I think I just lost a chance at a better job because I couldn't afford the interview.

I currently make $19/hour doing inventory and shipping for a small distributor. I've been looking for something better for about four months, mostly operations and logistics coordinator positions.

Two weeks ago I finally got an interview for a job paying $26-29/hour.

It's a legitimate company, the responsibilities match my experience, and the location would actually shorten my commute.

I was excited about this one.

The first interview was at 11 AM on a Wednesday. I couldn't get anyone to swap shifts, so I ended up taking the whole day unpaid.

That's $152 in wages I didn't earn, plus gas and parking.

The interview went really well. The hiring manager seemed genuinely interested, asked detailed questions about my experience, and told me I had a strong background for the position.

Last Friday they invited me back for a second interview with two department managers.

Tuesday at 10 AM.

I explained that I work full-time and asked whether we could schedule it later in the afternoon or possibly do a video call.

The recruiter said the managers only conduct interviews during normal business hours and that this stage had to be in person.

I tried switching shifts again. Nobody could cover.

I asked whether they had any other dates available.

They offered Thursday at 1 PM.

Same problem.

I eventually told the recruiter I wouldn't be able to attend during those hours and thanked her for considering me.

She replied that they understood and would be moving forward with other candidates.

I've been thinking about that email all weekend.

I'm not upset that they have schedules. I get that managers have other responsibilities and can't interview people whenever they want.

But there's something incredibly frustrating about needing a better-paying job because money is tight, then being unable to pursue that job because the interview process itself costs money.

I can afford to lose a day's wages occasionally. I can't afford to keep doing it for every company that might or might not hire me.

And it's not like I can tell my current employer that I need three random weekdays off this month to interview somewhere else.

I'm still employed, so I know I'm in a better position than people who are completely out of work. But I hadn't really thought about how expensive searching for a job can be when you're paid hourly and don't have much flexibility.

I'm starting to wonder whether I should ask about the entire interview process before even agreeing to the first meeting.

For people who work fixed shifts or hourly jobs, how are you managing multiple rounds of interviews without losing a ton of income?

And for hiring managers, is it actually unreasonable to ask for a first or second interview outside standard business hours?

I'm not looking for special treatment. I just want a realistic way to look for a better job while keeping the one that's currently paying my rent.

They have a salary range posted at the very top, but then there’s a “max compensation” amount they will not exceed… so why even have the range listed? I waste a minute reading through to find that the range isn’t really what I expected. This is a government listing but I have also seen it with other private companies as well. What are your thoughts?

Feeling depressed, trying to start a career after a gap. Feeling horrible due to intense competition and the horrible job market.

I have a few skills, all artistic, no degree from health issues, but 29 now doing murals and social media but I can't ever make enough to move out or not rely on anyone, even when I add bartending in. It's crazy wth do I do?

It should be illegal to request a Social Security number on a job application. Why would you do a so-called background check on any candidates that you’re not ready to hire anyway? It’s a massive privacy violation and everyone knows it’s a one-way ticket to opening yourself up for identity theft. But some applications still shamelessly have a box labeled Social Security number on the application. There need to be federal laws against that.

I was offered a new job today - better pay, better opportunities, better progression in the company, aligns closer with my career plans. It's everything I've been working towards and I am happy about the role.

I just feel so sad about leaving my current job - yes it's grueling and often way too much work. I get lumped with work so often that i never get anything done. But I love working there truthfully and my coworkers are the greatest people to work with, they are so lovely and just thinking about leaving makes me cry. They've given me so many opportunities to grow and they are really down to earth people. The job itself is low paid and has very little progression so it's not like I could have stayed there for years realistically. I think I will really miss this role and the people though - I feel like I made a real impact on people's lives and having such a meaningful job is wonderful.

I've already accepted the offer and it's not logical to turn it down, but why do I feel so upset about leaving when this offer is what I've been working towards?

Not sure if it’s a good thing. I feel like a beggar looking for a job for months and months. My fuse is getting shorter. Idk what else to boast about myself to employers and recruiters. Any tips?

This is a very repetitive office job in a bank subsidiary, with a bunch of weird rules. I've spent most of my career in chill creative jobs but for now this is what I've got, so I'm just wondering if it's common in that industry.

Among other rules:

- No phone and no bag at your desk, you need to put them in a locker away from the desks
- No food at your desk
- No drinks unless in a closed container (= in a bottle, not in a mug)
- No headphones at all, no music whatsoever (it's a repetitive job so it's actually very hard to stay focused and awake without music)
- Zero URL allowed outside of the already made shortcuts (outlook, internal docs)
- Talking to coworkers is heavily discouraged, room goes silent when managers are in the room
- You need to announce to your manager when you're going on a break or to the bathroom
- Never more than 2 people on a break at the same time
- Every task is timed, you've got 4 to 9 seconds depending on the task. Management won't show you your stats unless you've been fucking up for weeks. So you might be doing well, you might not, there's no way to know
- People just vanish from the office one day and are replaced the next, no communication about it from management whatsoever
- You should not be looking away from your screen for more than a few seconds. Stretching is discouraged (I got told off for that)
- Temp workers get weekly contracts yet are asked to commit to staying for the next 12-18 months (still on weekly contracts)
- You need to pay for your own coffee lol

I might be forgetting some.

As we've all signed an NDA... none of this feels necessary at all?

I’m 26 and graduated summa cum laude in May 2024 with a bachelor’s in Criminal Justice. Almost 2.5 years later, I still haven’t landed my first full-time professional job, despite doing everything I thought I was supposed to do.

During college, I completed a summer internship in D.C. working directly under a policy director at a well-known political nonprofit. I graduated with strong references and thought I’d be able to find full-time work.

Since then, I’ve worked on a successful political campaign, completed another competitive professional development program working under a policy director (including writing and delivering legislative testimony), and transitioned into nonprofit fundraising/development at the recommendation of a career coach.

I’ve performed well in every position, but nothing has translated into permanent employment. One organization wanted to hire me but lacked the budget. My current employer discussed promoting me to full-time, had me interview internally, then said they couldn’t move forward due to the position not being officially created yet. Meanwhile, I made it through four interviews for a \~$60K development position RECENTLY, including meeting with the CEO, only to be ghosted for over a month before receiving a generic rejection.

I’ve applied to countless jobs, tailored hundreds of resumes and cover letters, practiced interviewing, networked extensively, and worked with a career coach. It’s not like I haven’t gotten interviews because I HAVE, lots, and the majority of them go really well! I’m still working a part-time hospitality job alongside my part-time professional role just to support myself. I have no employer-sponsored health insurance or real financial stability.

I’m starting to wonder whether the political/nonprofit sector is simply too small and competitive to build a sustainable career in. I’ve recently started exploring federal government positions, but I’m also questioning whether I need to change fields entirely or even go back to school.

It’s especially discouraging watching friends graduate from career-specific programs and immediately land stable, well-paying jobs. I feel like I’ve done everything right and have nothing to show for it.

**Has anyone else experienced this? Would you recommend pivoting into government work, sticking with nonprofit development, or pursuing a different career altogether? I’m genuinely looking for practical advice because I feel completely stuck.**

I am currently job searching from my first main corporate job out of college. I've been with them for 5 years and I started as an associate and now basically doing manager work with an associate pay...

I get headaches almost everyday, I feel myself getting slower and slower, and I just don't care anymore because I am so stressed right now but I cant really say anything since EVERYONE else also just as stressed or more so. I can't really take time off because our team is basically like 4 people doing everything the company wants.

I'm so done and I am currently job searching but I'm scared to get into a new job and it feeling the same. If that makes sense? How can I know that a job won't be this stressful? Or is this normal? Is it selfish to want a job and not have headaches or be so stressed my teeth keep grinding???

Thanks

​

I am 2 and a half years into journalism degree. I can edit, I can write, I can interview, I can film, I can even anchor. I tried like 4 times to get into an internship but no dice, none around me, one 2 hours away but its very small. I hear all the time that it's dying, im gonna be replaced by ai. My parents saved up for 20 years for me to go to college, and now i feel guilty like I have wasted their money. I feel ashamed.

I have a lot of passion for journalism and like working at my schools newspaper.

But if it's doomed, I can maybe switch my degree?

If all else fails, I would want to be a mechanic. I like that too, and while my heart will always be with journalism, I also like that, it's my number 2 passion.

Hello,

I am looking for some feedback/advice on this situation that is starting to take shape with a new employer. To put into context:

-I recently started in this role (less than 90 days) as a technician in the aviation industry.

-I have about 19 years of experience.

-My current pay is far below the market standard considering COL combined with the nature of the job.

-Employer is bottom of the barrel with respect to other players within the aviation cargo industry.

My dilemma is the following. Over the course of the last month, a few things have happened that seem odd to me. My duties that I am being assigned are very primitive considering my level of expertise and experience. Most of the time, they have me sitting idle. Most of the people working are brand new to the industry yet get more complex tasks. On one occasion, I think I was "setup" to fail at a certain task. This led me to receiving a PIP. This was not my fault, yet I had to file a report basically stating that I made an error. As a new hire, I was unaware of the company policies/procedures. My lead failed to look at my training records to confirm whether or not I was qualified to accomplish this task. Also, I am very isolated from my peers/coworkers. I do not really care to socialize. I am introverted. However, when it comes to work, I am very professional with my interactions. I am always respectful and courteous, yet I am getting the cold shoulder seems like from everyone. I feel like all these added together, it can be a "quiet" quit type of scenario. Tell me your thoughts and how to proceed. Again, the pay is mediocre on a good day and putting up with all this is genuinely stressful.

Thanks.

so i work in a customer facing role at a tech company. few weeks back i had this internal session where i explain our processes to my manager and a senior guy, and they decide if im ready to handle accounts on my own. i didnt clear it

i had everything memorised. but when they started asking stuff in a different order i just went blank. i knew the steps but couldnt say why we do them. i ended up guessing and when they said i was wrong i just went quiet and barely spoke after that

manager told me i memorise but dont understand the logic. fair honestly. redo is coming and if i fail that its formal feedback

i practised for hours before and it didnt help so now i dont trust my own way of studying. did a mock with a colleague and he said 8/10 but when my manager did a mock with me and asked sideways i froze again

the worst part is i shut down every time im wrong. i go silent and start thinking im dumb. ive started avoiding my manager and feeling weird around him and i keep comparing myself to people who cleared it faster. havent slept properly, anxiety kicks in at night. kinda numb right now

how do you actually go from memorising to understanding? and how do you stop shutting down when youre wrong? anyone been through a second attempt?

any advice would help, its really getting to me

Hi everyone,

I’m currently based in Dubai and working in IT Infrastructure On Prem and Cloud, with nearly 6 years of experience here. For almost two years, I’ve been actively applying for jobs on LinkedIn, but unfortunately, I’ve had very little response. So far, I’ve received only one interview opportunity for a position in the UK, but I was later informed that they had selected another candidate.

I have a LinkedIn Premium subscription, which I’ve been using to search and apply for jobs, and I apply almost every day. Despite that, I’m still struggling to get interview calls.

I’m hoping to get some advice from people who have been in a similar situation or have experience hiring international candidates.

A few questions I have:

-Is there any good platform for finding IT Infrastructure and Cloud jobs in the UK and Europe, especially for candidates applying from overseas?

-Which job platforms are best for finding remote IT Infrastructure, Cloud roles that accept international applicants?

-Are there any companies in the UK or Europe
that are open to sponsoring visas for candidates currently based in Dubai?

-What strategies would you recommend to improve my chances of getting interviews? Is it better to apply directly through company career pages or connect with recruiters and hiring managers?

I’m open to remote opportunities anywhere in the world, as well as roles that could help me relocate to the UK or Europe.

I’d genuinely appreciate any advice, recommendations, or personal experiences you could share. Thank you in advance! 🙏

Hi, this is a post no one would enjoy making, but I guess it’s my turn now.

For a bit of context:

I moved to the Netherlands around a year ago to work as a Software Developer, with 2.5 YOE. My contract was a 1 year fixed-term contract with possibility of an extension.

During a meeting, I was told that I hadn't met their expectations. Apparently, I wasn't finishing projects as quickly as I should, and I relied too much on my superiors, asking too many questions.

Honestly, this news felt like a stab in the heart, specially considering how bad the current job market is. Most jobs in this field seem to require Dutch, and although I'm already learning the language and have obtained my first A1 diploma, I still have a long way to go.

Of course, it also hurts to think about what could have happened if I had performed better. My mental state wasn't the best either, and I think that might have affected my performance. Right now, I'm not really sure what to do or how to avoid making things worse, which is one of the reasons I'm posting here.

The other reason is that I'd like some advice regarding the conditions of the contract extension they're offering me.

My current contract is supposed to end in December, but they've offered me an additional 2 months. I'm assuming they are doing this so they have more time to find a replacement.

They're also offering me 3 months of outplacement support, valued at over 2000€, "free of charge". However, there's a clause in the proposed amendment that concerns me:

\*"The Outplacement Support is provided on the basis that the Employee will remain actively engaged in the performance of their contractual duties, or such other suitable duties as may reasonably be assigned by the Company, during the Extension Period.\*

\*If, for reasons attributable to the Employee, the Employee ceases to be actively engaged in the performance of such duties for a material and sustained part of the Extension Period, the Employee shall reimburse the Company for the non-refundable cost of the Outplacement Support actually incurred by the Company, up to a maximum amount X exclusive of VAT."\*

I don't really think this is fair, especially if I manage to find another job before the extension ends. I appreciate having those extra months to look for something else, but I don't want to end up having to pay more than 2000€ just because I found a new job and want to leave early.

I'd rather propose a 2-week notice period during the extension (instead of the 1-month that I currently have), with no financial penalties if I am lucky to find another job and decide to leave. Do you think that's a reasonable request, or am I asking for too much?

I am also worried whether rejecting this would affect the unemployment benefit.

What would you do in my situation? Would you negotiate these conditions, accept the extension as it is, or consider other options?

Any advice is very much appreaciated!

I have about two years of purchasing and retail buying experience, and I’m currently finishing my bachelor’s in supply chain. I’ve worked in manufacturing and retail buying, so I’ve gained hands on experience and learned several ERP and SAP systems along the way. I was recently laid off not too long ago, but trying to find my next opportunity has been frustrating.

I’m also still in college and will graduate next year with my bachelor’s in supply chain. I’m gaining relevant work experience while finishing my degree, but I feel stuck in between the two. Some jobs say I’m too experienced, while others want more years of experience and a degree already completed. It’s frustrating to be working toward both and still feel like I’m coming up short. I can’t apply for internships either, because I’m told I have actual experience, so that doesn’t feel like an option for gaining more experience. It’s frustrating to be working and going to school to improve my opportunities, only to keep running into requirements I don’t quite meet yet.

I’m not looking for a senior title or expecting to skip ahead. I just want a reasonable next step where I can build on what I’ve already learned.

Even when I get interviews, I run into the same frustration. I’ll have an initial screening where the recruiter tells me I’m a great fit and discusses next steps, and then I never hear anything again. No update, no rejection email. I know a good conversation doesn’t guarantee another interview, but it’s discouraging to keep hearing positive feedback followed by silence.

Recruiter outreach is confusing too. Some contact me about jobs that have nothing to do with my experience or where I want to go. Others reach out about something relevant, but when I respond that I’m interested, they stop replying. It’s especially frustrating when they initiated the conversation.
I can handle being turned down. It’s the constant uncertainty that wears me out. Without any communication, it’s hard to know if there’s something I should improve or if things just changed on their end.

Has anyone else been in this position with around two years of experience, especially while finishing school? What helped you move forward? Any advice?

I desperately need a career change. I have a bachelors in psychology and a bachelors in human services. I worked as a certified medical assistant for a few years and I’ve worked in the mental health field in various roles (peer recovery specialist, suicide hotline operator, etc). I’m burned out. I’m still working for a suicide hotline, been here for almost 4 years and I’m drowning. I don’t know what to do instead. For the longest time, I just wanted a career where I could help people. I don’t want that anymore. At least not in a patient/client facing way. For a while I wanted to get into nursing but now being so burned out and frankly apathetic, I have no interest whatsoever. I don’t mind if I have to go back to school or do some certification things. I just need a light at the end of the tunnel. Something to work towards. I’ve been told to look into consulting but frankly I don’t know where to start or even what it is. Any ideas are welcome. I don’t have to make a fuck ton of money. Currently make barely $55k so preferably something more than that if possible.

I moved across the state for a relationship, and I've had a hard time finding good work over the past 2 years that I've lived over here. I am holding a decent job with the school board right now, but it's a significant cut in pay from what I'm used to making normally.

I want to move back to where I was living originally. I was already settled into my career, I had job opportunities lol Ed up, my network was strong, I know there's work out there that will pay me the amount for my overall experience.

The only downside to my situation is, I've held most of the jobs where I've moved, for no longer than 6 months. This school board job is the longest job I've had since moving over here, and I'm not going to flat out quit it until I find something stable back in my home area.

My resume is chunky from the amount of jobs I've held in the past two year(about 4 total, including my current one), and I know it's not a good look... But I do have my reasons for why i've left, but that doesn't matter when I'm sitting at a table with managers.

How do I make my resume fit the needs of relocating, but lean away from looking like a bad job Hopper? I didn't hop jobs just because- the majority just didn't work out because the structure of management or work changed shortly after I started.

TLDR; I've moved to a completely different part of the state for a relationship. I've had a very hard time finding a good job, so I've had to switch jobs about 4 times in the past two years. I need to fit my resume to show that I'm relocating, but the amount of jobs I've held may appear as a very bad red flag. How do I make this work in my favor?

I made it to the final round, and they mentioned there were only 2 person left, and I did not get picked. I am soo depressed, and feel like my life is over...

I received an offer from a company that I have been interviewing for. I have 3 yoe in marketing and it is for a corporate marketing analyst role. There were a few things that came up in the interview process that I was iffy on, and would like opinions on if these are red flags that should make me consider declining the offer. I would be moving across the country for the role. The salary is decent, but not enough that I wanted to instantly accept. I think it would be good for my resume since it is a recognizable company name (and my former company name was not recognizable and got a lot of questions in interviews.) I voluntarily left my previous role 5 months ago and started job searching in August. I am okay financially, so I can decline this if it isn't a good fit. I am ready to get back to work, though, and would like to accept an offer in the next month. This is my second offer (I declined the last due to salary.)

Potential red flags that I would like input on:

-The team is brand new. They are hiring 2-3 analysts total, a manager, and a director. The roles have been open for over 6 months. I interviewed with the manager during her second week on the job, and she seemed nice and had good answers to my questions. I worry that it being a brand new team will mean that they don't know what is going on and I will constantly be getting pushed and pulled in different directions and it could hinder growth. I also don't want to work a bunch of nights and weekends.

-The person in my second interview seemed stressed and mentioned that she doesn't get time to explore the area much because of work. She said in the interview that her manager was pinging her the whole time and there are lots of urgent requests. She is in a different department, but idk if that is the company culture. I don't know why she interviewed me; I think they may have just needed someone with data experience to do the interview since no one else was on the team yet.

-In my final interview with a director of an adjacent team, the director mentioned that this role had been open for a really long time. I kind of just figured that they were taking time to hire people and waiting until they had management, but I realized it has been open for over 6 months. Is that sketchy? She also asked if I had experience with a certain software, and I said I don't, and she said "we were hoping for someone who had experience with that." No one else had mentioned that software in any interviews or the JD, so I'm guessing "we" just meant her and her team. I'd be open to learning it, but that's where I don't know if the organization has a consistent idea of what the new team will do.

Are these red flags? I enjoyed my other interviews. I interviewed with the CMO in the third round and she was really cool and had great comments on what she wants the team to do and accomplish. The manager I interviewed with also seemed like she was excited about the role and had good experience with leading teams. I just want to be careful since I would be moving so far away for the role and there is a 2-year vesting period for the sign-on bonus and relocation package, so if it is terrible I am a bit stuck for 2 years.

I’m sixteen, turning seventeen in about a month, and I’m in my junior year. At this age everyone is pressuring me to figure out what I want to do with my life. I have no real passion. I know I wouldn’t be able to work with kids because they are too gross, too annoying and too difficult. I don’t want a 9-5 office job, I so desperately don’t want to end up like that. I don’t want to go to college, school has had me on the verge of killing myself since 5th grade.

I want a simple life, but not the simple life of having a husband and two kids and living in the suburbs. I want to be independent in every way.

I don’t want a grand life either. I want to live in a studio apartment in an area where I can walk, bike, or commute to everywhere I need to be (no city-city though). One or two cats is probably my biggest expense I’ll have. I don’t even want room in my apartment for a washer and dryer, I actually want to carry a bag of laundry to the laundromat every Sunday. This is truly, truly what I want for my life. It’s what I have envisioned, and dreamed of for years.

Any job recommendations? I believe I would be okay with a two year degree, but nothing more than that… and I really don’t even want to do a two year degree.

I’m just trying to figure my life out like everyone expects. I have a vision, I just need the job that will make it come true. Thank you.

My girlfriend works in a popular restaurant chain in the UK. Her role is assistant manager so she’s responsible for cash handling and recording safe figures etc.

She recently has had two new managers and has noticed the safe keeps being down during her shifts, despite her due diligence. This has been ongoing for a few weeks…

Today, the safe was down almost one hundred pound and feeling like she was going crazy she checked the CCTV only to see the manager that lives above the restaurant grab the safe key suspiciously (in his body language, and he had no reason to go in the safe) and head towards the safe. He spent two minutes in the safe area (not long enough to check/count money) which isn’t captured by the CCTV before returning and again suspiciously returning the keys. Later on he wrote in the managers group that nobody had been in the safe all day.

My girlfriend feels that her bosses are conspiring against her as these losses are going through the system in her name. She’s worried that at the moment there’s not enough proof and understandably is freaked out.

She’s worked there for many years and only since these new bosses has she regularly had to declare money down. For more context; her two bosses have a child together and came over from a neighbouring city for the job(s) which would make it easier for them to conspire against colleagues they want to get rid of.

What are her options? Can someone please advise us who has experience with a situation like this?

1st company - let's call them T

2nd company - let's call them P

T is just close to my place with a 15 min walk but the interview was okay, I didn't do very hard but it wasn't good either. I'm more interested here as it's close to my place and it's a GCC.

P is an Indian company and highly regulated Fintech firm. 5 day WFO and located 30 km from my place. This went well and they are pushing me to the next round

Both companies I've completed 1 round each with an additional assessment in the 2nd company.

They were other companies which I classified as a dream tier but have not heard from any of them.

What do you guys think I should do here?

My husband recently received a job offer from a large company and is currently going through a background check. (USA)

He was laid off at the end of May 2026 but received two months of severance pay through July. I encouraged him to put July on his resume instead of May because he started in June 2022, and we wanted it to show 4 full years of experience. I really regret suggesting that now.

On his official application and background check forms, he correctly listed May as his end date, but his resume still said July. We considered correcting it but worried that changing his resume after the interviews would look suspicious.

The third-party screening company contacted him asking why the dates didn’t match. He explained that it was a mistake and confirmed May was correct. They simply replied, “Thank you.”

Now I’m really worried this could cost him his offer, especially since he worked so hard to get it.
Has anyone experienced something similar? Is a 2-month discrepancy enough to get an offer rescinded, even when the official application has the correct dates? Thank you for reading this 🙏