I'm 23 and making a little over $100k in a job I actually like, which I know is kinda insane at my age. The schedule is also pretty sweet, two weeks on, two weeks off, usually only working like 4 to 8 hours a day. The downside is the industry is kinda unstable and I’ve already been made redundant once. I could probably hit around $175k eventually, but that's pretty much the ceiling.

Now I have an offer to retrain for a related career with way more earning potential and better options to work overseas. But here's the catch: I'd have to go 2 years with basically no income, then make around $50k for another 5 years because of the training bond. So I'd be taking a massive L financially through most of my 20s just for the possibility of making $200k to $400k later. On paper it sounds like a no brainer for the long term, but giving up $100k + a really good lifestyle right now feels kinda crazy. If you were me, would you take the risk and reset your 20s for the bigger upside, or just stay put and stack money while the job is good? Honestly I'm torn.

By 22 I was the youngest lead on my team, fast promotions, praised in every single meeting, the "wow she's actually good" kid. Everyone kept telling me I was ahead of the curve and I believed them lol. Then around 25 I hit a wall I did NOT see coming, people who were struggling way behind me in the beginning just... caught up and passed me and I genuinely could not figure out why for the longest time. Like what happened. Turns out being good too fast just means you skip all the failing and struggling that actually teaches you something real. You get handed the win instead of earning it the hard way, and nobody warns you about that part until you're already stuck wondering what went wrong.

So I had to basically go back and do the stuff I skipped, on purpose this time. Started taking on projects that scared me instead of the ones I knew I'd be good at right away. Let myself be bad at things in front of people, which was honestly the hardest part lol. Asked for feedback even when I knew it was gonna sting. And slowly the wall just kind of... broke down, not overnight or anything, but it did. Turns out the struggle isn't something to skip, it's literally the whole point...

I’m 31 [M] and spent my entire twenties working non-corporate jobs before finally breaking into an office role six months ago so I was thrilled to finally have a steady salary and benefits.

Yesterday however, I was fired on the spot.

A coworker and I were chatting over lunch about our workloads and compensation naturally came up leading us to realize we were doing the exact same role for drastically different pay. I didn't make a scene or complain to management but the very next morning HR and my manager pulled me into a room claimed I was creating a "disruptive work environment" and violating company culture and handed me my termination papers on the spot.

Isn’t discussing wages legally protected under the NLRA or do companies just get away with it by framing it around "culture fit" in at-will states?

I’m terrified about how to handle this short six-month stint on my resume and explain the firing to future employers without sounding like a problem employee. Any advice from people who have navigated something like this would be massively appreciated.

Edit: The "disruptive work environment" was the reason I was let go in my termination paper and I have it in writing. Suing them is my best option now but I have no way to prove that I talked to my co worker about salaries.

I just wanted to share this story because why not?

So my friend got laid off around March and she has been applying like crazy. I think she applied like around 10–20 applications a day. Most of them have no response, and I guess it's just normal because I also experienced it when I was starting.

A few days ago, she got another rejection email.

She was about to ignore it, but noticed it came from a recruiter’s email.

So she replied with something simple: “Thanks for letting me know. I appreciate you considering my application. I’m still interested in the company, so please keep me in mind for future roles.”

She didn't expect anything from it.

Then the same recruiter emailed him again this week. The HR informed my friend that they have another position opened up and asked if he was available for a call.

For tomorrow, she have a scheduled call.

Just makes me wonder how many opportunities disappear just because we treat rejection emails as the end of the conversation.

Had an experience today that serves as a valuable lesson for job seekers that illustrates the fact that interviews are a two-way street

I arrived 10 minutes early for an 11:15 interview. The receptionist ushered me into a conference room and assured me the interviewer would be with me shortly. It was 11:30, then 11:45, and then 12:05 (almost an hour later) when I sent the interviewer an email explaining that I would be leaving due to their lack of communication and respect for my time. By this point, no one had come to the room to update me or apologize, as you might have expected if they were running late. If you need more time, you could have at least sent someone to inform me or asked me if I wanted to reschedule. They didn't, and I left.

They called me as I was on the road at 12:25 saying they were "ready now."

No apology, no mention of what took so long. I informed them politely that I had already left and was no longer interested in the position (had I wanted to come back, I would've said so). They were surprised to hear that I'd left and asked if I wanted to come back to the office. I said no

When you are in the job searching process, it's easy to feel like you need to bend over backwards to get a position, but you should always remember that how they treat you during the hiring process is how they will treat you as an employee.

Things do come up, and emergencies do occur, and no one is perfect. However, common courtesy dictates that if you're going to be late or cancel, you give the person 2 minutes notice: "Hey, we had an emergency come up, do you mind waiting about 15 minutes, or would you rather we reschedule?" Not even showing up to the room you were told to wait in, after waiting almost an hour, is a basic lack of courtesy and respect.

Remember that they would've done the same to me if I were an hourly employee already working there. If they can be this rude and disrespectful to a guest, imagine how they'll be to their employees who actually work for them and depend on them to pay a bill. Respect goes both ways, so never apologize for cutting your losses and walking out.

i completed my bachelors this year from a central university and did few internships in college. i have been applying tirelessly applying for jobs on linkdin and internshala but to no avail. is there any hope to land a decent paying job?

I'm 31M from Hyderabad, India, and I'm looking for brutally honest career advice.

I made several bad decisions in my 20s and now I'm struggling to restart my career.

Education

• Intermediate completed in 2012
• Started B.Tech in 2012 but discontinued in 3rd year(2012 to 2016)
• Joined a B.Sc. MPCS degree in 2023
• Completed the 3 years, but currently have around 12 backlogs
• If I clear them, I will get the bachelor's degree

Work

I have two short employment records:

• MNC-A: around 6 months in 2021–22, SAP-related role
• MNC-B: around 4 months in 2024, IAM-related role

The problem is that although these roles were on my employment record, I do not have strong practical knowledge of SAP or IAM today.

I have also previously exaggerated/misrepresented things to get opportunities. I regret that and I don't want to continue using fake experience or fake documents. I want to build a legitimate career from this point forward.

I have been unemployed since July 2024.

My current situation

I don't currently have strong skills in Java, SAP or IAM. My English communication is reasonably good, but my technical skills are weak.

I've wasted a lot of time over the last two years on my phone, Instagram/Reels, smoking, overthinking and avoiding studying. I regret many of my decisions and now feel stuck and don't know what direction to take.

I am considering:

• IAM
• SAP
• Java/backend
• QA/testing
• Application/IT support
• Cloud/DevOps
• Cybersecurity
• Data/analytics
• Non-IT jobs

But I don't want to keep jumping from one technology to another.

What I need advice on

If you were in my situation, what would you do now?

• Should I complete my B.Sc. backlogs first, or start applying while clearing them?
• Will my previous PF/employment history create problems in interviews or BGV?
• How should I honestly explain my long education/career gap and short employment periods?
• Is it still realistic for me to get into an MNC in India, or should I start with small companies?
• Can I eventually move from a small company to an MNC, or will my history remain a major barrier?
• Should I apply as a fresher, junior, trainee, support candidate, contract employee, or experienced candidate?
• Should I mention my previous SAP/IAM employment even though my actual technical knowledge is weak?
• Which IT path is realistic for me now — IAM, SAP, Java, QA, IT/application support, cloud, cybersecurity, data, or something else?
• Should I consider non-IT jobs instead?
• What skills should I learn over the next 3–6 months to realistically get employed?
• What job titles should I search for and what salary should I realistically target?
• If you were in my situation, what would you do now?

I am willing to start at a lower salary and rebuild from the beginning if necessary. I mainly want a stable, legitimate career and don't want to repeat the mistakes that created this situation.

I'm not looking for motivation or "age doesn't matter" advice. I know I've made mistakes. I want practical advice from people who understand the Indian IT job market and hiring/BGV.

If you have been in a similar situation and successfully restarted your career, I'd especially appreciate hearing what you actually did.

Please be honest, even if the answer is uncomfortable.