When you're at work, there are some topics you don't discuss in a professional setting. Sure, you can gossip all you want to your work bestie, but if you're in a meeting or any other situation with a large group of coworkers, you should probably play it safe and keep the controversial topics to yourself. We all know this, but sometimes there are those certain coworkers who have absolutely no problem asking the most absurd questions, putting you in an awkward situation as you try to compose your…

Normally, you might expect that being the best at something means that you'll be effectively the first selected, akin to it being a race, and by being simply being undisputed best, you would, of course, be the one to win. Well, that's not how races or any competitions work, and it's the reason they're held in the first place, and the prize isn't just awarded to the person who currently holds whatever record is most relevant… There are so many other factors and things that can happen on the day…

Companies will play on your feelings and mess you about, and often you won't be the wiser. So many job listings today don't exist. Companies post them to make it look like they're growing their business, or because they want to do some market research, or get free labor. There are so many reasons you can't trust the hiring process nowadays, but when you're looking for a job, you have no choice but to play along until you get an offer. That can take months, if not longer. This candidate showed u…

Sometimes, writing a measured review is the only way to frustrate the people who did you wrong. It's funny how we often associate these kinds of critical reviews with entitled Karen on the internet when it has to do with customer service encounters. However, when it comes to reviews of companies, we tend to immediately side with the people writing the review. What does this say about our culture and inherent biases? Well, it has a lot to do with authority complexes and power dynamics, as do mos…

This is what happens to companies that put a cap on the amount of raises they will give to their employees. This loyal employee had been working at his company for ten years, at which point he received his final raise. Naturally, a lack of mobility or incentive does not do much to maintain a sense of loyalty from even your most loyal employees and coworkers. This boss came to understand that the hard way, as this employee only waited to receive his final raise so that he could then leverage tha…

The business world is not always kind. In order to attract the attention of potential employers, you must not only stand out from the competition but also outperform every other application seeking the exact same position. In other words, your only options are to play and win the corporate game or to fail horribly. To put it plainly, the game is tedious and never-ending. An employee who was taken aback is described in the story below. The original poster (OP) has been actively participating in…

You would think that this kind of information would not be so easily accessible by non-HR employees! And yet, like most companies, this one's HR department did not do its due diligence. Instead, a lowly member of the IT department discovered records of everyone's salaries from ten years prior, learning that not very much has changed. No matter how long certain employees have been at the company and no matter how many changes have occurred in the world, almost no one seems to have gotten a raise…

There are things in life that you'll encounter, and you'll find nothing you've encountered previously has properly prepared you for it. Usually, these things will be so off-the-wall that there's no way anything could have properly anticipated them. The very idea of being flown out to a final interview and accepting a position, enjoying lavish dinner with the company's owner, only to go into the office and meet the guy who has just started working in the role you thought you had been accepting,…

There is a lot a job candidate can do to mess up their application. Sometimes, it's not exactly their fault. Job postings can be notoriously vague and shady. Who hasn't ended up in an interview where you suddenly realize that this so-called “great opportunity” is far beyond what you thought it would be? However, every so often, the interviewer is not at fault. Sometimes, and I know this may be hard to hear, we may be responsible for not getting hired. These hiring managers shared what they beli…

Imagine having to clean up this boss's mess! This employee compared notes with some of the other women on her team and realized that something strange was afoot. Essentially, 13 female employees either quit or were fired as they were approaching their late 20s. All of them were newly engaged, recently married, are about to start a family. The way HR attempted to get away with this nonsense was to give these women “disciplinary action” months in advance and to accuse them of not pulling their we…

Imagine reaching out to a former employer for a full-time opportunity, getting flat-out rejected, and then being asked to give money to the organization. You have to admire the audacity of these people. This Redditor shared that after successful contracted work, she sought a salaried position at the same company and put a ton of work into her application. When she was rejected, she wound up receiving what was clearly a copy-and-paste rejection email. She ended up reaching out to her contact at…

If recruiters and hiring managers expect everything a job candidate submits to be polished, should they not do the same? Let's break this down further. A job applicant is often expected to submit a resume and cover letter at the very least during the first round. Throughout the application process, depending on the position, there could be interviews, assessments, subsequent essays, etc. The expectation is for applicants to create something new and tailored to the specific position each time, w…

Don't you just love it when your boss is on thin ice and decides to take it out on the entire team? You know, as if it's their fault that she's an incompetent manager? That seems to be a frequent occurrence in the workplace. It's certainly nothing new that people in high-pressure situations act out unfairly, but it can be difficult to stomach when the person acting out is also the one who signs your paychecks. Let's start with one obvious truth that always needs to be restated: your boss's tant…

The interview process brings about a whirlwind of emotions. It's like buying a house. After sifting left and right through job postings, you finally find a job you could see yourself doing. It checks all the right boxes: perfect location, ideal salary, and matches your experience level. You do your research on the company, and you're sold. If only you could just start working there immediately. But, my friend, the rollercoaster has just begun. Now, you've got to look at your application mater...

Rejection is a hard pill to swallow, no matter what form it comes in. You can sugarcoat it any way you like, throw around the whole “It's not me, it's you,” “It's just not a good fit,” and your words are still going to have the same message: “You're not good enough for me." This, of course, is a brutal affront to anyone's ego

It's always a better end to the story if you quit your job than if you're let go. Unfortunately, this overworked, underpaid, and undervalued employee had quit what he believed was a toxic work environment. However, after some time away, his old boss reached out and lured him back in with the promise of the promotion he likely always wanted. In fairness to the employee, he likely felt flattered that they seemingly needed him so much. Unfortunately, that flattery only went so far. A mere six mont…