Trying to find a new job is hard enough without being misled about the realities of the role. Jumping through hoops, attending multiple interviews, then finally signing a contract, and attending training—all just to find out that the new job isn't actually as it was described. That's what this worker shared their experience on a thread that they posted on Reddit's popular r/antiwork workplace discussion subreddit community. They described that during the interview process, the role seemed to be…

When you make a request of someone to uphold a certain standard, do a certain thing, or act a certain way, there's a general expectation that you will uphold the same—acting in a manner that makes your request appropriate. It's called “leading by example,” and people seem to really struggle with it, with many leaders making no attempt or actively avoiding having to do so. This job candidate reported being specifically asked by the HR worker, who was setting up the interview, to ensure that they…

The usual decorum for interviews is that of subtlety—and for good reason. The fact that you're looking for other work is one that you'd probably prefer your employer wasn't aware of. Their gut reaction could very well be to fire you and secure the future of their business and the security of their company. Now, jobless, the job you were applying for now has much higher bargaining power over you than they held previously. For this reason, it's usually an unspoken rule that an interviewer As an a…

The modern job application process is as dehumanizing as it's intended to be. Apply to 200 jobs, and you might hear back from five, eventually getting an interview with three, with (hopefully) one actually having a chance of progressing to employment. Long gone are the days of “Turn up at the office and chuck your CV at the nearest manager" to prove your gumption. I highly doubt that method was actually as efficient as we've been led to believe. Still, if your older relatives are to be believed…

Feedback is important but usually not well received. People generally don't like hearing all of the things that they could have done better; those with overly inflated egos tend to take this especially poorly. Sure, it doesn't feel good, but most of us would take the feedback—maybe apply it, maybe not—and move on from it. Only occasionally recollecting the exchange when the intrusive thoughts move in while trying to go to sleep at night. Rather than doing this, this company decided that they ne…

Starting a new job is stressful; you've traded the relative security of whatever job you've just left for the uncertainty of a new one. This entire process, from start to finish, is time-consuming and emotionally draining, leaving you hoping that you'll never have to go through it again… and then you get fired on your second day. This old bait and switch probably means that either someone realized they didn't have the budget for a new role that they thought they did, or layoffs are on their way…

You should always be wary of the “walk back” as a manipulation tactic. Often used in sales and scams, the seller starts by offering something acceptable and slowly changes the terms of the deal to something that might have been unacceptable to start with but is now reluctantly accepted due to the sunk cost of invested time. Consecutive slight alterations to figures or terms should always raise red flags, and if something doesn't seem right you should always trust your gut instinct, just as this…

Just a tip for the next time you're in a job interview: Don't tell the interviewer that you're more qualified for their job than they are. That's… just not going to end well for you or your prospects. This three-part story has taken place over the course of just as many years, with the original poster returning this week to provide a wholesome update and conclusion to their tale of the most insolent job candidate they ever interviewed. The tale starts with the candidate “Annabelle” coming in fo…

It always pays to be kind—or at least decent. You never know when that karmic pendulum is going to swing right back at you and knock you on your rear… The world is a far smaller place than we take it to be and only gets smaller as you isolate down into the people you're likely to interact with based on demographics. Within a given industry, it's more than likely that you'll encounter the same people over the course of years spent in different jobs, even if you move cities. This idea gives rise…

Sometimes the warning signs that you might not want to work somewhere are readily apparent as if someone commissioned them to be made in neon and hung in the lobby for all to see. Other times, they're not so obvious, and it's highly likely you won't notice them until you've started working there and have learned to read between the lines. These workers came together in a viral internet thread to share their stories and experiences to help uncover some of the things that we might be missing in i…

Interviewing for a new job can be tough, especially when the employer has unreasonable expectations about the job they're hiring for. Common examples of this will be wildly unmatched desired levels of experience versus compensation on offer or an advertised position that has just too many duties for one person to reasonably attend to. This usually means that the job is a non-starter and not worth pursuing. The employer is constantly going to be disappointed by the tasks that aren't being comple…

Imagine submitting a cover letter that is so well written and on point with calling out and solving the company's problems that you immediately get contacted by the company's lawyer and a frantic department head who demand to know where you got your information. Then, after all of that, you still don't get the job when they balk at your compensation request… Talk about a roller coaster! If you've ever wanted undeniable proof that you have the qualifications for a position and are generally skil…

There are plenty of great opportunities to reach out to your network and enquire about open positions—with friends, family, and former colleagues all being solid possible leads. You can volunteer, attend industry events, utilize contacts through shared interests—even turn to social media. Heck, just about the only person you shouldn't reach out to for a job is a candidate you're supposed to be interviewing. It's bold, for sure, but bound to land poorly. The interviewee already has so much going…

A job interview is a two-way street: you're testing the waters to see if you want to work there just as much as they're trying to feel you out and see if they want to hire you. Interviewers and candidates often forget this fact, being so used to the power imbalance offered by the employment markets of the last twenty years and the general desperation unemployed candidates experience. But it's important for both parties to act with respect and extend professional courtesies to one another; while…

There is such a thing as taking advice too literally…. and we've all probably heard the advice from parents (and other older relatives) that the best way into the workforce is to march into somewhere you want to work—best professional attire, CV in hand, and demand a job. The employer will be so taken aback, in awe, and blinded by the magnificence of your professional prowess that they'll offer you a $100k/yr job on the spot… as a receptionist. In reality, that's not how it works anymore (if it…

There's so little time in the day as it is it's just disrespectful to go about wasting other people's. Nobody likes to have their time wasted. It's one of the most common everyday examples of self-entitlement that really just needs to stop, namely when it comes to missed appointments and meetings or misleading interviews. This can go both ways in the interview process; both vetting candidates and applying to jobs is so agonizingly time-consuming that going through the process unnecessarily is r…