u/Aware_Welder_3762

I've been applying everywhere since September 2025, and I finally got not just any job, but a great job, a FULL-TIME SALARIED job, a job with INCREDIBLE BENEFITS, a job whose salary is more than my monthly loan payments, a job that uses my DOCTORAL DEGREE, a job that pays more than any money I've ever made before in my life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Honestly, it feels so good to have my skills taken seriously!!!!!!

Thanks for letting me scream with joy!!!!!!

I'm the person at work who usually keeps everything together. I pass birthday cards around, organize little gifts, and make sure people feel seen when they have important birthdays. Then my own birthday came, and it was a milestone birthday, and I got absolutely nothing. My work bestie told me very frankly: "We didn't get you a card or a gift because I wouldn't have known where to start with that stuff." I smiled and said: "No worries. Then I won't do it again either."

A while later, my work bestie announced that she was leaving the job. She had been hinting at it here and there for ages, but she hadn't spoken to my manager properly. When she finally did, she gave five months' notice for some reason. Her job isn't complicated; it probably needs one morning of training, and replacing her wasn't going to be a big drama.

She was telling a few other colleagues that five months' notice would be more than enough time for me to take a collection envelope around the office and clients for her. I didn't do anything. Her last shift came and went. She said goodbye, hugged people, and left.

About 3 days later she came back, saying she had forgotten her phone charger. Strangely, this happened at the same time as our monthly staff meeting, where leaving gifts and cards are usually handed over. She was told she couldn't sit in because she was no longer staff, and the meeting included private work-related matters.

After that, I got a message from her saying she was upset and disappointed that I hadn't arranged a collection, gifts, or given her proper attention as she was leaving. She said I had no excuse, and that it was obvious I was lazy and selfish because I hadn't told everyone to put in money and sort something out. I replied: "I wouldn't have known where to start with that stuff."

In one of my first interviews, they made a really big deal about their "flexible time off." Then I found out that almost nobody takes it, because the manager acted like he was personally offended every time someone asked to even take an afternoon off.

Another place used to brag that they had "dress-down days," but the first time I wore sneakers and a hoodie, my supervisor calmly told me that this was "more of a senior staff thing" (so... Definitely not me 💀).

What "great perk" at your job was supposed to be amazing, but turned out to be pretty much fake?

! I feel like I'm really angry on behalf of my best friend after watching him spend around 14 hours just to get through 7 interviews.

He applied to a company and the job was almost exactly identical to what he already does. In terms of the title, it would have been a step down, but the salary would have been better.

He had a few screening calls, three long interviews where he had to do presentations almost the entire time, and two regular video interviews. Throughout all of this, the person who would have been his manager kept saying how excited they were about him and asking whether he was talking to other companies or not.

He had to take time off for each one of these. We had to change childcare arrangements, and I had to leave work early twice to pick up our kids on days when he was supposed to handle it. All of this gave the impression that he was a top candidate and that they were genuinely considering him. Of course, he knew nothing was guaranteed, but still. He said there was one person from the team he would have joined who seemed completely uninterested and a bit cold, while everyone else seemed genuinely happy to have met him. He was excited too, because the company seemed full of good people who were warm to deal with.

Then he got a 3-minute phone call telling him they had chosen someone else. The call was from the person who would have been his manager, and my husband said his tone suddenly became dry and almost scripted. He was thrown off by the change and asked for feedback since he had spent so much time preparing presentations, but all he got was a vague, canned response.

Now he's awake, unable to sleep, trying to figure out what happened. Was it one of the presentations? Did he accidentally annoy someone? Was there something strange in a reference check that he doesn't know about? No one knows. He asked, and they refused to say.

Seven interviews is way too much, especially since some of those interviews were with people he probably would have had very little interaction with in the actual job.

I went into Dollar Tree about a month ago and noticed a hiring sign stuck by the front door, so I asked the cashier what the application steps were. She told me they were seriously short-staffed and explained where to apply online, so I went home and filled out the application.
A few weeks later, I was sitting at my sister's place and my phone rang. The woman on the call sounded very enthusiastic, like she already knew she wanted to hire me. She said she liked my application and was excited to talk. Honestly, I thought that was basically it. I thought, okay, maybe I finally found something.
We talked for about 14 minutes about my work history, what I was comfortable doing, and what kind of schedule I could work. She basically said she wanted to offer me a position, but right before we ended the call, she had one last question.
For context, I applied to the Dollar Tree in Janesville, Wisconsin. It's maybe a six-minute walk from my house. I also told them I was available pretty much anytime - mornings, nights, weekends, part-time, full-time, and even holiday shifts if they needed me.
Then she asked me: "We're very short-staffed and need a cashier at our location in Hammond, Indiana. Would you be able to travel there regularly, or maybe relocate closer to that store?"
I told her no. I don't have a car, and there's no realistic way I could get there and back, especially in that direction. I explained again that I could easily get to the Janesville location, which is the location I applied to in the first place. She said she understood and would get back to me soon.
Then, at 2:30 a.m. Today, I got a rejection email saying they had decided not to move forward with me.
So now I'm just sitting here confused. I'm not even mad, just confused. The call gave me the impression they were ready to hire me, and the cashier at the store had made it sound like they needed people yesterday. So I thought maybe the opening had been filled after I applied.
When the store opened later, I walked over there because I wanted to know if I had messed something up or if they just didn't need help anymore. Yeah, I know that probably sounds awkward, but I was nearby anyway and curiosity got the better of me.
I grabbed an energy drink and a bag of chips, then went to check out. It was the same cashier I had talked to before. She asked me if I had submitted the online application or not. I told her I had, but it didn't go anywhere because the person who called me asked whether I could transfer to another location in another state.
She just said: "Goddamn Sammy." According to her, Sammy manages or helps manage the Hammond location and keeps trying to pull good applicants from this store over to that one. Meanwhile, she's covering almost every shift herself and keeps getting stuck staying late. She said the extra money is nice, but she's exhausted.
I honestly didn't know what to say, so I paid and left.
I still don't understand how they expected me to be able to commute to a city and state I didn't even apply to, and then rejected me when I said I couldn't. Especially when the store right next to me is apparently still short-staffed.
Anyway, sorry for rambling. This is just one of those job-hunting things that makes absolutely no sense.

The situation, in short, is exactly what the title says. I gave notice 4 weeks ago, a little over 3 weeks ago. After a lot of back and forth with my current job (which really did not want me to leave), I put it in writing the Wednesday before last, and submitted my resignation around the middle of the week.

Now I'm in my last few days, and this Friday is my last day, and my manager still hasn't told anyone. On top of that, he's basically avoiding me. I'm trying to make my exit from the job as organized and painless as possible, but people are still coming to me asking for things, scheduling meetings, and giving me new project work, and I need to start handing things over to other people because I'm leaving soon.

In every other job I've left before, it was announced quickly, usually within 2 or 3 days, so the transition and any training could happen. Now I feel awkward, because I've started directing people to other colleagues, but everyone is confused as to why, and I was told nothing should be said until he announces it.

What am I supposed to do here? The whole thing feels very strange, like I'm doing something behind people's backs, because I'm worried people will start thinking I'm refusing work or that I just don't care anymore. I'm genuinely very happy about the next role, but this whole situation is dampening my happiness. I've always worked well and conscientiously, and it really bothers me to feel like people might think I've suddenly started dodging responsibilities.

I also want to add that the part about him "not wanting me to leave" was not a small thing. It took almost two weeks of me trying to resign politely and professionally before he accepted it. He raised his voice at me, ended calls abruptly, guilt-tripped me, and kept trying to convince me to go back on my decision. That has left me with a really bad feeling, and I don't want to sound paranoid, but honestly I feel like he's doing this on purpose so that my resignation looks like there's something shady about it instead of just being a normal notice period.