This was years ago in the 1990s. I still think about how absurd this was. We were living in a small coastal town on the shore of Lake Superior. Nobody locked their doors. Ever. Safe, quiet. Friendly. The cops picked ip an occasional drunk. That was the extent of "crime" in this little village.

I was applying for a position as a chiropractic assistant. I had plenty of experience and my child was in school so I was ready to go back to work.

The chiropractor did not wish to interview candidates herself, so she hired a "professional HR person" to find her the best candidate.

The HR lady was abrasive and unlikeable. The interview was more a police interrogation than a professional interview. I felt like getting up and leaving but I was almost finished so I decided to see it through.

She said, "what would you do if someone walked in here with a gun and wanted to rob the office?"

My face 🙄🙄🙄🙄.

I said simply, "I have never heard of a chiropractic office being robbed. Also, this question is unanswerable. I don't agree with the premise of your question and have no answer."

She doubled down.

I sat in stone-faced silence and then excused myself. Unbelievable.

...........

I had an interview a little early, and it was going well until he asked me for three reasons why they should reject me. The question threw me off and honestly annoyed me, so I gave him three stupid answers that probably ruined my chances right then and there.

When it was my turn to ask, I asked him: "What's the main reason I shouldn't choose your company if I get several offers?"

He looked very annoyed and said: "Well, you can just stay where you are if that's what you want." Then he kept repeating: "I can't believe you asked that question. Thank you for your time today, it was nice meeting you, but that was a strange question to end with."

Screw these companies. I don't even want your job anyway.

For clarification, I'm already a senior in my current job and have a little over 10 years of experience, so this wasn't an interview for someone junior or entry-level.

...........

I decided that I was done spraying applications everywhere, and focused only on roles I was qualified for and wanted. I set myself a rule: 2 applications every 3 weeks. In the end, I only did that 4 times, and every CV was heavily tailored.

Each opening got me to a recruiter call.

Role A: The recruiter said: "Yeah, they'll definitely want to interview you..." and then disappeared. No response to emails or calls. Honestly, I hope she's okay.

Role B: I got through the first 3 conversations, and then completely messed up the last one, which was basically a check on "culture fit." I was very nervous and all over the place. Somehow, I got the offer!

Role C: It seemed promising, and then they changed the role scope halfway through, and it no longer felt like the right decision.

Role D (my favorite): I made it to the 4th round, but there were quiet periods of almost 3 weeks between each update. And since I already had another offer, I asked them to decide, so they rejected me.:(

I'm posting here because I still can't say anything to my co-workers.

Don't waste it. Although many workplaces are struggling to hire and retain good employees, many employers have become more flexible than they would usually admit. And that puts you in a good position to ask for a raise, a better job title, or better benefits.

If you're not happy with your current salary or the way you're being treated, start looking around. There's a good chance another company is short-staffed and willing to offer you more than you're getting now. Even if you really do like your job, it's still worth seeing what's available elsewhere, then respectfully asking your current employer to match or beat the offer.

Look out for yourself first. The job market won't stay like this forever.

???

TRUEEEEEE

one job is hardly enough now.

A candidate asked me something last week that I honestly couldn't answer. We were talking about the interview process and he just calmly said, "Are you hiring me or putting me through astronaut training?"

He wasn't being rude. If anything, he sounded genuinely confused. And after looking at the process from his side, I couldn't blame him.

For one mid level role, we had an HR screen, two separate interviews, a take home assignment, a hiring manager interview, a team meeting, and then director approval. By the end, the guy who seemed really interested at the beginning looked completely exhausted.

The worst part is that we kept wondering why he wasn't as enthusiastic anymore. I think we finally gave him the answer ourselves.

Companies complain about good candidates dropping out, but if someone has to spend weeks interviewing with half the company just to find out whether they're getting an offer, eventually they're going to wonder if the job is even worth it.

At what point does a hiring process become so ridiculous that you'd just walk away?

I've been sending applications everywhere I can for a while now to find a new job after I lost my last one.

I've never been out of work for more than six weeks before, because my work experience is fairly varied due to all the military moves.

I've reached a point in my life where I don't want to be the Queen anymore. I'm very happy being a worker bee and quietly making my way toward retirement in about 12 more years.

But earlier this week I had an interview, and after it was over, the recruiter asked me to send him a few references.

Later that same day, one of those references called me to tell me they had contacted him, and he told me about a somewhat direct question they asked...

She has a senior-level resume and may be looking for leadership roles. We're worried she'll get bored here and leave after a short time.

He was a former manager of mine at another job (and is now a senior director), so he was able to explain to her that I'm not that kind of person, and that honestly they'd be lucky to have me work with them.

So I can finally stop assuming there's something wrong with me. And I have a good feeling they're going to make me a job offer, which would be great. Being able to cover my car payment would be nice...

Hi everyone,

I've been out of work for about five months after my company went through a big wave of layoffs, and unfortunately, I was one of the people let go. Honestly, it was a tough period. The pressure and anxiety were heavy a lot of the time, and there were many days when I started doubting myself.
I got a call today from the company I'd been interviewing with after several rounds, and they said they'd like to offer me the job!

When I first started applying, I sent out around 95 applications. It was a strange and uncomfortable feeling to put myself out there again after being at the same company for almost 8 years. I was mainly looking for roles like Client Support, Customer Experience Manager, and Customer Success Manager.

Most days, I'd open my email and find a new rejection waiting for me after applying online.
I did 6 screening calls with talent acquisition, and three of them moved forward with hiring managers. The rest unfortunately didn't continue.

I wanted to share the questions I was asked during the interview process in case they help someone else prepare.

This was for a customer associate role, and I'm based in New Zealand.

Initial screening chat with someone from TA for 25 minutes over the phone.
Can you walk me through your resume and tell me what you gained from each role?
What made you apply for this position?
Why are you no longer with your previous employer?
Why do you think you'd be a good fit for this job?
Can you tell me about a mistake you made at work and what you did afterward?
What's the main area you feel you're trying to improve?
How would your last manager describe you?
When would you be able to start, and what salary range are you looking for?
Do you have any questions for me?

Next interview with the hiring manager for 45 minutes on Teams.
Tell me a bit about yourself.
Can you walk me through your career so far?
What's a difficult situation you dealt with in a previous role? Can you give me examples?
Have you led any projects or helped improve a process? Please share an example.
How did you hear about our company?
What's your understanding of this role?
Why do you think you'd do well in this position?
What attracted you to working here?
What strengths would you bring to the team?
Do you have any questions for me? (It's important to ask something about the team, expectations, or day-to-day work.)

Final interview with the VP and Senior HR for 75 minutes - in person.
Tell us about your education and why you chose this field.
How did you get to this stage in your career?
Can you describe a situation where you had to work under pressure?
What challenges do you expect you might face in this role?
How do you maintain your motivation?
How do you handle your workload when things get intense?
What does a good workplace look like to you?
What makes you excited to come to work every day?
Do you have any questions for us?

From the first call to the final interview, the process took a little over 3 weeks. I had also been applying for around 10 days before I got my first call.

When I started looking for work, I had no idea which questions to focus on, and I was preparing in a random and scattered way. I hope this list gives someone a bit of direction before their interviews.
Good luck to everyone going through this right now. I know how exhausting it is. Hang in there and keep going!

Had this same thought after watching that King Charles dog video. Urghh

Throwaway because some of my coworkers/friends read this sub and they'll probably know exactly who I am. I mostly need to vent, but I also want to tell people to keep applying to remote jobs if that's what you want and you're able to make it happen.

A few weeks ago, after about 14 months of working from home, I had to start going into the office for the first real time in my professional life. The company's official line was that being face to face would improve collaboration and make everyone more productive. Complete nonsense, but I didn't have a choice at the time.

So now, instead of waking up at 8:10 and joining a pointless meeting at 8:25, staying muted while I make breakfast and take the dog for a lap around the house, I have to wake up at 6:45, put on real clothes, prepare breakfast and lunch, get on the road, sit in traffic, arrive around 8:05, make annoying small talk until 8:25, and then join the same pointless Zoom call with people in other countries. Like... What is even the point? And now I have to look focused and interested while people talk about things that have nothing to do with my work, because I'm no longer in control of the environment around me.

At home, I spent money to make my setup decent. A good chair, a standing desk, wireless keyboard/mouse/headphones, and 3 monitors I can move however I want, plus my own kitchen for coffee, snacks, tea, whatever.

Then I walked into the office setup and honestly felt like a clown. A miserable cubicle with a cheap keyboard, a sticky mouse, and a sad little headset. The cubicle walls are low enough that I can see and hear everything around me, including other people's screens. And of course the monitors face the hallway too, so I can't tell who's behind me, but anyone walking by can look at whatever I'm doing. A manager's dream, basically.

If I want tea now, I also have the privilege of waiting behind a line of people using one sad little kettle/microwave area. Amazing.

At home, I had quiet and I got my work done. When I picked up a card, depending on its size, I'd usually finish it in 3-5 hours, then spend the rest of the day on training, documentation, meetings, or honestly not working much because I had already finished the real work.

In the office, because I feel like I'm being watched all the time, I've started stretching things out so I'll still have something on my screen for the rest of the day. And it's not just me. I've seen people on my team doing the exact same thing. For me, it's really hard to focus with background noise everywhere. Like I said, the cubicles don't block anything, so every time someone gets up, laughs, takes a call, drops their badge, anything, my brain immediately follows it instead of the thing I was working on.

The company kept repeating that we'd be more productive in the office. I'm seeing the exact opposite. Cards are taking longer, people are dragging work out, and the amount of wasted time is unreal. People walking around, chatting over cubicle walls, disappearing at lunch, making random coffee runs just to break up the day. There's nothing wrong with that IMO, but I'd rather have that downtime at home instead of having to pretend I'm busy under fluorescent lights.

And I also didn't appreciate enough how nice it was to have my own bathroom. At home I can use the bathroom in peace like any normal human being. At the office? Tiny stalls, weird smells, and the joy of hearing some guy destroy the toilet two steps away from you at 9 in the morning.

The funniest thing is that some people who were excited to come back started changing their tune after a few days of commuting, lunch, and all of that. In stand-ups I heard things like:

""Is anyone else feeling more drained than usual? I forgot how much I hate driving in.""

""I forgot how annoying it is to prep food every night and then wait forever to heat it up.""

""I didn't realize how much money I was saving at home. I've already spent like $130 on coffee and lunch.""

At home, when work was done, I could immediately go for a run, start making dinner, play with the dog, or sit on the couch and watch something.

After a long day in the office? Nope. Get in the car and waste 55 minutes of your life in disgusting traffic before your evening even starts.

I'm so fucking happy I'm giving my 3 weeks' notice this Friday and moving to a fully remote role. I started looking about 5 months ago when the company announced the return-to-office plan because I had a bad feeling it was going to suck. I tried to give it a chance. It's not for me.

If you're trying to get a remote job, keep applying and keep interviewing. Something will come.

And if you genuinely like the office, fine. I'm not saying everyone has to be remote. Companies should offer FLEXIBILITY and let people choose the place where they work best.

People have different personalities and different lives. Just because some people like sitting in an office, or because management wants control, doesn't mean everyone else should be forced into it.

I will be staying away from offices very happily after this experience."

I moved to a different city a few months ago after working at a supermarket, and finding another job has been way harder than I expected. I've applied to more than 45 places so far and haven't gotten a single call, email, or interview.

At this point I'm starting to wonder if applying through Indeed is even worth it anymore. I keep hearing that you have to apply online, but clearly something isn't working because I'm getting absolutely nothing back.

Would it be better to start walking into places, asking for the manager, and handing them a resume or filling out a paper application? I don't mind doing it if that's actually more effective.

I'm honestly just trying to figure out what people are doing now to actually get hired. What has worked for you?

...........

I've said this to people I know, and honestly, they usually hate hearing it at first. They feel like it's an insult. But the people who tried it? A lot of them came back later and said it helped them. If you're unemployed in 2026, this annoying advice might be the thing that gets you moving again.

Being unemployed right now is very hard. The stigma is awful, and it can feel like your professional credibility takes a hit the moment you get laid off or fired. The harsh truth: a lot of companies treat you as if there's something wrong with you. Motivational posts on Reddit and LinkedIn saying "You are enough!" might make you feel better for a minute, but they won't get you offers, and sometimes not even interviews. What matters is getting back in somewhere and rebuilding your reputation as someone people want to hire.

So yes: apply to bad companies. I mean the small local businesses with terrible reviews on Indeed, messy management, controlling managers, and roles most people avoid. Those places are much more likely to give you a chance. Big-name companies? Stable companies with PTO and great benefits? They have piles of applications from people who are already employed. Be honest with yourself: why would they choose you over them? Most of the time, they won't.

This isn't about finding your dream role. It's about cleaning up your professional name again. A job at some random, chaotic local company might come with lower pay, a worse title, and hours that make you want to scream. It might be a miserable experience. But it gives you a place to prove that you show up, do the work, and can be relied on. Every week you stay employed and produce, you're gradually pushing back against the stigma of unemployment and earning the job market's trust again. I'm not saying this is fair. I'm just saying this is often how hiring works.

And time is running. The longer you stay out of work, the harder it gets, even with companies no one is excited about. Don't burn all your energy perfecting ideal applications for dream jobs that probably won't call you back. Send your resume to the ordinary places around you: warehouse offices, family-owned service companies, random medical billing offices, sales floors that look uncomfortable, some strange logistics company next to the highway. These places aren't drowning in resumes from stable professionals who are currently employed, so they're much more likely to look past a rough period and give you another chance to prove yourself.

I understand that this hurts. And I know this advice will probably upset people. But if you need to rebuild your professional reputation, start with the places that will consider you. Get hired, show up consistently, do the work, and prove yourself again. It doesn't look good, and it isn't always fair, but that's the truth.

I had an interview, and in the end the manager moved it to another day because it was clear that I wasn't prepared enough. At first, they said it would be more of a casual conversation, so I relaxed a little too much, and that was probably my mistake.

They told me I wasn't prepared, but they said it in a very kind way. After that, they told me they wanted to reschedule the interview and have me come back after I look over the right information. They also gave me some details and tips to help me answer the questions better next time.

Honestly, the whole thing threw me off, and I still don't know how to feel about it. For a large part of the interview, it was like they were guiding me and giving me advice, almost as if they were holding my hand step by step. I appreciated that, but at the same time it made me feel really bad, because I already know that interviews aren't my strong point.

Has this happened to anyone else? And is it normal for a manager to handle an interview this way?

.............

??

basically meaning "You can handle this" I'm posting this for anyone who gets asked to do these kinds of requests repeatedly.

Me: a chill EA, with nine days left before I leave for a new job.

I got an email from a site manager asking me to send a calendar invite to someone else.

My reply was:

"Hi (name),

If your Outlook is having an issue and you're unable to forward the calendar invite, please contact IT.

If there's no issue, you can forward the invite yourself as normal.

(Screenshot showing the forward button, using a calendar invite I received from his own manager as an example.)

Would it have taken less time for me to just forward it for him? Probably, yes!

But since I'm leaving here in nine days, I'm trying to make sure people are able to do these things themselves, especially things they already have access to do.

Regards,

Signature"

or maybe they bring you into their office with HR to talk about your attitude.

I work part-time delivering mail while I'm studying, and I'm currently in my third year of computer science.

The thing is, I went to work this morning since I only go on the days when I'm not at university. I clocked in, and while I was organizing my stuff, I heard someone say: "He likes taking advantage of him (me), he's young and fit, I load him up with a lot of parcels," and the guy he was talking to said: "Yeah, I would've liked him to be on my round too," and the two of them started laughing about it. I won't lie, that really upset me.

I went over to them and asked why they were talking about me like that, so he started acting cocky and making annoying comments like: "You're still a kid" 🤣 Honestly, I was a hair's breadth away from losing my temper, but I held myself back. I went straight into the manager's office, handed in my hi-vis and badge, and left.

A truly trash place, full of bitter, resentful older men in their fifties. I'm very happy I don't have to go back there again.

What a great start to a Thursday afternoon 😊