Miscellaneous

Today was incredibly challenging for me at my job. I work in a role that requires public speaking, and this week we had an all-staff day where I was supposed to present for 15 minutes about my role. I’ve struggled with severe public speaking anxiety for a long time, and I had communicated this to my manager weeks in advance, asking for a plan to help manage my anxiety during the presentation. Unfortunately, I didn't feel supported, and despite my repeated concerns, I was told I would be fine. On the day of the presentation, I felt physically ill—my throat was burning, my heart raced, and I was sweating. I was supposed to have a break before my presentation to talk to my manager about my panic attack, but they moved my presentation forward unexpectedly. I panicked and went to the back to inform the CEO, but I ended up having a full-blown panic attack and had to leave the room. My manager eventually found me and suggested I skip my presentation, but I was still in distress. She told me to go home, which I did, feeling completely defeated and sick. I’ve been thinking about the potential consequences of what happened, and I’m really worried about how my manager will react when she calls me tonight. I just hope that there won’t be any repercussions for something I communicated about in advance. It’s been such a rough day.

I recently joined a start-up focused on providing corporate food solutions, but after just a month, I'm seriously considering leaving. I got into this position through a friend's recommendation, but they ended up resigning just three weeks after I started due to the chaotic work environment. This is my first experience in a start-up, and I realize now that I should have done more research beforehand. The business concept seems flawed for the local market. In Asia, food delivery and catering services are already well-established, so I don't see what unique value our platform brings to the table. My responsibilities are constantly shifting; one week I'm cleaning systems, the next I'm handling vendor sales, and soon I'll be managing corporate client relationships. It's hard to develop any specific skills when I'm being pulled in so many directions. I'm planning to attend a national job fair to explore new opportunities. I'm weighing whether to leave this job now to focus on upskilling in supply chain procurement and management, or to stick it out for the paycheck. Fortunately, I have enough savings to cover my rent for three months, and my parents are willing to help with some living expenses. I'm open to any advice or perspectives on this situation.

I’ve been reflecting on the current job market, particularly in the research and higher education sectors where I work. While things feel a bit shaky, I’m noticing that there are still job openings, albeit with a lot of competition. Living in a large city with numerous universities helps, but it’s still a struggle to secure a position. From what I gather, the tech industry is facing significant challenges, especially for recent graduates who are finding it tough to land jobs. Marketing seems to be another tough area, with reports of hundreds of applicants for openings that are posted for just a few hours. In my field, it’s more common to see around 50 applicants daily for new roles based on LinkedIn stats and conversations with hiring managers. Conversely, I’ve heard that healthcare remains relatively stable, which is reassuring for my friend working in that sector. However, another friend who is a primary school teacher is experiencing difficulties; their school has had to cut some paraprofessional positions, which is surprising given the usual demand for teachers. It seems that in our region, there’s an oversupply of teachers and not enough funding to support them. I’m curious to hear how others in different sectors are faring, especially those in social sciences and higher education.

I recently interviewed for what I considered my dream job at a tech company as a software engineer. I made it all the way to the final interview, but unfortunately, I didn't get hired. I flubbed a couple of answers, and I suspect I was outperformed by a stronger candidate. It's tough to accept this loss, especially since I feel like this opportunity may not come around again. I do have another position lined up, but it's hard to feel excited about it when I've just experienced such a disappointment. I'm trying to remind myself that this might be a blessing in disguise and that something better could be out there for me.

I recently learned about a friend, Don, who worked for a small family-owned business in Minnesota for nearly 10 years. He was a lead worker with a company credit card and had keys to everything, never facing any discipline during his time there. However, the work environment turned hostile due to the manager's son, Dick, who has always been aggressive and disrespectful towards Don. Recently, during a shift, Dick yelled and cursed at Don in front of customers and even threw a box at him. Feeling unsafe, Don decided to leave for the day and informed the manager. Unfortunately, the manager did nothing to address the situation. Later that night, Don received a text from the manager firing him for walking off the job. Don applied for unemployment but was denied, as it was deemed misconduct for leaving without permission. He has since filed an appeal and has a hearing scheduled. I find it troubling that the manager allowed such a hostile environment to persist without intervening, raising questions about how Don's actions to protect himself could be considered misconduct. I'm trying to understand if I'm missing something in this situation.

I had the worst interview experience for an executive marketing assistant role recently. I traveled over an hour by bus and train to get to the employer's office, only to be met with complete disrespect. The marketing manager asked me if I had any certifications, and when I said no, he literally did a thumbs down and made a fart noise before walking away from me. To make matters worse, I could hear him talking negatively about me to one of his employees in his glass office right behind me. It was incredibly rude and unprofessional. It really makes me question how much employers actually care about candidates.

I was laid off unexpectedly after just 5 months at my job due to a merger. It hit me hard because I relied on that stability to manage my finances and plan for my future. Now, I'm facing the stress of job hunting again, which is daunting, especially as I think about my goals, like starting a family at 31. I could really use some encouragement during this tough time.

This week has been a whirlwind after I found myself in redundancy purgatory at my job. On Tuesday at 10:15 am, I was approached by the HR lady, who looked more clammy and awkward than usual. She asked me to join her in the meeting room, and I instantly knew what that meant. I mentally prepared myself for the worst as I followed her in. Inside the tiny room, the acting CEO was already waiting. Her first words were, "Sorry, Dug." I sat down, and she handed me a printed page, explaining that due to a downturn, the board had decided to make some roles redundant, including mine. I couldn’t believe it. Just a week earlier, I had received a 5-year service award and a letter praising my work. Now, here I was, being told my role was targeted for redundancy. The acting CEO assured me it was no reflection on my performance, but it felt hollow. When she offered to have someone help me collect my things, I declined and insisted I could do it myself. I returned to my desk, cleared out my belongings without looking back, and left a small pink Amethyst crystal on my keyboard as a parting gift. As I walked out, one of my team members, who I later realized had been involved in my downfall, offered to see me out. I shot him a glare and declined. And just like that, I was out. This week has been a lot to process, and I’m still figuring out what’s next.

I had a meeting with HR yesterday, and they informed me that my contract will end in 9 days. They stated that my position is being eliminated due to departmental restructuring and that it wasn't performance-related. I requested written confirmation of this decision, and they promised to send the documents later. However, shortly after the meeting, I received an email from HR with a resignation letter template, asking me to submit it as if I was leaving voluntarily for "personal reasons." I responded firmly, stating that I would not resign since the company is the one ending my employment. HR insisted that the resignation letter was for "administrative convenience" and wouldn't impact me. When I pressed about how it might affect my unemployment benefits or final pay, they dodged the question, saying they couldn't give legal advice. They also hinted that refusing to sign could delay my exit paperwork, which felt like a threat. My manager later reached out to me privately, mentioning that HR had asked other contractors to do the same thing in the past. I've been keeping all communications and have asked HR to confirm in writing that my contract is ending at their request, but they keep reminding me to submit the resignation letter instead. I'm really concerned about the implications of signing something that misrepresents my situation. Is this a common tactic in HR, and do they have any legitimate reason for needing a resignation letter when they’ve already decided to terminate my contract?

I did not receive any response from Devfied.

I did not receive any response from Enabling Systems.

I’ve been trying to log into my schedule app for the past two hours, but I keep getting locked out. I thought maybe they were doing some early morning maintenance, but this has never happened before. A few weeks ago, I went to HR regarding some issues, and the investigation didn’t go well, so now I’m worried that this might be their way of letting me go. I’m feeling anxious and uncertain about my job security right now.

I recently faced a major shift at my company when they decided to replace my entire team with an "AI assistant." This restructuring happened in early 2025, and I was told that I would be able to handle the workload of three people with the help of this new technology. Unfortunately, that has not been the case. My colleagues, Steve and Sarah, were laid off, and now I'm left with a broken algorithm that I spend most of my day fixing. Fast forward to 2026, and instead of being more productive, I feel like a glorified janitor. I spend about six hours daily correcting the inaccuracies and hallucinations generated by the AI. It takes more time to clean up its mess than it would to create the reports from scratch. When I raised these concerns during my review, management suggested I just needed to "learn to prompt better" and even provided a link to a mandatory 20-minute webinar. I'm still earning the same salary I had in 2024, but my workload has tripled. Meanwhile, the board continues to boast about "record efficiency" in their quarterly newsletters. There’s no collaboration or brainstorming with real people anymore; it’s just me and a faulty chatbot, struggling to meet deadlines. I'm feeling completely burned out, and to make matters worse, every job listing I see seems to be adopting the same model.

I recently started my first job in public administration, and I'm feeling really frustrated about a situation with a colleague. I'm from a European country and this is my first role in the field. I consider myself a calm, polite, and kind person, but I think my naivety has led me to overlook some negative intentions from others. Unfortunately, I have a colleague who seems to have something against me for reasons I don't understand. After I finish my tasks, I sometimes scroll through my phone because there’s genuinely nothing else to do—no calls, emails, or files to process. However, this behavior was reported to my supervisor, resulting in a warning. I felt hurt by this because I would have appreciated direct feedback instead of being reported. Additionally, this colleague has been telling others that I'm overwhelming with my questions and that HR is hiring incompetent people. It's frustrating because I feel like I'm just trying to learn and do my job well. She appears friendly to my face, but her actions suggest otherwise. I’m still on probation, and my permanent hiring depends on her evaluation of my performance. This situation is really taking a toll on me.

I've been on the job hunt for months now, and honestly, I'm feeling completely drained. I'm 18, about to turn 19 in October, and I've applied to places like McDonald's and KFC, handed out my CV in person, and even tried various online opportunities like TikTok and Pinterest affiliate marketing. I've followed all the advice I've come across, but I keep getting rejected. I've had my CV reviewed and improved, yet nothing seems to work. I'm overwhelmed and frustrated, and I really want to know if there's something I'm missing. Has anyone else felt this way and found a breakthrough? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I was laid off this week from my job in Canada, and I'm feeling a bit lost about what to do next. I received the notice today, and I'm looking for advice on how to navigate this situation. Specifically, I'm unsure about when to apply for Employment Insurance (EI) — should I do it on the day I got the notice or wait until my last day of work? Additionally, I'm considering whether I can contribute to my RRSP to help reduce taxes on my severance pay. I've heard there's a temporary measure allowing people to collect EI and severance simultaneously until October, so I want to make sure I get my Record of Employment (ROE) as soon as possible. Any tips or insights would be greatly appreciated!

I recently received a message on LinkedIn from a recruiter who is not based in the U.S., but they mentioned some companies here. I'm currently working as a Software Implementation Specialist and have been on the job hunt for quite some time. The recruiter has asked for my resume multiple times after I inquired about the details of the position they mentioned. I'm feeling uncertain about the legitimacy of this opportunity and whether I should proceed or be cautious. It's tough to navigate the job market and determine what's real and what's just a scam.

I recently had a tough conversation with my boss after three years at the company. He bluntly told me that I am of low value to the organization, which was a hard pill to swallow given my dedication and effort. My role involves finding work from clients to bill my hours, and if I'm not billing, it’s considered downtime. They expect me to juggle multiple roles — salesman, engineer, and technician — all while traveling, but the pay and benefits don’t reflect this workload. Lately, there’s been a shortage of work, and the shift in my boss's tone has been noticeable. Instead of congratulating me on my contributions, I now receive constant reminders that I’m not meeting expectations. The job is incredibly stressful, as I troubleshoot issues on-site for clients. I’ve noticed that while turnover used to be high, people are now sticking around due to the current economic climate. I’m feeling stuck and frustrated. I almost sent an email to quit out of anger, but I wonder if that’s what they want. I’ve realized that I haven’t built many transferable skills in these three years since I focused on learning the company’s proprietary technology. To counter this, I’m using my free time to learn about IT and programming in hopes of transitioning to a new role, but the outlook feels bleak right now.

I received my first outreach from a recruiter today, and I’m feeling a mix of excitement and anxiety. It's a new experience for me, and I'm not quite sure how to interpret it or what steps to take next. I would appreciate any advice on how to respond or what to consider as I navigate this process.

I've been job searching for several months now, and the experience has been overwhelming. Lately, all I've been getting are automated rejections, which has really taken a toll on my mental health. At first, I was okay with it, thinking that rejections are just part of the process. But now, I'm feeling completely exhausted by the sheer number of them. It's gotten to the point where my anxiety has made it hard for me to finish applications for roles that I know I'm a good fit for. I see those job listings closing, and it just adds to my sense of depletion. I'm starting to beat myself up for taking too long to apply, and the gap in my CV is widening, which scares me. I really just wanted to vent about how difficult this process has been and to hear how others are coping with these automated rejections. I feel like I'm shutting down and hiding from the job search, and I don't want to lose my momentum. If anyone has tips or experiences to share, I would really appreciate it.