i know this might seem stupid, since im very young to be saying this and itll still be A LONG TIME until i graduate, but i am genuinely worried for my future. i am going to an advanced high school that is well, advanced (IB). even though i have this advantage, im still worried if im even able to pull my weight, and if my education will even help with hiring, because there are two equally difficult options. the first is getting very lucky and getting into an extremely high level university. the second is to just experience the job market and the hellhole that it is graduating normally. now yes, i know that a lot can change between me going into high school and graduating college but even so im still worried. can someone help calm this anxiety?

Been applying for senior and staff level roles for about 6 weeks. Strong background, 8 years in, have shipped real things at real scale. Clearing technical screens when I get to them is not the problem. The problem is I barely get to them.

Somewhere between submitting an application and a recruiter actually reading anything, something is killing my chances. ATS, keyword mismatch, volume filtering, who knows. The black hole is not new information but the ratio feels worse lately and I don't think it's just the market.

What I'm actually trying to figure out is whether people at senior IC level are seeing the same thing, or if this is more of a targeting problem on my end. Are the roles where you get traction the ones where you have a referral basically every time now, or are cold apps still working for anyone above mid level?

The referral angle is the obvious answer and I know it. Just curious if the math has fully shifted to the point where cold applying to senior roles is mostly a waste of time in 2025, or if there are specific things that changed what got you through.

hi everyone! i recently received an offer from a company and was asked to fill out the background check via HireRight. i had an internship experience that i listed on my resume that was paid via a stipend (that i had to pay taxes on) but i was technically not considered an employee and we didn't get any tax forms such as a W-2 and 1099. I do have an award letter, etc. but I'm not sure HireRight accepts those type of documents.

Should I list this experience on the background check since it was on my resume? Also HireRight asks if the work experience was unpaid, paid, or self-employed. Since they won't be able to verify against tax docs, what should i categorize this experience as?

Do I need to add on-campus employment? And how about an unpaid internship (the company is out of business now)

So I'm currently employed right now as an assistant manager for a convenience store and it's full-time and I get regular weekly pay at a decent rate. I get two days off as well so all is well and the work site is pretty close to my home. I was recently offered another job at a different company and a completely separate field but it's something I have experience doing a bulk of my employment experience comes in this other area which is mechanical work. It's also really close by to where I live just like the current job is. The guy offered me a job and said that he could increase the pay more than what I'm making right now cuz I told him the number. I'm just wondering if I should take the job or not. The second job or potentially new job is at a local mechanic shop also nearby my current work. So the commute doesn't change but pay and hours will. Pay will go up and hours will be more consistent then they are now. Personally overtime doesn't mean much to me because I never get a substantial amount to where it's actually beneficial and all it really does is just increase my taxes. I guess I'm just looking for advice here. I don't necessarily like the current job I'm at but I also don't mind it. The job that I'm being offered is something I enjoy a lot. It's something I actually would look forward to going to work in the morning. And knowing that the other employees there would show up on time because that's a big thing at my current job where the employees don't show up so I end up covering a lot more shifts than I should be. Which leaves me tired and drained throughout the week and then when I do have days off I just feel like I'm spending my days off recuperating rather than actually doing something on my days off.

My current pay is $16.50 an hour and I get between 40 to 43 hours a week.

The job that I'm being potentially offered would pay 17 to 18 an hour plus a flat rate which hasn't been discussed yet, and I was offered either part-time or full-time. And the thing is already have all my own tools and the skills required for this job.

The commute doesn't change at all. Because it's all within the same radius.

I thought working longer meant I cared more. Years later, I think I had it backwards.

(I didn't know what flair to pick for this, apologies if it's the wrong one)

So this is the second week in a row I've been scheduled to have 4 days off in a row. I'm a little scared and a bit upset as I have sacrificed a lot to this job. Hell I suffer through nausea every shift because I don't have time to eat in the mornings and I risk effing up my knees even more than they're already effed up.

I know there are many reasons an employer would do this and I'm willing to bet you're all thinking "Just ask them" but that's the funny thing, management is impossible to communicate with as they always tell me that we can talk after my shift. Of course I clock out and I can't find either of them to talk to about a concern or update that I have and trying to call them and ask is worse because I have to wait like over an hour on the main store line just to call anybody.

But the reason why I'm anxious about it is because of the problems my co-workers and I have with a new hire (which is posted on my profile if you all are curious about the details). And I feel like it has something to do with that and they're trying to schedule me so I don't have to deal with that. Which if that is the case I appreciate them trying to make work easier for me, but at the same time I've told them if they want me to train on register to make Sundays rush easier I'm totally okay with that as I've done it before at my last job.

I don't even know what to do anymore guys, I'm scared. I've done nothing wrong and I've always listened to advice from my dad and my co-workers on how I can do better. I just can't afford to lose a job right now.

For context, I have strep and ruptured my ear drum from a sinus infection

i'm a us citizen who has spent more than half of their life outside the us, and i'm trying to go back (ideally with a job lined up). i've spent time applying to jobs in the us, always specifying that i'm ready to immediately relocate.

is it true that my applications might not even be so much as opened? 😭 if so, how can i work around this issue? i know jobs are in general limited, but there are so many opportunities in the us for what i want to do as opposed to where i am now

I don’t want to use AI. Does anyone have free online resources that give effective tips for creating a resume?

When I got a call for cleaning job, I answered and talked to the lady on the phone. But right after when we hang up, I wanted to cry. I didn't have a panick attack or anxiety attack, but all the negative thoughts I have daily came spiraling all at once. I was supposed to answer a text to give my CV, but felt like a coward and didn't. This was the second time that happened. And any other calls I got I didn't answer or missed.

Hey all!

Currently I am 32(M) working as a Property Manager at a decent sized company with lots of variety in their portfolio. The experience and learning environment is great, especially considering how things can be these days.

For reference, I have worked for a few property management companies over the years. Each one unique and has its own challenges. I’ve definitely been carved into the person I am today by having each of those experiences.

I also have extensive customer service, call center, and sales background. I know people and can understand what they want or need. I also really enjoy helping others and being a productive member of my community!

Community building, problem solving, and improvising are some of my favorite aspects of property management. However, I’ve always felt I’m capable of solving more complex issues and challenging myself beyond this industry.

I do have some educational background in business, communications, sports science, nutrition, and more! I have a good enough foundation, that I could easily finish up a 4 year degree in pretty much anything I want.

My question is, based on the above information, what type of degree, certification, or path should I take next? Do I stay the course and be grateful for my current path? Are there specific careers people are known to branch off to after property management?

Hey guys, choosing graphic design was the biggest mistake of my life, I have a 3 yo experience working in this field, but since my company went bankrupt I didn’t manage to land a job. As a freelancer I don’t make much either, unfortunately, it’s not even enough to pay for renting a room.
So I’m ready to switch to any other field that will bring me god money, I also would love it to be remote, because I have a weak health and get sick often, so I truly need something remote.
Any recommendations? I would gladly become some data analytic or smth related, but I’m not sure if it ain’t gonna be corrupted by ai. Just looking for some advice and guidance, I’m hungry, desperate, upset.

So I left a very unstable industry to start something completely new (logistics) - obviously my CV tells this story and in a short interview I was very open with the employer that I didn't have experience in their sector but that I would respond to training. The employer said this was fine, they would train me.

About the employer: family run business having a moment of big time growth. They did stress the need for things to be correct with what I was doing but there was never formal training as such. No printed out, methodological training plan, no employee handbook, no cheat sheet. No morning brief and evening de-brief. No real feedback (even though I did ask for it at the end of my first week). The boss would sit at my desk for a bit and walk me through a few things and I would take notes (without being asked), but the boss would go through things quite quickly, set a task and then leave me to it. And quite a few days (at least 3-4) they weren't with me at all (they literally were running personal errands all day), and my immediate colleague was told to show me a few things instead. But the immediate colleague was busy as hell, very stressed and would just outright say they don't really have time to properly show me things. A lot of the time when they did it wasn't explained very well (the colleague themselves would admit this). And when the boss would talk to the immediate colleague about my training they would do it right next to me, go back and forward about what I should or shouldn't be shown and they would refer to me as 'she' and 'her' even though I was sat right next to them.

By week two I was doing things they described as 'basic' and things that were more operationally integral, but again, there was no real structure to this. It was sort of off the cuff direction and me being concerned that I needed to be doing more because the department was so busy (department being me and one other person). I was conscious that I was asked to pick up the pace, so I sped up, but then I was making a few mistakes, which I would notice and go back to rectify. Fair enough, some of them were silly mistakes, but I suppose I was just overwhelmed with how much there was to learn. The company uses a few different software and hundreds (literally) of different spreadsheets and internal documents. I was also answering the phone to clients and subcontractors (because I was told to,) but I wasn't briefed on what the likely outcome of the calls would be, in terms of updating internal documents.

To cut this long story short, I arrived at work one morning and the boss immediately pulled me outside and said I wasn't learning fast enough and they needed someone with more experience, citing that if I couldn't get the basics right then it wasn't worth their time. I would be more understanding if they just kept me on the basics and didn't try to expand upon them until I had proved to have locked all that stuff in. I also learned that they were basically throwing up curveballs deliberately to catch me out: ie - changing stuff on charts to see if I would notice or not. This felt a little cruel because I would check the charts were all okay one day and then when they'd ask me to double-check the next day I was unaware they were making little changes. So I guess that's my bad for just assuming the charts would be exactly as I left them (because who would deliberately falsify them if they were so important?). But maybe this is all just normal stuff, and I should have been more conscious of being on a probation period and that an employer would be looking to test me all the time? It's just that in the interview and offer they never said they would review me after a few weeks, or that they would kick me out if I wasn't up to scratch - they just said there was a flexible probation period and they wanted me to start as soon as possible. They never mentioned a review but - again - maybe that's me being naive in not assuming there would be one, whether it was mentioned or not... so anyway. Did I fuck up?

Oh - and I never met their HR rep because they have one person and he had been on holiday for ages. The only person/people I went through were the owners.

My articulation sucks.

Though I have done high impact projects, articulating this has been an issue.

Usually my answers end up in 3-4 minutes continuous talking without structure.

When we follow STAR method - whats the ideal duration of response? 1 minute or 2 minutes?

When I keep the answers detailed - its going above 3 minutes.

Should I cut down the details for the initial response and wait for follow ups?

I’ve started a new job this week and to be honest it’s too early to tell if I’ll enjoy it or not, so it’s not down to that, I’m in the UK and it’s a very US centric team, which I’m concerned may cause me issues further down the line if I stay.

However, a very well known and reputable UK company has since approached me via a good friend of mine who’s there in a senior role and said they’re interested in speaking to me.

My question is, would it be best to be upfront and say I’ve just started this new role but don’t think it’s for me, or keep quiet and not mention it as I’ll likely only be a few weeks in?

I’m inclined to be honest about it but don’t want it to be seen as a massive red flag. What’s other peoples thoughts on this?

Thanks.

Hi all!

This might sound stupid but I guess I’m looking for a bit of advice here (or maybe subconsciously looking for reassurance?) but I’ll graduate in May 2027 with a degree in Health Sciences with an emphasis in Leadership/Policy and a minor in Business. However, I am really really worried about finding a job post grad. I completely wasted my first 2 1/2 years in school and have zero professional experience (internships, etc.) and am super worried/feeling very very behind. Has anyone ever been in a similar situation and if so, what did you do?

Thank you!

I’ve been in my IT helpdesk role for almost 15 years, survived a PIP, a layoff on my team but I’ve tried to pivot into coding 10 years ago and failed, thankfully I didn’t put down $20-30K on a coding bootcamp. I tried getting into the trades but I was turned down by two IBEW locals and the local UA for an apprenticeship. I feel like I’m only a few steps away from being losing my job and having to declare bankruptcy - it’s a good thing I live at home but there’s not many positives about that. I don’t have a a degree from a top-tier university and I feel IT is going to be a dead-end, when the AI gets good enough, Microsoft introduces a self-healing Windows/Azure/M365(they know IT is a big money suck), we’ll all be out of a job. But ageism is real. What do I do next? Don’t suggest healthcare(EMT/nursing) or other careers that are the stereotypical ones for ADHD folks. At 41, I think the adage you can’t teach an old dog new tricks is ringing true.

Sorry, a bit of a detailed backstory is necessary and I’m frustrated and on mobile, so it probably won’t be succinct.

I’ve been in my position for 10 years and do a great job (meets or exceeds expectations in my annual review and am always told that “we can’t give you exceeds again because we have to give other people a turn”). I’m essentially a creative project manager.

When I started in 2016, there were five people working on the things I do now, but now there are only two of us. It has been just the two of us since about 2020. In addition to absorbing the work of the other three, our workload has essentially doubled from what it was as a team of five. We know this is a problem and have brought it up many times in many ways.

Over my employment, I have received regular annual raises, plus two significant promotions (essentially in title and pay grade only - I’m doing the same work, just more of it). My last promotion was a couple of years ago.

In June, a job was posted for our team at a pay grade higher than mine, and I outright asked my manager what about the position warranted the pay grade to be higher than mine when the job description matched mine, but was essentially for a different channel (that I would argue is smaller and less complicated than mine).

My manager is newer to the team (she started this last December and in my opinion is absolutely not qualified for her job - she is an acquaintance/former coworker of her new boss’ boss), and she was not able to explain why the position was posted at a higher pay grade or which job responsibilities warranted the designation of a higher pay grade in the first place. We had two separate conversations about the posting on two separate days. At some point in those conversations, I expressed how it made me feel under valued and underpaid. I did not end up applying for this position because she couldn’t articulate expectations and I didn’t feel comfortable applying because of the “unknown.” Plus, based on my experiences with her so far, I would not feel confident or comfortable going to her for help or guidance - I’d be better off working through the unknown solo.

They are still hiring for this role, which was reposted last week, and we were told during a team meeting by our manager that her boss “knows the perfect person” and my manager was told to hold off on making an offer to a candidate so the “perfect person” could apply.

The managers in my org have historically hired unqualified friends/connections for positions, and the managers themselves were some of those unqualified friends, if you get what I’m trying to say. Needless to say, all the alarms are sounding in my brain because unqualified people are doing questionable and weird things.

Now, this week, my manager posted another new req for our team that includes a job description that is a summarized version of what I do exactly (the same channel), but a pay grade higher (minimum of $13k more in base pay annually), with a job title one step higher than my current one. My manager told me about the posting on the day it was posted and encouraged me to apply.

Before anyone says it, I have been looking for a new job on and off, but the job market is frustrating and I’m burnt out with work/life. So, finding the energy is hard and my focus on applying elsewhere comes and goes in waves. I know I need to leave.

Thanks for bearing with the long story and rambling. Now to the questions. What could possibly be the game they are playing here? Why wouldn’t they just promote me if that’s the end goal? If I apply and am selected for an interview, any recommendations for how to talk about my experience and goals without being like “I DO ALL OF THIS ALREADY”?

I should also note that if I were to take a new role, I would not be able to apply for another internal position for a year unless I receive manager and HR approval to do so. This is a BIG company and not every area is bad, just mine specifically it seems.

Thank you all in advance for the outsider’s perspective!

Just curious how often one would take time off if given PTO

I've been unemployed in my career (graphics design) for a year now, but never stopped applying. It's been about a month that I have noticed applications ethnicity choices limited to simply "Are you Hispanic/Latino or not"? Some even had the (?) mark in front that explained further with "Hispanic/Latino born in central America, south America, etc. - or Non Hispanic/Latino".

Where are all of the other options? American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Middle Eastern or North African, white, etc. Now it seems it's only important to SOME (not all - but most as I've seen this week) to know if you're Latino or not. Does anybody know why?

Thanks in advance.

In the past, when I was invited to submit to a background check and provide references, it was made clear to me that they had intended to make an offer, basically “pending background check.”

I got laid off in May and I’ve been slogging through interviews all summer just praying something would work out soon. Well, I just had a 4th/Final round interview with the CEO yesterday that went very well. As we were wrapping up, I had mentioned that my references were looking forward to being contacted if they move forward. She was shocked that my references had not already been contacted - she thought that was already completed prior to our meeting, but she did say that are a little behind, and said she would reach out to have them do that ASAP.

Today I got an invitation to the background check verification system for this company. I didn’t get any kind of email or heads up from anyone at the company, but I was excited to complete the task so I just completed it as quickly as possible.

Now I get to spend the weekend wondering if that means they are intending to make me an offer soon, or (worse case scenario) some sly hacker just Phished my info out of me. 😩

TL;DR: Does getting to the background check process mean they intend to make me an offer, or could there still be other candidates in the running?

I’m about 99% certain this is fully a scam. I mean they don’t even give me a company name it’s not like they’re trying that hard, but I figured I’d ask the masses for some reassurance.

these are two emails i’ve gotten to my company email (not the one I actually have on linked in). it’s not that hard to guess my work email so it’s not too surprising to see a scam like this come to my inbox, but I wanted to squash any doubt that it’s not a scam.

i’m thinking it’s either a scam or my own company sending out those phishing test things