I recently applied for an IT-related position at a company based in the EU that has an office in Makati. After going through three rounds of interviews, I received an email asking for my consent to conduct a background and reference check. I'm a bit anxious about this process and would love to hear from others who have gone through something similar. I'm particularly concerned because I have a few past due loans, and I'm worried that this might negatively affect my application. I really need this job to help pay back my debts. If anyone has insights or experiences to share regarding what the background check might reveal, I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you!

I recently received my first job offer at a sales agency, and I’m feeling a mix of excitement and uncertainty. At 30 years old, I've had several jobs, but none that I truly considered a significant offer until now. This opportunity feels like a lucky break, especially given the current job market. However, I have some reservations. Firstly, I've never worked in sales before, and I need to get certified. I’m grateful that they recognized my potential and decided to give me a chance, but I’m also anxious about stepping into a new field. The salary is higher than anything I've earned before, but I’m questioning whether it’s actually a good offer or if I’m just perceiving it that way because I don’t have a clear understanding of my worth in the job market. I’m also grappling with the idea of turning down this offer. Given the tough job market, good pay, and the stability I’ve been seeking for a long time, it feels daunting to even consider saying no. I’m worried that I might be accepting it just because it’s my first serious job offer. I’m reaching out to see if anyone else has been in a similar situation with their first job offer. What did you do? Also, any advice on what questions to ask when I go in to sign the offer would be greatly appreciated, as I’ve never done this before and just been told 'you’re hired, go to HR' in the past.

I just received a full-time job offer for the MCS position! I'm really excited about this opportunity and can't wait to start this new chapter in my career. It's been a long journey, and I'm grateful for the support I've received along the way.

I'm currently in my final year of university, waiting for my convocation after almost completing my degree. Unfortunately, during campus placements, I faced a significant barrier due to my 10th-grade score of only 60%, which made me ineligible for many companies. Despite my efforts to improve my technical skills, this has been a persistent issue. In 2025, I lost focus on job placements and decided to build a faceless YouTube channel. This experience taught me valuable skills in content creation, marketing, and automation, but I neglected the job application process and internships, which I now realize was a mistake. Recently, I've been actively applying for roles like AI Engineer, Machine Learning Engineer, LLM Engineer, Generative AI Engineer, and Data Scientist through various platforms like LinkedIn and Indeed. However, I haven't received any responses or interview opportunities, which is frustrating, especially since some of my friends have already secured jobs despite lacking coding skills. I feel like I'm not being shortlisted even though I've invested a lot of time learning AI and machine learning. It's emotionally challenging, especially since my family has invested heavily in my education, and I feel like I'm letting them down. I'm seeking serious guidance on how to move forward and improve my chances of getting a job quickly. Should I start cold emailing recruiters? How can I effectively ask for referrals? What strategies are currently working for fresh graduates in the AI/ML job market? I've shared my resume and am currently working on a project involving a RAG pipeline that allows users to interact with YouTube videos using AI, which I plan to add to my resume soon. I would appreciate any honest advice on breaking into the AI/ML industry and securing interviews.

I had a bit of a scare at work recently. My manager discovered that I was job searching after I accidentally sent my updated resume to our team Slack instead of my personal email. It was a complete oversight on my part. I’ve been quietly looking for new opportunities for a while now because, while I like my team, the work has become pretty stale after three years, and I’ve been overlooked for promotions twice without much feedback. On Thursday, I was at my desk finalizing my resume and meant to email it to myself to print later. Unfortunately, I mixed up the windows and sent it to the 'team-general' channel, which includes my manager, her manager, and my entire team. I realized my mistake just moments after hitting send and quickly recalled the message, but I know at least some people saw the filename 'Resume_2026_Final.pdf' before it disappeared. I sat there in shock for about ten minutes, unsure of what to do. Since then, my manager hasn’t mentioned it at all, which has left me anxious. I’m not sure if she didn’t see it, is pretending not to, or is just waiting for the right moment to bring it up. It’s been a stressful few days, and I’ve learned my lesson about keeping work and personal tasks separate. I definitely need to be more careful moving forward.

I recently left my job under really tough circumstances, and it's been almost a month since then. I’m feeling quite lost and anxious about the prospect of going back to work or even applying for new positions. I suspect that a mix of burnout, embarrassment, and depression is contributing to my state. I worry that people around me know I’m unemployed, and I’m scared of failing again after the sacrifices I made in my previous role. The whole job search process feels daunting, almost like a trauma from past experiences. I'm reaching out to see how others have managed to recover mentally from similar setbacks and how long it took them to feel normal again.

I have an upcoming interview for a receptionist position, and I'm trying to figure out how to communicate my salary expectations without coming off as greedy. I want to express that my experience aligns well with what they're looking for, which justifies a higher pay within the range they provided. I'm particularly concerned about how to phrase this if they ask about my wage expectations. Additionally, if they offer me the lower end of the pay range, I want to know if I can negotiate and how to do that effectively. I'm really hoping to prepare myself for these discussions.

I'm 18 and currently job hunting, but I've been frustrated with the endless corporate surveys that every store seems to require. It feels like every application asks me the same questions, like whether I'd report a coworker or if I'd work without pay. I recently did a survey for Raising Canes that had 100 questions! I'm thinking about creating a script to help other teens like me who are tired of these pointless surveys. I have no coding experience, but it seems doable since the questions are pretty standard. I'm hoping to tackle both the job applications and the script when I find the time.

I recently applied for a job and went through a rigorous interview process that included three rounds. The first round involved recording myself answering questions, followed by a personality assessment. After that, I had an OTP interview with management, which led to an onsite visit. During the onsite, I experienced what I believe was another interview, where they asked me how I felt about the experience. I sent a thank-you email right after the onsite interview, but now I'm in a waiting game. It's taking longer than expected for them to get back to me, and I'm starting to feel concerned. I'm considering sending a follow-up email on Monday to check in.

Applied at Staples for retail position

Applied at Infosys for Specialist Programmer

Applied at Fintech startup for Campaign Manager

Applied at Citi for Unknown

Applied at large payment company for Unknown

Applied at Job A for Unknown

Applied at Hardee's for Unknown

I'm facing another job ending next month. It's been a tough journey since I was laid off in 2024, having switched jobs three times since then. Initially, I was lucky to be converted to a full-time role with a decent severance package, but I had to move back in with my family, which was really challenging. I spent four months unemployed before taking a minimum wage IT support job out of desperation. A month later, I found a better-paying position, but it had no benefits, and I quickly burned out from the commute. After realizing how expensive healthcare would be once my COBRA subsidies expired, I was rehired by my former employer for a couple of months, which extended to a year, but now that’s coming to an end. In my current role, I’ve mostly had nothing to do, which has made me feel unproductive and has affected my confidence in job interviews. While I’ve had some interviews go well, others haven’t. I’ve noticed that despite my experience in computer lab support and data center work, IT help desk managers often see me as unqualified because I lack extensive employee IT support experience. The IT field is so broad, and it’s tough to keep up with everything I get quizzed on. Managers can be nitpicky about not knowing specific software. For instance, during a Mac upgrade project, the company used Soti MobiControl instead of Jamf, which means that experience is essentially worthless for jobs that require Jamf. It feels frustrating because I can’t control the type of experience I gain. Plus, since I'm a contractor, I won't receive any severance this time. I'm worried that things won't work out for me again.

I recently went through a layoff and it got me thinking about the challenges of job searching, particularly the isolation that comes with it. I used to thrive in a structured environment with colleagues and meetings, but now I find myself sitting alone at home, refreshing LinkedIn and feeling disconnected. So, I had this idea: what if there was a physical space dedicated to job seekers? A room with about 10 desks where people could come in, sit down, and work on their job search as if it were a regular job. No formal programs or career coaches, just a community of people in the same situation sharing leads, tips, and experiences. I envision it being affordable, maybe around $10 a day, just enough to encourage commitment. There could also be a small lending library with books on careers, mindset, and finance. I’m curious if others would find this concept appealing. Is the isolation I feel a common experience? Would this kind of space be beneficial, or does it sound good in theory but not practical? I genuinely want to know if this is worth pursuing.

I recently reflected on my experiences with layoffs, having been laid off twice in my career. Each time, the reasons seemed to vary, with some citing company budget cuts or a poor fit with the company culture. After those experiences, I decided to pivot my career towards nursing, aligning it more closely with my Bachelor's degree. Currently, I am a Nursing student and I’m concerned about the possibility of facing a third career change due to layoffs again. From my research and what I've heard, nursing is considered a stable career, although I know the field can be competitive and challenging to enter. I’ve noticed discussions about the nursing job market, particularly in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, where there have been periods of shortages and even attractive signing bonuses in the past. However, I’m aware that job markets can fluctuate, and I wonder if nursing will eventually face saturation like other professions. I’m eager to hear thoughts from others on the current state of nursing jobs and whether layoffs are a concern in this field.

I was recently laid off from my role as a technical writer at a smaller branch of a larger company. The layoff happened unexpectedly on Wednesday, and it hit me hard, especially since I had almost three years of experience and this was my first real job after college. The branch has been struggling for the past year, and many of us anticipated this outcome, but the suddenness of it all was jarring. We received last-minute meetings scheduled on our calendars, and then it was announced. I have three weeks left until my final day on June 19th, and I'm feeling a bit lost about what to do next. I know I should start applying for new jobs, but I'm also considering starting an LLC for freelancing, particularly in my local area. I'm torn between focusing on job applications and pursuing freelancing at the same time. I'm reaching out for advice on how to best utilize these last few weeks to set myself up for success. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.