After applying for 400 jobs and getting just three interviews, a graduate described how she has been "ghosted" by countless employers.
Karyna Lohvynenko, 21, is completing a masters degree in governance and has a CV that includes work at the United Nations and councils around the UK and US.
While she once dreamed of being president of her native Ukraine, she has applied for roles in politics, business and as an entry-level barista, but not even heard back from most employers.
The term ghosting is used in the dating world, and means to suddenly cut off contact with someone - but recruitment consultant Michael Jones believes it's becoming increasingly common for job applicants.
In a fiercely competitive market, he speaks to graduates like Karyna every week who have applied for hundreds of jobs, and believes AI screening means many are ditched before even being considered by a human.
"If I apply to around 70 jobs per week and only hear back from three, the rest is complete silence - not even a rejection email," said Karyna, 21.
"That uncertainty is worse than rejection… it feels like a void. Like your application disappears before anyone even sees it.
"The ghosting from employers creates confusion, anxiety, and makes the whole process feel dehumanising."
She is currently completing a masters at Cardiff University in governance and devolution, having graduated from Cardiff Met with a degree in business and management with a law pathway.
As well as her academic work, Karyna's CV includes international policy work, volunteering and business experience - in the first lady of Ukraine's office, at the United Nations, working with British and American councils, and as an ambassador for the King's Trust.
"I completed everything expected from a graduate… experience alone doesn't open doors," she added.
Karyna was accepted to six US universities with scholarships.
But Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 changed everything, and she ended up moving to Wales.
While Karyna remains determined to find work, she knows she is not alone in her desperation.
She remembers a jobs fair at Cardiff University, adding: "Seeing hundreds of students - many with strong backgrounds - asking for any job was overwhelming.
"That's when it felt truly distressing."
As a child, Karyna became interested in politics and set her sights on leading her home country - Ukraine.
"That goal has never left me," she said.
For now, however, her focus remains on securing a first step into the workforce.
Since late February, Karyna has been applying daily, often to around 20 roles a day, while balancing studies, work and running a small business upcycling vintage blazers.
She has given up on securing a "dream job", and now wants any type of work, but has been rejected for roles ranging from politics, business to an entry-level barista.
Karyna added: "I know I will succeed. This is just a difficult phase, one that's largely outside my control.
"For now, all I can do is keep applying until someone sees my potential."
Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), released earlier this year, showed that unemployment in the UK had risen to its highest level in almost five years, with the rate reaching 5.2% in the three months to December 2025.
Young people, particularly, have been bearing the brunt, with unemployment among those aged 16 to 24 rising to 16.1% - its highest level in more than a decade.
The latest ONS figures out on Tuesday were more encouraging, with an unexpected drop in the three months to February 2026.
Online platform LinkedIn reported competition for roles is fierce among young people, with chief economic opportunity officer Aneesh Raman offering some tips to job seekers on CVs.
He said AI literacy is important - knowing what it is and does, as well as focusing on your people skills, showing your achievements, and not obsessing over long-term plans.
"I speak to graduates every week who've applied for hundreds of roles and are still struggling to break through and unfortunately, that's [ghosting] become the norm rather than the exception," said recruitment consultant Michael Jones.
"The reality is that entry level roles are massively oversubscribed right now, and even strong graduates are getting lost in the volume."
Jones said many applications never reach a human decision-maker.
"When candidates say it feels like their CV disappears into a void, I completely understand that frustration as we see many applications never reaching a human," he said.
"Not hearing back is incredibly disheartening, but in most cases it's down to automated systems and sheer applicant numbers, not a lack of ability or effort."
Automated hiring systems may also be shaping the prospects of many applicants, believes Jones.
He said: "We're seeing a growing reliance on AI screening and one-way video interviews, particularly at the early stages, and that can feel very impersonal for candidates.
"The danger is that AI looks for patterns, not potential. If your experience or communication style doesn't match what the system expects, you can be filtered out before anyone actually meets you."
This is something Karyna has experienced in a number of AI-led interviews.
"You're essentially speaking to a screen, like a chatbot interface," she added.
"There's usually a strict time cap… which is not enough to explain your full experience.
"You feel cut off before you can properly present yourself."
