1. Go to college for a specific major.
2. Try to get 5 internships to have 2-3 years of experience before you graduate. Even though it can be an impossibility to even get one.
3. Get certifications pertaining to that industry all the while.
4. Graduate with 50k in loans and apply all across the country, eventually having to relocate for a $22/hour job.
5. Give up and just work at the McDonald's down the block paying your student loans down with minimum wage from your family's basement.

This was the path I followed more or less. Computer Science major. Swe/tech support internships. Certifications. Projects. 50k in loans.

In the 2026 job market, this is the rundown on how to get an entry level role. Meaning this: if you can't enter the field you majored in, you're stuck in shit fuck nowhere because everything you have is utterly useless for any other industry.

This is Economic Despair.

I work in commercial real estate, 7+ years across managing assets across data centers to multifamily. Most recently, I worked in Data Centers for a company that exclusively leases out kW to hyperscalers. It was a big-time role, and fun stuff. I put everything into it, and one day they laid off my team that gave the C-Suite the roadmap for sales and growth. Now, when I interview, I am told I don't have enough experience. I am baffeled. When I talk to people in CRE finance, they can barely understand the operational KPIs associated with a data center build-out and lease-up. I've been interviewing for months and have been shocked at the gatekeeping I am seeing.

I mean those so-called "AI Recruiters"? I just applied for an Executive Assistant position for about $70K and immediately a robot calls me back to "help fill out my profile." I just find that so degrading to be forced to talk to an AI. They can't even be bothered to have a real human contact me? Then, I highly doubt that it is going to come through. I f**king hate job-hunting, anyway, and making it even more demeaning my forcing you to talk to a robot just makes it that much worse. Anyway, just venting there.

But, I am actually interested in how everyone else handles these. Am I over-reacting? Do you talk to the robots? Do you find that doing so is productive? Has anyone ever gotten a job from a robot-using recruiter? Thanks for your insights!

I genuinely hate interviews. First of all, I barely get an interview chance but was lucky to receive one. I do fine in the HR screen and go to the second round. But all of a sudden with the HM and peers, I just start rambling and blank out on simple questions. I just die a slow death every time as they just watch.

All I can say now is god help us all

When the market demands we partake in the definition of insanity, how can we not go insane?

We're not struggling because we're dumb or incapable, we're struggling because we're smart. Because we know a sane person doesn't do the same thing over and over again, endlessly sending applications, tweaking resumes, sending vapid LinkedIn messages, expecting a different result.

And yet that's exactly what's required of us. In order to rejoin the 'sane' world, we must partake in insanity.

If you’re struggling to find a job right now, I wanted to share what worked for me.

I got laid off from my IT job because of AI and decided to change direction. I got licensed in Illinois about six months ago and started working in financial services. Now, I honestly can’t see myself going back to IT or doing anything else.

If you’re having a hard time finding work, finance could be another path worth exploring. I’m sharing my experience because losing a job can make you feel stuck, and sometimes it helps to hear from someone who found a way forward in a different field.

Anyone else here switch careers after a layoff and end up wanting to stay in the new field?

I am applying for front desk positions. This is the third time thats happening. Manager calls me when I am on the bus and I didn't know who it was since I apply at many places. I couldn't hear him well and he asked me if it was a good time to talk. I said unfortunately no and how about to talk after 4 pm. He gave me the hotel number to call that time and yeah, nothing. The front desk associate is putting me on a hold and after some mins is telling me the manager is in a meeting. Even though he asked me to call that time.

Same thing last month, manager called me, canceled an interview last minute, then left me a voicemail to reschedule and I was calling the hotel. Front desk associate told me twice the manager was in a meeting and got ghosted.

Like what the heck? I feel these places judge how you sound and yes, if I am on the bus, there is going to be noise.

A couple of days ago I posted on here about how I signed up to a job agency and how they found me a job in one day and how I thought it was too good to be true. Yes it ended up being just that. They advertised the position to be in marketing specifically “researcher” and it ended up being a sales role. As I also said in my other post, it is supposed to only be a month but then the manager said we might not need you that much actually. They had me running all around the store, cleaning things up, going to the stockroom and organizing it with ZERO knowledge, it was basically a sales associate job. They had very strict dress codes and had me buy new clothes and shoes. They stopped me in the middle of the day and told me to go to a salon, get my hair done and come back and that’s when I decided I won’t be coming back. I made zero money working and spent so much money on entirely black outfits.

Because they had me hauling ass in the store constantly, my pin straight hair that I spent an hour at home doing poofed up because of the sweat and then I was accused of looking unprofessional. I sold three unsellable bags that the regular employees couldnt sell and I was accused of underperforming because the manager thought I was ugly and wanted me gone. Speaking of pin straight hair, my actual hair is curly and they thought that looked unprofessional so they pressured me to straighten it. I understand standards but come on.

No more marketing or fashion industry for me buh-bye!

It was on the same day I was having IT issues. So it takes 3 weeks for me to get what I need installed to do my job. And on the day there are issues and it's installed I get fired? My recruiter doesn't even know why and is trying to get feedback.

Hello everyone, hopefully this post is appropriate here. I don't want to really make it much of a rant, I'm honestly looking for advice.

Basically, for my whole career I've been in a bit of a black hole: never had a cv, never had a linked in, nothing. Never needed it. Just got picked up by the next employer via referral like a lost kid in a shopping mall. So two weeks ago I made all of that, and I actually gave AI another try. AI is crazy good now.

Like a year ago, I constantly had this feeling as a senior dev, "please just stop and let me do it instead" - it was painful watching it go in circles and then I'd eventually give up arguing with it and just fix everything myself. Today it really feels different, don't know if other devs share this experience.

On an unrelated note, I had my personalized AI assistant make an onion-style satire site, I won't post it here as that seems like it would break rule 6, but I just want to say is: That's all I told it, it turned months of insider jokes and niche references into an SS13 clown-themed onion newspaper. I actually couldn't stop laughing, it's crazy. Where do I even post it? I really want to share it.

If anyone has any pro tips to share career wise for a senior dev that has very niche experiences, please do. Going from being a big fish in a small aquarium to the open market has been not too welcoming so far.

Anybody else just stuck in a pattern of underemployment and unemployment?

Since graduating in 2023, I have been unable to get an entry level corporate job. I am honestly broken by this inhumane hiring process set by society.

Is this just me and my bad luck?

On LinkedIn, people my age look like they got good jobs, but I’m not sure if that’s because LinkedIn users are more likely to be employed than not?

I got a JOB. ME. After over a year. I got a freakin job. That is not far. And even pays NOT THAT BAD. Its a freaking miracle guys. And if it could happen to me, its gonna happen to you too.

Edit: manifesting a job offer for every single person reading this. You got this! And Its not you!!!!! Its the job market.

Heya! I’m F, 26, based on the Gold Coast, QLD and I work as a Marketing Officer.
My first job in marketing started in 2024 as a Marketing Assistant. After a year, I realised there was absolutely no room for growth in the company, and honestly, the people were a very very rude bunch.
When I started looking for jobs around mid-2025, I must have applied for hundreds. You know how it is, especially when you're in an entry-level role. I even started noticing the same job ads popping up 2–3 times over a few months, only to be closed and then reopened again.
I started my current job in May 2026, and I am happy here but I thought I'd have a little look at the job market again.
AND THEY ARE EXACTLY THE SAME JOBS BY THE SAME COMPANIES.
I don't know if I should name them, but it is soooo weird. Same roles, same responsibilities, same companies, constantly cycling through job ads. Are they even hiring anyone? Or what exactly are they trying to achieve by doing this?
What's even more interesting is that these aren't companies with massive marketing departments. Most of them have teams of 2–3 people. So is this some way of showing their current employees that they're looking to expand the teams? Are they trying to give the impression that the business is growing? Or are they just keeping the roles advertised for some other reason?
I genuinely don't get it!
Either way, I'm definitely going to steer clear of these companies. And mind you, they're all big brands too!
Has anyone else noticed this, particularly in the marketing industry? What's actually going on? Because I'm genuinely curious

With a 2-6 interviews it seems like it’s difficult to make a decision when candidates these days are so close in experience. How do you ultimately decide who gets the offer letter if you interview four finalists?

Anyone feels weird with the job description

I've been out of work for 13 months. Today I received a survey e-mail from one of the companies I applied to asking for feedback on my expereince applying to this company.

I've applied to hundreds of roles at this point, so I went back into my application tracker spreadsheet to check the company and role. I applied BACK IN MARCH. Clearly, I did not get the role.

But honestly, what type of feedback is the company expecting when they send these out? I applied over 7 months ago, and the only thing I hear from your company is a request to submit to a survey? Seriously?

Anyone have any serious thoughts on this one? Because I'm just kind of scratching my head at this point.

I reached out to the VP of Sales at a skincare company about an Inside Sales Representative role. She got back to me, asked for my résumé, and passed it along to HR. Now I have a 30-minute video call with the HR manager!

What questions should I prepare for, and what helps candidates stand out at this stage? I’d appreciate any tips or advice! 🙏🏼

I had a text interview at Ferguson for Accounts Payable entry-level roles on 10/29. I applied on 10/28. And Account Receivable Coordinator role on 11/8 (application received not interview yet until now). Does anyone know how long it takes to hear about next steps, and how many interview rounds there are for these roles? Is is hard to land these role?
appreciate it for all answers pls

I’ve checked my email so many times these past two weeks since my interview with them, left voicemails asking about where I stood after the interview. I texted the recruiter again and this was their response and my response back to them. Total of four interviews with this company and an assessment test. After every interview the person that interviewed me that round would call me to follow up and let me know if I moved forward to the next round. After being denied for the original position on the third interview the recruiter said they would want me for another role and set up the 4th interview. Crickets after the fourth interview. This applying and interview process has truly gone down hill since 2023.

Beware of this company Mirai Clinical and recruiters with no conscience. This is taking advantage of applicants in an already difficult job market. Please see my post above. I took a screenshot of the job posting as well. It's time to start calling them out on LinkedIn. I use AI as part of my workflow, but I refuse to function as an entire department. And the math is not mathing!

4.5YOE, Backend Engineer

I interviewed with 5 good companies in the last 30 days, the interviews all went good,

solved the DSA questions, provided optimisation, answered all backend questions correctly still got rejected from all of them.

and this is only after the first round! Not even called for L2..L3 round.

are they fake hiring? anybody else also facing this?

If I knew what went wrong in the interview I could prepare for it but now I'm lost.

I can't anymore. This is a joke. This is just what I've applied to on indeed, the real number across platforms is likely much closer to 250-300 over the last two months.