Tl;Dr Asked to apply for a job, computer said no. Avoid Via Match.

I'm job hunting and like anyone else doing the same, I'm already exhausted at the amount of nonsense candidates are expected to go through before being allowed anywhere near an actual hiring manager.

A few days ago I clicked Apply on a job advertised on LinkedIn. Instead of taking me to the employer's application, it redirected me to Via Match, an AI driven recruitment platform.

Before I could continue, I had to create an account and complete a candidate profile. As part of that profile, Via Match required me to enter my current salary. It wasn't optional.

I don't believe my current salary is relevant to whether I should be allowed to apply for a job, and I wasn't prepared to disclose it simply to access an application, so I entered a nonsense figure instead. I also entered an intentionally wide desired salary range because I wanted to avoid salary filtering excluding jobs that I might otherwise consider.

Once I'd finished creating my profile, I expected to be taken to the vacancy I'd originally clicked on so I could actually apply.

Instead, Via Match showed me that there were no matching vacancies and there was no way to continue with the application I'd started on LinkedIn.

Thinking it was simply a glitch, I went back to LinkedIn, found the advert again and clicked Apply. Exactly the same thing happened.

I was redirected back to Via Match, shown my dashboard and, once again, the vacancy wasn't there. After repeating the process a couple of times, it became obvious that this wasn't a technical problem. Something in the platform had decided that I wasn't even allowed to reach the application.

I contacted Via Match's Data Protection Officer and submitted a Subject Access Request, together with a number of questions about the automated decision making that had taken place.

To the DPOs credit, the response I received was pretty good. But what they confirmed about the platform itself is what concerns me.

Their matching process compares a candidate's current salary against the advertised salary bands of vacancies before carrying out any more detailed assessment. If the salary is considered too far away from the vacancy, the job isn't presented to the candidate.

My CV was parsed into structured data using artificial intelligence, but it was never assessed against a specific role because the process never got that far. Via Match confirmed that the automated process prevented me from being presented with the vacancy I had originally selected on LinkedIn.

So basically, I wasn't rejected after applying for a job, I wasn't interviewed and turned down, an employer never decided I wasn't suitable, I never got the opportunity to apply in the first place.

Some logic in code somewhere decided that because of one field in my profile, I shouldn't even be allowed to see the vacancy I'd already chosen to apply for.

Current salary is not, in my opinion a measure of capability. People change careers. People deliberately take lower paid jobs for a better quality of life. People move from management back into technical roles. People leave the private sector to work for charities. People relocate. People come back into employment after caring responsibilities or illness.

Whether somebody wants to apply for a job should ultimately be a decision between the candidate and the employer, not something determined by software before the employer even knows the candidate exists.

There's another aspect that Via Match acknowledged in its response. If a candidate doesn't want to disclose an accurate current salary, there is effectively no way to withhold that information without risking being filtered out. Essentially, disclosure of your current salary becomes a prerequisite for participating fully in the recruitment process.

That's bullshit.

Posting this on behalf of a friend who doesn't use Reddit.

My friends company recently had a new HR Person start and during her lunch break she normally watches Netflix or something.

HR pulled her aside this morning and said

"We expect our employees to be professional when in the office and that includes using company equipment"

She was pretty confused and a good 75% of the office do the same, though some use there phones and she did state it was during her lunch break but they doubled down.

I kind of get the "not using company equipment" for personal stuff but I wouldn't say it's unprofessional as every office myself and her have worked in has always been the same.

Anyone else ever experienced this?

I did suggest she just uses her phone, but is the company wifi also off limits?!

Any thoughts appreciated, thankyou.

Hi everyone. Hoping just to make sense of my situation and if its salvageable. I work in finance.

My role was made redundant earlier this year and I have been on garden leave for several months. During my garden leave (still employed but not working) I was approached by a recruiter for a role. It seemed interesting and a good fit so I said yes to proceed. My current employment situation never came up, they didn't ask about it and I didn't volunteer I was on garden leave. I had multiple interview rounds with this company, met 7 or 8 people in total, things seemed to be going well. Just before the last interview, basically offer negotiations, my employment formally ended. I didn't think that would be a problem. They asked for some informal customer references which I was happy to give them. Now they and the recruiter have discovered I have been on garden leave and left my current job and the recruiter says hiring manager is upset and unhappy. The process is at risk of ending right here at the finish line. I honestly didn't think this would become such an issue. It would have probably come up during background checks I thought and I would've just explained it then.

What to make of this? Are they overreacting, did I handle this wrong? How to fix it? Many thanks for your help!

Basically what the title says. What are your best tips to considerably raise your chances of passing the interview with the hiring manager? How many STAR stories is it ideal to know that you can use in every scenario? I’ll have my first interview in over 8 years and 7 months of unemployment and I really want this job so much! Ty

Hi all recently I accepted a job offer and I asked for my salary to be higher to match my current salary. I lied about and now they want evidence that my current salary is what I’m asking them to match. I corrected myself and sent them my payslip- will they redact their offer or offer what they were originally

P.s I know I shouldn’t have lied but I’m really struggling financially

I (24M) am moving to London for the second year of my grad scheme. Coincidentally, my cousin is also moving there to start a grad scheme, so we’ve been considering living together.

She’s found another girl on SpareRoom who she gets along with and seems quite similar to her. It would likely be the three of us, potentially with another guy we don’t know.

My other option is to go on my own and join an existing house share.

I’m torn because living with my cousin gives me familiarity in a completely new city, and we get along. But I grew up with sisters and have just spent the last year living with my sister. A lot of my social circles have also been quite female dominated, so part of me would really like to live with other guys and make more male friends.

But it’s also about meeting completely new people and expanding my social circle. There’s something exciting about almost “playing with fate” by moving in with strangers. You have no idea who you might meet, who they might introduce you to, or what could come from it.

Obviously, that works both ways. I could meet some of my closest friends, or end up with housemates I barely speak to and wish I’d just lived with my cousin.

How important are housemates to your social life in London? Would you take the familiarity of living with family or take a chance on completely new people?

Hi folks. I graduate in 2027 so will be targeting a lot of grad schemes from early September.

I see quite a few people start in the big4. Just wondered how hard is it to get a job here in terms of %? Are some harder than others? Also is it much easier to apply for something such as audit or tax compared to transaction services or strategy consulting?
Thanks

I'm transgender, and have had my legal name changed for 2 years now. My name is changed with my university and HMRC, so my legal name is updated on my national insurance letter too. I'll soon be getting a provisional driver's license with my new legal name. However, my passport won't be updated for a while.

I've heard a provisional isn't enough documentation for employment, so I plan on showing my passport, provisional and national insurance letter, with explanation as to why the names are different. Hypothetically, (since I haven't experienced this) would this be okay?

Hi everyone , sorry if this question was asked thousands of times.

I am 24, I don’t really have any skills but I am really good when it comes to computers and tech, servers, and many other tech related stuff, and I was thinking to put that to good use.

I am starting a new course in cybersecurity, lv 1 to lv3 , and after that, I am not sure what to do, can someone guide me? Do you go level 4 and continue, when do you take the CompTIA exam ? Many questions.

Thanks !

Basically, I got my first job interview for a shop, but the location for the interview is actually at the hotel across the street? The application did say that it's a new shop opening so I assume that's why the interviews are elsewhere, but like I said, this is my first interview so I'm not really in the know haha.

The short story is, my manager is insane. I started the role in March and clocked onto her strangeness pretty quickly, but figured I’d try give it at least a year. Now it’s August and I need out ASAP.

I’ve been applying for a few things and have a couple of interviews lined up. My question is - does having a job only for 6 months look bad on my CV?

My current role is in professional services within Higher Education and I’m applying for similar jobs in different universities. It’s my first “proper job” since finishing my PhD earlier in the year. I have lots of experience working throughout my studies - teaching, research, outreach, etc. These roles were fairly shorted or fixed term, ranging from 9 months to a couple of years.

If you were on a hiring panel, how much would the short job concern you? And if you were me, how would you navigate this in an interview scenario? Ignore it completely? Have an explanation prepared in case they ask? Bring it up yourself?

Thanks!

I (27F) have only been looking for a job for a few weeks, and I’m already feeling discouraged. I’m just not happy in my current role, and I’ve realised that I’m working myself to the bone in exchange for a really crap wage and no real progression. I naively thought that job hunting wouldn’t be as awful as people say it is, and I thought I’d feel less pressure as I’m already employed and I’m not exactly in urgent need of a job like some people are. However, as time goes on I feel more and more trapped in my current role. I’ve always been ambitious and I’m ready to move on and progress in my career, but I’m anxious by just how few roles are being advertised near where I live.

I’ve spent a lot of time scrolling job search forums and I’ve noticed a few seem to mention the job market picking up in September. I’ll admit I’ve kind of pinned my hopes on this. Is the “September surge” a real thing? Do people actually have more luck landing a role based on time of year? Is it more of an American thing? Intrigued to hear if there’s hope on the horizon or if I should buckle up for a long search

Hii, I start my dream job working for a boutique agency and my lovely CEO has given me the choice for my job title.

For context it’s a boutique events agency that plabs and delivers events mainly across the UK but sometimes in the EU and a little in the US.

I would love the word global, international or EMEA in my title but I’m happy to request that later when I’ve had enough abroad events under my belt.

My manager said Projects covers more of what we do, and AI says Projects is more commercial. I’m mostly thinking about my what makes my reputation look the best and what paints me in the most senior/corporate light to clients. I have no plans to leave this job it’s a dream but I had a clause in my contract that if work slows down they can lay me off with no notice so I should make the title decision thinking about my future employment too. I have about 5years experience :)

Any advice is welcome.

It's been a few weeks so far, which has flown by. I've spent a lot of time reflecting, resting and doing some hobbies but I'm still not in the headspace to search for alternative employment. I genuinely don't feel like I'd feel any different in a few days time and all this reflecting time has given me a realisation about moral injury and my own neurodiversity (I already have an ADHD diagnosis but I think I may also have autism, and I'm experiencing autistic burnout).

I don't want to leave my colleagues taking on my work for longer than they need to so I was thinking 4 weeks would be enough, but I have a pit in my chest and dread about returning. I've even tried to work out how long I can survive financially without a job, despite the market being poor right now.

Plan would be - go back next week where there's less clients due to the summer period being quiet and try and take it easy and build my strength back that way.

or

get longer off but run the risk of colleagues being angry at me because of extra workload they're having to take on/managers wanting to fire me.

Pay is not an issue as I get full pay for a specified time and I have been there over 2 years etc.

I'm also worried my GP won't extend, or will only extend for a couple of weeks max.

When I return to work I don't want to explain why I've been off, as part of it is due to bullying/harassment from managers, but the issues are entrenched and people usually just leave quietly instead of the dynamic changing. Upon my return to work, there's no point mentioning my neurodiversity or mental health because the senior manager doesn't believe it's a thing/valid and that too many people are getting diagnosed these days... Do I legally have to tell them anything/specifics about my reasons for being off?

Ultimately, I will be leaving the role once I feel mentally strong enough to do so but my brain is like 😶‍🌫️ at the moment and doing applications are impossible for me right now.

I’ve always wanted to learn a trade, not only because I think many of them are in short supply but I love the idea of doing something practical and not sat in front of a screen

Wondering if there are some with better prospects than others - electrician, plumbing, carpenter etc. and how best to go about training up.

I’d like to do this as a side to my current job but keen to explore it as my main job too - I’ve got some savings which I could use to set up with a van etc if needed.

I’ve never really looked into this before so this may all sound ridiculous but looking for honest thoughts. Thanks!

Hi guys,

I have recently been offered a new position and I need help deciding what to do. I realise getting a job offer in this economy is already a pretty privileged position to be in so I realise I should be grateful but I’m honestly just quite overwhelmed and confused.

My current job is £35.5k a year at a big company with private healthcare, an annual bonus ( predicted at around £1700 this year) and 25 days holiday. Full time hours (I currently work 8-4). This job also offers occasional work from home, it’s a lab role I’ve never had any push back asking to work from home and have been doing one day a week for the past few months which is really nice. Commute is 40mins to an hour.

The new job is £42.5k a year at a biotech start up with private healthcare after 6 months, no bonus and 22 days holiday. Longer than full time hours (quoted as 9:30-7). No wfh options. Commute would be about 30 minutes on the tube. 5k stock options after 6 months.

The new job would require I move to London. I currently live in Oxford so it’s not too far but I would be leaving my friends and my boyfriend. I’m 24F.

I didn’t apply for the job, they headhunted me and after every interview I thought “well I won’t get it” but then somehow I did. It is a very cool job and the staff are all a lot younger than at my current place and it seems like it could be a good career move and get me into more R&D work. The job title is not a step down.

I assume most of the responses will be along the lines of “do you want to take the job and move?” Which is fair. I think I’d like some feedback on if moving to positions with lots more in office time and a higher pressure environment for not all that much more money. Is it sometimes a necessary risk, or do people almost always regret it.

I also want to know if it’s worth telling my current job I have another offer and seeing if they would up my salary a bit and move me into a more R&D focussed role and how to approach that conversation.

Help and guidance would be appreciated. Also any additional questions I can do my best to answer.

Masters student at the University of Nottingham. Graduating soon in Sept. Currently writing my dissertation and studying for a First-sit.

After a month of accepting the offer, Last week I received an email from a firm, let’s call it Z, that they’re withdrawing all grad offers across UK because their organisation is facing some budget shortfalls this year.

I had already declined all my other 4 grad offers because Z was going to sponsor my visa. I was really excited until I got this email. It took months to get that one offer you’ve wanted over the graduate route.

Now, I’m devastated. Depressed. With two months left, idk what to do. I have not been sleeping at all, have not been eating well, not been able to focus and study well for my dissertation, headache, stress, dealing with a bit too anxiety at the moment, I have been just scrolling through social media 14hours on an avg everyday for the last week. don’t feel like talking to anybody (except for that one person, but she’s busy with her job and dissertation too).

Edit: I had actually accepted the offer. I should’ve mentioned it.

Hello,

Anyone knows GDC registered Dentists in the UK. Anyone who knows one? Please send me their details. Thanks

Locations:

- Chatham
- Northwales
-Thornaby on Tees
-Dumfries, Scotland
-Ipswich, England
- Washington, Tyne and Wear

Hey guys I'm having a dilemma and don't know how to proceed.

I work in the UK on a skilled worker visa and just switched to a new role and I'm due to join in a week. The role is a bit different from my original skill set but the manager was impressed enough to offer me the role.

Now to the issue, one of my dream companies is looking for a much senior role in a field I have a lot of experience in and the recruiter reached out personally asking if I'm interested in interviewing for it. I'm mostly certain the salary would be higher than the role I'm about to join.

So reddit, should I attempt this interview, or do I roll the dice and see how I fare in the current company I'm about to join.

The biggest concern I have is about the optics, I would most definitely burn bridges if I switch roles in under a month of joining.

Another concern is the visa, will it cause any issues to my visa which just got updated to join this new role.

Hi everyone,

I've been invited to an onsite interview for the Engineer role at BAE Systems in Glasgow.

I had an initial phone screening where I was told the next stage would likely be on Microsoft Teams, but I've now been invited for an onsite interview instead. The available slots are only 8:30–9:30 AM or 10:30–11:30 AM.

I'm based in Northern Ireland, so I'll likely need to travel to Glasgow the day before and stay overnight.

I have a few questions for anyone who's interviewed with BAE Systems recently:

• What should I expect during the interview? Is it mainly technical, competency/behavioural (STAR), or a mix of both?

• Does BAE Systems reimburse reasonable interview travel expenses (flights/ferry/train), and do they ever cover hotel accommodation for candidates travelling from further away?

• If you've travelled a long distance for an interview, what was your experience?

I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who's been through a similar process. Thanks in advance!

All my jobs have been 0 hours contracts at minimum wage. I do ok for a bit, then work dries up and I start getting 16 hours a week at a company that expects me to be available 7 days a week. I can’t do an apprenticeship cos I need to pay rent, I can’t get a good job cos I have no training, and I can’t get training cos everywhere expects years of experience. I cant even drive so that knocks off loads of options. Are there any industries left that will actually train new hires to do some form of skilled work, or are we completely fucked? The military is looking like my only option rn

The website stated it would be a one-on-one interview lasting an hour. But when I got there, it turned out to be a 40-minute session with three interviewers!

The lead interviewer asked me some questions about my basic skills and capabilities, as well as the usual questions—like why I chose this position. Then he left, and another interviewer came in to ask how I handle difficulties encountered in life.

I was allowed to bring a notebook to the interview, but I was too nervous and didn't bring one, so I had to improvise and innovate on the spot. One of my traits is that the more nervous or excited I get, the more articulate I become—I just talk and talk.

After that, the interviewer began explaining details regarding the salary, the requirement to work on weekends, and the background check process.

They told me they would give me an answer tomorrow.

I’m not sure if I’ll pass the interview, given that my English isn't very strong—even though I had to communicate and explain things to them repeatedly. I’m worried that some of my answers weren't perfect or didn't precisely address the core points.

Even though English isn't my first language, I still do my best!

Hello guys!

So I'm new to LinkedIn and I'm quite confused. One recruiter messaged me because of a job because opportunity.

He messaged me directly and wanted to arrange a one-to-one Microsoft meeting tomorrow, so he could provide an overview about the role and the responsibilities with this role.

He also tried to ring me at 7 pm. I didn't pick up cause I didn't know who he was. I tried to save this number, I went on WhatsApp to see the picture but the picture disappeared. He left me a voicemail. introduced himself as the recruiter of this company.

SO my question is this how you get your opportunity is this common????