(Using AI, too shaken to write it out myself) I'm looking for honest advice from people who've been through something similar.

I'm a software developer in India, with around 3 years of experience. I joined my current company in July 2026, and my probation has now been extended by another 3 months, until January 2027.

The extension has hit me harder than I expected. I've received feedback about communication, collaboration, and how I react during disagreements. I know I can get defensive when I feel disrespected or humiliated, and I need to work on that. At the same time, I feel that my technical abilities are good, and this whole situation has made me question myself professionally.

I'm currently on the bench because the project I was supposed to join has been delayed. I've been told that resource management is looking for opportunities for me, but not knowing where I stand is stressful. I've also watched other people from an internal project get allocated while I'm still waiting, which has made me feel even worse.

My probation extension letter says the extension runs until January 13, 2027. I'm worried this might affect my eligibility for the April 2027 increment, although I haven't confirmed that with HR yet.

I honestly want to leave. I don't see myself staying here long-term, and this experience has affected my confidence. However, I don't want to resign impulsively without another offer, especially when the job market is uncertain. My notice period is one month, so ideally I'd like to secure another job and then leave.

I'm also planning to apply for a master's abroad for the September 2027 intake, so I need to think about my career and finances over the next year.

Some friends have told me that if their probation were extended by three months, they would resign. That has made me wonder whether I'm compromising my self-respect by accepting the extension and staying.

I'd appreciate advice on a few things:

1. Is a three-month probation extension a serious red flag, or can it be recovered from?
2. Would you stay while applying elsewhere, or resign and focus on finding a better opportunity?
3. How should I approach HR about the impact on my April increment?
4. Am I overreacting emotionally, or is it reasonable to feel that my confidence in this company has been damaged?
5. If you've been in this situation, what did you do, and what would you do differently?

I'm not looking for people to simply tell me to quit. I want practical advice from people who've dealt with probation extensions, being on the bench, or difficult workplace feedback in the Indian IT industry.

I'm genuinely curious on how AI wouldn't take most jobs in the white collar space. I feel like everyone can see how it would take like entry level jobs but I don't see a reason it wouldn't take higher up jobs as well. For example recently my brother had an accounting problem regarding his business he's starting and he got a quote from a company for $4,000. He then had ChatGPT look at the problem and was able to fix it after a few prompts. I'm not saying every job is going to be replaced by AI but I don't see how a lot of white collar industries will survive over time if something that is 100x smarter than us and barely incorrect will be able to do any job. not to mention this is the worst that this technology is right now and is only getting better. I'm 21M and trying to figure out how to choose my career with AI as a threat.

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Me (30M) and my girlfriend (28F)

My girlfriend and I have been together for five years, and we've been living with her parents for the past couple of years. Her family treats me very well. They cook for us and don't ask for anything in return other than that I take care of their daughter. I've offered to contribute financially many times, but they've politely declined. Instead, I help out with driving, chores, and other things, and I buy them gifts to show my appreciation.

Recently, I was offered a potential opportunity by a journeyman to join the IBEW electrical union in a few months, when the company expects to hire more people.

For context, getting into the electrical union could be a significant career opportunity. I'd start as an apprentice, taking an initial $6/hour pay cut compared to what I currently make. However, once I reach journeyman status, the pay is around $50/hour on the paycheck, plus benefits and pension, with a total compensation package of approximately $85/hour. I don't expect to earn as much in my current job, even five years from now.

The main downside is that my current job provides me with a company car and covers its expenses. If I take the union opportunity, I'd need to buy my own car and cover the associated costs. My girlfriend is against the idea because she doesn't think we can afford to maintain our current lifestyle without the company car, especially with the initial pay cut.

She's also expressed resentment about the support her family has given me, since that support has played a big part in helping me get where I am today. I understand where she's coming from, and I don't want to seem ungrateful toward her or her family.

From my perspective, the temporary financial sacrifice would be an investment in our future. I believe the higher earning potential, benefits, and pension would put us in a much better position in the long run, and that we'd make up the difference within a couple of years.

From her perspective, though, we're risking the financial stability and lifestyle we currently enjoy for something that isn't guaranteed. Potentially adding more weight on her shoulders

I love my girlfriend, and she's a great partner who treats me very well. Her family has been wonderful to me, too. I don't want this disagreement to damage our relationship, but we've been having increasingly heated arguments about it.

Am I being shortsighted about the financial risks, or is it reasonable to make a temporary sacrifice for better long-term prospects? How would you approach this disagreement with your partner?

TL;DR: I've been offered a potential path into the IBEW electrical union that would mean an initial pay cut and losing my company car, but could significantly improve my long-term income and retirement benefits. My girlfriend doesn't support the move because she's worried we can't afford our current lifestyle without the car. We've been arguing about it, and I'm unsure how to move forward without damaging our relationship.

I know this is asked a lot, I am just asking for my own situation.

Im a 22 y/o M, married (wife is a college student with about 1.5 yrs left).

As of right now I work 40 hrs a week, make 15.50/hr, and paychecks are about 950 every 2 weeks. My work commute is 30-35 minutes depending on traffic.

My buddy works for a civil engineering company doing construction materials testing and they are hiring another and he said he will put in a good word for me. He makes 18.50 or 19/hr, and in one week he made 850 give or take, and is in training. It is a supportive company that pays for all certifications, and will pay more with the more you get.

The downside is it is a 1 hr 8 min commute and has 1-3AM concrete pours. Gas is about $3.60-$3.90a gallon depending on the day.

I drive a ‘16 Tahoe (about $70-$80 a fill up), and my wife drives a 21 camry (about $40-$50 a fill up). My wife would let me drive her car to work.

They provide work trucks for out of state situations and pay 0.75 cents a mile, but when in state its usually in your vehicle, they do reimburse you for food expenses, unsure about gas.

Would it be worth it? I know this job route can help me get all the certifications and move to other areas, and the company allows you to progress to being a Project Manager if you stick with them, I just want some advice before going all in, and yes I did talk to him for advice as well

This is further information about the job:

Its $0.75 a mile (out of state), and this is what was stated for work hours and travel.

“They do not guarantee 40 hrs but overtime is allowed”

and

“Yeah you can just chill in the lab and there are time sheets to turn in if you have time that can’t be billed on a work order. We use work orders everytime we have to go do a service for a client, you put in the info of what you did and where. If you decide to just chill in the lab you write it on a sheet and turn it in”

“We have guys that just pull up and chill in the lab to get some hours if it’s slow”

“You go from house straight to job site unless you need stuff from the office”

Further Information for deep readers:
• Bills are about 3,500-4,000 total (mortgage and everything)

• I am in the guard so I make an additional $350 from that

• My current monthly income is around 1,700 - 1,950

Hi everyone, I’m an 18-year-old university freshman looking for advice on a situation that’s taking a heavy toll on my health and life.
About 1.5 months ago, I started college and took a part-time job as an English tutor (21 hours/week). I’m also in a long-distance relationship (my supportive partner moved away 3 weeks ago, and I barely have time to call him anymore).
At first, the job was rough—my manager is strict, didn't really like me from the start, and constantly draws lines around my age. Despite that, I fell in love with teaching. I connected deeply with the kids, especially my 6th graders. They hug me, bring me gifts, and make me feel so appreciated.
The problem is that I am completely overwhelmed:
My health is crashing: I cry from pure exhaustion, deal with constant daily nausea, and have started throwing up from stress.
My grades are dropping: This is my first semester of university, and my academics are taking a hit. Registration for next semester is coming up soon, and if I don't free up my schedule, I won't be able to pick the classes I need.
I lost my personal life: Before taking this job, I used to play the piano, learn French, volunteer to help my community, and hang out with friends. Since starting, all of that completely stopped.
I don't need the money: Financially, I don't rely on this income, so I'm putting myself through all of this purely out of obligation and affection for the job.
Today, I took a day off, and the amount of rest, studying, and peace I got in just those few hours was an eye-opener. The language center already has sub teachers, so they won't have trouble replacing me.
My main hurdle right now is psychological. I feel immense guilt about being "that girl who couldn't even handle two months at a job," and I feel like I'm abandoning the kids who care about me.
Logically, I know I need my health, grades, hobbies, and relationships back. But emotionally, I'm struggling.
My questions for you all:
1. Should I quit this job, or is this just standard transition stress that I need to push through as an 18-year-old?
2. If quitting is the right choice, how do I get over the mental block and guilt of stepping down from a job I genuinely love?
3. How do I give notice gracefully to a strict manager without feeling like a failure?
I’d really appreciate any perspective from people who have navigated something similar during their freshman year. Thank you!

So, I know that with an LCSW you can make more money. I have been disappointed when looking at the amount you make in CA (I may eventually move out of CA though) with a BSW in social work. Highest local position I think I saw for just a BSW in social work was $34/hr, which is not good money in California. There were also two that pay less than what I make now that I saw ($24/hr, I make more than $24/hr but less than $30/hr, and I don’t have any associates degree at all yet.)

I don’t think that I’m “smart” so I am trying to figure out what I would need to do to make that kind of money. I know I don’t want to go into nursing or engineering. I am really not a math person.

I had been thinking about social work because I know that I really want to support homeless individuals. I have volunteered once recently with a friend and we actually got some more food with another friend today for an upcoming event of hers that will also be for homeless people. I know that I want to help people, but I’m also already from a low income family and guess I want to figure out a way to make good money doing it. I actually tend to lean more towards wanting to help people out with housing resources and potentially do case management but looking at the salaries I see why people are so stressed and tend to leave the field even though I really want to make a contribution. I’ll also actually be volunteering and helping with another local program soon.

I’ll actually have to sign up for my classes very soon.

Say you're trying to get an interview but your current manager hates you for you being you and not for other business related purposes. You want to get hired to another company and put in your manager as a references, you also changed his phone number to say a friends of yours. How moral, ethical, and legal is that?

We need to talk about how organisations sometimes use vertical movement as a substitute for meaningful financial investment.

A new title (Senior, Lead, Principal, Director) can cost an organisation considerably less than a substantial, permanent salary increase.

And when employees start expressing stagnation, disengagement or an intention to look elsewhere, it's worth asking whether the response is genuine investment in their development or simply another promotion cycle.

You get a more impressive title, a broader scope of responsibility and perhaps a modest pay rise. Meanwhile, your contribution increases, but your purchasing power and personal time may not.

That's the strange illusion of career progression: you feel like you're climbing, even when the material benefits of moving up don't quite follow.

Of course, titles can have genuine value. They can open doors, strengthen your CV and create opportunities for future growth. But that doesn't make them a substitute for fair compensation.

At what point does career progression stop being genuine professional development and start becoming compensation theatre?

Have you seen a promotion used as a substitute for paying someone what their role or the market actually demands? I'm curious to hear how this plays out across different industries.

I'm 25F and graduated in 2023 with a bachelor's degree in Biology and Spanish.

My professional experience includes:

• Laboratory work in the life sciences industry
• Sales development at a technology company
• Field marketing at the same company (for only 3 months)
• Account management at a new company (I’ve been here 2 months)

I currently make $80k in account management, but I've come to the realization that I really don't enjoy sales, client management, or corporate work in general. In fact, the person that recruited me for the position knew that, and encouraged me to apply for the position.

I thrive in active, people-oriented environments. I was a college athlete, became captain of my team, and I also have experience coaching sports.

I'm interested in exploring careers in community engagement, sports programming, experiential marketing, healthcare outreach, or other fields where I'm not sitting behind a computer all day.

My concerns are:

1. I've already made several career changes, and I've only been in my current role for a couple of months. How damaging would another short tenure be?
2. Am I realistically qualified to transition into these fields without going back to school?
3. How should I position my experience on my résumé when applying for jobs outside sales and account management?
4. Should I force myself to stay in my current position for six months to a year, or begin applying now?

I'm currently making $80k and would consider positions in the $70–75k range for a better fit.

I'm not planning to quit without another opportunity lined up. I'm trying to figure out how to make a deliberate career change rather than another reactive one.

I'd especially appreciate advice from recruiters, hiring managers, or anyone who has successfully made a similar transition. I’ve become deeply depressed, and it is heavily affecting my quality of life. 

I'm 26 and I've been working as an IT support Specialist for a year at a small healthcare organization making 55k a year, I also have a bachelor's in computer systems.

I just received a job offer for 70k at an MSP doing the same work I’m doing now but I was just booked for 1D731B - Systems Administration Specialist and it ships out on December 8th. I would enter as an E-3, and I would be doing a four year contract, my gpa was only a 3.1 so I wouldn’t be able to join as an officer.

I would like to get into Systems/Network Admin or cyber security, and the military seems like a potential way to gain that experience but I don't know what the day to day of 1D731B would look like or even if the experience would transfer over to civilian roles.

Would the Air Force help me reach my goals or should I keep pursuing civilian roles?

I'm 40 years old. I'm currently a night shift EKG tech. I work 4 12-hr shifts a week. I make about 2700 a month. The only thing I'm doing outside of work are some photography/digital media classes at my local community college.

I want to reach middle class, but I highly doubt anything I'm doing now will be the ticket. Digital media will all be replaced by AI, and healthcare wages are stagnating across the board. What are some other paths I can take to reach middle class? Thanks in advance.

Long story short, I’ve been without full-time work for about a year now. I recently came across a position with a relatively new startup in the engineering consulting space. The interview went very well, and I feel strongly I should receive an offer. They began sending me their benefits package immediately after the interview.

The role is field based and requires up to 50% travel, typically 2 weeks away and 2 weeks back in the office.

During my interview today, the founder / CEO / hiring manager mentioned there is a trip coming up in a few months, and “there is an extra room in the AirBnB we booked.”

He also mentioned travel departure is typically done on Sunday’s.

Although this job pays super well, with field days including OT hours, am I crazy for not wanting to share a house with my colleagues?

I very much value my personal space (bathroom, shower, dining), and need time to recharge after those 10-12 hour field days.

I feel like I would constantly need to be switched ON, socializing, dining, hanging out in the house with my colleagues off the clock, which to be honest, does not appeal to me at al.

Don’t get me wrong, I can be social, but I need that time to just chill out and relax., and do what I want to do. Get away from my co-workers. I can’t imagine myself spending 24 hour days under the same roof.

With that said, the money would be great, likely upwards of $125,000 and meals, travel, accommodations paid for.

How should I approach the job offer? Is this the new normal for travelling with work?

Any advice is greatly appreciated! Thanks

Went to university for years to become a registered psychologist. Achieved it, began working as a psychologist, and I didn’t like it like I hoped I would (felt like the wrong fit and would get stressed/upset prior to work). While I appreciated the impact I had on my clients lives, I didn’t like the intense pressure and responsibility they would put on me and I wanted something more fun/creative/generally less intense. After 18 months I ended up leaving the profession (technically still registered) and moving into something temporary (communications research) while I figured out what my next move is. The problem is I have no idea.
I’m in my late 20s, I have no strong sense of direction, and I feel lost. I know I’m not a stupid person, but I also am so incredibly disappointed with myself and where I’ve ended up. It sounds silly, but as a teenager, I always thought I had a lot of potential would do something really cool with myself, and I feel like I’m letting myself down. How do you figure out what’s next?

Went through the final round and one of my references from my former company informed me that during their conversation, they were asked about a flaw that someone at my former employer brought up. My reference tried to explain the circumstances behind this flaw but I’m spiraling. I know my other two references wouldn’t have mentioned this, as they had no experience with this flaw, so the prospective employer must have reached out to someone at my former company. It was likely the CEO.

Should I reach out to my former company and politely ask them to be balanced in any future conversations like this? My lay-off wasn’t performance-related. My severance agreement included a non-disparagement clause but now I’m wishing that I fought to make it mutual.

I’ve spent around 8 years in software development, mainly working with .NET, C#, backend systems and AWS.

Almost two years ago, I stepped away from coding to take on a leadership role in a commodity trading company, handling commercial operations, business development, procurement and sales.

Over this period, I’ve also been getting hands-on with AI tooling, LLMs, local models and agents, building small tools and experimenting with what’s possible.

Now I’m at a crossroads.

I enjoy technology, but I’ve been away from day-to-day software development for nearly two years. Going back means refreshing my skills and catching up with how much the ecosystem has changed. At the same time, my business experience and growing interest in AI have opened up other possibilities.

I’m considering a few options: returning to .NET development, moving towards AI engineering, finding a role that combines technology and business, or continuing to build my own tools.

If you were in my position, what would you do next?

Would you go back to software engineering, make a serious move into AI, or take advantage of the combination of technical and commercial experience?

I’d genuinely appreciate some honest perspectives, especially from people who’ve made a similar transition or have hired for these kinds of roles.

I completed my BCA in 2026, i.e this year, and currently I am doing a job as an AI and Cyber trainer in an NGO, and my life sucks. And I discovered today that my dumb college friend is shifting to Bangalore, as he has got a job at Cognizant with 7 LPA. I know that's not a really good package, but still he got a job in his field, and at least he has a start. I am happy for my friend but still i am questioning my decisions and if what different things should i have done. i need help to get my first job/internships.

I got an employee referral for the ZS BTSA role. Just 2 days after applying, I received the Test 1 link on 8th September 2026 and completed the assessment. On 5th October, I got a call confirming that I had cleared the first round and was shortlisted for the technical discussion.

I was really excited about the opportunity!

My technical discussion went well I guess(around 80-90%). The interviewer asked about my current experience and projects, window functions, WHERE vs HAVING, joins, 2 SQL queries, and 3 Python coding questions. I managed to solve 1 SQL query and all 3 Python questions.

Now, I’m wondering how strictly they evaluate the technical round and what the next step might be. Will there be another technical round, or will it be an HR discussion?

Also, if anyone has gone through the ZS BTSA interview process or got this opportunity with around 1.5 years of experience, please share your experience and any advice. It would really help! 🙌

I have been into design for quite some time, but due to AI that's been taking all over a lot of things, I really want to upskill. I might in a need to upskill myself. I enjoy the creative work, but I also want to learn something new. Want to definitely upgrade the design skills, but also to get into creative writing.

And why?

Because I have started writing on my LinkedIn account, job hunt has made me do it. So why not. Systen design is something I have been exploring around, as workflows and designs have always been my interest.

I am not from the CSE background so still trying to understand how useful it will be for me.

Just wanted to understand for people who moved from creative to technical role? What's the skill that helped you ?

Thanks for your comment 😇

I've spent about 20 years in regulated industries (CX, transformation and risk-heavy programs in financial services and insurance), and I'm seeing more people around me weigh a move into AI roles: AI governance, AI risk, AI delivery or AI product.

For those who've made a move like this, or hired for these roles, I'm curious:

1. Which parts of your previous experience mattered most in getting the role? For example, control design, vendor or third-party risk, policy, running large programs, or explaining risk to executives.
2. What did you have to learn or prove that you didn't expect?
3. How did you describe your background so it read as relevant rather than "not technical enough"?

I'm trying to understand what the transition really looks like, beyond the generic "upskill in AI" advice. Any experience, good or bad, is welcome.

I have a really good engineering job in Ohio, where I was born and raised. I genuinely like the company, the work is fine, and the benefits are hard to beat. I get a strong 401(k) match, a pension, and a company vehicle that I can use for both work and personal use. On top of that, turnover is extremely low. Most people who get hired here stay for a very long time. By almost any objective measure, it's a great place to build a career.
The problem is that I’ve always dreamed of living in NYC.
I visit pretty often, and over the years I’ve done a lot of research on what it would actually take to live there. I understand the cost of living is much higher, apartments are smaller, and I’d likely have to make some lifestyle adjustments. None of that really scares me. If anything, I’m excited by the idea.
What does scare me is leaving my current job. Moving to NYC would almost certainly mean finding a new employer and giving up a position that many people would consider a "forever job." I worry that I could look back 10 or 20 years from now and realize I gave up an incredible career situation for a dream that wasn't worth the tradeoff.
At the same time, I worry that if I stay where I am, I’ll always wonder what would have happened if I took the chance and moved to NYC while I was still young enough to do it.
Has anyone here left a stable, highly desirable job to pursue a lifestyle change or a long-term dream? Do you regret it, or are you glad you took the leap

I’m a psychology student currently and i’m debating where to go w my masters… what salary’s are you making w/ a LCSW, LPC, or an IO route? Ik I want to stay in Wisconsin so i’m just weighing my career path.

I’m two weeks into a new operations role, and onboarding has been a login list and a folder of old docs. By day three, three people were sending me “urgent” work. Nobody could tell me which deadline should move when something new landed. I keep hearing “use your judgment,” while I still don’t know who owns several of the systems I need.

I’m giving it 30 days to see if this is bad onboarding or just how the team operates. Over the next two weeks, I’m asking my manager for clearer priorities, an example of good output, and help removing a couple of blockers. If things start getting clearer, I’m happy to stick it out. If the answer is still basically “figure it out,” I’ll probably start looking again.

I’m already thinking about how I’d talk about such a short stay if I leave. I want to be clear about what I tried without turning it into a complaint about the company. I wrote a short version in my notes and did a couple of mock answers in beyz to see how I handle follow-up questions without sounding defensive. I don’t want it to come across like I couldn’t handle the job or had trouble working with people.

How would you explain a short stint like this in the next interview?

HI there, I have a friend who has worked in real estate very successfully and is looking to make a transition into a more stable corporate role. I’m curious if there are others who have done this and what roles they went into. Would love to hear about your experience. I work in HR but more in the tech space and want to help him transition but this is not an area of expertise for me. I can see sales roles as a natural fit but it curious what others have done!

Story is that I used to work a corporate engineering job about 7-8 years ago during my early 20s, but I left it to start several business ventures in a new industry, doing a combination of event planning, content creation, and filmmaking.

During the beginning, I felt like I had found my dream job, was literally getting paid to travel around, attend events, and put films together. Being a small business owner and freelancer, meant I had tons of freedom, could chose my schedule, wake up when I wanted within means, and do something I found super fulfilling.

However, over the last few years my creativity dried up, feeling like I had essentially made content talking about everything I wanted to say. My social media pages dropped drastically and I saw my income decimate and go from the upper 5-digits to a fraction of that, specifically something in the low 5-digits now. The filmmaking industry took a hit when the SAG-Aftra and writers union strikes happened. I still do event planning, which is where most of my income currently comes from, but my total income is around $45k which is barely enough to survive in my city. The great brighter news is that I saved a lot of money during that time, by living frugally and investing aggressively, now with over $500k saved up in my brokerage account. Additionally, I see the film industry gradually climbing back again, with several new studios being built in my city. It's not full-scale right now, but seems to be on a path to recovery.

I am thinking about grabbing a corporate job in event planning and hospitality, which would pay probably around $65k to $120k, really depending on company. However, over the last 1-year I only managed to get a few interviews, no job offers, and the jobs I did land interviews for, were the lower quality ones, that paid closer to $65k, that involve working long hours, completely in person.

I am in huge debate and unsure if I should just continue pursuing the job hunt, hoping I land a corporate job, or to abandon my job hunt, and take another year to pursue trying to rebuild the freelance and small business projects I've worked on. Any thoughts in my situation? I'm currently in my 30s, so getting old now, and while I'm single, thoughts of wanting to start a family someday have been coming up.