Personal timeline

theswanlace's journey

Milestones, reflections, and progress updates connected as your layoff-to-next-step story unfolds.

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    I had my third interview today for a management position, and I'm feeling really lost about the whole process. It’s been three weeks since I started interviewing, and I still have no idea if I got the job. The first interview was a Zoom call, then I had an in-person interview, and today was another Zoom interview. They mentioned I would know their decision next week, but I can't help but feel confused. Is it normal to go through three interviews without a clear outcome? My first management job was secured in just one interview, so this feels really different. I genuinely like this opportunity, but I'm struggling to wrap my head around the fact that it seems to take so many interviews to make a hiring decision nowadays. Is this the new norm in 2026?

    Job title: management position

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  2. 1

    I recently interviewed for a Visual Operations Manager position and I'm feeling a bit anxious about my salary expectations. I have over 6 years of retail experience, including roles at Coach, Michael Kors, Windsor, and Lilly Pulitzer, where I took on visual merchandising responsibilities even though it wasn't my official title. I had a Zoom interview followed by an in-person interview where I created a visual display that the managers seemed to really like. In fact, a customer showed interest in the items I displayed, which felt like a positive sign. My final interview is coming up this Friday, and I wanted to clarify the compensation before it happens. I reached out to the store manager to ask about the pay range and typical hours. She explained that their compensation package includes base pay, commission, and bonuses, and then asked for my salary expectations. I mentioned that I was targeting a $55,000 annual base salary, with commission and bonuses being separate considerations. However, it's been over a day without a response, and I'm starting to worry that my salary request might have been too high. In my past experiences, employers usually counter if my initial ask is above their budget, so I felt confident with my number. Given my experience and the role, I'm wondering if $55,000 is unreasonable, or if I should have asked for a lower base salary since commission and bonuses are also part of the package.

    Job title: Visual Operations Manager

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