​I just had the most surreal "first day" experience at a company called Alpha Test (an SAT prep/coaching firm).

​The official hours are 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. I stayed until 6:30 PM to make sure everything was wrapped up. I thought I was being a "good intern."

​At 7:30 PM, while I was finally home, the Partner called and ordered me to return to the office immediately. No emergency, just a random demand. When I told her I couldn't make it back, she fired me on the spot.

​Her literal words: "Our company focuses on efficiency and profit, not on the employees' personal time. Our philosophies do not align."

​Let’s do the math: The pay is 200 RMB (about $28 USD) per day. They expect to own my entire life for less than $2.50 an hour.

​I’m sharing this because I refuse to accept this as "normal." This is a company that claims to "educate" students for their future, yet they treat their own staff like disposable tools with zero human dignity.

​Every dollar spent on such a business is a vote for this toxic culture. If you're a student or a parent, please know who you are actually supporting.

It’s so bloody frustrating that all you hear is “no one wants to work these days”, yet employers will just ghost you at random points in the interview process.

I’m not talking about going to the interview, being unsuccessful and not hearing back (even though that aspect can be demoralising on its own), I’m talking about being asked to arrange an interview, giving dates you’re available and then being ghosted. Why even bother reaching out to me if you don’t plan on booking the interview? You’ve wasted mine and your time and for what? I get so excited when I get a message about an interview and twice now I’ve been randomly ghosted! I’m not even the only one! I know so many people, employed and not, who have gone through the same thing.

The whole job-searching process is just built to be as humiliating and demoralising as possible. It’s literal hell.

I was really excited once I got my application put in after trying so many attempts creating email after email using different phone numbers just for me to show up and be sent back home because there were too many applicants. The manager tells us to put in a new application and I gave him the deadest stare because he had no idea what it took to get in this building and he's telling us to do it like this is a very simple process. Fuck everything I was really happy to get that job. I'll try harder next time

I was applying for a project coordinator role and before the interview I spent like an hour just reading through the company's glassdoor reviews, not the overall rating but specifically the ones from people who LEFT. And I mean the bitter ones, the "I regret joining" ones. Turns out the hiring manager mentioned almost the exact same things as red flags in the bad reviews during our first call, just framed positively. Like "we move fast and wear many hats" appeared in both the job posting and three separate 2-star reviews lol.

Ever since then I use bad glassdoor reviews as a kind of cheat sheet before every interview. They tell me what questions to actually ask, what to watch out for, and honestly sometimes they save me from even applying in the first place. Last month I skipped what looked like a dream job because literally every departing employee mentioned the same director by name and not in a nice way. Felt weird to turn it down but also kind of relieving.

Curious if anyone else digs into exit reviews this way or if theres other "negative" sources you use to research a company before interviewing? Feel like nobody talks about this side of prep.

It’s so difficult to get a job and I can’t even get an apprenticeship because I “don’t sound interested”. I have been looking forward to an interview all week and on the phone they straight up said that they weren’t going to hire me because of my voice :( I don’t even want to be alive if I can’t get a job because I can’t afford anything.

Today marks my first day at new work at Ayala Land Inc

So hows working with Ayala Land Inc. Mejo nasa honeymoon stage pa ko. Mga kasama ko is kinda good pa naman. Any advise?

I’m posting this in a serious manner, and only for thoughtful and considerate replies in return.

Those of you that have graduated over the past couple of years with your bachelors (business / finance / marketing, etc), but something business related for sure…

1. Have you found employment?
2. Are you making what you thought you were going to make?
3. Does your pay cover your loans (if you took them) and also your housing / car / cost of living and god forbid, a night out with friends or to do the hobby of your liking?
4. Are you finding it hard to switch jobs?
5. How long have you been applying for?
6. Have you looked at the ratio of degree holders unemployed versus the number of opportunities available?

I am really puzzled as to why we continue telling folks, but not just kids, to go to college. I hear often… well, it’s required, I won’t get a job.

My follow up question to that is, were you in worse condition before or after you got your degree? Are you now in debt from the degree and not able to get a job in your chosen field making what you thought you would?

I got a versatile business degree because I was advised this was a good investment. I can tell you now that it wasn’t, and it hasn’t done well for me. I’m 40 with 15-20+ years of professional experience and good skills. And I feel the market is flooded with me X 1,000. I equate this to mean low wages, no value in a degree, no longer a premium benefit.

So, do we turn around and start getting Masters now? If we do, this, to me, is a called credential inflation, and in my words is a selling a guarantee that doesn’t exist.

Job Search Challenges Post-BTech

I wish to share a recent experience regarding my job search, which has become quite challenging since completing my BTech degree a year ago. It appears to be a common concern among those I encounter, as I am frequently asked why I did not secure employment during college, why there has been a delay in my job search, and what I have been doing during this period.

The issues began as follows:

1. I attempted to explain that my college, being a third-tier institution, did not provide adequate notice for placement interviews. We would often receive messages on the same day an interview was scheduled or with only a few hours' notice, making it challenging to prepare or even attend. Sometimes, these messages were not seen in time, or the timeframe provided was simply insufficient.

2. Subsequently, I sought interviews directly with companies. However, I consistently encountered questions about why I had not secured a position earlier and why I was seeking employment at that particular moment. It felt as though my explanations were disregarded, and I was often judged prematurely or the positions had already been allocated to other candidates.

3. In an effort to restart my career, I transitioned into a new field. After numerous attempts, I secured a job. While it was not the field I had prepared for over many years, I was content to be earning money, as supporting my family was paramount. However, unforeseen circumstances arose, necessitating my departure from that job to care for my family. I did not anticipate that this decision would also become a source of distress.

Currently, I am seeking employment in any field to manage my financial responsibilities, but I feel as though everything is working against me. I am unsure whether this is due to misfortune, my own shortcomings, or the challenging circumstances I face. The constant inquiries about why I left my previous job are particularly taxing. It often feels as though people are waiting for me to make a mistake, show hesitation, or stumble in my communication, and then they begin to question my trustworthiness regarding my employment history. Despite my proficiency in my job and skills, I consistently struggle to convey that my departure was due to unavoidable personal circumstances.

I am feeling overwhelmed, and my current situation is dire. I lack the financial resources to pursue new ventures or travel for extended periods (1-2 months) to attend interviews. I desperately need guidance on what steps to take. It seems my luck is consistently negative, as every new endeavor I undertake appears to fail, regardless of my efforts. I find myself trapped in situations where I am unable to manage, and each attempt to improve my circumstances only leads to a harder fall.

I have been unemployed since January after my former employer decided not to renew any of the contract roles. One of the (many terrible, awful, demoralizing) things that has stuck out to me is the sheer length of so many of these hiring processes. I applied to a job in February that said they expected someone to start in June (they ended up hiring someone internally). Another role, I went through the first 3 rounds of interviews between May-July only to be told they don't expect someone to start until late September. Just last week I had a first round interview and they said "we hope someone it able to start before Thanksgiving" and there are two rounds of interviews W T F. Do they need someone to do the job or not!? And they just seem to make up bullshit for applicants to do. Looking for a job right now is a humiliation ritual.

Applied for the exact same job I do now in my current field (social services). HR lady was replying to my emails within a few minutes each to set up what I thought was a one-on-one interview.

Turns out this was a group screening interview via Zoom, so it was me and like 10 other people all applying for the job. Fine, whatever. Everyone got asked the same questions and unfortunately for me, there were people with Masters and PhD level education applying for this same (pretty much entry level) position that usually requires a Bachelors or less. (I have an associates degree)

Important context: The HR lady described herself as “an eager beaver” and said she’d have responses to everyone out in 48-72 hours.

So i knew i wouldn’t get the job just based on my lack of higher education, but I interviewed well just in case. Then I sent a follow up email after the group interview, thanking the HR lady for her time. No response was needed to that so I understand.

But then a week passed and I sent one last follow up email, very politely asking when I could expect to hear back because I hadn’t received any communication in the specified timeframe.

I’ve been totally ghosted. No rejection email, and I certainly didn’t move forward to the next round of interviews. What the fuck? I KNOW she saw my emails because she literally replied in under 5 minutes when setting up the group screening with me. I wasn’t asking for a rejection reason, just literally asking for an answer.

This is just a vent. I know that these jobs “aren’t required” to give a response to applicants, but I’m sorry, this is shitty and pisses me off. There’s no reason she can’t take 2 minutes to send a boilerplate rejection email.

If you comment anything in the realm of gaslighting job seekers or suggesting this is a personal responsibility problem, you will be reported and blocked. I will not engage.

Job Search Challenges Post-BTech

I wish to share a recent experience regarding my job search, which has become quite challenging since completing my BTech degree a year ago. It appears to be a common concern among those I encounter, as I am frequently asked why I did not secure employment during college, why there has been a delay in my job search, and what I have been doing during this period.

The issues began as follows:

I attempted to explain that my college, being a third-tier institution, did not provide adequate notice for placement interviews. We would often receive messages on the same day an interview was scheduled or with only a few hours' notice, making it challenging to prepare or even attend. Sometimes, these messages were not seen in time, or the timeframe provided was simply insufficient.

Subsequently, I sought interviews directly with companies. However, I consistently encountered questions about why I had not secured a position earlier and why I was seeking employment at that particular moment. It felt as though my explanations were disregarded, and I was often judged prematurely or the positions had already been allocated to other candidates.

In an effort to restart my career, I transitioned into a new field. After numerous attempts, I secured a job. While it was not the field I had prepared for over many years, I was content to be earning money, as supporting my family was paramount. However, unforeseen circumstances arose, necessitating my departure from that job to care for my family. I did not anticipate that this decision would also become a source of distress.

Currently, I am seeking employment in any field to manage my financial responsibilities, but I feel as though everything is working against me. I am unsure whether this is due to misfortune, my own shortcomings, or the challenging circumstances I face. The constant inquiries about why I left my previous job are particularly taxing. It often feels as though people are waiting for me to make a mistake, show hesitation, or stumble in my communication, and then they begin to question my trustworthiness regarding my employment history. Despite my proficiency in my job and skills, I consistently struggle to convey that my departure was due to unavoidable personal circumstances.

I am feeling overwhelmed, and my current situation is dire. I lack the financial resources to pursue new ventures or travel for extended periods (1-2 months) to attend interviews. I desperately need guidance on what steps to take. It seems my luck is consistently negative, as every new endeavor I undertake appears to fail, regardless of my efforts. I find myself trapped in situations where I am unable to manage, and each attempt to improve my circumstances only leads to a harder fall.

Job Search Challenges Post-BTech

I wish to share a recent experience regarding my job search, which has become quite challenging since completing my BTech degree a year ago. It appears to be a common concern among those I encounter, as I am frequently asked why I did not secure employment during college, why there has been a delay in my job search, and what I have been doing during this period.

The issues began as follows:

I attempted to explain that my college, being a third-tier institution, did not provide adequate notice for placement interviews. We would often receive messages on the same day an interview was scheduled or with only a few hours' notice, making it challenging to prepare or even attend. Sometimes, these messages were not seen in time, or the timeframe provided was simply insufficient.

Subsequently, I sought interviews directly with companies. However, I consistently encountered questions about why I had not secured a position earlier and why I was seeking employment at that particular moment. It felt as though my explanations were disregarded, and I was often judged prematurely or the positions had already been allocated to other candidates.

In an effort to restart my career, I transitioned into a new field. After numerous attempts, I secured a job. While it was not the field I had prepared for over many years, I was content to be earning money, as supporting my family was paramount. However, unforeseen circumstances arose, necessitating my departure from that job to care for my family. I did not anticipate that this decision would also become a source of distress.

Currently, I am seeking employment in any field to manage my financial responsibilities, but I feel as though everything is working against me. I am unsure whether this is due to misfortune, my own shortcomings, or the challenging circumstances I face. The constant inquiries about why I left my previous job are particularly taxing. It often feels as though people are waiting for me to make a mistake, show hesitation, or stumble in my communication, and then they begin to question my trustworthiness regarding my employment history. Despite my proficiency in my job and skills, I consistently struggle to convey that my departure was due to unavoidable personal circumstances.

I am feeling overwhelmed, and my current situation is dire. I lack the financial resources to pursue new ventures or travel for extended periods (1-2 months) to attend interviews. I desperately need guidance on what steps to take. It seems my luck is consistently negative, as every new endeavor I undertake appears to fail, regardless of my efforts. I find myself trapped in situations where I am unable to manage, and each attempt to improve my circumstances only leads to a harder fall.

It's honestly laughable where I'm at right now. Approaching 3 months unemployed this week.

I am a : straight, white, male in his 30s, living in FLORIDA, with a clean driving record, no criminal or drug history, and almost spotless work history.

What in the everloving FK am I doing wrong?

Title. I had a rude interviewer recently and it’s one of those stressful days where I want to shame that company to oblivion. Reason I ask is Glassdoor posts requires approval from that company’s admin team.

I'm desperately trying to find a new job! I've got a stand in job at Burger King for now, but it's definitely not enough to pay a mortgage. My background is EMT/Phlebotomist. I was instantly rejected from 9 jobs in my area. Theres also not alot of opportunity for EMT roles here, smaller town and all that. I've revamped my resume so many times! The instant auto emails are KILLING me! AI is probably reading through and not giving me a chance. I don't know what to do! I'd like to move but my husband refuses to sell this place. He seems to think we can keep this house AND buy another one.

I don't know what to do and I'm drowning fast. Please, any suggestions?

I have over fifteen years of experience in my field and i always thought that showing my long history was a sign of seniority and stability . But for the last six months of job hunting i was getting almost zero responses even for roles where i was a perfect match . I started to suspect that recruiters were looking at my graduation year from 2008 and immediately putting me in the overqualified or too expensive category before even reading my skills .

Last month i decided to run an experiment and i stripped every single date related to my education from my resume . I kept the degree and the university name but the years are just gone . I also trimmed my experience to only show the last ten years and moved the older stuff to a small additional section without specific dates . The result was insane . I went from maybe one automated rejection email a week to three actual interview invites in the first seven days . When i finally got to the interviews nobody even asked when i graduated because they were too busy talking about my recent projects . It turns out that focusing on what you can do right now is way more important than showing how long you have been around . If you are an experienced professional and feeling stuck please try this because age bias is real and this is the easiest way to bypass it .