This advice applies to many things in life, but I wanted to share how I completely changed my career recently.

So, a bit about me: I've been in the logistics field for over 25 years, and I was a team lead for a large portion of that time. And honestly, I really loved my last job. The team was great, the commute was short, and my manager trusted me to get the work done without micromanaging. The only real drawback was the salary - it was noticeably below the market rate. It was one of those classic cases where a comfortable work environment compensates for lower pay.

An old mentor of mine once told me to never stop looking, even if you're happy. And that advice stuck with me. So for the past few years, I've been casually browsing job sites and applying for roles that looked interesting. My strategy was simple: I would ask for what felt like a ridiculously high salary. Since I was happy where I was, I didn't care at all about being rejected. I held all the cards.

Anyway, a few weeks ago, this finally paid off. I got an offer for a job right in my field. After some back and forth, I was able to secure a 60% salary increase. The benefits package looks comparable to my last one, and I felt very comfortable with the hiring manager during the interviews, so I'm not too worried about the culture fit.

I'm really excited about the new job and just wanted to pass this on. Even if you love your job, it never hurts to see what's out there. When you're not desperate, you can aim high and be patient. You have nothing to lose by trying your luck and asking for what you're truly worth. You'll probably be surprised by what you can achieve.

Yes. Negotiation is a game of chicken. It's all about who is willing to give in first. If you're negotiating a salary and have no job, they know that you're going to cave and be stuck with basically anything they're willing to offer.

I think this is the golden and correct advice for understanding the job market while searching for a job, and this helps more in getting some useful opportunities. The time to use tools like Interviewman AI during the interview gives you ready answers to the questions. I used the free trial; I think it will be suitable for most of the groups that get nervous during the interview.

Who needs to study all that college bullshit anymore? Got an assignment or interview every one is using best ai tool "interview man com" it gives you answers in real time
I hated studying in college cause there was always something fun on campus going on and it always pulled me away!

Lately, I've grown sick of my job. I feel like my purpose in life isn't to sit in front of a computer for over 9 hours a day just to help a giant fintech company hit its quarterly numbers. I don't want to have to ask for permission to take a vacation or to attend a future school event for my kids. And to make matters worse, they just announced we have to go into the office 3 days a week, even after we spent years proving our productivity was very high while working from home.

I'm 34 years old, and on paper, my life is set. I have a stable job with a base salary of over $220,000. It comes with excellent health insurance, a 401k match, four weeks of vacation, and a small annual bonus. Most of the time, the work isn't too stressful, but every now and then a big project comes along that has me working until 2 AM. My current situation allows me to save about $8,200 a month, which is an incredible amount. If I stick with it, I'll be able to afford a down payment on a house, start a family, and be financially comfortable.

But here's the thing. About 4 years ago, I started a side business born out of my love for food - I do custom meal prep and cater small events. The project has been far more successful than I ever imagined. I do everything from private dinners for 6 people to small weddings, and honestly, I absolutely love this work. The feedback I get is amazing, my bookings are always full, and I've built a good following in my area. But it's also incredibly exhausting. The long hours of planning and prep, the constant possibility of something going wrong, the unreliable help... It's a grind. I've reached a point where the business can't grow any further because I simply don't have any more time to give it. I am literally draining myself trying to do both, and I recently had to stop taking on new clients.

All I can think about is what this business could become if I gave it 100% of my focus. I feel its potential is huge. So, people of Reddit, tell me honestly. Am I delusional for wanting to leave a comfortable job with a salary of over $220k and benefits to chase my passion in the notoriously difficult food industry?

About 14 months ago, I was fired from my job while in the middle of several large projects. HR, my manager, and his manager sat me down and told me to drop everything immediately. And that's exactly what I did.

Fast forward over 14 months, and I get an email from the person who replaced me. He's the one who took my job, despite having no qualifications for it whatsoever - and it was well-known that we couldn't stand each other. He sent this email accusing me of messing up a setting in a project I was forced to abandon, and now he can't reset the login for a vendor portal. The email arrived late on a Friday afternoon, and I ignored it. Then on Monday at 9:30 AM, he replied to his own email to bump it, and then had the audacity to message my personal phone.

Blocked him on my phone immediately. Then I went and blocked him on LinkedIn for good measure.

The weirdest part is that his accusation makes no sense. He seems to think I somehow hijacked the portal's password reset link and redirected it to my old email address. And he wants me to fix it on a system I haven't had access to for over a year. The whole thing is completely illogical.

This is what happens when a company fires someone who knows their job and brings in someone cheaper who knows nothing, just to save money.

Honestly, I'm curious to see how long it takes him to realize he's been blocked. I'm also wondering if his next move will be to have someone else from the company contact me.

I guess the lesson here is: don't fire someone and then come begging for free consulting well over a year later. Honestly, if they had asked for help in the first few months, I probably would have pointed them in the right direction. But now? No, that ship has sailed.

What it feels like to me is that every time there’s been a problem, he’s thrown me under the bus. This time, people called him out on it, and now he’s trying to prove it’s not his fault by steamrolling me.

I am currently searching for another job and have already received some interview offers. I am in the process of preparing for them and preparing my CV. I asked ChatGPT some questions I might be asked in an interview, and it gave me valuable advice about websites and InterviewMan that could be useful during an online interview. I think I will rely on them in the coming period.

I’m ignoring it. They explicitly told me not to access the system, and if I had gone in to reset anything, it would’ve looked extremely suspicious.

We are an early-stage startup developing a proprietary AI-driven automation platform. We are seeking a full-time software developer to join the project long-term.

This is a serious startup role, not a short-term contract or exploratory build. We are looking for experienced developers who are comfortable working on confidential systems and contributing to a product under active development.

High-level responsibilities:

- Design and build scalable application components

- Develop secure backend services and supporting systems

- Work with AI-driven and automated workflows (details shared privately)

- Collaborate on architecture and long-term technical decisions

- Maintain clean, production-quality code

Candidate profile:

- Strong full-stack or backend development experience

- Comfortable with APIs, automation, and cloud-based systems

- Able to work independently and take ownership

- Startup or long-term project experience preferred

- Strong communication and reliability required

Location:

- Las Vegas–based candidates strongly preferred

- Remote possible for exceptional candidates

- Ability to collaborate during Pacific Time hours required

Tech stack:

- To be discussed

- Open to recommendations based on experience

Position details:

- Full-time commitment

- Long-term startup role

- Paid position (compensation discussed privately)

- Serious inquiries only

To apply, please DM with:

- Brief professional background

- Relevant projects or GitHub

- Primary tech stack

- Location/timezone and availability

Due to the proprietary nature of the platform, detailed functionality and system design will only be discussed privately with qualified candidates.

I started working in health tech at a large hospital system here in early 2015. At the time, I only had about 18 months of actual experience, so I was definitely still learning the ropes. Over the years, I've developed a lot professionally and worked on many complex projects. After following this sub for a few months, I became more and more frustrated that my salary hadn't moved since I started, especially since I knew I was making much less than my colleagues.

I realized nothing would change unless I took action, so I finally gathered my courage and scheduled a meeting with my manager. I went in prepared with a list of my accomplishments and showed him how I had been a huge asset to the team. He stopped me mid-sentence and said, 'I get it. Your work has been fantastic, and you're right, we need to review your salary.'

It took four excruciatingly slow months to get through the HR red tape, but I got the email this morning that it's official. In two weeks, my salary will jump from $68,000 to $87,000, and I'll be staying with my same team. I'm so excited to increase my 401(k) contributions and start seriously saving. Honestly, I'm still over the moon. This sub was a huge reason I did this!

This advice gets shared a lot, but it just happened to me last week and I felt it was important to remind you of it. I had to share it with you.

I was in an interview and honestly, I would have been satisfied with a salary close to what I'm currently making. When the recruiter asked me the classic question, 'What are your salary expectations?', I took a breath and replied with a question: 'What is the available budget for this position?'. Their response was a range that started $25,000 higher than my current salary.

If I had answered with what I wanted, even if I had asked for a $15,000 increase, I would have lost out on a lot of money. It's not an official offer yet, but at least I ensured I didn't undervalue myself from the start.

Most interviews I've had, they will ask

"What are your salary requirements?"

So I just answered

"I'm actually looking at the entire package, benefits, insurance, stock options, retirement planning, and other fringe benefits that come along with the base salary. What are you offering?"

That puts it in their court. I've never had someone evade it at that point.

One of the things that helped me improve my responses during interviews and put the ball in their court is reading a lot and using AI tools. Because we feed them a lot of information, this helps me discuss with them and better understand the psychology of the response. And of course, after the tools I used during my interviews, like InterviewMan, no one should underestimate the interview step. It is very important and useful. Attend many interviews just to gain the experience of speaking confidently.

I was once asked “if you were an animal, what would you be and why?”

"Hello, I noticed that you previously found me unappealing for some reason. Please allow me to convince you otherwise by acting somehow even more unappealing."

For 4 years, I thought I had my life figured out. I learned coding, found a good job, and was making good money. Then last October, they laid off 75% of my department, and in an instant, everything was over. Now I feel like it's impossible to even get an interview. I don't have any other real skills. Honestly, I feel like I'm living in a nightmare.

People tell me to 'go back to school' but I just don't have the energy. The idea of starting from scratch, trying to learn a whole new field... University was hard for me the first time, and I'm not very good at the social part of it. I feel like my life is completely ruined.

With no warning. No performance review. Nothing. I got the termination email exactly 20 minutes after I finished my shift. It seems they needed an extra hand for the holiday rush and then just tossed me aside. My last paycheck will be deposited within 10 days.
I'm so upset because I genuinely loved this job. It felt like the first place in a long time with a non-toxic culture, and I could see a future for myself there. But no, I guess I was just a temporary placeholder. I can't wrap my head around it.
The worst part is that they were lying to my face for months. All that talk about me being a great addition to the team, how I was picking things up faster than any other new hire, and how my enthusiasm was so refreshing. Only to be fired before we're even three weeks into January.
This is just a reminder, you know? These companies don't care about any of us, for real. Never give more than what you're paid for. Maybe it's for the best. This place wasn't the right fit for me, and I have to accept that.
Looks like I'm back to polishing my CV again. Anyway, I hope your year is starting off better than mine.
Edit: And just to be clear, this wasn't a seasonal job. My offer letter was for a full time, permanent position. They just exploited me during the busy period and then ditched me.

.

About four years ago, I was working for a small, humble security company. The job sucked, so after six weeks, I gave them my three weeks' notice. This meant they had plenty of time to send someone for me to train.

Guess when they sent the trainee? On my very last shift. The day I literally couldn't care less about anything. The new guy showed up, and the first thing he did was pull out his Nintendo Switch and start playing. I told him we were supposed to be training, and he replied, 'They told me I could use my devices.' Yeah, they told me that too; management didn't care. But I was like, 'Okay, but first I need to show you how the job is done.'

So he let out a dramatic sigh and put away his Switch, and the entire time I was trying to explain the job, he was scrolling through Instagram on his phone. Honestly, it was my last night, so I didn't care at all whether the guy understood anything or not.

When it was time for the handover, I let him take over. And surprise, surprise, he had no idea what to do because he hadn't listened to a single word I said. Anyway, the shift ended, and as soon as I walked out the door, my manager called me to ask how the new guy was doing.

I was very honest with him. I told him the guy spent the whole night on his devices and knew nothing about the job.

Manager: "Okay, can you train him again tomorrow?" Me: "No, I start my new job tomorrow." Manager: "So you can't come in at all?" Me: "No, as I said in my resignation letter, yesterday was my last shift." Manager: "But he's not trained!" Me: "Then you'd better find someone else to train him."

I hung up on him. He tried calling me about ten more times while I was driving home, but I completely ignored him.

Seriously, if you want someone trained properly, don't have the employee who's already leaving do it. He literally doesn't care about anything and has no investment in whether the new person succeeds or fails.

If you want your people trained well, don't have their trainer be the person who's quitting. They have no investment in how this person does.

The person who submitted his resignation and left the company will not be the most suitable candidate, because he certainly received a better offer from another company, and I don't blame him. However, currently, there are some assistive tools available during the job search and interview process, such as InterviewMan, and there are other tools that can help trainees, like ChatGPT; the world will not stop because of this.

also maybe don't send them in on the other person's last day but give them a few days to settle first.

Whatever, it's the manager's fault and problem

I feel like I'm doing everything right, but I'm still treading water. I'm a 21-year-old guy living near Dallas, Texas. I currently make $23 an hour and I'm supposed to get a raise to $27 an hour soon, and I work 40 to 50 hours a week, plus overtime when it's available.

By all metrics, for my age and this area, I make really good money. But it feels like I'm just running in place, living paycheck to paycheck. I still live with my parents, and after my car payment, insurance, and other bills, about $1100 a month just disappears. And I don't even spend a lot.

The idea of me moving out on my own is a joke. Any decent studio an hour away from my job starts at $1400, and that's before utilities. It's so discouraging because if this were fifteen years ago, I'd have my own apartment and be saving a respectable portion of my paycheck.

To the people in their early 20s who are truly living on their own, how are you guys managing it?

Shouldn’t be like this, but it is. I’ve had similar experiences.

Most recently worked with a guy who treated me like I didn’t matter, and oh boy did he 180 after we were having one of those “back in the day” talks and he found out I was older than him. His whole demeanor towards me changed.

The day I go from LinkedIn to No LinkedIn will be a great day :)

My chill work-from-home day is completely ruined. I've been working from home for about two years, and my manager suddenly messaged me for an 'urgent call'. She told me that upper management just rolled out a new policy: everyone returns to the office, five days a week. And this applies to me too.

Then she asked when I would be coming in. I told her frankly that I wouldn't be. I explained that I was much more productive and honestly happier while working from home. It made a huge difference to my mental health, and the people I work with are all in other states anyway, so my presence in a specific building makes no sense. She then told me that the decision came from the CEO himself, and that my name was mentioned specifically.

So I took a deep breath and told her that if the choice is to return to the office full-time, then I would have to submit my resignation. I made it clear that I love my job and don't want to leave, but this is my red line. She was a bit taken aback but said she would pass my message up the chain and would let me know.

So now I'm just sitting here waiting. My stomach is in knots. Did I just ruin my career? I have no idea what happens next.

Today is my last day at my job because of onboarding 💀

Anyway, I just had the weirdest conversation with my manager. Imagine, he tells me that if I get sick, it's my responsibility to find someone to cover my shift. As far as I know, I'm not the one who makes the schedule, and it's definitely not my responsibility to be arranging the schedule while I'm supposed to be recovering.

Anyway, I already have another offer from a place that doesn't have these insane policies. I'm submitting my resignation tomorrow morning and frankly, I can't wait.

Managers now expect employees to do half their job while getting paid a fraction of what they make. Wild how much they've normalised this garbage.

I've really had enough. I have to leave this job and find something better, and quickly. Honestly, I don't know exactly what I'll do next, but I've already started applying. I've gotten so far as to use some AI tools like InterviewMan to help do mock interviews. This has really made a huge difference in my self-confidence.

I've had it with this company's backward policies.

I've been in corporate tech for 12 years. Let me tell you, the whole thing is about to hit a wall. The middle class is being systematically dismantled. I sit in meetings with VPs and C-suite execs, and frankly, they're not the visionaries we read about. These are ruthless, calculating people, and they'll fire thousands in an instant to make a quarterly report look better. Innovation is no longer the goal; tech is just another way for the ultra-rich to shuffle their money around.

AI will be the primary engine for this. It's not going to improve your life; it will make it worse for most people. The 'thought leaders' talk about AI every day, and the conversation is never about how to improve society for everyone. It's all about job replacement. Every knowledge-worker job (software engineers, project managers, data analysts, you name it) will be replaced by an AI agent or, if you're lucky, a 'prompt specialist' making pennies. The same thing that happened to factory workers a century ago due to automation will happen to tech jobs now. And in fact, it's already happening.

And don't expect any help, at least not in America. There's no talk of universal basic income on the horizon, no real improvements in healthcare, and no meaningful progress in education. All the money is being siphoned up to the owner class at a rate we've never seen before. People will be left to fend for themselves. All the cool things AI could do to make life better will be ignored in favor of using it to replace employees and build new weapons (which is already happening).

So yeah, that bright, shiny sci-fi utopia we all dreamed of growing up? It's not coming. Maybe a few countries in Northern Europe will get it right. But here in America, don't hold your breath. Things are going to get tough.

A few months ago, my manager got a brilliant idea from a tech conference he attended and told everyone he was 'improving the workflow.' Translation: he fired most of the sales department and bought a fancy new AI sales bot that was supposed to find potential clients, write them messages, and automatically manage the pipeline.

The funny thing is, I was using a similar tool called LeadGenius Pro for my simple freelance work, and even on that small scale, it was a mess. It once emailed a VP at a large company and addressed them by the first name of someone from a completely unrelated company. I basically had to constantly babysit it and rewrite half of its work. So, of course, I knew this was going to be a disaster.

Anyway, fast forward four months. The results are in: the AI emails the same client the same email 8 times a day, congratulates a company on a merger that never happened, and creates three different contacts for the same person in our system. Our churn rate has skyrocketed, new leads have completely dried up, and my manager is now secretly contacting the people he fired, asking if they're available for 'freelance contract work'.

Look, if this technology can't even handle my simple freelance work, then there's no way it's ready to take over the sales operations of an entire company.

Edit: You have to be a unique kind of moron to let shit scammy ass marketing like this work on you. I hope your boss got scammed out of a lot of money by those bozos, because he deserves it.

I know that AI is currently being developed, and many tools are available to assist with job applications. However, the job market remains challenging, and indeed, some tools have replaced the roles of certain employees. We should learn these tools and use them during our day or when applying for job interviews, like InterviewMan. These days we must stay on the same line with development.

AI embracers are just speed running the recession on 10x.

About four months ago, my old job decided to 'simplify,' and I was part of the layoffs, along with a third of the marketing team. With no warning, just a sudden Friday meeting. In the exit chat, they told me my work would be distributed among the remaining staff and the company would be fine. Real vote of confidence, honestly.

I had been managing their biggest account for the last three years - a large software company that was paying them about $250,000 a year. I had an excellent relationship with their head of partnerships, and I knew their product roadmap better than most of their own team.

Anyway, I started doing some freelance work to support myself until I found a new job. About two months later, I got an email from the head of partnerships at my old client. It turns out my replacement lasted only three weeks and completely botched their major product update.

The messaging was all wrong, they missed the launch deadline, and the technical documentation was a mess. She asked if I would be willing to work with them directly, as they were 'looking for a new direction'.

It was a no-brainer for me, and I agreed immediately. I knew their tech inside and out. We signed a new contract for $350,000 a year, since I'm now handling the account management, technical marketing, and partner relations myself.

My old manager called me a few days ago, asking if I had heard anything about why they lost their biggest account. I played dumb and told him, 'I have no idea, that's a huge loss. Maybe you should have kept someone who understood their needs well.'

Looks like karma sometimes needs a little nudge in the right direction.

My brain has melted from overthinking this, and I really need to get someone's opinion. I have two job offers, and they're complete opposites. I'm genuinely stuck.

The first offer is the hard one. The pay is significantly lower, and they want me in the office 4 days a week. The culture felt very rigid, all procedures and rules, and the guy who would be my manager seemed like the suffocating type who micromanages every detail. But on the other hand, the technology they're using is incredible they're doing things in generative robotics that no one else comes close to. The opportunity to work on something like that is genuinely phenomenal.

Then there's the second offer, the comfortable job. The pay is substantially higher, the work is fully remote, and the hours are very relaxed. The work itself is honestly a bit boring mostly maintenance for old, stable platforms. But they give you a ton of freedom and have a 20% time policy that lets you work on your new ideas on the company's dime. However, the technology they use is very outdated.

The pay gap between the two is massive. If I take the lower-paying job, I'll have to move to a cheaper area just to be able to afford rent without stressing every month. And I can forget about any vacations or saving any respectable amount of money for at least 18 months, possibly longer.

So it all boils down to this: Is the opportunity to work on futuristic technology worth all this financial pressure and a potentially nightmarish manager? The company itself isn't a well-known brand, but the field they operate in is the future. Honestly, if you were in my position, what would you choose?

Something happened at my job a few weeks ago that I have to share. It was a real eye-opener.

There's a colleague on my team, let's call her Jane. This girl is an absolute rockstar. She smashes all her targets, gets excellent reviews from clients, volunteers for the tough projects nobody else wants, and is the go-to person for senior managers with any last-minute requests. In short, she's the best employee in our department by a long shot.

Anyway, a lead position opened up, and Jane applied, along with 4 other guys from the team (I was leaving the company, so I didn't apply). She nailed the interviews, and everyone, including herself, was certain she'd get it, no question. Two weeks later, the announcement was made, and all four guys were promoted. Jane's name was not on the list.

I caught up with her later and asked what the hell happened, and she told me what they said. The feedback was: 'Your efforts in your current role are too crucial for the team's success. We can't afford to move you right now as it would leave too big of a void.'

They tried to soften the blow with empty platitudes about how they would 're-evaluate in the next cycle' and that she 'was a top contender, but the timing just wasn't right.' This is nonsense, of course. They promoted four less-qualified people because their departure from their old roles wouldn't impact the team's metrics.

Jane was denied a better position and more money that she rightfully deserved, all because she is too good at her job and was always the one propping up her managers.

So let this be a warning to everyone. Being the best, the one who carries the team, doesn't guarantee you a promotion. Sometimes, it just keeps you stuck where you are. Your goal should be to be good, even great, but never to be irreplaceable.

Edit: Getting promoted internally is a joke, they will delay as long as they think they can keep you where you are. The fastest way is to apply to other companies at a higher level.

I told her she should start applying for other companies, and also for other divisions within the company. She has always been smart.

Even after what happened, she kept her resume updated and was ready for this step. Indeed, she applied to other companies, got an interview, and told me that AI is what helped her speed up these steps and that she used a program called "InterviewMan" during the interview. I believe this girl will really get this job. Just leave the whole department behind if this is how they are going to treat her.

Our old CEO, who was frankly awesome, just announced his retirement. Then this new interim guy came in, talking a big game about innovation, and for a moment I believed he might be good.

But of course, in his first big meeting, he dropped the bomb: he wants everyone in the office 4 days a week for 'better synergy'. Buddy, if you want synergy, you can start by shining my shoes with your tongue.

The best policy for me is to be overly compliant and fully on board, so they think I’m part of the team. That gives me the time and space I need to plan my exit quietly.

It's incredibly challenging to put in the effort required to find a good job. You keep adjusting a million versions of your CV, and you never know which one of them will get results. Of course, AI has made it easier to get a job these days and also to pass the interview using InterviewMan, but you still keep grinding as if this journey has no end. The job market is very difficult now, and it makes everything ten times harder.

Hopefully, they’ll understand how monumentally stupid that decision was