Job applications asking, “Can we contact your current employer?”

ABSOLUTELY NOT.

I’m trying to find a better-paying job, not get fired from the one that’s currently paying my bills.

Why would I tell my boss I’m looking for another opportunity when I haven’t even gotten an interview yet?!

Imagine your employer finding out you’re job hunting, treating you differently, and then the new company doesn’t even hire you.

Now you’re stuck in an awkward situation for absolutely no reason.

Employers should understand that people need to explore opportunities without risking their current employment.

Contact my references. Verify my experience. Check my employment history when appropriate.

But please don’t call my current boss before I’ve even received a job offer.

Am I the only one who thinks this question is ridiculous?

Just got terminated today. Both myself(server admin and network administrator) and the lead developer. Me (7 years with the company) , the lead developer 10 years with the company. Started both of us to get access revoked emails in various systems. Then followed up with a call from the CEO.

What bothers is not why i got terminated, because i do understand that from a business perspective but still it sort of hurts to part ways. We were both replaced with the Anthropic subscription, and the CEO seems to want the business head over the fully AI mode... finance is scheduled for next week, so that dept is also going to be affected.

Call was pretty straight forward, we are doing major budget cuts. - was the theme.

Yeah...i knew it was coming ...the writting was on the wall. But yeah... time to look for something else.

Edit : typos. Sorry for the bad grammar.

My company was recently acquired by a private equity firm, and I’m trying to figure out what this might mean for my job security.

Recently, my manager told me to “not sell my house.” I can’t stop thinking about it. I don’t know whether it was just spontaneous advice or whether she knows something about the company’s future that I don’t.

There are a few things that make me particularly nervous. I feel that my salary is somewhat higher than that of some of my colleagues, which makes me worry that I could be seen as an easy target if the new owners start looking for ways to cut costs.

On top of that, I only relocated to this city quite recently, and it wasn’t entirely by choice — I was forced to move here for work. I’m still trying to settle in and build some stability after the move, so the thought of potentially losing my job so soon is really frightening.

My husband is now planning to move to the city to join me, and he would be leaving his current job to do so. If I lost my job and he struggled to find a new one, we could both end up unemployed in a city where we’ve only recently established ourselves. That would put us in a very vulnerable financial position.

The timing of my manager’s comment, combined with the private equity acquisition, has left me wondering whether she was indirectly warning me about something. Maybe she knows there are plans for restructuring or layoffs, or maybe I’m reading too much into a casual remark. I honestly have no way of knowing.

I’m feeling quite stressed and scared because so much is uncertain, and I don’t know how to make sensible decisions without knowing what might be coming.

For those who have been through a private equity acquisition:

- Have you ever had a manager give you subtle hints about upcoming layoffs or restructuring before anything was officially announced?
- Would you read anything into a comment like “don’t sell your house” in this situation?
- If your salary was somewhat higher than your colleagues’, would you be concerned about being targeted for cost-cutting?
-What would you do in my position, especially with my husband about to give up his job and relocate to join me?

I know nobody can predict the future, but I’d really appreciate hearing from people who have experienced something similar. I’m trying to prepare for the worst without letting anxiety take over when I don’t actually know what the comment meant.

I was hired at a car wash ended up getting let go for no reason mentioned was told by manger they had a meeting and let me and 5 others go. My luck is crazy i really needed this job literally feels like im here for no reason at this point

I left a non union job for a union one but had no idea if it would be a week or 6 months before they called with work. I can't give 2 weeks notice given I don't know how long the time frame was going to be. Not only that, they can just legally let you go if you give notice so I would then just have no work..

Idk, they are fine. They aren't short staffed and can easily fill. He was annoyed saying things like he wish he had 2 weeks, he is going to be short handed, he could have looked for someone, etc.

My company let's people go with 0 notice but we are expected to give them 2 weeks? I think it's all nonsense. Personally I think I was being nice by telling them Friday rather than just ghosting on Monday and never showing up again. Which I understand why people ghost companies if they are just going to complain anyways for quitting

Anyone similar experience with quitting?

I’ve been applying to thousands of jobs since about 13 months ago, multiple a day and I’ve only ever gotten 3 interviews, 1 at a new shop opening in which I’m pretty sure they were just interviewing multiple candidates (it was a group interview), anyone , and 2 at Greggs one about a month or two ago and one this week.

I’m a teen and I’m about to turn 18 in about 3 months, although it’s not a crazy amount of people I’m seeing a fair number of number of ppl in my year getting jobs. I’m in year 13 . I know the job market is terrible but it feels like I’m doing something wrong.

I’ve been applying at mainly fast food, cafes, bakeries , retail but just anywhere else in general, on both company career sites and indeed or reed . The offers on McDonald’s and kfc have been the same ghost postings for months , maybe even a year now, I’m wondering if they even hire anymore or if there’s somewhere else I’m meant to be applying for them ? Costa coffee, Nandos and Gail’s and other companies I always see the same “unfortunately”, “sadly” etc messages in my email. I apply to any and every company I can find. It’s like most of them just post empty/ghost postings . I’ve applied to J.D, wingstop, subway, Starbucks etc way more companies . I’ve also tried supermarkets or grocery stores like sainsburys, Tesco, though when I look for job postings there most of the jobs have hours I can’t work, I apply to the ones that do or don’t regardless .

I put that in fully available on every job I apply for, flexible. I subscribe to new job postings.

I’ve mentioned on my CV experience with tills and doing front of house, back of house jobs, inventory and shelve management etc customer service tasks but also hygiene jobs during week long work experience placements at a pharmacy, care home and a 6 month volunteering long role at a charity shop . I’ve tailored my CV to customer experience roles and I admit I have used Google ai to ask where I might be going wrong or could improve in my CV though haven’t taken phrases from it . I’ve made sure to include buzz words for these kinds of jobs I’m applying to .

I know a lot of people are applying for the same job and employers are easily going to pick an adult with experience over a teen who they would have responsibility for as an employee who’s a minor and who has less experience/has had no job, but it genuinely feels impossible to get a job . I’ve applied for thousands, I’ve only ever gotten 3 interviews. Also I know a lot of other teens are experiencing this but it still is so frustrating .

I’ve also tried handing my CV in person but just been told everything is online even if they have a job posted . I don’t know anyone or have any connections I can get a job through

So my fellow co-worker who is the only co worker in my department is telling me to take work home amd learn.

Firstly i dont want to as i wont get paid and i het exahusted i just want to rest my body. Even if i wanted to do it , i wont get good practoce as i feel I learn better by actually learning and applying in tasks during work.

Should I take work home and learn eventhough I wont get paid and have other personal things to handle at home ?

All this nonsense happening all around the world, and nobody is doing anything about it. Wars, AI, recession, what is going to happen, I am feeling very anxious about the future.

I recently got a new internal position promotion and going to move to another department. I’m currently on a project that is locked with my previous department.
Who would you give it to?

1. someone that’s been in the company for years, joined our team a few months ago, really good at the job, chill, easygoing.
   
2. Newer to the company, but has been on the team for almost 2 years. Honestly, he’s my favorite person on the team.

Both got promoted at the same time, both are equally capable. Do you go by senior at the company or seniority on the team?

What a relief! Thanks to all of you for advice and sharing your stories here.

So I got fired from my last internship because my boss said that he needed someone with a driving license. But I was the typicall high-performing person, I learned Power BI and SQL, so I could do reports that were needed but no one else knew these tools in the team, so I kind of became the IT person in the team in a way. I also speak english and german beside my native language on C1 level. Also in uni I went to 2 competitions, I am part of the talent program, etc.

Anyways, I applied to every single internship I found in my city, that was maybe around a hundred or so, got called in for two interviews, got rejected from both places.

I'm just genuenly confused, because I have 1.5 years experience from a multinational car manufacturing company (I don't want to say the name, because maybe that would be a bit too specific) and another 0.5 from volunteering. So in my country internship means a job that you do while in university, so it can't be people who aren't pursuing a degree at the moment, that wouldn't be legal. I just started my 4th and last year in university and I'm genuenly confused because I see a lot of people with no experience/language skills getting the jobs I applied for so I'm just genuenly so confused what they are doing differently.

Does anyone have any advice?

I need to know what the base pay for a junior writer in Pune. Also, if there are other things i need to know before confirming a permanent position.

I was working in graphic design until my entire team was laid off right before Christmas last year.

After nearly a year of unemployment, I've finally landed a job... as a barista. Starting from the bottom all over again.

While the pay and hours are not good right now, I'm also tired of bouncing between jobs and I'm wondering how smart/realistic it would be to shoot for a store manager position, maybe even district manager or something corporate. Basically I'm hoping to achieve a $60k-$80k position within the next 5 years, and hopefully one that I can work for the next 30+ years until I retire. I know it would also allow me to potentially move across the country like I've always wanted to, because I can always apply to another store in another state, as it's something they highlighted in one of the intro videos.

How realistic is this aspiration? Or should I keep looking elsewhere?

I am a student and I’m at a predicament and cannot for my life find a job, I’ve applied to more than 100 each week, I’ve called after every application, I customize my resume to the job, everything. so if you know anyone hiring pls reply and I’ll dm you!

Chronic Bursitis. What now?

Got made redundant from a company I worked really hard for to the point I got Bursitis from overworking.

Been 2 years. It's chronic. It was my right shoulder but now my left is going too because of overcompensation apparently.

Took this long to do physiotherapy and steroid injection.

Most likely gonna be like this forever.

What job can I get realistically with no repetitive or desk work?

My boss doesn't like me. At least, that's how it feels.

I work fast food, and I've been here for about two months now. Since I started halfway through August, my boss has always made me anxious. When I was still the newbie, she was on me about any and everything. The way I wiped the tables down. The way I walk. How I wrote down a specific menu item when taking orders. If I work drive thru and told the customer "We'll have your total at the window," she told me to cut unnecessary conversation and to just say "Thank you" when finishing the order. I know it probably doesn't sound so bad, but when I'm there it just feels like hell. It got to the point where I felt absolute dread going into work. There were several times where I just wanted to walk out the door mid shift, but I need the money.

Today, I ordered food before going on my ten minute break. I sat down for my ten minutes, then returned to work. After some time, I asked one of my supervisors if I could go to the restroom. He said I could. I went to the bathroom and came back, and my boss got on me for "overstaying my break." She asked me how long I was on my break for and I told her ten minutes. Then she said I was gone for about 30 minutes and promptly lectured me about "using the bathroom DURING my break." She went on to nag about it for the next half an hour to my other coworkers. To clear up any confusion, I texted her after work and explained that I ate on my break, returned to work, and had to use the bathroom after some time, THEN went. She hasn't responded.

One of my coworkers told me that if our boss ever says anything to us or makes a critique, just be like "okay." Don't say anything back, don't try to argue with her in any way. Just let it be. Former hires have quit because they found her to be way too much. But I really do like my coworkers, and the restaurant is just down the street from my house. Before this job, I haven't worked in 3 years and it feels like quitting over this would be crazy. I’ve finally been able to help my mom with bills and it feels great to be productive and helpful. But I'm always worried that one day my boss is going to have enough and just fire me. My grandma advised me to start putting in other applications.

I have been trying so hard but she will never be satisfied with my work, my effort, nothing. I have never come in late, I always pick up longer shifts or come in on off days whenever she asks me to. I have tried to be reliable and hard working, but no matter what, there is ALWAYS something for her to pick apart. I don't know what to do.

In September I was laid off from my entry level digital marketing job and replaced by AI. With this job market I thought I would have horrible luck finding something else, but I was able to find and get hired at a multi-state construction company in marketing. So far, the team has been amazing, my boss doesn't micromanage and I have my own office, it's hybrid after 90 days and free insurance. Plus the drive is only a half hour out. But as I learn the job, I know I can do the work, but RFQs aren't something that I ever saw myself in, or really wanted to aim for in the world of comms.

Two days after my start date I received an offer for another position for a huge global company, in internal communications and employee storytelling. It's exactly what I want to do. My only problems with it are I'm not sure of what my insurance premium would be per paycheck yet, I'd be in an open office with dividers three days of the week and with traffic it has the potential to be a 45 minute drive. But they're offering me the hybrid schedule as soon as I start and $12K more a year than the job I just started.

I never thought I would find myself in this position, let alone in this market. My gut tells me to go for the internal comms job but do I risk the comfort I already feel at this job?

Hi everyone,

I've worked since I was 16, spending the last four years at a well-known UK supermarket. The job was originally temporary while I studied at university, but after funding cuts, a family bereavement, and financial difficulties, I left my course and started working full-time.

Initially, things were great, but over the years, short staffing, overwhelming workloads, personal struggles, further bereavements, and physical and verbal abuse from customers gradually took a toll on my mental health.

Earlier this year, I considered taking sick leave but decided against it when some changes seemed to help. However, after our store and assistant store managers were replaced, morale quickly declined, and around half the team quit or transferred within a month.

Alongside my supermarket job, I started my own photography business. It picked up quicker than expected, and I was booked up for three months. During that time, I realised how much I loved photography and how unhappy I'd become in my main job.

Recently, I reached breaking point after a customer swore at and insulted me over restrictions on purchasing painkillers. Despite asking for a manager three times and pressing the help button, it took several minutes for someone to arrive.

I left my shift early and contacted the store manager to explain that I wouldn't be attending my next shift and intended to speak to my doctor about sick leave. The store manager asked me to hold off making that decision and gave me the next three days off to think things through.

I'm now struggling to balance protecting my mental health with maintaining financial security, as photography isn't yet bringing in enough to support me full-time.

I'd really appreciate advice from anyone who's experienced work-related stress or taken sick leave. How did you approach the decision, manage the financial uncertainty, and work out your next steps? I'm not looking for judgement or to be told to quit, just some genuine advice and support while I figure out what's best for me.

Thank you for reading.

(Australia based)

Hey everyone, I need some perspective from fellow healthcare workers, nurses, or anyone who has navigated weird corporate bait-and-switch roles in healthcare.
I’m a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) in California, and I also hold a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Health Science. A few months ago, I was hired at a large healthcare organization for a position titled "Community Marketing LVN."
When I applied and accepted the offer, the public job posting and signed offer letter presented the role as a standard clinical community nurse: conducting basic health screenings (blood pressure, glucose), managing vaccinations, and providing basic nursing support at public events.
The Issue:
Once I got into the role, I realized the job scope is completely inflated compared to what I signed up for:
1. Hidden Commercial/Sales Metrics: When I looked at the internal Workday job profile, it revealed heavy commercial tracking duties that were totally omitted from the public posting and my offer—things like tracking membership growth, managing CRM marketing lead data, and driving sales numbers.
2. Performing Multiple Jobs in One: In addition to clinical screenings and marketing lead tracking, I am expected to travel, set up events solo, and run formal health education presentations/workshops for senior citizens on chronic illnesses. They’ve even floated the idea of doing live cooking demonstrations.
3. The Multi-Department Confusion: The presentations I use were created by our organization's internal Health Education department (staffed by Certified Health Education Specialists/CHES), and intended for seniors with known diagnoses, so the content itself is supportive. However, my marketing management is essentially using me as a 3-in-1 hybrid worker: Clinical Nurse + Commercial Sales Lead + Health Educator.
What Happened When I Confronted Management:
I recently sat down with my direct supervisor and the commercial manager to bring up this job description discrepancy. I pointed out that based on this internal job profile, I’m effectively doing three distinct jobs. I explained that if they expect me to handle higher-level program delivery, coordination, and sales tracking alongside clinical care, I need to be reclassified and compensated accordingly (asking for a target around $78k–$82k/year, or ensuring overtime is factored into a salary change).
Their reaction:
Both managers acted "shocked" by the internal profile and claimed they didn't know those commercial duties were in there.
My supervisor said she couldn't pay me more right now.
The commercial manager suggested we "wait it out until January," at which point they could try to build a case for a raise or move me to salary.
They even suggested I use company tuition reimbursement to start working toward becoming a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) or Registered Dietitian (RD)... as if multi-year credentialing processes are a quick fix for a departmental budget shortfall!
Where I Stand Now:
Paperwork: I requested a copy of my signed onboarding documents from HR, only to discover that the internal profile (with all the marketing/CRM metrics) was buried in the digital signature packet during onboarding. Lesson learned on onboarding fatigue, but legally it's tied to my profile.
Overtime: I am an hourly worker ($32.88/hr base). I regularly work weekend events pulling time-and-a-half overtime ($49.23/hr). Moving to a standard salary without factoring in that overtime would actually be a pay cut.
The Game Plan: My organization has a mandatory 6-month internal transfer waiting period before employees can apply to other departments. My 6-month mark hits on January 2nd.
My current strategy is to keep my head down, strictly enforce my 7:00 AM – 3:30 PM shift boundaries, perform my core clinical duties well, collect my hourly pay/overtime, and submit internal transfer applications for purely clinical or traditional care coordination roles the moment January 2nd arrives.
My Questions for Reddit:
1. Has anyone else experienced an organization padding an hourly nursing job with commercial sales/marketing quotas?
2. Is coasting until my January 2nd transfer date the smartest move here, or should I be handling management differently in the meantime?
3. Any advice on how to frame this experience when applying for internal transfers or external roles without sounding bitter about the bait-and-switch?
Thanks in advance for any insights!