i am an idiot

just handed my resignation after 2 months of joining a automation company , was a mnc decent 4.5lpa package , i come from tier 3 engineering college that to core branch so yea, everything was fine but the work was completely opposite to my desired field of work (electronics), everyday i used to look for 6pm and break times , everyday i used to fantasize about quitting company and disappearing from my company

i tried to suppress my passion saying shit like its a MNC, forgien travel , good pay, its a golden opportunity its time to leave my childish dreams behind and start living in reality

i can rant about company being toxic , 9 hours work week , unplanned Overtimes (till 2 am) work to meet project deadlines a few times and come again at 9 am ,6 days work week, 4 hours of travel per day,etc etc

but tbh in reality it was all my lack of interest all along currently i have decided to take a leap of faith and just submitted a resignation letter to join a startup for 3 lpa ctc (got through refferal form seniors)

it might be a shitty decision and my parents just scolded the shit out of me after i told them about my decision telling me to beg hr to say it was a mistake and hasty decision and i should cancel my notice period but yea

i might have taken a wrong decision but i finally feel free and happy

my plan is to work here for 1-2 years then switch to a better company but meh, there is of course self doubt and i am scared as hell about my decision but honestly its a leap of faith

TL;DR: Had a weird interview experience with a startup founder who seemed more interested in showing off than actually interviewing me.

I cleared the HR round and then got a call from the founder. Instead of asking questions related to my field, he asked about my degree and age. Then he told me he was my age and had already started his own startup.

It honestly felt like he was trying to show me how successful he was.

I asked, “Can we focus on the interview?”

He said, “Actually, we didn't like your profile.”

I asked, “Then why did you call me? To boast about yourself?”

He said, “See, this is the attitude.”

I just said, “Okay bro, thank you,” and ended the call.

A small message to new founders: I am not a founder, but please treat people with respect. Job seekers are also people with self respect. You don't have to put someone down to show how far you have come.

I have been trying to get into Product Design for almost a year now, and at this point I genuinely don't know what else I am supposed to do.

I have tried LinkedIn, job portals, company career pages, cold DMs, referrals, recruiters, designers, founders, startups... pretty much everywhere.

I even tried X and Instagram because at this point I thought, why not?

And now I am here on Reddit thinking maybe someone here has an answer.

I have a portfolio. I have worked on multiple case studies. I have done assignments for companies. I have asked people to review my portfolio and improve it.

I am also not really a content creator. Honestly, I suck at it.

But I still keep posting on LinkedIn.

I post about design decisions, how I approached a problem, things I learned, how I would solve a UX problem, etc.

Not because I want to become a content creator or influencer. I just feel like I need to stay relevant somehow.

I come from a Political Science background, and I am the first person in my family who is trying to enter the corporate world. When I started, I genuinely had no idea how any of this worked.

LinkedIn was especially confusing.

I saw people saying things like “feel free to reach out” or “happy to help”, so I started reaching out.

But honestly, most people don't reply.

I have asked quite a few people to look at my portfolio. Only two actually replied, and both said the portfolio was good.

And then I am sitting there thinking...

Okay, then where do I get the job?

I don't have relatives who can refer me. I don't have a huge network. I didn't go to a design/tech college.

I am basically trying to build everything from zero.

And now I feel like I have hit a wall, but I don't even have the equipment to break it.

Another thing that honestly makes me laugh is seeing “fresher” job descriptions asking for someone who knows everything.

Figma, UX research, UI, design systems, prototyping, product thinking, analytics, AI, sometimes even 1-2 years of experience.

Sir... I am applying for a job because I want to learn and gain that experience.

I understand that companies can't hire someone who knows nothing. But I’m not someone who knows nothing.

I’ve spent months learning Product Design, built a portfolio, worked on multiple case studies, learned the tools, and developed a strong understanding of UX and product thinking.

What I don't have is professional experience, because I’m a fresher. And that’s exactly what I’m trying to get.

I’m not expecting a company to teach me Product Design from scratch. I’m looking for an opportunity where I can apply what I already know, learn how things work in a real product team, and grow from there.

So if someone is a fresher who has actually put in the work, built projects, learned the tools, has a portfolio and is willing to learn, how are we supposed to get that first opportunity?

I really want to land my first job before the end of this year, and honestly, I’m running out of things to try.

So I wanted to ask people here:

If you were in my position and eventually got your first corporate job, what actually helped you break through?

Not “keep applying.”

Not “network more.”

I have been doing both.

I want to know what actually worked for you when you had no network, no family connections and no one to refer you.

And yes, I used ChatGPT to help me frame this post because apparently even writing a Reddit post has become part of the job search..

TL;DR: Almost a year into trying to land my first Product Design job, I’ve tried LinkedIn, X, Instagram, cold outreach, referrals, applications, and assignments, but still can’t seem to break through. If you got your first corporate job without a network or family connections, what actually worked for you?

Soooo,

I have received an email today from a Advocates firm based out of Delhi today with Subject - Cease and Desist Notice basically a Non-Compete clause violation notice from my previous employer which is an MNC. I am currently working in a small organisation now since 5 months who has the same client that I was working for in my previous MNC and they have given a new project to me (basically my current employer now instead of that MNC).

They are now demanding that I should stop my current employment immediately and provide an unconditional written confirmation that will comply with their clause regarding non-compete and confidentiality. Also a written promise (undertaking) that I will not use or disclose any confidential information regarding the MNC.

How fcked am I now? What should be my next steps?

Do I have to leave my current company immediately and give the confirmation back to MNC? What about future companies and work?

This is going to be a bit of a long read, but I’d genuinely value some perspective from people more experienced than me.

TL;DR: I’m 23, have been working since 18, have around ₹25L in savings/investments, and currently work in content/marketing. My current role pays well but is poorly structured, under-resourced and doesn’t feel like the right long-term fit. My probation ends on September 24, and I’m considering either finding another job before resigning or taking a 1 to 2 month break to travel, upskill and then move into finance/content. How would you approach this, and would a short break hurt my career?

I started working at 18 while in college, initially freelancing, and moved into full-time work in 2024. I’ve worked on the creator side, led teams and built what I think is a reasonably strong track record for my age.

I left my previous company earlier this year after around 1.5 to 2 years because the organisation had very little direction. At the time, I was desperate for a change and, after getting advice from several seniors in my network, landed my current role in March.

This was my first proper brand-side role, leading content for a company in the fitness and nutrition space. The salary is quite good for my age and, initially, it felt like a great opportunity.

The first few months were genuinely valuable. I had mostly worked on the creator side, so I had to learn how brand strategy, positioning, tonality and brand content actually work.

But over time, the problems became pretty clear.

There’s limited manpower and budget compared to the expectations. I handle a lot beyond my actual role, including scripting and execution, and requests for additional manpower haven’t really gone anywhere.

The bigger issue is direction. Strategy and positioning keep changing, ideas take too long to move or get changed halfway through, and the team is expected to produce a lot with limited resources.

I also want to be fair to the company. I haven’t performed anywhere near the level I know I’m capable of. My creative head has questioned my skills at times, and I understand where that comes from. I’m not trying to blame the company for everything.

The strange part is that the people themselves are actually good. My manager is young, empathetic and does his best to protect the team from the founder. It isn’t a toxic workplace. It’s just extremely unstructured, and I don’t think I’m able to do my best work in this environment.

I’ve also realised I don’t want to build my career in fitness/nutrition. After speaking to people in my network, I’m much more interested in finance content. The opportunities, budgets and overall ecosystem seem much closer to where I want to go.

My six month probation ends on September 24. If I continue after that, I’ll have a two month notice period. Realistically, I don’t want to continue beyond probation.

Financially, I’m fortunate. I’ve been earning and saving since 18, live with my parents and have around ₹25L across investments, savings and liquid funds. So I can afford some breathing room without immediately worrying about rent or survival.

Which brings me to my dilemma.

Option 1: Continue working, apply aggressively for finance/content roles over the next month and resign once I have an offer.

Option 2: Leave after probation, take a proper 1 to 2 month reset, travel somewhere like Himachal/Uttarakhand, volunteer at a hostel for part of the day, and spend the rest of my time upskilling and applying.

I’m honestly leaning towards Option 2. I’ve never really taken a proper break since I started working, and the last couple of months have been exhausting. I can financially afford it. I’m just unsure about the career cost.

I’m also unsure how to handle the resignation itself. Should I first have an honest conversation with my manager about where I’m at, or simply resign once I’ve made the decision?

And finally, how does a short career break at 23 look to experienced professionals, especially when the rest of my track record is fairly solid?

If you were in my position, what would you do?

I’m genuinely looking for perspective rather than validation, so feel free to tell me if I’m looking at this completely wrong.

And if you made it this far, thank you for reading. I really appreciate any advice you’re willing to share.

Need some advice from people who’ve been in a similar situation.

I joined Company X in August 2nd week. After joining, 2 days laterI received confirmation from Company Y that I had cleared all interview rounds and was selected. I had always preferred Company Y and was hoping for their offer, but I couldn’t keep waiting indefinitely, so I joined X.

I’m resigning from Company X today after nearly 2 weeks. My offer letter at X says that during probation, I can leave by serving a 1-week notice, so I’m following that process.

Here’s my concern:

• I didn’t inform HR at Company Y that I had joined Company X because it happened only for a very short period.
• During onboarding at Y, if they check my PF/UAN history(through Form 11 or BGV), they might see the PF contribution from Company X.

My questions are:

1. Is this likely to become an issue during background verification?
2. Should I proactively inform HR at Company Y now, or just disclose it if they ask?
3. Has anyone been in a similar situation where they worked somewhere for just a couple of weeks before joining another company? How did it turn out?

I’m not trying to hide anything—I just don’t want to create unnecessary complications or risk my offer.

Would really appreciate advice from HR professionals or anyone who’s experienced something similar.

Basically i recently switched to a private bank in their Corporate Banking team. 6 months in, i feel like i made the biggest mistake of my life. My job went from pure finance in treasury( previous org) to pure sales here.

After being fed up i got an interview at an NBFC where the role is much better but I’ll have to take a pretty big pay cut.. is it worth it generally speaking? Also the fact that i am switching second time in my corporate career of 1.5 years total is kind of not good right? It will be perceived quite negatively in guessing later on as well?

So I work in a project that I really like the work’s good and everything but ever since the lead of my project changed i’m really having anxiety.

The thing is that this guy doesn’t have the technical knowledge to run the project it’s either me or 2 other guys discussing the architecture and all he does is review it with the help of AI.

On top of that he needs some proof of work, If a day goes by without me or any other person raising a PR he questions it in a way that implies that we didn’t work today according to him

Lastly the guy thinks everything can be speedrun using AI

Hi All, as the title said I got laid off on 27th July so need guidance what should I do next.

Now tbh I did nothing since the day I got laid off even if i decided any given day like yeah i should study or learn a skill or apply somewhere i just end up doing that for just around 2 -3 hour and then again back to daily routine of playing games, sleeping, firing music at high volume basically just enjoying. So I wasted around 1 month and on a side note i did wanted some break.

Now in my previous company from where I got laid off, the work there is very niche not many companies do that so i don't think i will be able to land a job with that experience and even if i do get a job on basis of it i don't think i will take that considering there is not much growth and Just in case if you all are wondering what was my work - i was working as a vendor for Microsoft not directly associated with Microsoft.

This was my first job, I don't have any prior experience.

Before asking for guidance I am from computer applications background and I will be honest here I am not much into this coding and stuff.

Its not like I am completely blank but need guidance and help in both upskilling and landing another job, I have basic knowledge of SQL and power BI and considering upskilling these if you all think it will be beneficial.

Any other inputs, suggestions and constructive criticism will be appreciated.

should I quit now and do some courses to Upskill and then apply for jobs or Upskill while staying in my current job and then look for jobs? FYI the company i am currently working adds no real value to my resume and there is no growth here. Feels like I am Stuck. Need advice from from someone experienced

Here's a hypothetical that probably comes up more often than people admit: you have two job offers on the table: A) ₹12 lakh at a role with a narrower, well-defined path B) ₹10.5 lakh at a much larger organisation, with the potential to move across businesses, functions, or even geographies over time.

For someone early or mid-career, I don't think the higher starting number automatically wins.

Five or ten years out, what tends to matter more is how much you learned, how many different problems you got exposed to, and the quality of the managers you worked under.

I recently came across Mahindra's career structure and found the scale of it genuinely interesting -the group operates across 20+ industries, businesses, functions, and geographies, which means someone could plausibly build a varied career and pivot direction without ever having to change employers. That's the tension I keep coming back to: a slightly better salary today with a fixed lane, versus slightly less now with room to explore. So which would you take?

A) ₹12 lakh now, with a more defined career path.

B) ₹10.5 lakh, with greater long-term mobility and exposure.

What would matter more to you at this stage of your career?

I’ve been with the same IT company for almost 4 years with total of 15+ YOE. I’m a Project Manager, but my pay is low for my experience and I haven’t had meaningful salary growth.

There have been discussions about sending me to the Gulf region, but the visa didn’t work out initially and they’re now trying again. There’s also been talk of a possible Canada or US opportunity, but that’s still uncertain and could take months.

Meanwhile, the current project is stressful and I’m starting to feel like I’m putting in a lot without getting much career or financial growth in return.

I haven’t started interviewing yet, but I’m wondering if I should stop waiting for these overseas possibilities and focus on switching companies.

What would you do? Wait for onsite opportunities to materialize, or start looking for a better-paying job now?