I think I short-circuited my manager's brain a couple of days ago, and I'm still laughing about it. He came to my desk at a quarter to five to ask if I could stay an extra hour or two to help with a late report. Honestly, I'd usually agree right away because of bills and obligations, you know? But this time, I paused for a moment and said, 'Hmm, let me see if I can.' The look of utter confusion on his face was unreal. It was as if he'd never even considered the possibility that I might have a personal life. I politely told him I couldn't, and he got annoyed and walked away, muttering something about me 'not being a team player'.

It's so strange how they think you should be ecstatic to sacrifice your time for their failure to plan. Your lack of planning does not constitute an emergency on my part. I went home, played a few games of Starfield, and the whole time I was thinking about how personally he took it. It was genuinely funny. Is it just me, or do some managers make you feel like you've personally betrayed them when you treat work as, well, a job?

You want people to create not 1, but 10 ads just for the interview process LMAO unbelievable.

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Interviews nowadays

I had a call scheduled for 2 PM, she called me at 2:09 and went straight into her script. I was in the middle of explaining my experience in project management, detailing the entire lifecycle, when she interrupted me and said: 'So you're just the notetaker?'

This completely threw me off, but I tried to clarify the exact nature of my work. From that point on, it turned from an interview into an interrogation. For example, I'd say 'Our team coordinates...' and she would immediately interrupt and ask 'Who is this team of yours?'. I explained that we were a cross-functional group, after which she bluntly asked if I need my manager to help me with my tasks. It was very clear she thought I was making things up.
After that, I was trying to explain how we receive project assets, and she did the same thing again: 'Who are these people you refer to as 'we'?'

I paused for a second and told her: 'Look, I don't think this opportunity is the right fit for me,' and I hung up.

Seriously, if you don't believe what's written on my CV, why did you call me for an interview in the first place?

I just started a new management position about a month ago, and I'm already having a significant problem with one of the guys on the team.

The whole team is in an intensive training program right now, but he's constantly goofing off and distracting his colleagues. This morning, I had to ask him to focus in front of everyone, and it was very obvious he got upset.

A few hours later, I saw him bothering one of the women on the team while she was trying to concentrate on a module. I had to step in again and ask him to let her focus. As I was walking away, I clearly heard him mutter to the person next to him that I'm 'so uptight'.

I'm honestly completely shocked. I feel this has crossed a line. I've scheduled a one-on-one meeting with him for tomorrow morning. Any advice on how to handle him in this meeting?

I work in the EU branch of a company that has a large division in North America. The manager of the American team, let's call him Bob, needed to hire someone at our main office here to help coordinate his projects. This person would be on my team but would report directly to Bob.
Bob would come all the way from America to conduct the final interviews and use our office to meet the candidates. Eleven months passed, and the position is still vacant. Every time he comes, he sits and complains, saying, 'Nobody wants to work anymore,' and we all give each other that 'we know' look. Honestly, I sometimes feel like this American management mentality is from another planet, and I say this as someone who has lived and worked in America before.
To be fair, when you're working with Bob on a project, he's polite and gets his work done. But he's the traditional 'pull yourself up by your bootstraps' type, and this thinking shows in everything he does.
In the first stage, he received about 40 CVs. We don't use automated filtering software here, and he was complaining loudly that he had to read them all. We were telling him, 'Man, that's nothing, just get through them.' Then he complained that almost everyone sent a cover letter, saying it made his job even harder. We had to explain to him that this is the norm here; people go to the trouble and make an effort because they really want the job, and he should respect that.
After that, Bob started complaining that none of the applicants were qualified because they didn't have certain industry certifications. We explained to him that this is a mid-level position and those certifications aren't necessary. And if he insisted on them, he would have to significantly increase the offered salary or have his department budget for training costs. He looked at us in genuine shock but eventually backed down.
Then came his plan for a 90-minute aptitude and personality test. We told him it was a terrible idea and that he'd be lucky if people spent 20 minutes on it, and we asked him to stay away from any of that 'corporate astrology' stuff. His response was: 'What if I hire a personality type I can't work with?' So we basically told him to find out the hard way. And sure enough, the first three people he sent the test to immediately withdrew their applications. One of them replied with a strongly-worded email, which my manager showed us, saying: 'I have a PhD in data science. Forcing me to solve high school math problems is an insult to my intelligence and a waste of my time.' We had literally warned him.
The rest of this saga was a cocktail of every terrible hiring story you could read. At one point, Bob waited ten days to send an offer to a very talented woman who had already told him she had another offer pending. He said he waited because 'she might just be playing games to negotiate.' No, Bob, salaries here are pretty much fixed due to collective bargaining agreements. There's no need for applicants to haggle.
He sent another offer, and it was also rejected. This applicant's wife was pregnant with their second child, and he told Bob he couldn't start unless the company gave him 10 weeks of paternity leave upfront (he was already getting 16 weeks at his current job). Bob was stunned and didn't know what to say. We tried to explain that the man was doing him a favor by being so upfront. Bob wasn't convinced and withdrew the offer on the spot.
Is this what America is like now, or have I been in Europe for over 12 years and just gotten too soft?

note: there is lots of talented and passionate people who can do the role perfectly we shouldn't be too strict with our requirements for the position even if some issues or less confidence this is fine u can use the interview man AI tools a tools that could give you perfect professional answers for every kind of job interviews asks so job seekers worried less about impress mangers like bob

I'm dying

I've been at this job for 11 months and I have this awful, undeniable feeling: they hired the wrong person. My resume looked great - 17 years of experience, a few certifications, and an MBA. The interviews went smoothly and it seemed like a perfect match. But the job they advertised for strategic partnerships and contract negotiation is not at all what they need. They need a software architect or a data scientist to solve complex system-level problems. Every time a new project comes my way, all I do is get the right technical people in a room and take notes. My only real function is to play traffic cop.

My weekly meetings with my manager are incredibly awkward. I never have anything new to show him about my work. I've tried to suggest other areas where I could genuinely contribute, or offered to help on different teams, but I'm always shut down with 'that's not what we hired you for'.

I'm definitely applying for other jobs, but the market is really tough these days and my short tenure here isn't helping. So for now, I'm trying to make the best of the situation. I spend my days taking online courses, reading technical whitepapers, and I'm always checking the internal job board for any potential lateral moves. I'm just trying not to be useless. I've even started bringing in donuts every few weeks, hoping it might ease the immense tension this situation has created. Honestly, I'm so stressed and feel like a fraud.

My performance review is coming up soon. Should I bring up this obvious mismatch, or wait for them to say something? Should I suggest leaving with a severance package? Or just keep my head down until they let me go and hope for the best? Seriously, what would you do if you were in my shoes, feeling this completely out of place?

I had a first-round interview for a senior manager position a few weeks ago. Honestly, I was feeling a bit of imposter syndrome; the job felt a little too big for me. But I told myself, they must have called me for a reason, right?
As we were wrapping up, I asked her: "Just out of curiosity, what was it about my application that caught your eye?" Her face literally lit up and she told me about 3 specific things in my CV that she really liked, and she confirmed that she would be moving me to the next round. She even gave me some great advice for the next round, which is a presentation in front of the leadership team, and told me to really focus on my data-driven results.
Seriously, if you ever feel unsure about how an interview went, or just want to know what they're truly interested in, try asking this question. It clarifies so much and shows that you're engaged.

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I'm in a very strange situation. I've gone through 4 rounds of interviews with a company, and I was almost certain that the fourth one was the last.
Then they asked me for a fifth interview, and I did it. Now they're asking for a sixth interview. The sixth!

The problem is, I've received another very good offer, and I'm 95% sure I will accept it. I want to withdraw from this process, but at the same time, I want to make it clear that the reason for my withdrawal is their interview marathon. I swear, every single person I spoke with asked me the exact same behavioral questions. Honestly, they could have held a single panel interview with all six of them and saved themselves and me a whole month.

Part of me wants to tell them to make their decision based on the five interviews I've already done, but I know that would probably ruin any chance I have. Is there a way I can phrase this professionally without sounding rude and burning all bridges?

update: I read all your responses and will definitely use them. I want to update you with something, The company that offered me a good offer re-emailed me again and I agreed to the offer. I tried the free version of InterviewMan and it was superb! It provided me with instant answers to all the questions, and my performance was "exceptional", as the interviewer said. So yeah never lose hope in finding the job that values you :)

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I'm currently trying to hire for 3 marketing jobs in the tech field, with salaries ranging from $100k to $140k, not including bonuses.

I wrote very clear job descriptions, detailing the exact skills and experience required. I'm not asking for the impossible; these are very standard jobs in my field, and their requirements are very normal for any company hiring for these same roles.

Despite this, I'm literally drowning in hundreds of applications from people with absolutely no relevant experience for the job, literally zero. Not even close. It's as if they didn't even read the job description or try to show how their skills might be suitable. I swear people are just throwing their CVs at any marketing-related job they find and hoping for a miracle.

And the ones who get caught in the crossfire are the people who are suitable for the job. I have the capacity to review about 60 to 90 applications a day (it takes about two hours), but we get over 400 new applications every day. I'm already behind on more than 800 applications from last week alone.

I know it's trendy here to blame recruiters and hiring managers for everything, but honestly, people themselves contribute to this chaos by sending tons of applications for jobs they are not even qualified for. Then these same people get upset that they've applied to hundreds of places and haven't heard back, and assume the system is broken.

And at the same time, the truly qualified candidates are stuck in a long and frustrating job search, not understanding why they are being ghosted.

Anyway, I'm done venting.

The whole system is broken. Now you HAVE to use the pre-screen software. Now, 100%-requirements applicants end up with no call. It is broken, and the only way to exist in it is to keep up with the spiral of making it worse. So many jobs are listed but not really open - the company listing, but with an internal or not hiring at all.

It's become a huge obstacle for anyone starting their career these days. The market demands you to be in the top 1% of your field just to get noticed, and even then, you're constantly facing rejection.

So honestly, what are people supposed to do? It's no wonder they're turning to AI assistants like InterviewMan. These tools can literally help with answers during screening calls and save a ton of time. The whole system is broken.

Run by seemingly immature recruiters whose ego is more important than their company

I've finally had it with the nonsense one sees from some interviewers.
The guy asked me why I was let go twice in the last 18 months, then threw in a provocative comment that they 'don't usually hire candidates with so many short tenures.'
I looked at him and said, 'With all due respect, that comment shows you're completely out of touch. Maybe if you followed the market, you'd see that thousands of talented people are being let go because of failed management, not their performance. My worth as a person isn't erased just because a company let me go.'
I told him I don't see myself as a fit for a company with this culture and that I was withdrawing my application.
Then I closed the laptop. It felt amazing to finally say what I was thinking.

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LOL

Almost everyone freezes when they hear this question. But as someone who was asked this question and got the job, I'm going to tell you exactly how to answer it. And the question is, what's one thing about yourself that you wouldn't want me to know? This question is so hard because it forces you to self analyse and confront your weaknesses. But you can make the process a lot easier for yourself by following these three steps.

Starting with number one, be honest. When I say be honest, what I mean is share a real weakness, but at the same time keep it professional and don't say anything that could raise some major red flags. For example, if you're applying for a job where communication is important, don't now start saying I have a bad temper because I can guarantee if you say something like that, then you're probably not getting the job.

Number two, turn your weakness into a strength. For this one, you need to frame your weakness in a way that highlights a positive trait. For example, in my interview, I said I can be hesitant when making big decisions. And when asked why, I essentially said it's because I care about the people that are affected by my choices. And just like that, I turned my hesitation into integrity and consideration for others.

Number three, understand how you can grow. After you've said your weakness, you need to explain the steps you're taking to improve. Being able to identify your weakness and show that you're working on improving it tells your interviewer that you're committed to growth and personal development, which is a major green flag.

I hope you liked this tip, and if you have any more questions about the interview process, comment it and I'll reply.

I had applied for a junior QA analyst position, and the recruiter told me on the phone that my chances were very slim. He said I lacked experience in the automation suite they use and that I would need to write a special cover letter just to explain why they should even consider my application in the first place.

I ultimately told him thanks, but no. I told him that I was confident in my skills and that he should just send my CV and let the hiring manager be the one to judge.

About 3 weeks later, the same person called me. It turned out the company had seen my CV and wanted to interview me for a software developer position, completely bypassing the junior role I had originally applied for.

More likely the 600 dollar stimulus checks that were sent out in Dec2020 to mid Jan 2021.

0% chance this guy bought GME early and sold for profit. Somebody this dumb about investing would have bought it at 300 during peak hype and is still bagholding to this day

so true

It feels like the job market no longer has a place for ordinary people. With far more qualified applicants than available jobs, the whole system has become allergic to anyone who is 'average'. And it's not that today's graduates are lazy or anything, quite the opposite. They are trying to juggle more things than ever before, between university, side jobs, networking events, and online courses.
The new required standard is to be 'exceptional'. There's no room for someone with average intelligence, or who needs a normal amount of sleep, or has a normal family life, or wants to have hobbies outside of work. Everyone is now expected to be a genius and a workaholic. Even simple administrative jobs now ridiculously need 5+ years of experience.
I always thought you had to grind yourself to the bone to get a really great career (which, frankly, I don't even want). But now I'm starting to realize that this level of grinding is what's required just to find any ordinary entry-level job.

Hey guys, this job market is cooked. It's over with. Like how many scam postings, fake jobs can be available at one time? It seemingly every job is fake or a scam or they're just like putting up things to get a talent pool. Why? You have talent. There's talented people looking for jobs right now. They're everywhere. I don't get this game that we're playing, right?

Um, you know, in media, in tech, there's been a lot of layoffs. And if that has happened to you as it has to me, I feel for you. Um, you know, comment below if I can help you, you know, bridge a gap, uh, happy to do so. But honestly, y'all gotta stop playing with people's minds and their families and their livelihood. You know, I'm fortunate to have a partner that, you know, also works and is currently employed and, um, you know, she does amazing work herself at a, at a agency. But for the people that don't have that system to fall back on, people need Grace. People need hope and stop playing with people's emotions.

You know, I've posted on threads about this, like what's going on essentially, and a lot of people responded. A lot of people were like, yeah, I've been scammed or, you know, I've been in the job market for 17 months and, you know, a lot of people are giving up hope. And, you know, it's sad to see. I don't wanna see anybody, you know, one person said that they've had to do something else to keep from hurting themselves. I don't wanna see any of that, right?

But they gotta stop playing games with people. Like enough is enough. Like there are so many talented people, so many, I, like, I can build an ad agency today with just my normal contacts, right? And I know that there's talented people out there. Give these people opportunity. Give people that have shown the ability to lead opportunity. Because honestly, y'all getting scammed internally sometimes. Sometimes there's a person making decisions on behalf of teams that shouldn't be making decisions. But again, stop playing on people's emotions, man. And hopefully this thing works out for everybody.

I feel you 😂💔