Feeling

I recently received a job offer for a position in health tech, but they offered me the bottom of the salary range at $60K. I have over 3 years of experience and am already advanced in the main software they use, so I feel I deserve more. The salary range for the role is between $60K and $100K, and during the interviews, everyone mentioned that my skills align perfectly with the job requirements. I didn't provide my salary expectations during the interview process, which I think led to this low offer. The job posting indicated that they were looking for candidates with 0-2 years of experience, but I clearly exceed that. I’ve researched the market rates, and $60K is significantly below what others in my area are earning for similar roles. I ideally want to negotiate for around $86K, but I know that might be a stretch. The recruiter mentioned a target range of $60K to $70K, so I'm considering asking for $75K as a starting point. I feel like I should at least aim for $70K, but I’m worried about undervaluing myself. I just need to figure out how to frame my request effectively and make a strong case for the increase.

I recently faced a frustrating situation regarding my unemployment hearing in Massachusetts. I was supposed to attend a virtual hearing on May 12th, but I missed it due to a mix-up with the dates. They had actually moved the hearing to May 27th, but I only received confirmation emails that listed the original date of the 12th at 3 PM. I showed up early on the 12th and waited for 45 minutes before I called and learned about the rescheduled date. On the 27th, I tried to join the hearing 10 minutes early, but I encountered issues and found out that my case was marked as closed. I was unaware of the change, and the last notice I received still indicated the 12th. I know it was partly my mistake, but I attempted to appeal the dismissal of my case, and unfortunately, that was denied. I'm now unsure if I have any further options to appeal this decision. If anyone has had a similar experience or knows a lawyer I could consult, I would really appreciate the guidance.

Today, I received the unfortunate news that my position has been eliminated. Just 30 minutes before my shift was supposed to end on a Friday, my boss called me in with HR. I had a sinking feeling as soon as I saw the meeting request. After 7 years with the company, it felt surreal. To make matters worse, I had already scheduled 10 days of PTO starting right after my shift, which they decided to cut short. Looking back, I realize my direct manager had been distant for the past couple of weeks, which should have been a red flag. I was offered 6 weeks of severance pay, but I have only 14 days to decide whether to accept it. I'm unsure if I should consult with an employment attorney or get a review to see if I might negotiate for more. They assured me they wouldn't contest my unemployment claim, but this is all new territory for me. I've never faced a layoff before, and I'm feeling a bit lost.

I recently accepted a job after being laid off, and I'm thrilled to share that it's at a much higher salary than I expected, with bonus opportunities and great potential for development. However, the role is in a new city, which means a long commute of about an hour and a half each way. Eventually, I would need to relocate, which would put me farther away from my family and friends. On the other hand, I've received another offer that's nearly $10k less in salary but has a much shorter commute of about an hour. This second role is with a reputable company that also offers strong growth potential and would allow me to move closer to my family and friends in the future. Both opportunities have their merits, and I'm genuinely excited about each path. The higher-paying role is not just about the money; it presents an exciting challenge with room for growth. The second option, while lower in salary, could help me build valuable skills and experiences that would enhance my résumé. I'm also still waiting to hear back from three other companies, which adds to the complexity of my decision. I'm grappling with whether to prioritize a higher salary now or to choose the role that keeps me closer to my support system, hoping that I can develop my skills further and pursue higher-paying opportunities down the line. This decision feels monumental and nerve-wracking, and I would appreciate any insights from others who have faced similar choices.

I just started my job search as a teenager, and it's a bit overwhelming. This is my first time applying for summer jobs, and I'm aiming to submit about 2 to 3 applications each day. I've been getting advice from my dad and researching online, but I've heard a lot about how tough the job market is right now. My friends have shared their struggles in finding jobs, which adds to my anxiety. Living in a city where I'm competing against middle-aged candidates with more experience makes it even more daunting. I'm primarily looking at positions like sales associate roles. I'm curious about where I should focus my applications and how I can stand out from the crowd. I've been considering places like grocery stores, fast food chains, and retail shops, but any tips would be appreciated.

I've been actively searching for Entry Level Housekeeping and Laundry positions, responding to job postings that claim "No experience required!" and are labeled as "Entry level." However, during interviews, recruiters often ask about my previous experience, which feels contradictory to the job descriptions. It's frustrating because I'm applying for these roles specifically to gain the necessary experience in this field. Currently, I'm a college student studying in a field unrelated to hospitality, so I haven't mentioned my studies during interviews. Although I lack professional experience in housekeeping or laundry, I do keep my own home organized and clean, and I understand that working in a hotel or resort involves handling a high volume of tasks. I'm eager to learn and ready to put in the effort. I just need someone to take a chance on me. I'm reaching out to ask for advice on how to secure an Entry Level Housekeeping or Laundry job without prior professional experience.

I recently started my job search as a 16-year-old in Australia, and it's been quite challenging. I've applied to Woolworths twice but faced rejection both times. I also had an interview at McDonald's, which I thought went well. I shared details about my school and hobbies when asked to talk about myself. However, the interviewer seemed disinterested, and after I mentioned my availability in the evenings during school days and mornings and evenings on weekends, I received a rejection about two weeks later. I'm starting to wonder if I'm doing something wrong or if I just need to keep trying. Any advice on how to improve my chances would be appreciated!

I was recently laid off from my summer job at a local restaurant where I worked as a server. I was only 15 and the hours were brutal, with shifts running from 6 AM to 7 PM. It was exhausting, and although my boss praised my work ethic and said I was one of the better employees, I just couldn't handle the long hours. I felt overwhelmed and eventually had to step back. Now, about a month later, I'm struggling with feelings of worthlessness. Since finishing my online schoolwork, I've been sitting at home while my mom is at work. I help out with chores and lawn care when she's home, but I can't shake the feeling that I'm just dead weight. I do enjoy my free time and I admit I can be a bit lazy at home, preferring to relax and do nothing. But I can't help but feel like I should be doing more, especially since I don't have a job right now. It's tough being 15 and feeling like I should be contributing more, especially when I see others my age working. I know I'm still young and many people have told me to take it easy and enjoy my summer, but it's hard to shake the feeling of being unproductive.

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 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.

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.

I was recently laid off from my job in California while on F1-STEM OPT. My employer is keeping me on payroll for a 60-day non-working notice period to comply with California’s WARN law, which means my official termination date is set for July. I'm trying to figure out if this non-working notice period counts as employment for my STEM OPT requirements, since I'm not actually engaged in any practical training during this time. Additionally, I'm uncertain about when I should start reporting unemployment to my Designated School Official (DSO); should it be from May when I was laid off, or July when my termination becomes official? If anyone has insights or experiences regarding this situation, especially from their DSO or USCIS, I would greatly appreciate your help!