This Article Help Me or Hurt Me?
Honestly, I have no idea. Some people might read this and say it is too direct or too honest. And if any recruiter or hiring manager feels uncomfortable with what I am writing, that is perfectly fine. It simply means we would not be a good match anyway.
It is a win-win.
You do not want someone like me, and I do not want someone like you.
Someone had to say it.
Nobody is saying it, but everyone is thinking this.