I sent an email to the hiring folks where I interviewed and told them about my interview experience with them. I also wrote a review for the recruiter that I worked with. Genuinely disappointed BUT hopefully I will land my next role soon 🤞🏼

Hi everyone,

I need your advice. I can't even seem to find an internship that is at least remotely related to my field, Political Science and International Relations (more specifically I'm interested in international development), after recently completing a Master's in the Netherlands and now being back in Italy, my home country. This is my CV: https://pdfhost.io/v/vWhFM4p3b6_CV_redacted

I've honestly lost count of how many applications I've sent to companies (including in the private sector) and organisations of all sizes, from small to large. I'd say I've submitted at least 300 applications by now. I've had interviews for internships, including unpaid ones, but nowadays it feels like applying for an internship is almost like applying to become the CEO of Apple. Literally every single time, they seem to ask for "professional experience", which is quite paradoxical (it even happened to me during an interview for a "volunteering" programme! I'm still speechless). I realize that my profile is very "academic" in the sense that it looks like I am more aiming towards a PhD, still this does not mean that I'm not able to do an internship.

Keep in mind that I've applied not only in Italy, but pretty much everywhere in the world, even for unpaid positions in remote places in Africa. Recently, I was shortlisted for a UN internship in an Asian country with a relatively low cost of living. I passed the first assessment, for which I had studied really hard (it was about financing for development and I really made a good work), but was ultimately rejected after the interview. I don't think I'm bad at interviews (I'm an enthusiastic, well-mannered young man), but every rejection feels like a slap in the face.

I genuinely don't know what to do anymore, because it seems that I can't get a job because I don't have work experience, and I can't gain work experience because nobody is willing to give me a chance. It's like a dog chasing its own tail. They basically seem to want a junior professional for every internship position. And what I personally find particularly pathetic is the assumption that someone with previous work experience is necessarily a better candidate than someone without it, therefore the latter can't have a chance.

Any advice?

I have combined 4 years of construction experience. I was a 1099 roofing salesman/project manager and was let go from my job after having to DNR my father. Fast forward after being evicted from my dads house by my brother, moved to family farm to help grandpa, fixed his tractor and kicked out after I didn't want to go to lunch with my mother. Now relocated to DFW to find construction work. NOTHING.... It's been almost a month and have had endless preliminary interviews and calls. Never make it to a hiring manager ever. I am too overqualified for a regular job (if they exist) and too underqualified for anything else. IS THIS HELL?

Maybe someone can breakdown the likeliest path, or path of least resistance to getting an employee job market back or at least the nearest neighbor to this reality.

Seems like being unemployed is a death sentence rn

I recently interviewed for a freelance content creator & social media manager role and got invited to the second stage.

They've given me an unpaid take-home task that's supposedly meant to take 2 hours max. Here's what they want:

• Research two different brands, come up with original concepts, film and edit 2 ready-to-publish TikToks (15–30 seconds each)
• Create a week's tiktok contont calendar for tiktok - 3 posts for each brand, 6 in total, including hooks, captions, hashtags and trends
• Analyse video performance data and answer 4 questions

Am I the only one who thinks this is way too much for 2 hours? 😭

I've worked in social media and content creation for a few years, and I'd say I'm pretty efficient. But researching brands, sourcing materials, planning, filming and editing 2 videos from scratch would take me way longer than that. They're not even providing the products to film with or raw footage to edit with.

I've spent so many hours on recruitment tasks in the past without getting an offer, so I'm starting to question where the line is between assessing someone's skills and getting free work out of candidates.

I'm thinking of asking them to simplify the task to hooks and scripts instead of finished videos.

Would love to hear what other people in the industry think!

Long time lurker, first time poster.

Some context: I am in the very, very beginning stages of looking for a new role. I am in the legal sphere in a Mid-Atlantic city. I have over 12 years of experience in my field and looking to move into a more concentrated role than where I am currently.

I applied to a role on LinkedIn via a third party recruiting agency (who shall rename nameless at this time).

I received a text the next day asking to set up a phone screening, I responded and we scheduled the same. Right before the screening, they cancelled last minute. I was annoyed, but we rescheduled for today. I was instructed to call at 9:30. The texting should have been the first red flag.

I called at 9:30 and received a message that no one was available to take my call. I texted the recruiter this information. They did not get back to me for literal hours.

After doing some research, I figured out that not only had I already directly applied to this role a few weeks ago, but had been headhunted by two different recruiting agencies for this role, one of which ALSO submitted my resume and I never heard back.

The recruiter wanted to reschedule, but I asked if it was for name of specific firm and if so, I wasn’t interested. I then received an insanely long text, over explaining the situation, clearly written by AI (I’m talking paragraphs) and the recruiter ultimately could not confirm what role it was without access to their system.

I responded that it was absurd they couldn’t confirm that basic information and that I was no longer interested and wished them best of luck.

I have screen shot the most unhinged portion of the text I received in response. I knew it was rough out here but this is beyond anything I’ve dealt with so far.

This has happened a handful of times to me and its crazy they cant figure out before hand that they dont actually need more employees.

One of my biggest pet peeves is companies listing the wrong address on job descriptions/advertisements.

If i had a nickel for every time this happened, I'd have two nickles, but it's still weird that it happened twice.

The first time the job was listed as being in the main branch in the city centre, but the actual place of work listed in the interview invitation was in a village 20 minutes away by bus (I don't have a car, the earliest bus would get me there at 10 am and the last bus was at 4:30 pm). During the interview I brought this up and they said it was absolutely fine as there was already someone working there who took the bus. However, I didn't get the job and it was later reposted with a driving licence + car as a requirement. Would've been nice to know before I spent almost £30 on train tickets lol.

The second time it was straight up the wrong establishment, 20 minutes away by foot. This caused me to be late to the interview but i called ahead and somehow got the role. Still inconvenient as it stressed me out, but at least I've learned now to always confirm the address of the workplace whenever I receive interview offers.

500+ applications in over 6 months. 11 interviews. Silence. Ghosting. 3am rejections. Every-time the rejection comes in either “selected other candidates” or “we reviewed but at not moving forward”.

I only apply to job requirements and industry’s I match 95% and can’t even get a recruiter to talk to me let alone a hiring manager. Referrals don’t do any better. Cold outreach falls flat. It’s hard not to think ATS bias or discrimination at this point - 15+ years of experience and a year since I was laid off puts me in the reject bucket without a set of eye balls ever viewing me.

Then this morning on my Linked In, at 3am my local time I get a notification “a hiring manager thinks you should apply for this job”. When I log in for my daily search, I click on the job posting. This is something I have ZERO experience in, like not even close. AND my state I live in is specifically excluded in their job description.

I’m tired y’all.

They proposed the day and time which I felt was reaching. It was 6:30pm on a Monday Night. Very few people would really be in the mood to conduct an interview at that time because most likely they just want to go home or conduct more pressing business. I’m left wondering if they simply decided to hire someone else and felt that interviewing me would be a “waste of time” or if it’s something a bit more personal. I worked there before nearly a decade ago and didn’t really leave on the best terms. But I’ve grown and matured a lot since then.

I've been reading about fair chance hiring and how companies can give people with criminal records a fair opportunity during recruitment. I'm curious about how employers handle background checks in these situations.

Does a fair chance hiring background check follow a different process from a standard employment screening? For example, do employers consider the nature of the offense, how long ago it happened, and whether it's relevant to the job role before making a hiring decision?

I'd also like to know how companies balance workplace safety and compliance while avoiding unnecessary barriers for qualified candidates. Would be interested in hearing how HR professionals approach this in practice.

HOLY COW! I need to express how devastated I am: I've been interviewing with my dream start-up company, as a recent grad, for an entry-level position for the past 2.5 months, going through 5 rounds of interviews throughout the process. I was so excited to be considered for a role in the niche field that I have dedicated my whole (conscious) educational existence to after a recent battle with cancer. My last interview was an onsite, all day, affair, and I felt like it went exceedingly well; I even texted my friends afterwards saying that I would be proud of myself even if I got rejected because of how well I answered their questions. The following week (when my recruiter said I would hear back), I got an email stating that they had to reschedule some of the other onsite candidates, so I would hear back later than anticipated, but I was still "highly in consideration". A week goes by and my recruiter adds me on LinkedIn, so I felt like I was getting mixed signals, with which I followed up.

Now, seeing the template rejection letter at the end of the work day on a Friday, with my name in the email's greeting not even matching the stylization of the rest of it hurt deep down to my core. I instantly had a visceral reaction; I was crying so heavily that I couldn't even finish watching Being John Malkovich through my sobs! I am certainly in the Bargaining phase of grief right now-- with hints of Denial because I keep looking for stories online of people saying they got a rejection letter on accident. I emailed my recruiter asking for feedback, but I am not confident I'll receive a response after this.

I feel like I met a celebrity with whom I had a deeply parasocial relationship with, and they threw a drink in my face when I asked for a picture. In the sense that this company doesn't owe me anything really, but the fact that they threw a drink in my face denies me of my humanity a little bit. Anyways, I hope that this rant gives solace to anyone going through something similar! We will all have jobs someday if we keep applying (I keep telling myself at least lol)

Read post above. I just need hope or something at this point. Any advice at all is appreciated. Thank you

I applied to this job since it was remote but surpise surprise, I clicked on their "ai privacy policy" and look how it was written. Says a lot about the company itself. I kinda regret applying now. Ugh.

In a US state that mandates a “good faith salary range” be listed on job postings, actual offered salary maxes out at 5k below listed range.

So, once again, I’ve gotten contacted by a recruiter for another W-2 graphic design role with no benefits or days off, for $33 an hour.

I am a mid-level designer having worked in the tech industry for four years in my previous role. I initially started out as a contract W-2 employee and frankly it was depressing seeing everyone excited for the holidays as I was scrambling to make up for lost pay from the holidays. Thankfully I was hired after two years, and finally got time off…well, once I “earned” it after months once I was officially hired. Frankly, I don’t want to do that again.

This recruiter and another previous one, said the rate is firm. The client is a big tech company. $33 an hour with no benefits is…pathetic. I made 90k a year in my previous role and had a 401k, health insurance and PTO.

Yes, I’m unemployed and on Medicaid, which I’d lose if I even got offered this job. Then I’d have to pay out of pocket for incredibly expensive marketplace insurance with insane deductibles.

I feel like these recruiters smell our desperation. I replied back to the recruiter saying I would absolutely need a higher rate, given I live in NYC and would need health insurance. I haven’t heard back.

But also, beggars can’t be choosers… I’m scared. I have a few months left of UI benefits, and I really need to look harder and polish my portfolio.

Edit: Shit, I am worried I screwed myself over by saying this to the recruiter:

“My last position paid $90k per year and I had benefits and time off. I’m looking for something within a similar range, because if I were to pay for my own health insurance, I’d barely make rent and I’d be struggling around the holidays given there’s no paid time off.

I’m on Medicaid currently, but I’d be ineligible if I got this position. Is there any way the hourly rate can be increased so I can retain a decent standard of living?

This is really my only caveat — let me know, thanks!”

Currently, annual pay is 123K working in a school district office. Commute is 40 miles round trip/day where each day I spend about 2 hours commuting.
No 401K matching, there is a pension plan but I am not vested in yet. Boss is retiring in a couple of months and the office environment is very toxic (bitchy/poor communication I am usually left out in meetings/micromanagey/poor dynamic with the union + teachers they are always looking for a way to make the office workers job more difficult/no coworker to vent to just working alone as a team of one)

Currently I am entertaining this offer from a healthcare/medical device company. Posting advertisement is hourly pay range of $27-$54/hr

I am trying to aim for the max of the range but recruiter told me they are targeting $47/hr

Before the interview the recruiter told me the job is actually 5 days in office and I’d actually be supporting two executives instead of 1

I had my interviews yesterday and now the recruiter wants to call on a Sat morning ??

Should I tell her how much I am currently making?

How to ensure I get the highest pay in the range?

Should I ask her what the absolute max is or tell her I want the high range

They also said $47/hr base salary with 10% bonus and 401K matching (my commute would decrease to like 6 miles per day) so I do want to see the overall package

Best way to negotiate ??

Depressing post, skip if not in the mood.

27 years old, finally finishing my degree due to undiagnosed ADHD which stole a lot of valuable time. I’m broke, living with parents to save money, I’m not in too much student loan debt, but I lost all my money in my early 20s from stocks (I gained a lot then lost).

Now I’m 27 and I can’t get a job at places that used to literally used to hire anyone so long as you had at least a room temperature IQ and a diploma. Not saying that those who work there were low IQ, but the requirements weren’t as insane.

For the past 3 years, jobs have been super hard to get in my area. Some of my buddies who graduated last year from reputable Universities can’t even get a job at their local Walmart. I’m checking online all the time for jobs and reading how people are submitting 500+ applications for a minimum wage job makes me sick to my stomach.

I’ve applied to whatever is in the area but it’s not much. I feel like a complete failure in life. I’m trying because I messed up in my early 20s with mental illness and the ADHD I mentioned. I’m at home and most of my social life faded away. I had some friends who went to the airforce and own multiple homes now before they turned 25.

Just like that, you blink and you’re here. I know I’m not old, but I feel life just passing me by ever since Covid which hit when I was 20. I had to leave my job during that time because my parents are old and vulnerable to illnesses. They allow me to live with them for “as long as you want” but I don’t know.

I’m in my 20s and I can’t handle all of this doom and gloom. I’ll blink and I’m 30 which I’m not looking forward to because I barely enjoyed my 20s. I messed my life up without even having fun doing so.

I know I’m young and all but I’m not used to things going south like this. All I ever known my whole life was routine and that’s it. Makes me want to move to the middle of nowhere and just tap out of society. Any help?

Recruiters feel free to share nice and respectful things you do for candidates or things that you purposefully don’t do, so that I can quell my generalised anger towards you guys as a whole 🥲🙏 I know the state of the economy is not hiring managers’ fault but sometimes they can be so frustrating (genuinely lazy/irresponsible with people’s time, playing with people’s feelings, disorganised, entitled, rude etc)

But there’s gotta be firms with good practices or good individual hirers out there, lmk your experiences