Matthew Warzel Featured in a Fast Company Article!

Matthew Warzel, president of the résumé-writing firm MJW Careers, says the uncertainty and frustration of modern job hunting explain why rituals can become so appealing. Buying a spell often comes after candidates feel they’ve exhausted every conventional option.

“Job searching today often feels like shouting into the void,” he says. “You submit an application, get no response, and have no idea whether you were rejected by a recruiter, filtered out by AI, or simply lost among hundreds of applicants.”

All job spells are slightly different, but they tend to follow a similar format: You request a certain potency up front (such as regular or powerful), then submit information, including your date of birth. Some witches ask for a picture. In one listing, a witch shows a video of tarot cards surrounded by flickering candles, explaining that the “heart-centered ritual” also uses “intention, herbs, and spiritual guidance” to enhance its power. Others cite using “charged crystals” to align with energies and desired outcomes, or recommend the buyer burn drawings to strengthen the spell afterward.

For the spell Azzopardi-Brown bought, the witch lit a candle on her altar and meditated over her wishes, which Azzopardi-Brown provided on a form. It included references of specific jobs, ideal employers, and a description of her desired work life. Then, she received a three-page PDF breakdown of what to expect and when.

The ritual itself may matter more than whether the spell works. When so much of the hiring process feels outside a candidate’s control, even unconventional practices like manifestation, horoscopes, and Etsy witches can restore a sense of agency.

“If a ritual helps someone feel more confident, optimistic, or motivated to keep showing up every day, there can be real psychological value in that—even if the spell itself isn’t what’s changing the outcome,” Warzel says.