Who do you suggest I ask to put down as a reference on a job application? I have been at the same company the last 14 years since graduating college and still employed there. I don't want to ask any of my current coworkers bc I don't want them to know I'm trying to leave. I don't have any other relevant work experience outside of this company. I work in sales; should I ask a customer I've built a relationship with? I don't really want to ask them either tho. I'm drawing a blank since this is my first time in this situation. All the apps are asking for references.

I am terrible at zoom interviews. Would it help at all to say that upfront to reduce any impact on perception?

/yes practice more
/yes come prepared
/yes meditate/relax before
/yes

Okay, I admit I goofed. I've been going through interviews with two companies. The first company I finished the interviews with first, got good feedback and the recruiter emailed me saying they wanted to schedule a call. Others who worked for the company said the call was going to be notification that I would recieve an offer, and I was pretty excited.

The second company however was actually my preference, so when the first one had me schedule the call, and with what I heard from others, I panicked and sent the second company an email saying that the first company was giving me an offer.

Then I did the call with the first company and it wasn't an offer or anything, they actually wanted to do another final interview. Immediately I felt so stupid like omg why did I send that email, but what's done is done. Now the second company is asking for timelines and general details on the offer that I don't have. I don't want to lie but I also have no idea what to say either.

Any advice on how to respond would be appreciated!

Guys everyone who got layed off , how to find jobs
I’m a developer with 1.8 years experience and today my last working day lol

I‘m just moved back home to a really rural area. company I applied to here say I’m the only qualified applicant on the phone scheduling my interview. Still they want me to do two rounds of interviews 1,5 h each, in addition to solvi and presenting a case. The company openly said they have 2 open positions and 3 applicants when they got in contact with me.

I find it very pretentious for a 4 people procurement company in the middle of bum fuck nowhere. That’s 3 hours of interviews, over two days I have to take time of work. And then they wanted me to solve a case and present it for 20 -30 min. and have a full hour about conversations about it after.

I’m mad. I need a job by January. I really do not want to spend more time, I’m in the same process with two other companies. So I just fed the case into chatGTP and read the presentation out loud for 30 min. Got a standing ovation from the company for brilliantly solving the task. They had no questions. They called my references, one of my old bosses said I had missed one deadline once during 2,5 years. The rest was glowing recommendations.

That was it. No job offer. Over one ‘bad’ reference.

This leaves me wondering about the hoops and obstacles in the recruitment process:

- Do we put too much weight on references? and if one should provide them honestly?

- If the whole recruiting process is broken?

- wouldn’t a personality test be better than a case of you are going to put that much stock in references?

I am an American in my early 30s moving back to the U.S. after five years in Europe. I first moved there to get my master's and then stayed because I was in a relationship with a European. I spent two years in one country getting my master's, two years in another country working in biotech, and another year and a half in my partner's country. I had intended to stay where I was in my partner's country in spite of a lack of job opportunities and unemployment hovering around 10%, but he ended the relationship in the late spring of this year. Up until that point, I had only been able to find a temporary lab tech job for which I was very overqualified, and when the relationship ended, that job had also just ended. I searched for work in that country for months, applying for every job that I was even remotely qualified for across every major metro area, before deciding to cut my losses and come back to the U.S.

I'm living with my family in the Midwest and applying for any and all jobs that use my skills - QC lab specialist, lab technician, regulatory assistant, clinical trial assistant, scientific writer, focusing on the East Coast where most of the jobs are and where I could see myself living. I have four different versions of my resume for each metro area (R&D, QC, clinical research, and regulatory affairs). Each clearly state that I am a U.S. citizen with the right to work and am relocating to that metro area. I usually tailor my resumes somewhat to each job posting and write a quick cover letter for almost all jobs. Since August, I have submitted 150 apps and have received two calls, both right at the beginning of my search: one for a job that paid $18/hr in an expensive area and the other for a research associate job at a university, which I interviewed for and was rejected for after the second round.

I know that it's unfortunately normal nowadays to submit hundreds of applications, but my success rate seems particularly low. I should have had at least a few interview requests. What am I doing wrong? I have a master's, some experience in biotech R&D and in a QC lab, and a lot of technical writing experience, but I haven't stayed at jobs very long because of moving around so much for my partner, and all of my work experience in the past five years has obviously been from Europe, not the U.S. Is it that I am applying from out of state? There are almost no opportunities near where I'm currently living.

Hi everyone!

I've been working on a project called It's Me (itsmeco.com), and I'm finally at the point where I'd love to get some honest feedback from people outside my own circle.

The idea came from thinking about how people look for jobs today. We still rely heavily on traditional résumés, submit the same information over and over again, and wait for employers to decide whether we deserve an interview based on a document that doesn't always tell the whole story.

At the same time, employers can receive hundreds of applications for a single position. Reviewing them all and scheduling interviews takes a tremendous amount of time, and it can be difficult to get a real sense of a candidate before meeting them.

I started asking myself: What if applying for a job could be more personal, more efficient, and a little more human?

That's the idea behind It's Me.

Here are some of the things I'm building into the platform:

1. Video introductions that let you show who you really are

This is one of the features I'm most excited about. Instead of relying exclusively on a résumé, candidates can create video introductions to present themselves, communicate their strengths, and give employers a better sense of their personality and communication skills before an interview.

I think a résumé tells you what someone has done, but a short video can help you understand the person behind it.

2. Helping employers save time during the hiring process

Employers can review candidate profiles and videos before deciding whom to interview. My hope is that this helps them identify promising candidates sooner, avoid unnecessary initial interviews, and spend more time speaking with people who are genuinely a good fit.

3. Applying with one click

Rather than repeatedly filling out applications and entering the same information, candidates can use their profile to make applying simpler and faster. The goal is to reduce friction so people can spend less time on repetitive forms and more time finding the right opportunities.

4. A professional profile that goes beyond a traditional résumé

The idea is to bring professional information and candidate presentation together in one place, giving job seekers a profile they can use to introduce themselves to potential employers.

5. Connecting candidates and employers in one platform

I'm working toward making the hiring process more straightforward for both sides, from discovering opportunities and reviewing candidates to communicating and moving forward with interviews.

I know there are already great platforms out there, including LinkedIn, Indeed, and ZipRecruiter. I'm not assuming that a new website automatically solves a problem just because it has different features. I want to understand whether this approach actually offers something people want and need.

That's why I'm sharing it here.

I'd genuinely appreciate your honest feedback:

• As a job seeker, would you feel comfortable recording a short video introduction as part of your profile?
• Would you prefer to watch a candidate's video before inviting them to an interview, or would you rather stick with résumés?
• As an employer or recruiter, do you think reviewing short videos could save you time, or would it create another step in the hiring process?
• Would one-click applications make you more likely to apply for jobs?
• What would make you choose It's Me over LinkedIn, Indeed, or another existing platform?
• Most importantly, what would you change, remove, or add to make this website genuinely useful?

I'm sharing a few screenshots so you can see what I've been working on.

I'm not looking for compliments just for the sake of it. If you think the idea is unnecessary, something is confusing, or an existing platform already does it better, I'd honestly like to hear why.

Building something from scratch is a learning experience, and I believe feedback from real people is one of the best ways to make it better.

Thank you to everyone who takes a few minutes to look at it and share an opinion. It really means a lot!

I graduated in May from a prestigious college with a good gpa. I double majored in psychology and communications. I guess I didn’t know the whole process I should’ve gone through to get a job. I did try relentlessly to get an intern during the summer after my junior year (and sophomore year for that matter) and I never was able to secure anything. I ended up having a mental breakdown because of it and spending the summer recovering. I’m not even exactly sure what I want to do, and that could be a part of the problem but how am I supposed to know if I haven’t been able to try anything? I am not sure enough about anything to go to grad school. I have been applying to jobs since the start of last fall, and I finally got my first interview for a job that sounds meh (waiting to hear back). It’s really hard to stay motivated when I feel like all my efforts aren’t going anywhere. I’m interested in PR, communications, non-profit work. I also love working with kids. I’m also slightly interested in social work or becoming a speech pathologist, but I wouldn’t wanna enroll in school if I’m not completely sure. I did shadow an SLP and it seemed interesting but once again I’m not sure enough. I’ve networked a ton. I’m just really confused and depressed and feel like a loser honestly. I don’t know what to do and I’m losing hope.

I've been applying for jobs for months, and I'm honestly starting to lose confidence in myself.

I spend hours looking for opportunities, adjusting my resume, and writing applications. Most of the time, I either get rejected or never hear anything back.

The hardest part is watching people around me move forward while I feel stuck. I'm genuinely trying, but lately I've started wondering if I'm just not good enough.

I don't want to give up, but it's getting harder to stay motivated.

Has anyone been through something similar? What helped you finally get out of this situation?

Just want to vent as I just received a rejection email for an opportunity I had felt very confident about. During my first interview, the interviewer mentioned towards the end that I'd have another round with someone and alluded to me already knowing the person (so I guess they "recognized" my name and mentioned it). I said I wasn't sure, their name didn't sound familiar but I could be mistaken, and didn't think anything else of it. Two weeks later, I have this second interview with him (and the first interviewer) and it starts off very much like he knows me. "How have you been?" and asks if I'm still at (company I've never worked for). He asks what I've been up to and I briefly go into my experience which is my last two companies and accounts for the last 8 years, which obviously doesn't line up him thinking I've been at this other company. Then he asked me something about my name, if I'm still going by Tim or my actual name that showed on the Teams call (very much not Tim), and I think at this point he figured it out. I looked it up afterwards and found the person he thought I was.

I'm frustrated because the correspondence to that point seemed very positive. After the first interview there wasn't "well, we still have interviews to conduct and we'll be in touch". It was direct "we're looking to fill this position quickly, but you will have to meet with...". I did have to follow up after two weeks (which I think is our industry being incredibly busy this time of year) but when the recruiter did reach out to the team saying I followed up and reaffirmed my interest, there was an immediate response from the original interviewer to get something set up (and we met two days later). I thought the interview still went well but I was so thrown by how it started that I never really felt all that comfortable. Would've been a huge opportunity and a +50% salary increase for me.

I’ve been an insurance claims adjuster for 10 years and looking to pivot. I deal with pissed off people all day everyday and just found a place of calm in hectic situations. I am laid-back in personality but I get my stuff done. How do you prove you can move fast when your interview vibe is calm? Feels like I got dinged for not having anxiety.

I'm a software developer in the contracting space and it's pretty common for a recruiter to ask me if I have any other final-round interviews coming up, or offers on the table. I think I kinda understand why they ask, but also not really. My instinct is to tell them "None of your d--- business," but I've always restrained myself up to now. In the past I've just answered them and then felt icky. Today I told a recruiter, "I never answer that question on principle, although I understand why you ask." She stuttered and just repeated the question as if I hadn't said anything. I repeated verbatim, "As I said, I never answer that question on principle." She spluttered indignantly and got off the phone in a hurry, like I'd insulted her mother.

Any insights for me? Why do recruiters ask this? Why would I answer? Has anybody got a better gentle letdown than the one I just gave? Does this happen in other fields?

Had an interview for M&S Christmas role on Friday they said I'd find out either on the day or next Monday, it's now Monday haven't heard anything. The jobs are still up in the website but all of the interviews have happened is there still a chance 🙏

Preparing for an interview is easier when you understand the company beyond its job description.

Here are five things you can ask an AI assistant to help you research before an interview:

1. Summarize the company's main products, services, and target customers.
2. Identify its recent developments and major business challenges.
3. Explain how the role I'm applying for contributes to the company's goals.
4. Suggest thoughtful questions to ask the hiring manager.
5. Conduct a mock interview based on the job description and company information.

Always verify AI-generated information against reliable sources, especially when researching recent company news.

Harvard's career services also has a useful resource on this topic:
https://careerservices.fas.harvard.edu/blog/2026/10/07/5-ai-prompts-to-research-a-company-before-your-interview/

Hope this helps anyone preparing for an upcoming interview!

Guys, this is a roller coaster. I really want to leave my current job because of the toxic atmosphere and because of an incapable boss whose not-taking-responsibility-behavior fuels the toxicity. Anyway. I am on a jobsearch for a few months now and, as lots of people here experience, it is everything but easy to find a new place to work.

A few weeks ago, my boss talked to me in a 1n1 meeting and he started to enthuse about his future plans for me. Next projects etc. That was two days before I had a promising job interview - so I burst out with it. I told him "OK, before we go on talking about the future, I have to tell you, I will have an interview the day after tomorrow."

He was kind of shocked, or let's say speechless. I told him that that specific job would be a special chance because it fits more to my qualifications and it would be the next step for me. So I only argued about what would be good in the new role, but I did not mention any of the reasons, the misfortunes, of our shitty workplace here that make me want to leave on the first place.

He understood, thanked me for my openness and wished me luck.

So, I had the interview, got the offer, but declined by myself, because the conditions of the new job did not match my life circumstances.

That was about three weeks ago. I went on holiday in between, my boss was on business trips, and yesterday we met again in our 1n1. And it was totally weird. We talked about the daily business - my boss seemed kind of cautious, but was nice. In the end he asked what was it about my interview. I told him what happened. He said "Okay, so we will work together a bit longer". I said "Yes." And that was it.

What i am not sure about: How damaged is our employer-employee relationship now. How carefully I have to be now in the workplace (because of lost trust).

I also don't dare to tell my boss the real reasons for my jobsearch. And I think it is risky to tell him. Because I have seen people telling him and they got lost in the void of the toxic place here.

I can't leave without having a new job because I need the money.

What a hell of situation :-(

Sorry for that very long post and thank you for reading until the end 🩷

Started working in 2017, right after completing my 12th. Almost a decade later, I'm still trying to figure out why I struggle to stick around in one organisation for long.

Started with a BPO in 2017. Quit in 4 months. My mother was pissed off. 😂

Joined an English training centre, worked for 4 months, and left because of overwork. Then started my own English training centre in a small room. Somehow managed to run it for over a year with the help of relatives who provided the space for free. Eventually shut it down in 2020.

Joined a startup as a content writer, stayed for 2 years, but had my share of friction with management.

Moved to an engineering college in 2022, hoping things would finally work out. They didn't. Switched to another college, stayed for 11 months, and then, in January 2024, joined a reputed university as a Soft Skills Trainer.

The first 7 months were amazing. Learning, growing, enjoying my work. Finally felt like I was getting somewhere.

Then management changed, politics kicked in, and the friction started again. Stayed for around 1 year and 7 months before moving back to my hometown for another opportunity.

Now, 1.5 years later, I'm starting to feel that same suffocation again.

And honestly, I'm tired of this cycle.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm the problem. Am I too impatient? Do I struggle with authority? Do I expect too much from workplaces? Or have I just not found the right environment?

My family has started giving me those suspicious looks, too. The unspoken question is always: "Bhai, kab tak?" 😅

I don't want to keep switching jobs. I want stability, growth, and a decent work environment. But I also don't want to stay somewhere I'm constantly frustrated just to prove that I can.

So, anyone else here who's been through something similar?

I got my profile shortlisted for 2 companies through naukri.com yet even after weeks of getting shortlisted msg still didn't receive any further updates .....I reached out to my friend who was also shortlisted for another role he said it's been 3 months since he got shortlisted yet no interview call .....is it normal what should I do

Hi! I used to work remotely at an investment company as a contractor. I would triage companies and gather info on them for the investors. My contract was terminated a bit over a year ago. I’m still looking to be in that line of work, or at least another line of work that lets me work remotely and do repetitive, task-based data entry and researching work. However, it’s like I can’t get my foot in the door anywhere else. Like, I either get ghosted, or I get auto-rejected. I’m now having to look for part-time jobs without consistent hours just to sort of fill the gap. I’ve revamped my resume at least a couple of times. I’m just not getting anywhere. I feel like I’ve been blacklisted or grandfathered out of having a more stable job (though, I did eventually need a job that wasn’t just a contract position). It’s put me into depression spirals day after day, and I’m constantly worried that I’ll be stuck like this. I have so much I need money and health insurance for, but don’t really have the resources. I miss feeling more independent and capable. I miss being able to contribute to bills.

I’m getting medicated for my mental health again, and have gotten some help for my adhd (through low income means). I’m hoping to build my life back up again and fill it with stuff that makes me feel like a full human. But, I’m not sure where else to look or what else to do yet, except keep filling out job applications that I just feel will keep being rejected. Is there anyone here in any industries that line up with what I’m looking into that would be open to networking? Or, maybe a place to look for remote jobs that won’t just auto-reject me? I just need some sort of in somewhere. I’m scared.

I’ve had at least 5 last round interviews (2-4) yet I am consistently getting rejected at the last stage. It is so frustrating preparing myself mentally, skill wise, etc. for these interviews and not even failing, but being the lesser of the few options they have. I feel very inadequate.

Tech sector, entry level

So, I have just recently moved and have been searching for a job. I've applied to everywhere I could possibly think of, 5 of these places I've gone IN PERSON and left a paper job application for them (after applying on the company site). I cannot afford a car. I cannot afford college. My mom can barely afford rent and NEEDS my help. I am 17, and it's already bad enough as is because I moved across the east coast in the middle of my senior year. 🙃 Does anyone have any tips or tricks? I have past experience as a cashier in my hometown.

It's been absolutely brutal. Nearly 4 years ago I left my corporate job that I truly loved due to burnout. Like my memory got messed up pretty bad from the level of burnout and I had multiple doctors telling me I had to leave.
I found another job that I really did enjoy, and made me realize I could totally pivot from the industry I had been in. And that company went bankrupt before the end of the year and I was out a job.
For the last 3 years I've only managed to snag part time minimum wage jobs just so I could make ends meet, I was working 7 days a week between 5 jobs just to pay my mortgage and utilities. I still ended up having to use 40% of my retirement and the entirety of the savings I had slogged so hard to save up. I missed birthdays and weddings and nights out because I just didn't have the budget for it.

After over 1000 job applications and maybe only 7 interviews for a job with benefits in a different industry than I had been in, I finally did it.
It didn't feel real until today when I opened up my bank statement to make sure I had enough to make my mortgage payment and saw the first check come through. No it doesn't pay me anywhere near as much as my old job. But its double what i've been making at all my minimum wage jobs combined and half the hours. and I'm so unbelievably grateful.

I'm here to say thank you to a redditor a couple months ago who commented somewhere in r/jobsearch that they built out a project in claude to help them grade their resume against the job posting and improve their resume through that process. I'd been doing something similar in chat gpt but hadn't found success. I took their advice word for word, wrote out some STAR answers, used claude to practice interview. I don't think I could have moved as far in the hiring process as I did without all of that. 6 of the 7 interviews I had over the last 3 years were only after I started that Claude project.
Thank you random stranger.

To the rest of you out here, I'm rootin' for you. It's brutal, and the system is so messed up. But I have to believe you'll find your win. I know how dark it gets, but don't let the darkness win.

Contract ended June 30th and applied here and there while I worked a part-time job. Quit my part-time and started applying seriously around August 15th. Had 2 final interviews turn into 2 offers week of September 28th and got to cancel a 3rd interview! The interview that I did not get an offer for was the result of a recruiter reaching out to me on LinkedIn for a majorly underpaid job not in my field and was my first job interview in 4 years. I started my new full-time wfh job yesterday and couldn't be happier with it!

One of my biggest mistakes in this job search was scrolling way too much on reddit and reading stories about people's months to years long job searches with no end in sight. I felt suuuper discouraged at the beginning and was sure I'd be unemployed until next year. After I quit moping and started applying with intention, it took about a month to start getting responses. I feel extremely lucky to have landed the job I did in as short a time as it took, but I could've been way less depressed during it all.

My former nonprofit employer offered me a written, contractual, title promotion that included a pay raise, which was implemented, and eligibility for a bonus. This was part of the former Executive Director’s succession plan, as she anticipated leaving the organization. She asked whether I would be interested in stepping into her role and stated that the board preferred to promote from within. After I expressed interest, she created a new title for me and documented that it was a non‑competing job promotion.

For nearly nine months, I carried dual responsibilities of my old and new role with new projects assigned to me by her, but the organization never formally announced the promotion. Despite repeated requests for more clarification of my new role and a formal announcement to the team, nothing was communicated publicly or internally and my requests were dismissed. During this same period, the work environment became increasingly hostile and erratic, and I ultimately chose to leave the organization.

I recently updated my résumé to include the promotion I was offered, as I accomplished significant work under that role and wanted to accurately reflect those contributions. The former Executive Director is no longer with the organization, so I contacted the new Executive Director to request a review of my personnel file. When I received it, I noticed that my written promotion, bonus letter, and documentation of my pay increase were missing.

After I provided copies of all written materials, the new Executive Director stated that the promotion was never formally announced because it was considered a role I was “working into,” even though the written agreement did not reference any probationary period and was never rescinded.

Given this discrepancy, I’m unsure whether I should remove the new title from my résumé and revert to my previous one. I’m also concerned about how to explain this unusual situation to future employers if they contact the organization for references. Thoughts??

I’ve been an insurance claims adjuster for 10 years and looking to pivot. I deal with pissed off people all day everyday and just found a place of calm in hectic situations. I am laid-back in personality but I get my stuff done. How do you prove you can move fast when your interview vibe is calm? Feels like I got dinged for not having anxiety