Via a qualitative study, we introduce and elucidate 5 layers of contextrelated
job search demands (omnibus, organizational, social, task, and
personal) that are encountered by both employed and unemployed
job seekers. We develop a process model to portray the mechanisms
(managing mood and motivation, feedback/help seeking, and selfreflection/
learning) through which these context-related demands are
related to several important job search outcomes. We provide new insight
into employed job seekers, showing that they report the job search
as full of difficulties, obstacles, and challenges, and that some of these
demands parallel those that unemployed job seekers face.