Feeling

I recently went through an interview process for a position that I was really excited about. I had two interviews and was even set for a final interview with HR. However, when the offer came in, it was disappointing to find out that it would involve a $3K pay cut. I asked HR for some time to think it over, and he mentioned getting back to him by mid-afternoon. To my surprise, he called me before that time and informed me that management had rejected my initial salary request. I inquired about any flexibility in the budget, but unfortunately, there was none. I didn't even get the chance to present my final offer. Ultimately, I lost out on the job, and someone else was selected. It's a tough lesson learned.

I experienced a tough 14-month unemployment stretch between 2023 and 2024, which was the lowest point of my adult life. During this time, I found a training program in a less-than-ideal city that offered a salary of $65k. I spent a year there, feeling depressed and poor, but at least I was working. After that year, I got promoted and negotiated a move to the New York City office with a salary of $95k. A year later, I leveraged my experience to secure a local job that pays nearly $140k with fantastic benefits. While I'm not wealthy, my situation has drastically improved from those days of living at my mom's house, walking to a 7:00 a.m. shift at a gym, cleaning toilets, and struggling to pay my student loans. Now, I'm in a great city, have a nice apartment, a vibrant social life, and a promising career path. If I had known two years ago that I would be where I am now, it would have given me so much hope. I hope my story inspires others going through tough times.

I received an offer for a trainee engineer position at HP Enterprises. I'm excited about this opportunity to kickstart my career in engineering and learn from a well-respected company in the tech industry. Looking forward to starting this new chapter!

I have recently been placed on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) at my current job, and I'm feeling quite lost about the next steps. My manager hasn't provided me with clear evidence or a solid action plan regarding the PIP, and despite my attempts to seek clarification, she has not documented anything or given me any guidance. I'm currently exploring other job offers, but I'm concerned about the potential impact of this situation on my future employment. Specifically, I'm wondering if my manager has the authority to include comments about my performance in my exit form and whether this could affect my background check with a new employer. It feels like my manager has been targeting me for no apparent reason, which adds to my anxiety about the situation.

I got laid off today from my director position in the healthcare field after 2.5 years with the company. We had been hearing about hiring freezes and layoffs happening, but I never thought it would happen to me. The way they delivered the news felt cold and brutal—just a vague explanation about cutting budgets and reorganizing. It all felt like a blur. Now, I'm left wondering if two weeks of severance is really all I can expect after being in a director role for that long, especially considering I'm over 40 and in a higher income bracket. How can a company justify such a low severance package? I feel betrayed, hopeless, and angry right now. I did receive a payout for my PTO and was offered a month of COBRA, but I'm definitely planning to negotiate. I'm curious if anyone else in Southern California is in a similar situation.

I recently went through an intense job application process with a new school district, and I thought everything was going perfectly. I had great interviews, and even received a verbal offer from the hiring principal, who congratulated me via email. HR informed me that I was the top candidate, and the only remaining step was to contact my references, including my current supervisor, which I hadn't informed about my job search. However, after they reached out to my references, the offer was suddenly revoked. HR told me they went with another candidate, but I managed to speak with the hiring principal to understand what happened. During our call, he revealed that my reference checks were not entirely positive, particularly from my supervisor. It seems there was a discrepancy between what my coworkers said about me and what my principal reported. He even mentioned asking her about areas I need to improve, which is a standard reference question, but I was caught off guard because all my evaluations have been proficient, and I recently received glowing letters of recommendation, including one from my principal. I’m feeling completely lost and frustrated, as it seems my principal’s feedback was the main reason I lost this opportunity.

I’ve been job searching since April and it’s been really tough. I haven’t had any interviews yet, which is frustrating. Recently, I started listing over 130 skills on each application, thinking it would help me get past the screening filters. My girlfriend thinks this approach might be self-sabotaging and that my applications look too robotic. I’m torn because I want to make sure I’m showcasing all my abilities, but I also want to get noticed by employers. I’m open to any advice on how to improve my applications and increase my chances of landing interviews.

I had my fourth and final interview for a role I really want three weeks ago, and I haven’t heard anything since. I got laid off a few years back and have been in a job that I’m eager to leave due to no health insurance and a toxic work environment. During the interviews, I felt really positive, especially after speaking with a higher-up in the last round, which seemed like a formality before an offer. After the interview, I followed up with the HR person the next day to ask about the timeline for a decision, but received no response. I waited about 2.5 weeks and reached out again to check in and express my continued interest, but still nothing. I’m starting to feel anxious about the situation and wonder if there’s any chance of getting this job at this point. I have the contact info for the would-be manager since I interviewed with her twice, but I hesitate to reach out to her directly, fearing it might come off as overstepping. I’m looking for advice or just some opinions on my chances.

My mom, who is 59, lost her job of 29 years at T-Mobile as a senior project manager at the beginning of this year due to company reductions. Since February, she has been applying to hundreds of jobs, spending hours researching companies and tailoring her resumes, but she keeps getting ghosted or denied. It's really disheartening to see her start to lose hope. I live at home with her while I’m in college, and I'm not currently working due to my disabilities and managing school. She's tried networking with old colleagues, paid for LinkedIn Premium, and followed up both online and in person, but nothing seems to be working. I'm reaching out for advice on how I can help her during this tough time.

I'm currently a 25-year-old driving instructor making $65K a year, but I feel like I'm in a dead-end job. I'm looking to pivot into something new, possibly in supervising or logistics. I've shared my resume and would appreciate any honest feedback or advice on how to make this transition. I'm not really interested in opening my own driving school, so I'm exploring other options.

I'm an MBA Marketing graduate with a 6-year career gap due to motherhood and some health issues, and I'm feeling a bit lost as I try to rebuild my career. I have about 3 years of experience in social media marketing, but I find that my skills feel outdated and I lack a strong passion for digital marketing. What I truly enjoyed in marketing was branding, strategy, visual ideas, and design. I've dabbled in Adobe Illustrator and enjoy creating, but I'm unsure how to move forward. Currently, I'm overwhelmed by the job market. I've looked into fields like graphic design, UI/UX, and social media marketing, but I keep hearing that they are saturated. A friend has offered me access to Coursera Plus, which provides a range of courses, but I'm stuck on what to focus on. I realize I've spent too much time searching for my passion, and now I just want to acquire a valuable skill that will make me employable and help me regain my financial independence. If anyone has advice or has faced a similar situation, I would really appreciate your insights on what skills are worth investing my time in today.

I graduated last year and have been on and off the job hunt since then. Recently, I've noticed a trend in job descriptions that has me feeling a bit uneasy. It seems like more and more employers expect us to use AI to speed up our work, which I get, but some roles are starting to feel a bit too on the nose. I came across a job listing for a Sales Development Rep at a company that specializes in AI for sales development. The description was pretty alarming—it mentioned that I would be working with an AI bot and, essentially, training it to replace me. Isn’t the whole point of this role to automate the job? I’m not applying for this position, but it’s really got me thinking about the future of work. Are we just going to be left with jobs that involve training AIs to do our tasks? I see people on TikTok getting paid for mundane tasks, and it feels like this role is just a step in that direction. It’s tough to digest, especially with college debt looming over me. What’s going to be left for regular people who need to earn a living?

I recently encountered some job recruitment scams that raised my concerns. I received two job offers, but one was particularly suspicious because I never applied for that position. The other required me to send my resume to an email address that didn't match the company's official domain. It made me realize how important it is to be cautious with job offers. I’ve learned to look out for red flags like vague job descriptions and requests for personal information too early in the process. Trusting my instincts has become crucial—if something feels off, I always double-check the company's legitimate contact information before sending any personal details.

Today, I attended a job interview that left me feeling quite demoralized. As a highly sensitive person, I often find interviews challenging, but I was hopeful going in. The atmosphere felt positive until I asked how long the company had been in business. Their response was unexpected; they labeled my question a 'red flag' and questioned whether I had even looked at their social media. I explained that I had reviewed their website for product information, and then they finally answered my question. However, the shift in their tone was palpable, and it made me feel as if I had committed some sort of faux pas. This experience has me reflecting on how to navigate interviews better in the future.

I’m currently in a tough spot as an 18-year-old sophomore in college trying to land my first job. I’ve applied to numerous places around LA County and even in nearby cities, but I haven’t received a single response. It’s really disheartening. I’ve tried following up with some places by calling, but that hasn’t yielded any results either. My schedule is pretty flexible since I only attend classes twice a week and am usually home by 2 PM. I’m starting to feel the pressure to find a job soon since I’ll need to start paying rent at home. Right now, I’m doing some flipping on marketplace, but it’s not enough to sustain me financially. I would really appreciate any advice or tips on how to improve my job search!

I’ve been working in retail since I graduated high school, primarily in grocery stores and clothing shops, and even at a water park. Due to various personal and financial challenges, I haven’t been able to pursue college yet. However, I’m planning to return to school soon, with radiologic technology as my top choice. In the meantime, I’m really looking to transition into a new job, preferably as an administrative assistant or a medical receptionist. I’m feeling burnt out from retail and need a change. I thought becoming a medical receptionist would be a good fit since it seemed like it didn't require a degree and would allow me to gain experience while I study. Unfortunately, many of the positions I’ve found require prior medical or clerical experience, which has been really discouraging. I’ve realized that my resume isn’t as strong as I hoped, and I didn’t expect the job search to be this challenging. I’m trying to stay positive and am focusing on tailoring my resume for the jobs I apply to, but it’s tough. I know I need to keep applying and not take rejections personally.

I finally received my hearing date, and it's scheduled for next week. However, I'm feeling pretty anxious about it being conducted through Webex. I've had some frustrating experiences with Webex in the past, especially during virtual job interviews where technical issues led to multiple rescheduling. I'm really hoping this goes smoothly. The Notice of Hearing says I need to download Webex Meetings, but then I found a video on the DOL website saying that iPhone users should use the Safari browser instead. It's all a bit confusing because another part of the site advises against using Webex Meetings altogether and suggests attending by phone if I can't access the internet. I'm just trying to figure out what the best option is and what has worked reliably for others. Honestly, I was expecting this to be a phone call, so I'm disappointed that I have to face them on video again.

I graduated with a degree in political science two years ago, but I didn't have the opportunity to do internships during my time at university. I was working full-time and caring for my dad, which left me with no time to gain relevant experience. Now that I'm trying to enter the job market, I'm finding it really challenging. Most entry-level positions in my field require some prior experience or an internship, and I'm feeling lost on how to break in without that background. I'm determined to start from the bottom, but I need some guidance on how to navigate this situation.

I recently received a job offer from Integreon for a remote Document Reviewer – Cyber Incident Response position without having gone through an interview. I had initially applied for the role and was scheduled for a phone interview, but this morning I got an email saying they had an urgent project starting soon. The offer is for a temporary contract lasting about 4-5 weeks at $19 an hour, fully remote, and I would need to use my own computer. They mentioned hiring on a first-come, first-served basis. I expressed my interest, and within 20 minutes, the recruiter sent me an official offer through iCIMS, saying onboarding would start once I accepted. This all feels a bit off since I never had any interview or assessment. The emails seem legitimate, coming from an iCIMS address, and the recruiter has a company email signature. However, it feels strange to receive an offer for a position that involves handling sensitive information without any prior discussion. They haven't asked for any payment or equipment purchases yet, but I'm hesitant to provide my Social Security number or banking information until I can confirm the legitimacy of the offer. I’m reaching out to see if anyone else has experience with Integreon or knows if it's common for them to hire this quickly without interviews. What should I check before deciding to accept the offer?

I was laid off from my role as a product manager focused on creative tech about a year ago. I have over 10 years of experience as a designer and animator, and I've successfully launched two video products from scratch while leading various AI initiatives. Since my layoff, I've faced an incredibly tough job search. Despite numerous interviews where I felt confident, I've consistently been told that my background didn’t fit, even though I have direct experience with what these companies are trying to achieve. I can't help but feel that my identity as a Black woman in tech might be influencing my job search. I've seen the other product manager who was laid off with me land a job within three months, while I'm now approaching month 11 without an offer. I’ve been studying hard for interviews and asking for feedback, only to hear that the teams were impressed but chose other candidates. It’s disheartening to look at the companies I apply to and not see anyone who looks like me in their 'about us' sections. I’ve never struggled this much to find a job before, and while I want to believe it’s just a tough market, I can’t shake the feeling that my race plays a role in my challenges. I hope I’m wrong, but it’s hard not to think about it.