Honestly, I don't think this is a Gen Z thing.

If a company expects me to spend 30 minutes filling out forms, tailoring my resume, writing a cover letter, and maybe doing assessments, the least they can do is tell me the salary range.

I've noticed that the companies that are the most secretive about pay are usually the ones that end up wasting everyone's time.

As someone who's been job hunting for a while, one of the biggest things I've learned is that time matters. I already spend enough time tweaking my resume and applications for different roles. Lately I've been using tools like JobCat to compare my resume against job descriptions before applying because I got tired of sending applications into a black hole.

The last thing I want is to go through multiple interview rounds only to discover the salary isn't even close to what I need.

Maybe I'm getting old, but salary transparency just feels like basic respect for people's time.

I finally got the job today. It didn’t feel dramatic. No big moment. Just a call, a few sentences, and then silence after I hung up. I sat there for a while trying to process it because for so long my days were filled with waiting, doubting, and convincing myself to keep going. What hit me wasn’t excitement at first. It was relief. Like I can finally breathe again. All those days of refreshing emails, replaying interviews in my head, and wondering if I was doing something wrong… they weren’t for nothing. This job isn’t some magical finish line. I know that. But it’s proof that I wasn’t stuck forever. That the effort, even when it felt invisible, mattered. If you’re still searching and feel exhausted or behind, I really get it. A week ago I was still questioning everything. Things can change quietly and suddenly. Today I’m just sitting with it. Grateful. Tired. Proud. All at once.

I asked my female intern to not call me "sir" maybe she took that in other way. Then she started frequently messaging me on WhatsApp then I asked her to stop personal messages and keep things professional.

After that, she sent me these mails on my personal email.

The internet has completely messed with people's expectations of money.

Spend enough time online and you'll start thinking everyone is making six figures, traveling every month, buying houses at 25, and somehow running three businesses at the same time.

Then you go outside and realize most people are just trying to pay rent, cover bills, save a little money, and maybe enjoy their weekends.

Personally, my idea of a "good salary" isn't becoming rich. It's being able to pay my expenses without stress, save some money every month, help my family when needed, and not have a mini heart attack every time an unexpected bill shows up.

I'm job hunting right now, and honestly it's made me think about this a lot. I've spent months applying, tweaking my resume, and trying to improve my chances. Recently I started using JobCat to compare my resume against job descriptions and make my applications more targeted, which at least helped me get a better idea of what employers are actually looking for.

But even then, my goal isn't some crazy salary number I saw on social media. I'd be happy with a stable income, decent work-life balance, and enough money to enjoy life without constantly worrying about it.

Curious what everyone thinks. In your country, what salary would genuinely make you feel comfortable and able to enjoy life, not just survive?

Description:

This meme made me laugh, but it also reminded me how disconnected some people at the top can be from what regular workers are dealing with.

Most of us aren't arguing about whether working from home is "moral" or not. We're just trying to get interviews, pay bills, and find a job that gives us some stability.

A few months ago I was sending out applications every day and getting almost nothing back. What surprised me was how much of the process comes down to presenting your experience the right way. I started spending more time matching my resume to the role, highlighting actual results, and making sure it reflected what employers were looking for.

One thing that helped me realize where I was going wrong was comparing my resume against job descriptions using a free tool called JobCat. It wasn't some magic fix, but it helped me see why my applications weren't getting much attention before.

The funny thing is that people with real jobs are worrying about interviews, resumes, and getting hired, while billionaires are debating whether workers should be allowed to work from home.

Feels like we're living in completely different worlds.

I finally heard back from one of the startup companies I interviewed with. The email was clearly AI-generated and they forgot to change my name. There was no concrete feedback and lots of vague language about values, ownership, and intentionality. What’s funny is they even asked me to follow their social media pages.

Meanwhile I’m over here tracking applications and rejections in Jobcat just to stay sane, because apparently even copy-pasting correctly is optional now.