While there might be a ton of job listings on LinkedIn, over 70% of job seekers admit that entry-level opportunities are few and far between.

Whether you’re looking for a “survival job” in the service industry or simply looking to grow in an entry-level job after a layoff, these jobs are hard to come by.

It’s exactly why recruiter Joel Lalgee said we need to “stop judging” unemployed job seekers. Not only are they struggling to find work in their chosen career path, but they can’t find temporary “survival jobs” in the service industry either.

A recruiter said it’s time to stop judging unemployed job seekers struggling to secure ‘survival jobs.’

“It’s actually not easy to get a bridge or survival job,” Lalgee said. “Let’s say you have 20 years of experience in marketing and you put that on your resume. You go to apply at McDonalds or the front desk at a hotel … They’re gonna see your extensive background and say you’re ‘overqualified.’”

The hiring teams are well aware that for overqualified candidates, these jobs are temporary until a more suitable opportunity arises.

Meanwhile, someone who is a career server or has little to no experience at all is a better fit because they will provide a bigger return on investment through length of employment or working up the ranks.

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Many professionals with impressive resumes are struggling to find jobs.

Many job seekers are finding it impossible to secure a stable source of income, from entry-level corporate roles to working as baristas.

“A lot of you are brutally underestimating how brutal the market is,” Lalgee said, criticizing commenters who suggest struggling candidates just “get a job at Lowe’s or in construction.”

“It’s just not that simple … I talk to job seekers all the time, and many are feeling burnt out by the process.”

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“It’s really easy to say things like, ‘It’s not that bad,’ or ‘There’s lots of jobs.’ But, until you’re in this situation and experience how hard it is, you have no reason to be judging them.”

Many job seekers looking for “survival jobs” suggest they’re not getting hired for a completely different reason: they don’t have enough experience.

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Many job seekers claim they are ‘underqualified’ for many survival jobs, as employers prefer applicants with service experience.

Not only are many job seekers finding it difficult to find “survival jobs,” otherwise known as bridge jobs, that aren’t already flooded with “experienced” candidates in the industry, but some report they’re spending multiple hours on second and third interviews for these positions.

“These aren’t entry-level roles into a career … It’s just a job,” career expert Giovanna Ventola shared. “Back when I moved to Chicago and started my life there, you could walk anywhere and start washing dishes for money … Now you have to interview 3 times to be a dishwasher.”

Not only is it impossible for the average person to dedicate that much time, energy, and money to the application process and multiple interviews, but it might not even result in a stable job in the end.

As if accepting the inability to get a bridge job as someone with different career aspirations wasn’t disappointing enough, unemployed job seekers also have to explain away their unintended resume gaps.

It’s an endless cycle of shame and disappointment, fueled by money stress, that’s left the average job seeker desperate and hopeless.

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Zayda Slabbekoorn is a News & Entertainment Writer at YourTango who focuses on health & wellness, social policy, and human interest stories