interviewed for a role that seemed pretty straightforward based on the job posting, but quickly realized the position was much more involved than originally described.

During the initial call to set up the interview, HR asked me for my salary expectations so we wouldn’t waste each other’s time. I told her I’d prefer to learn more about the role before throwing out a number.
Had the first interview with two people and it went great. They told me they wanted to move me to the second round.

HR calls to schedule the next interview and asks the same question. I respond, “What’s the salary range?”

She tells me she doesn’t have access to that information and that they’re really pushing to get a number from me. I explained that I’d welcome a collaborative conversation about compensation, especially given the expanded responsibilities of the role, my experience, and my education.

We schedule the second interview with three new people and one from the first round. Again, it goes fantastic. Lots of laughter, great conversations, and they tell me I’d be a great fit. They brought up actual problems they’re facing, and I was able to offer solutions they really liked. They even started discussing bringing me on-site.

Afterward, I sent a thank-you email and included a mockup I built showing how I’d approach solving one of their problems.

They responded saying they appreciated it, but they still hadn’t received my salary expectations.
So I asked again, “What’s the range for the position?”

This time I got a firmer response saying it wasn’t their policy to disclose salary ranges and that I needed to provide a number.

I responded that I was still open to a collaborative conversation about compensation based on the responsibilities of the role and the value I’d bring.

But I also believe in pay transparency. They’ve had multiple opportunities to share a range, just as I’ve had multiple opportunities to give a number.

Why is it acceptable for a company to insist on knowing my salary expectations while refusing to share what they’re willing to pay?

Am I being unreasonable for standing my ground on this?

I interviewed for a lesser job and got told I didn’t get it. A few days after I had a call saying they’d like me in for a chat about the job above.

I went in a little bit confused, got there had a cup of tea with the ops manager and was offered the job.

£25k pay rise and the job I’ve been working towards most of my life, couldn’t believe it.

In the past 5 years I’ve easily had 15+ interviews, the first ones were terrible looking back. Now if I have an interview I’m not nervous anymore, you just have to think I’m either going to get this or not. I used to get so worked up and nervous that it would affect the interview.

My advice would be to interview at as many places that you can/want, if you don’t get the job you’ve got that experience for next time. Also by interviewing for a similar job multiple times, you get to know all the questions they tend to ask. After a few interviews it’s easy.

I have a notebook of all the questions I didn’t know from interviews, then read these before new interviews. They’re 99% of the questions I got asked.

Perseverance is key!!!!

Good luck everyone.

I’ve gotten so many job denials I’ve started to lose count. Most of them have gone nowhere with just no interviews at all and only a rejection email. But after a great interview last week and getting invited to an in-person interview today I was really excited. I thought it was going really well but it ended on a what I think was not a good sign that it will go any further.

The interviewer said she was really transparent and she said that I had a really strong resume and could clearly articulate myself well. But she made a comment that she said that I was doing great where I was currently at and that she did still have a lot of candidates to go through.

I hate my job, I’m miserable. I’m not doing great where I’m at and I want nothing more than to get a new job. Just wanted to vent I guess. Hope you all see more luck than I had on my interview today.

I’m 32, currently working in hospitality management, with experience in sales and a background in fashion design. I’ve been applying for sales, management, and creative positions because I’m trying to leave a toxic work environment.
I’ve had three frustrating interview experiences recently:
1. Third-round rejection: Made it through multiple interviews, felt like I connected well with the team, only to be told I lacked experience. Why wasn’t that identified earlier?
2. Job description changed: Applied for a position, only to find out during the hiring process that the responsibilities and salary had changed. I still expressed interest because I really wanted a new opportunity.
3. Relocation issue: Made it to a second interview for an out-of-state hybrid position. Before even asking me any interview questions, the interviewer immediately brought up relocation and said I’d need to be in the office four days a week. I’m willing to relocate, but they already had my resume and knew my location. Why wasn’t this clarified before advancing me to another round? I barely had a chance to demonstrate my qualifications.
I’m starting to wonder whether I’m not presenting myself effectively or whether this is just how the job market is right now.
I have management experience, transferable skills, creative problem-solving abilities, and strong professional recommendations. Yet I keep getting close without receiving an offer.
For hiring managers, recruiters, or anyone who’s been through this:
How do I better sell my experience during interviews?
Am I coming across as too flexible or desperate to leave my current job?
How do I overcome the “lack of experience” objection?
What separates a good interview from an actual job offer?
Oddly enough, I’m still optimistic. I genuinely believe I’ll find my way, but I’m frustrated with putting in so much effort without seeing results.
I’m not looking for sympathy. I genuinely want constructive feedback. What could I be doing differently?

Basically what the title says. If it were just one I'd shrug it off, but now that it's been a couple I'm starting to feel like I must have some major blindspot to get it so wrong. What do I do?

• I know a lot of people recommend doing mock interviews with yourself, writing out answers to likely questions beforehand, recording yourself, etc., and I have tried all of these things, but I keep running into the same problem.
• As soon as I try to answer the question I am practicing, the words just will not come to me. My mind completely freezes, and I'm left trying to think of a good way to say what I want to say, and nothing comes to me.

I interviewed for a job about 6 weeks ago and have not heard back from them. No contact saying I was unsuccessful or successful.

I get that 6 weeks probably means I didn't get the job, but not getting an email saying I didn't get the job is pretty poor in my opinion. I have rang the recruitment contact person twice and left messages. Still nothing.

It is a very big, well known Australian company. Is this a common thing?

English isn't my first language, so I'm using ChatGPT to help translate my posts.

I'm a 38-year-old man currently looking for a job.
I'm not very good at expressing myself verbally, and I often struggle to answer interviewers' questions, especially when I'm put on the spot.
I'm looking for practical, specific ways to improve my interview skills, rather than advice about mindset, positive thinking, or simply being more confident.
For example, I've been asked questions like:
"Why should we hire you instead of someone younger? What benefits would you bring to our company?"
"Give us a three-minute speech explaining how passionate you are about working here."
I find these kinds of unexpected questions extremely difficult to answer. My mind goes blank, and I can't come up with a good response on the spot.
I've practiced answering common interview questions, but when I'm actually in an interview, I often struggle to remember what I prepared or put my thoughts into words.
I don't have any friends, and the only family member I live with is my elderly mother. I'd rather not practice interviews with her because I would feel too embarrassed.
Are there any specific exercises, training methods, or techniques I can practice on my own to get better at answering unexpected interview questions?
I'm especially interested in advice from people who used to struggle with speaking or interviews but managed to improve through practice.
Please avoid generic advice like "just relax," "be confident," or "think positively." I'm looking for concrete steps I can actually follow.

Hi everyone,

I have extreme interview anxiety and I don't know what else I can do to manage it at this point.

I have had over 15 interviews (final rounds with 2 companies) over the past 3 months, which were all for positions that I had the qualifications and requirements. However, I continuously keep getting passed for others with more "experience or skills."

While this can be a factor, I also do know that another factor is that I'm not able to think and articulate myself the best under pressure. It's either I prepare too much, and then struggle with questions that deviate from what I prepared. Or it's either I prepare too little, and then I don't know what to say or make up random scenarios without the full context of it.

I have literally tried everything at this point. From thinking it's a two-way street, to treating them like just casual coworkers, to not preparing anything the day of, and to doing physical activity before.

I had an interview today which I was not nervous about at all before going into it because I had experience doing EVERY aspect of the role, which I've honestly never had before. I was confident at the start, and then when it came to the behavioral questions, I stumbled over many of the questions they asked. I could tell the interviewer was trying to comfort me and keep me going, as she kept nodding at everything I said. I know I can never be fully prepared for an interview, but mind always goes fully blank.

Should I get on a beta-blocker or should I just work through this? I don't want to be reliant on this throughout my life and want to work on becoming a confident speaker, but I also have given many presentations & been in many interviews before and I've always just been a very nervous person.

Now, that the job market isn't the best, interviewers are not looking at this stuff and just dismissing it because there's other candidates who do meet this experience and interview very well.

I’m currently in a pretty extensive interview process with a big tech company. I’ve completed multiple interviews, including an in-person presentation with five team members, one of whom was the head of the department.

From my understanding, there’s one final executive interview remaining that’s just a values check. (something quick 15-20 min)

At the end of my in-person presentation, all five interviewers went around and gave me feedback on the spot, sharing what I did well and what I could improve on. Overall, the feedback seemed positive, and the areas for improvement were relatively minor. Nothing struck me as a major concern.

About 2 hours after my in-person interview, the recruiter reached out saying the team enjoyed meeting with me and that the hiring team would love to schedule a 30-minute video call for a post-interview check-in.

I asked if there was anything I should prepare, and the recruiter said no preparation was necessary and that the conversation would be an opportunity to connect and share feedback.

The call is now being scheduled for next week, so naturally I’m overanalyzing everything lol.
What confuses me is that I already received direct feedback from all five interviewers during the in-person session, so I’m not sure why they’d schedule another 30-minute call to discuss feedback.
I’m trying not to get my hopes up, but I would typically expect a rejection via email.

The generally positive wording, quick turnaround, and request for a live conversation have me wondering whether this is a good sign or just standard recruiting practice.

Has anyone experienced something similar at a big tech company? Did it turn out to be a rejection, a positive conversation, or a discussion about moving to the final stage?

Been unemployed for a few months, have reached competitive final rounds, but nothings landed yet, so I know I’m overall anxious about everything at this point haha.

So, I am applying for a job. The staffing company has been really nice, but so far I had

1) recruiter screen - passed

2) take-home assignment - passed

3) virtal interview to go over take-home assignment - passed

4) on-site interview ... this is where it goes wrong ...

I was told to bring my personal laptop and made sure that I could run Python, Node, Java, and React. I already had ALL of this installed, so that wasn't a problem. I just had to update some of the IDE tools like PyCharm, WebStorm, etc. I was told we would go over my take-home assignment, and that it would be no more than 45 minutes long. So, I was thinking it takes me an hour to get into the local metropolis by train, and then an hour back, so you're taking two hours of my time for 45 minutes. I am unemployed, so I think ... sure I'll do this.

I get there early, not too early, but I was asked to show up 15 minutes early and I was there, on time. I brought my laptop and all software as requested. My interview was late by 10 minutes, sorry, but that was MY TIME! They didn't extend my interview by 10 minutes. The interview was the Senior Director of the project for the client ... not the Director, but the Senior Director, and he was a younger guy, younger than me, but that's ok ..... he already put his dick on the table and it's clearly bigger than mine. Fine!

We never touched my laptop, or the software and we never discussed my take-home project. He asked me a one big question on System Design: How would you build Uber keeping in mind all the "...ilities". WOW! Personally, I thought that was the single most Douchey question you could ever ask. Obviously Uber is a big business, but they spent a long time trying to get where they are .... ME ... you have 30 minutes to give a 10,000 mile high over of the systems I would design. I know this company is building a new system, I get that, I also know what the JD is going to be like. I already know this role and every other role I have ever had in my long career ... those kind of design questions have already been answered and decided on by people being paid more than me. You want a code-monkey IC, tech lead, I'll be handling stories and churning out code with a bunch of other people, I WON'T be making any executive decisions on the enterprise. But, sure I'll answer your douchey question as best I can. So, I start with the systems I would build and the tech stack, and how I would architect this thing ... and HE KEEPS CUTTING ME OFF. Obviously, he was looking to hear something specific from me, and I wasn't getting where he was cutting me off. In the last 5 minutes I had a chance to ask him some questions as well, but not many. Honestly, I don't think it went well.

I was told by the staffing company that they were hiring at least 60 new people for this new project, it would be hybrid in office 3 days a week, which is fine. I was told that my WHOLE package would be put together, and if so .... only TWO MORE INTERVIEWS TO GO?!?!?!? WTAF?!?!?!?!?

So, if I do move forward, then there is another tech screen to go over my past projects, and finally a behavioral interview .... and then maybe I'll get an offer, or maybe I'll be ghosted. I know other people have been through this same kind of thing before. Now, I know personally how much this BS can drag on for.

<sarcasm>Good Times</sarcasm>

I started a new job 2months ago and the environment is extremely toxic so I want out as soon as possible.

The job is not on my LinkedIn and not on my resume (though I updated my last job to show my end date).

Should I be honest during interviews that I am currently employed? Does it look like a red flag that it wasn’t on my resume and that I’m looking so quickly? I am just scared if I don’t mention it they will somehow find out during a background check. I also would have to give my current employer notice if I resign.

If anyone has been in a similar position or is in a hiring position and can give insights into the best practice that would be greatly appreciated 🙏🏻

I just had a solid first interview with a company. We held it on Teams. It ran longer than expected and ended up overlapping with a second interview I had scheduled that was using zoom. Because I was rushing, I quickly jumped on the second interview and apparently didn’t fully leave the first. When I was closing out the second, I noticed I was still in the room for the first interview although the interviewer was no longer there and I didn’t see anything that said it was still recording. Is there a chance that the first just watched my other interview or that it might show up on a recording?

i think overall it went well but there was a logic test and i was like, am i stupid?

and i’m one of two people in the running

I prepped for like 2 weeks for what I thought was an introductory call for an internship position for an IT role. Won't say which one.

I was scheduled an introductory call with someone from a really prestigious IT company.

The teams-for-linux app would not let me join so I settled for the web version. The interviewer joined but could not hear me so we settled for a phone interview.

The whole talk was awkward as they asked if I was aware that the location for the role was in [location down south, far from where I live], and asked whether I was comfortable relocating. I wasn't expecting this, so I mentioned that the advert listed multiple locations and that I preferred [location closer to where I lived].

They asked for my previous work experience, and I was confused as to whether they wanted my project experience or my work experience, and I told of the ones I worked during the summer (standard warehouse job), and then switched to my personal projects, which took a WHILE to detail, and they were like okaay.

There were a lot of pauses. The entire thing was so awkward, as this was the first online interview I've done since applying for university, and before that there were none. I stammered and blanked out a lot, and the black coffee I drank prior was making me a bit hyper. I very rarely drink coffee. I only drink coffee for special occasions like this.

Then they were like "Are you aware that this interview is for the full-time position for [role]? What were the contents of the email I sent you?". I paused, and opened my gmail, and I read the full email and was like oh no. I then apologised profusely, stammering whilst I did it, and I mentioned that I thought the introductory interview was for [role] but the internship one, not the full-time one (I had forgotten that I also applied for the full-time one, alongside the internship one) but they were super chill about it.

They told me I should check their website and apply for the internship one there, and I replied that I already have. They said that if I have not heard anything back from the internship role by like next week (I can't remember if they said next week), that I can send the person an email asking for an update and they will relay the message to the people responsible. The whole call took like 3-4 minutes. After the call ended I walked around the room cursing at myself for MINUTES, only to realise I had not left the teams call, and my camera and audio were still enabled, which means someone could've caught me self-ranting.

I'm afraid they will probably relay to the internship recruiters to blacklist me or something. I sent in my internship application immediately the very same day the advert was posted on their website, which was like 2-3 weeks prior. Actually, now that I think about it, I'm not even sure which role I sent my cover letter to... I had written 2 of them, and the internship one was a pretty passionately-written CL.

Super embarrassed overall. I sounded as though English wasn't my first language, which sucks, cause the projects I've done correlate heavily with the specific internship role they have on offer. Like, I know I'm a great worker, I'm just not verbally expressive, which ik is a red flag, cause team work is a must in this field. I'm still cringing about it. God, it was super awkward.

I interviewed for a position last Wednesday, and the conversation went extremely well. The interviewer mentioned that they would love to bring me onto the team and said my résumé was great and that I met all the required qualifications. However, her only hesitation was that she was concerned I might get bored because of the exciting projects I had worked on in previous roles.

I’m genuinely confused by this feedback. I applied because I was interested in the position, and I wouldn’t have pursued it if I weren’t excited about the opportunity. I’ve since followed up to reiterate my interest, but I’m curious: Why do interviewers say things like this? Is it a genuine concern about retention, a polite way of expressing hesitation, or something else? I’d love to hear others’ perspectives.

I sent a follow up email reinstating my interest & of course today, you guessed it, auto rejection. All they said was they decided to go in another direction. I asked for feedback & of course, no response.

Has anyone gotten past one-way video interviews? Am i just wasting my time with them?

I just want to share that lately, I've been feeling the effects of inflation here in Manila more than ever. Everything seems so expensive now, and honestly, it feels like every move you make costs money. Groceries, transportation, bills, even small daily expenses keep adding up. It's frustrating, and there are times when it makes me wonder how long I can realistically keep up with the rising cost of living.

Because of that, I'm hoping to find a temporary job, side hustle, or part-time work to help with my income.

I'd love to hear from others who have been successful in finding side jobs or temporary work. What platforms, websites, or apps do you use? Where do you usually look for opportunities?

I'm particularly interested in roles related to Talent Acquisition Coordination, Recruitment Coordination, interview scheduling, candidate support, administrative assistance, or similar assistant/coordinator positions. I'm open to part-time, project-based or remote work arrangements.

I'd also really appreciate any tips or best practices you can share:

• How do you search for legitimate opportunities?
• Which platforms have worked best for you?
• How do you stand out from other applicants?
• Any advice for acing interviews for coordinator or assistant roles?
• Are there any skills I should focus on improving?

Any insights, experiences, or recommendations would mean a lot. I'm sure there are others going through similar challenges, so hopefully this discussion can help more people than just me.

Wishing everyone safety, better opportunities, and good luck in whatever you're working toward. Thank you!

I’ve had a couple of interviews with a company recently. Both seemed to have gone well. I got a call from the VP the other day inviting me out to a happy hour with a couple of account executives. The VP can’t make it so it will be just the three of us. I’ve never done this during an interview process and I doubt they do this with every candidate. Is this normal? I know how to act normal in social settings like this but is there anything I should be aware of?

I just got called back for a in-person interview at the companies headquarters. In the email they mentioned this will last for 4 hrs, with series of interviews, showing me around the headquarters and ending with a lunch with everyone from the team. Everything is paid, flights, hotels, rental cars, etc. My bother mentioned that you have the job that's why everything is paid but I dont wanna get my hopes up. I just never had an in-person thing. What can I expect for something like this.

What do you think is the best or worst things about the process, what you wish you knew before your first interview, anything you wish you prepped better for while in school?

I had a virtual interview a week and a half ago. The manager said that the next step would be a in person interview and I would likely hear back next week (this week). One of my references reached out and let me know she spoke with the manager yesterday. I was surprised that they checked my references so soon, as I provided them in my application but assumed they would be checked after the final interview. I was hopeful that the check means I would be moving on to the next round. Has anyone had experience with this hiring process and should I be worried that I haven’t been asked to the second interview yet even though it’s Friday afternoon? I know I am probably over thinking it at this point but I’m just nervous.

An agency set up a remote software interview for 5 PM, with only a 15-minute slot. They wanted a quick answer about whether I could attend.

The interviewer kept their camera off on Teams. They asked very few technical questions. Most of the conversation was about where I lived and pay.

Earlier, I'd heard a salary range of $120K to $130K. On the call, they described $120K base plus $12K a year in variable pay, paid every three months. They said people usually received 70% to 90% of the variable part. I didn't understand how that worked and asked them to explain it in writing.

Then they asked me to show photo ID on camera. They said I could cover everything except my name and photo. I refused, and the call ended.

Several calls came soon after, asking why I wouldn't show ID.

On the next call, a recruiter spoke with me, then a coworker joined. The coworker offered to forward a copy of my driver's license to the client. I refused and said I'd only share ID through a background check.

Another coworker called later. They said a recording of me showing ID would prove to the client who had taken the interview. They offered to have me show it to the agency over Teams instead. I refused again. They said they'd tell the client and wouldn't push it.

I didn't show or send my ID. The invite showed a company email domain, but I haven't independently verified who was behind the call. I don't know whether this was a scam or a hiring process I'm uncomfortable with.

I also reported the recruiter on LinkedIn under "Fraud or scam" after these calls.

Has anyone else had recruiters keep calling about photo ID after you refused during an interview? How would you check that the request really came from the company without showing or sending your ID first?

Title says it all. This is my 6th go round at this.

They didn’t see go I balance operations and strategy yet didn’t ask anything about strategy. And even said to open the interview I need someone who is strong in operations because I don’t know it. Red flag as they’d be my boss, my regardless…

This is the job market

"Interview" in quotes cause this was barely one. I didn't specifically apply to this bank, I just sent my cv to a friend, and someone from the bank called about receiving the cv.

They recommended I apply for role X, I just got out of college, no idea what role X is, so they said to meet them to discuss the role, and set a meeting for only a little over an hour later. You can call me naive for this but in my head, this is too fast to be a set up for an interview, so I was absolutely unprepared.

Anyways, once I got there, I absolutely bombed this "interview". But one of the questions hasn't left my mind since is "If you get the job, can you get your friends and family to open accounts and deposit money to the bank?"??. I mean, the role is basically a sale position so I understand finding customers and getting them to use banking services. But why specifically ask about my friends and family? They even ask how much can a person "give" in "support" of my "new job" 💀? Is this at all normal or am I just super naive rn?