Feeling really frustrated today. A new company has taken over our sector, and they want to offer me $17,000 less than my current salary for the same job. I decided to apply for a higher position, Specialist 2, since my skills and experience clearly exceed my current role. I have 10 years of overall experience, with 5 years specifically in this job, and I've only been here for 8 months before the transition. There were only two of us in the previous sector, and I’ve documented that I’ve completed 55% of all the work, while my coworker, who has only 1 year of relevant experience, has done 28%. Despite my contributions, they hired my coworker for Specialist 2, who has been here longer but hasn't performed nearly as well. I’m shocked and furious that they would prioritize tenure over performance and experience. My boss mentioned we could discuss this on Monday, but I’m unsure how to approach the conversation about how my documented performance was weighed against my coworker’s tenure. I'm seriously considering preparing my resignation letter if this doesn't get resolved.

I recently went through the interview process for a marketing role at a mid-sized tech company. I felt really confident after the final interview and was optimistic about my chances. However, I received a rejection email after they conducted a reference check and asked about my availability for the start date. It was disheartening to put so much effort into the process only to be turned down at the last minute. I'm starting to wonder if there's something wrong with my references or if I'm just unlucky in my job search. It's been a frustrating experience, and I can't help but feel a bit cursed in my pursuit of a new position.

I'm currently on the hunt for a government job with benefits, and I'm feeling quite desperate. As a Marine veteran who served as an MP for five years and later worked as a civilian law enforcement officer for a year, I have six years of experience in law enforcement. I got out of the military in 2018 and I'm now finishing my master's degree in social work. Since leaving the military, I've only had one government job, which ended prematurely due to a toxic work environment. I’ve been itching to get back into a role where I can truly contribute and give my all. However, it feels like nobody is willing to hire someone like me without a master's degree and over five years of experience, which I will have in two years. Recently, I learned about the potential signing bonuses for prior military or law enforcement personnel, which can be upwards of $50k for government positions. This has made me seriously consider applying to ICE, which is a huge step for me. I’m skilled, educated, have a good credit score, and am physically fit and hard-working. Yet, the thought of joining ICE just to secure a career feels insane to me. I'm tired of feeling stuck and am ready to get back into the workforce.

I’m feeling really anxious about a mistake I made during my job application process. I recently uploaded my resume for a position I’m excited about, and I accidentally edited the dates on my bootcamp certificate to make my timeline look shorter. I listed my bootcamp attendance as being from August 2022 to May 2023, but the actual end date was December 2023. I thought it would make me look better, but now I’m worried it’ll come back to haunt me. As part of the onboarding process, I’m currently undergoing a background check with a third-party company. I plan to upload the original certificate that shows the correct end date of November 2023. I have a few concerns: 1. Will the background check company compare the certificate against the resume I submitted to HR? 2. If they notice the discrepancy, will they think I forged the document or just see it as a simple date mismatch? 3. Should I reach out to HR now to confess my mistake, or should I wait to see if it gets flagged? I know I messed up, and I’m just trying to figure out the best way to handle this situation before it potentially jeopardizes my job offer.

I recently faced a tough situation where I was ineligible to receive unemployment benefits in California. Fortunately, I have since secured full-time work. Now, I'm trying to understand if I might be entitled to back pay if I meet the 'bona fide employment requirement.' I believe the 'reasonable employer rule' was broken due to a minor safety violation at my previous job, and I'm hoping this might affect my eligibility for back pay.

Today was one of the hardest days I've faced. I got fired from my new job at a local retail store just two days after being hired. I had been searching for a job for six months, and finally felt a glimmer of hope when I landed this position. I thought I was doing okay, but then my boss called me into her office and told me to go home, removing my name from the schedule for the upcoming week. I felt completely blindsided and devastated. When I asked for reasons, she mentioned she would call me later to discuss next steps, but that just left me feeling more anxious and embarrassed. I have bills piling up and I really need this job to support myself. I’m reaching out for any advice on how to cope with this situation and what steps I should take next.

My spouse has been out of work since late 2023 after nearly a decade at a tech startup. Initially, she received several interview calls and even landed a contract role in 2024, but that didn't get renewed. She managed to pick up some teaching gigs for a while, but since early 2025, her job search has stalled. We've been debating for two years about relocating to a more affordable area, as living in the greater SF Bay region on a single income is becoming increasingly difficult. She believes staying here maximizes her job prospects, but I'm not so sure anymore given the lack of interviews and the tough job market in tech. Many of her former colleagues are also struggling to find work, and it seems like the longer this drags on, the less likely she is to find a suitable position. My job is remote, which gives us some flexibility, but I think it might be time to consider moving to a lower cost of living area to help us save money and give her a fresh start. I'm feeling the pressure to make a decision soon.

I recently accepted a seasonal position at Walmart, earning $15/hr, with a 45-minute commute and rotating shifts until 11 p.m. This job is temporary as I prepare to start my master's program next year. I begin onboarding on Monday, but I have interviews lined up next week for an office job and a position at Target, both of which are closer to home and offer slightly better pay. My main concerns are the long commute and the unpredictable schedule, especially since I also have an online class and help take care of my home and husband. I'm contemplating whether to keep the Walmart job while I interview, give it a couple of weeks to see how it goes, or focus solely on finding an office job that aligns with my long-term goals. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I recently received a job offer for $115,000 a year plus a 10% bonus, which is a significant increase from my current salary of $85,000. I've been at my current job for four years, and while I enjoy the work and my team, the pay raises have been minimal—only three raises, each under 3%. My boss has expressed that he thinks the raises are too low for the amount of work I do, but ultimately, the owner makes the compensation decisions. I'm torn because I really like my current role, but the financial aspect is a major concern. I'm considering whether it would be worth it to talk to my boss about the offer I received, expressing my desire to stay if they can match or come closer to the new offer. Has anyone else been in a similar situation? How did it turn out for you?

I was laid off about a month ago and I'm really struggling to cope with the situation. The job market is rough, especially since I moved to a smaller town in 2021 to afford a house. Now, I'm an hour away from any decent job opportunities. I'm considering taking a pay cut and dealing with a 30-minute to 1-hour commute just to find work. I've been ghosted by two interviews, which has been disheartening. On top of that, I got turned down for Medicare, so I can't even see a doctor despite my loss of income. I had no savings because I was living paycheck to paycheck, and now I'm feeling overwhelmed. I have a kid to take care of, which makes everything even more stressful. I keep receiving 4 or 5 rejection emails a day, and the most recent one really set me off. I can't help but feel hopeless about the future, especially with the rise of AI and its potential impact on jobs. I was never aiming to be rich, but I was content with my previous job that paid just enough to live. I just needed to vent about this situation.

I recently applied for a job that I felt was a perfect fit for my niche skill set. I work in academia, and I submitted my application just three days after it was posted. My résumé and cover letter were polished and tailored to highlight my qualifications and experience, especially since I currently work for a highly regarded organization in my field. However, after receiving the standard auto-response confirming my application, I noticed that the job posting was removed the very next day. This raised some red flags for me, especially since the auto-response included a name in parentheses next to the job title. I did a quick search and found out that this person has a similar role but works for a different organization. It made me wonder if the position was already earmarked for them, and the posting was just a formality. In academia, it's typical for job postings to remain open for months, often until the new hire is ready to start, so this quick removal felt odd. I'm in my early 50s and have been struggling to get past initial screenings for jobs I know I’m qualified for. It’s incredibly frustrating to think that I might have never had a real chance at this position, especially after investing so much time into my application. I’m also tired of hearing the bright-side perspective on job hunting. People often say that these situations don’t mean anything and that I could still have a shot, but it feels disheartening. It would honestly be easier to know upfront if I had no chance, so I could save myself the effort and emotional investment.

I was recently laid off from my position and am currently seeking new opportunities. I would greatly appreciate any referrals, job leads, or feedback on my resume to help me in my job search. I'm eager to connect with others who might have insights or advice.

I’m 18 years old and have been trying to find a job for over a year now, but I’m feeling really stuck and desperate. I have a doctor's appointment coming up that I need to pay for myself, and I thought I would have a job by now, but it looks like I might have to cancel it, which is really upsetting. I’ve been applying to jobs on and off, but every position I see seems to require at least 2 years of experience, and I’m not getting any responses. I feel completely lost and exhausted, and I’m running out of options.

I’ve been working for a couple of months at the largest pure grocer in the US, and it’s been an absolute nightmare. Recently, I’ve been cut down to just 28 hours spread across six days, which feels incredibly disrespectful given the circumstances. I’m not here to complain excessively, but it just keeps getting worse. This week, three people are out, yet my hours were still slashed while everyone else seems to be getting plenty. It’s frustrating because they don’t allocate enough hours to the department and then act surprised when tasks aren’t completed. It’s as if they don’t understand that time is a limited resource. I’m starting to wonder if this is some sort of retaliation. My main supervisor has been acting strangely lately, but I think he might be mixing me up with my direct supervisor. It’s all very bizarre, especially since I just got passed over for a promotion. Instead of a clear rejection, I was told there might be another opportunity way down the line, which doesn’t exactly instill confidence. I make $15 an hour, so I really need those hours. I’ve expressed this multiple times, but it feels like it’s falling on deaf ears. On a scale of 1 to 10, I’d rate how disrespectful this situation is as a solid 8. One day off with barely any hours makes it impossible for me to even consider picking up a second job.

I recently quit a retail job I had just started a week ago. After working for four years at a great company, I took the first opportunity that came my way due to being a military spouse and the need to move frequently. The training was minimal; I did some computer training for two shifts and was then thrown onto the register with little support. I ended up handling a long line of customers mostly on my own, and it was overwhelming. The girl who was supposed to train me barely assisted, and I noticed that my manager and others would often disappear when help was needed. When I asked my manager a question over the walkie, she jokingly said she was 'changing her name' because everyone kept asking questions—clearly, she was serious about avoiding her responsibilities. Additionally, I witnessed them changing schedules abruptly without prior notice, which was frustrating. I decided not to return and am now applying for other positions while hoping to qualify for unemployment. I just needed to vent about this experience because it was really disheartening.

I was laid off today after 25 years at my company, and I feel completely lost and scared. This is my first time ever facing a layoff, and while I initially felt a sense of relief after accepting the news, reality quickly set in, leaving me in despair. I'm 51 years old, and the thought of starting over is overwhelming. I've received some encouragement from others who have been in similar situations, reminding me to apply for unemployment as soon as possible and to take some time to process my feelings. They suggested taking a weekend to vent and relax before diving into the job search. I know I need to update my resume and start looking for new opportunities, but right now, I'm just trying to cope with this major life change.

After months of applying for jobs with little to no response, I finally figured out what was holding me back. I had been following all the conventional advice: I crafted a solid CV, applied widely, and kept my pipeline full. However, most of the time I received no replies at all—not even rejections. It was frustrating because I had no idea if I was close to getting a job or just completely invisible in the process. The turning point came when I realized that sending the same CV to every job was a losing strategy. Many applications never even reached a human being; they were filtered out by an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) that prioritized how closely my application matched the specific job posting. The candidates who were getting interviews weren’t necessarily more qualified than I was; they were just tailoring their applications to mirror the job descriptions and highlight the relevant experience right away. This realization was tough to accept, especially since tailoring each application can take up to an hour, which is why many people don’t do it consistently. To tackle this, I built a tool that automates the tailoring process for me. It grades each application and removes anything that wouldn’t pass an initial ATS screening before I send it out. Surprisingly, this approach has helped me land three interviews in just one month. I didn’t expect it to be so effective, especially since some of the CVs it produced looked less visually appealing than what I could create manually, but it seems that the ATS doesn’t care about aesthetics. In any case, this method ultimately led me to secure a job, so I wanted to share my experience and hopefully help others in their job search.

I recently had a recruiter reach out to me regarding a potential job opportunity. After doing some research, I confirmed that they are legitimate, which was a relief. However, I'm aware that many recruiters can be unresponsive, especially on platforms like LinkedIn, where they often use mass messaging and keyword filters. What caught my attention with this recruiter is that they provided their corporate email and contact information in their initial message. I'm debating whether to respond directly to their corporate email or stick to LinkedIn for my reply. I want to be respectful of their preferred communication method but also express my genuine interest in the job. Given the current job market, I know recruiters are inundated with messages, so I want to make sure I approach this correctly.

I recently received a rejection email for a part-time barista position I applied for at a hotel. This was particularly disheartening because I have prior experience as a barista and have worked in kitchens as well. It's been a tough journey for me, as I haven't had a job in two years and have faced numerous rejections while applying for various roles. I’m only 20 and will be turning 21 in September, and I'm feeling the pressure to find work. I’m genuinely trying my best, but it feels like I'm getting nowhere despite having the skills and determination to succeed. I just want the opportunity to prove myself. Thanks for letting me share my frustrations.

I’m considering a role with Meta Reality Labs in their Robotics Studio and I’m trying to gauge how it compares to the regular software teams at Meta. I’ve heard mixed things about the work environment and I’m curious if it’s as cut-throat as people say. I want to know about work-life balance and whether the Robotics teams face more layoffs or reorganizations compared to the core software groups. I would appreciate insights from anyone currently in RL or who has experience there. I found a comment from someone who was in RL from 2023 to 2025, and they mentioned that a significant portion of their colleagues ended up getting laid off or moved to other teams. They suggested that while hardware teams might have it a bit better than software teams, the uncertainty in the headset roadmap is concerning. Overall, their advice was to avoid RL altogether, which has made me rethink this opportunity.