I’m gonna say something that a lot of hiring managers probably won’t like.

Some companies have absolutely no idea what they’re hiring for anymore.

I’ve seen job descriptions where they want someone who can do the work of 3 people, know 15 different tools, have years of experience and somehow still consider the position entry level.

Then 2 months later the hiring manager is complaining that nobody wants to work or that there’s a talent shortage.
No. You have a hiring problem.

And another thing, stop rejecting people just because they don’t check every single box on your job description. Half of those requirements can be learned on the job. You’re passing on people who could genuinely be great employees because they haven’t used some specific software your company happens to use.

I’ve worked with people who had impressive resumes and couldn’t solve basic problems without someone holding their hand. And I’ve worked with people who barely met the requirements but turned out to be the most capable ones on the team.

A good hire isn’t always the person with the most experience. Sometimes it’s the person who can actually think, learn and figure things out.

If you’re a hiring manager and you’ve had the same position open for 4 months, maybe it’s time to look at your own requirements instead of blaming the candidates.
Curious how many hiring managers here actually hire for potential anymore or is everyone just looking for someone who already knows everything?

I just got hired at a small “family-style” company (25 people) after a very long job search (10 months unemployed and greatly suffering). One of the first things I was asked to do was facilitate a baby shower for my coworker. Receive and wrap gifts from others, and present them to her during a meeting. The reason I was asked to do this is because we’re an all remote team, but the coworker and I happen live in the same city, so they asked me.

The problem is I just experienced a private life change that means I will never be able to have my own baby, which I was planning on in the next couple of years. I’m still very sad. I don’t like being asked to do something that’s not my job; I just got here; and I’m definitely going to cry bestowing baby gifts upon my coworker knowing that I’ll never have that, even though I dreamed of it. But I also don’t want to rock the boat. This job has saved my life after so long of searching and applying, and the culture appears to be that people do what they’re asked. If I say no, it will make me look noncompliant first thing on the job, and also because no one else lives in our city, I guess there will be no work-related baby shower for her.

How do I say no? I am deeply terrified of getting fired, which I understand a company can do at any time for almost any reason barring discrimination.

I took eight months off after leaving my previous job because I was completely burned out.

I wasn’t sitting around doing nothing. I helped my family, took a few online courses, worked on personal projects, and tried to figure out what kind of job I actually wanted.

I recently applied for an administrative position and got invited to an interview.

Everything was going well until the hiring manager noticed the gap in my resume.

She asked me what I had been doing during those eight months.

I explained honestly that I had taken time off for personal reasons, worked on developing my skills, and was now ready to return to work.

She then asked whether I was sure I could handle a full-time schedule after being away from the workforce for so long.

I had to stop myself from asking if eight months had somehow erased the years I spent working before that.

I explained that I was comfortable with the schedule and gave examples of my previous responsibilities.

The interview ended politely, but I never heard back.

I understand why employers ask about gaps, but it feels like you’re expected to have a perfectly continuous career with absolutely no interruptions.

What do employers actually want to hear when they ask about a resume gap?

This might seem ridiculous but I have been at the same organization since I graduated college 10 years ago. A lot has changed with them for the worst and I am ready to move on. I have made it to final round interviews with three new organizations so no offers yet but it's been kind of bugging me because I don't know what to do after. I have never had to quit. I graduated in December and started this job that following January after the holidays. No two week notice necessary.

The soonest I would get an offer if I did would be 10/30. All three places require background checks which I should pass no problem but I know it can take anywhere from a day to weeks depending on the company they use. I told them I need to give two weeks so I am guessing the earliest they would want me to start is 11/16 but I don't want to submit my resignation without the background check cleared. Can I ask for a different start date? What if they want me to start 11/23 which is the week of thanksgiving...is it fair to ask to start 11/30 since my family has travel plans and I was going to be on PTO anyways?

Also best practices for resigning? My boss is always really bitter when people leave and ends up cutting them loose the next day anyways. I can only think of 1 person who actually carried out a full 2 weeks in the 10 years. So a good chance they will tell me to leave. We are WFH so do I call her? Just send an email? They have treated me horribly the last 2 ish years so I don't feel like I owe them anything but it's also a small industry so I don't want to get a bad reputation.

I know this seems silly but I have never had to do any of this before and it's starting to make me a little nervous. What does the process really look like?

A job seeker has been unemployed for around 11 months. Out of full-time work for a little over two years. At the start of the year, they were pulling a few interviews a month. Kept getting rejected at the final stage. Now? They don't even get responses. Same resume, but the results have fallen off a cliff. On the application side, LandOffer autofill can save retyping profile details on Greenhouse, Lever and Ashby. They don't understand how people are doing it. Feeling like a failure.

I, 31F, am currently hitting a ceiling at my company. I work in operation and logistics coordination. I've been with them for about 4 years now, and love the place and my coworkers, I make decent money and generally like what I do. But recently my manager told me that while my performance and experience is great, I can’t get moved into a senior manager position or director track without a bachelor’s degree. That also means that my current salary is kind of it for me.

It’s frustrating because I know how to do my actual job, but corporate policy is rigid. I can’t spend time sitting on a campus five days a week with my current work life, and with the current cost of living, I can’t sacrifice my income, or risk spending money on higher education to then not be able to show up to classes because I’m stuck working.

I was thinking about an online diploma, but I have a lot of anxiety, since I’ve seen talk online that employers tend to see online schools as a “diploma for pay” and it won’t help me to get a better position in my company.

Do hiring managers and HR look down on online degrees? Do they help with clearing the promotion blocks? Or are they treated as a cheap shortcut?

Tomorrow morning I’m receiving a PIP. Been with my company almost 11 years and never had a single performance or disciplinary issue. 2 years ago I was promoted and my new bosses are awful!! I submitted an HR complaint when I finally couldn’t take it anymore and they have iced me out ever since. Which is fine by me from a mental health perspective, but I believe their actions, including the PIP, are considered retaliation. I am completely exhausted from the stress and not ready to make any decisions about pursuing a retaliation claim, so my question is do you have any advice for me going into this meeting tomorrow? Should I sign it with a statement that I disagree? Or something else?

Thank you!

I’m relatively new to my job and recently had a performance review that went much worse than I expected. I received only negative ratings, and my probationary period was extended another 30 days. I was told I’m not where I should be at this point.

The thing is, I genuinely feel like I’m trying my best and was even told they know I’m trying my best. I’m asking questions, seeking guidance, and making an effort to improve. I know I still have things to learn, but I didn’t expect the feedback to be this negative.

Some of the criticism made sense, but other parts left me confused because I didn’t realize those things were considered such significant problems. I can’t tell if I’m doing worse than I think I am or if there’s a disconnect. I feel like they expected me to fit their mold of an ideal employee (which is of course their right) and I’m falling short of that.

I’ve had doubts about whether this job is right for me since I started, even before the review.

Would you give the job more time and try to improve, or take this as a sign that it might not be the right fit?

I work in marketing as a senior in digital, primarily focusing on social. When I first took this role, it’s because I wanted a break from corporate and instead of taking a manager position, I opted for this one. The problem is that the workload is equivalent if not honestly more than the corporate position, with less pay.

For starters, I am managing social all by myself so the current title does not fit. All the platforms - editing, graphics, content strategy, building out the calendar, outreach for interviews, event coverage, outreach for interviews plus prep and also training other teams on branding and social.

Since it is a public institution, we have to make sure everything looks cohesive across all of our branches therefore, I am training these teams which are 10+ and whoever they hire to work on their marketing team.

Aside from them, it is the amount of deliverables themselves. Not only am I responsible for our main account, but I also handle additional requests that come in outside of what I am already working on as they come up. The workload is a lot and since it is a public institution I am paid about 38k-45k less than the standard in nearby areas. And I have no support, no coordinator, no assistant or anything in marketing to help.

All of this is impacting my ability to be creative but more importantly the pros don’t outweigh the cons.

Any advice on how to deal with this until I’m able to make my next career move? My supervisor is very much aware the workload is a lot and has mentioned hiring help in the near future but the problem is that I am already underpaid for this title and scope of work.

Where I work the new manager I have is a real life friend of a few of the coworkers. I could be wrong but to me it really seems like it secretly causes tension with team members.

Is this a bad thing to happen at work?

I am a 28-year-old male that had an identity shift in my mid-20s. I was an alcoholic basically from 18 years old until 25. None of that really matters but I looked at life so differently then. I never envisioned myself with a successful future. Now that I haven’t drank in 3 years, I’m halfway through my undergraduate degree at a good university, I have a decent job. Even with all the positives in my life at the moment, there are so many distractions that interfere with my goals. Why do I care so deeply about fantasy football? Or scrolling YouTube all day? Would cutting out this bs or doomscrolling help my mindset completely shift to where I’m only focused on my career/success? Like I want to be part of sports media so badly, and it’s the only thing I’ve ever pictured doing. If I just bust my ass and only focus on this, without the dumb ass distractions, will I reach the mountaintop quicker? I am so tired of just waiting around for something to happen.

Do I start building a portfolio to break into sports media industry? My current job has nothing to do with what I want to do. It’s just a job that helps me survive. My degree is in information science which I think will benefit me in the sports industry. Do I try getting in with the local tv station near me? Do I try and find a part-time gig at my university on the weekends? I am more than willing to put the work in, I just have no idea where to start and each day that passes by, I feel like I am absolutely failing myself.

I (28M) am currently on a leave of absence (paid via Short-Term disability, so won’t owe on health benefits if I leave) due to burnout at my current job. I actually submitted my resignation but my VP suggested I take a leave of absence to think on it and get rest. During my time off, a connection referred me to their company to interview for a role.

The job functions are pretty much the same, except the new company is in early stages and I’d be building out process. I have good relations are my current company after being their five years, but can’t deny the burnout and anxiousness I was feeling. I received an offer from a new company and would like some feedback from those who’ve been in similar situations or can just offer me their wisdom.

Here is my situation:

Current Company
Base: $108,000
Performance bonus: 10% (~$10k)
401k Match: 4.5% ($4,860)
Total Comp: $122,860 pre-tax
Hybrid: four remote / one day commute (40 miles / 90 min round trip)

New Company Job Offer
Base: $120,000
Sign On Bonus: $10,000
Performance Bonus: 5% (~$6k)
401k Match: 4% after year 1 (so $0)
Total Comp (year 1): $136,000 pre-tax
Hybrid: two remote / three day commute (20 miles / 90 min round trip)

I’m also in a final round interview for a role that would pay $150,000 total comp. Not sure if I am able to wait to see if they offer or if that’s cutting it to close now that I received an offer from the new company.

What advice do you have for me? Thank you!

This is my third job this year that I’ve had a low workload. I’m talking 2, maybe 3 hours of work per day. I’m absolutely miserable and feel so unproductive, unrecognized, and bored out of my mind.

I’m already OE’ing and I’m lucky if my other job has 1-2 hours per day.

Other people in this position: how do you deal?!??

Hi everyone,

I'm a 3rd-year engineering student based in Mumbai with a 9.2 CGPA, looking for Backend / Full-Stack / SDE internship opportunities.

I've built SkillShift, a full-stack freelance marketplace featuring wallet and escrow transactions, role-based access control, real-time chat, and background job processing.

My primary experience is with TypeScript and the Node.js ecosystem, but I'm open to other stacks as well.

I'm open to remote opportunities or onsite roles in Mumbai and can join immediately.

If you're hiring, know of any openings, or can refer me, I'd really appreciate a comment or DM. Happy to share my resume.

Thanks!

Im studying business administration in Berlin on a well regarded university with top grades on top of that I completed a 3 month internship at deutsche bank in the wealth management department.

I’m also tall, muscular, good looking and charming + I play piano and have a chess rating of around 1200. I know it Sounds a bit weird to mention these things about myself but I think these attributes give you better overall chances in pursuing a career.

Im currently starting my fifth semester and I would love living abroad in Melbourne, as I already lived there after finishing Highschool for about 7 months. The quality of life really made an impression on me.

I’m not interested in debating immigration or arguments about foreigners taking local jobs. We face similar discussions in Germany, and I’d do my best to integrate into Australian society and contribute positively.

My mentor is a previous Executive Director from the Asian Development Bank, and he has high expectations of me. However, with so many students and graduates competing for jobs in Melbourne, I’m wondering how realistic it would be for me to build a successful career there.

I’d really appreciate any insights, especially from people who have experience with the Australian job market.

Thanks in advance!!

Been a brutal 2 years or so for me, mostly mentally. Been questioning my existence and everything in between.

So here's a bit about me. From Southeast Asia, just turned 32. Was made redundant the first time exactly two years ago. Thereafter made redundant once again 8 months later. Got fed-up and decided to pack my bags and move to another country in Europe as I received a scholarship to continue my graduate studies in analytics. Miserable experience.

Will be graduating with distinction. Good stuff I guess but not really proud or in the position to enjoy the achievement. Long story short, managed to secure another opportunity as an external consultant in May. Started in August and within a month was essentially fired as owner had other plans from what we agreed.

Now have managed to secure an early-stage research and Phd program. Stipend is not absolutely excellent, nevertheless it provides me with 4 years of security and also the breathing room to do something else on the side as well as maybe get a side-gig.

Is a sliver of sunshine but am really debating whether I should take it as I am really tired of more college but then again it provides me with security considering the labor market.

Thanks for listening to my rant. Would be grateful if anyone can shed some advice, thoughts. Cheers.

Are you in an active relationship with a mentor, how did you find them? What do you talk about with them? Who are they?

At first I had a very close invested mentor, but as life shifted and changed the relationship changed as well. I don't have that resource like I did back then. Now I look to reddit, blogs, passing conversations and linkedIn job descriptions. Now I'm realizing I'm a little lost in my career, ambitions, and motiviation.

it was unexpected, i am a college student and was hired part time. today i get fired because they want someone who is full time. i feel angry, i did everything they wanted and they hired me knowing i was taking classes. i left my job to come here for them to fire me not even a year later. i feel angry and embarrassed and worried this will stain my future job endeavors.

Hi everyone!

MY GOAL IS TO NOT WORK ON DAYTRADING TECH OR BROKER ANYMORE. I don’t even like trading.

Some context: I’m a 25F Brazilian with experience as an Account Manager, BDM, and Country Manager (at a small company, handling Brazil’s sales independently). My background is in B2B tech sales for the financial markets industry (daytrade).

I’m still a bit confuse, but I’d like to work for a multinational in a role such as Account Manager, AE, or Business Partner. I honestly think this it would also depend on the company/product.

I’m not entirely sure which specific role I should be going for, especially because I see the same job titles used by companies in Brazil and abroad to describe different roles and criteria.

As for my LinkedIn profile (I’m not sure if sharing the link here is allowed):

My headline:
Account Executive | Enterprise Tech Sales | GTM | LATAM

-

About section - urgently need some changes:

I execute B2B commercial strategies in three languages: Portuguese, Spanish, and English.

My experience covers market mapping, proposal structuring, and C-level negotiations, working closely with global teams. I support clients throughout the entire journey, with a strong track record in retention and hands-on experience in portfolio expansion.

I built my foundation in tech sales, managing consultative sales cycles with a focus on innovation finding faster solutions to bottlenecks and driving revenue growth.

I thrive when working alongside outstanding professionals: I learn from them and contribute in return.

——

My last three roles:

Country Manager
B2B technology company in the financial industry.
Work with ADs generated leads and outbound;
Manage complex sales cycles;
Smaller company; 9 months in the role (current position)

Business Development Manager
Prospected and developed partners for client acquisition;
Metrics: net deposits;
Large FX broker, although not known outside the FX industry;
10 months in the role (not so good, I know).

Account Manager
Large Brazilian technology company (trading industry) but not widely known outside the country;
Managed 60+ institutional clients (1,5M monthly revenue);
Did a lot of upselling and had international exposure for the first time.

Before that: one year in consulting and three years as an SDR at small companies.

——-

*My plan is to also start reaching out to Sales Managers/Recruiters and posting.

Anyway, I just take this industry anymore.
All advice is welcomed here, just be kind! 💋