u/SuccotashLivid3893

Earlier this week, I went to a hospital for an interview for an IT support position. The only communication we'd had beforehand was a quick call with a recruiter, who told me it would be a simple 25-minute chat about the role, so that's what I was expecting.

Instead, they took me into a cramped meeting room and sat me directly across from four people. There was a department manager and a senior technician, along with two HR interns who sat watching from so close that the whole situation felt strange and uncomfortable.

They immediately started firing one question after another at me about gaps in my employment and previous jobs. Whenever I tried to ask about the position itself, they would jump to the next question. No one had told me that it would be a panel interview or that trainees would be sitting there observing me.

After answering a few questions, I told them I wasn't comfortable with the way the interview had been arranged, then got up and left. They looked shocked, and I was a little surprised at myself too. That was probably the shortest interview I've ever had in my life.

I got laid off not too long ago from a corporate job that, honestly, I couldn't stand. It was one of those places where I was never put in a position to succeed; on the contrary, I was set up to take the blame whenever anything went wrong. After a while, everything I did was scrutinized and criticized in detail, which made the environment extremely hostile, especially when I asked managers or people above me for clear direction or real clarification. I kept trying to go above and beyond what was expected of me, and somehow even that wasn't enough for them.

After 11 months at that company, they put me on a PIP and gave me tasks that were basically things I was already doing. They gave me the choice to either continue with the PIP or take severance. And since I felt like they were planning to let me go either way, I took the money.

Now I've been unemployed since April, and I've applied to around 85 job postings, and I've only gotten 3 responses in total, one of which was through a referral.

I'm starting to lose hope, and I'm doom-scrolling on LinkedIn and Indeed, seeing the same repeated jobs being reposted over and over again. I'm applying for jobs that I'm either overqualified for, or where the salary is so low it doesn't even come close to covering the cost of living in the Bay Area. The whole thing is incredibly frustrating and honestly mentally crushing. I feel like no matter what I do, nothing is moving in my favor.

Has anyone found a better way to deal with the job search right now? I feel very lost.

Honestly, I'm extremely tired of the way these companies handle hiring. I interviewed a little over three weeks ago for a lead business analyst role. The posting clearly stated that the salary range was $92k to $128k, so when they asked me what I was looking for, I said $116k. The hiring manager genuinely seemed surprised, even though I match all the qualifications they listed. I picked a number close to the middle because I was already expecting some nonsense, since I feel like 85% of these postings aren't honest with people.

What's even the point of being honest in a job search nowadays? They put inflated numbers in the posting, then act like you're being unreasonable when you mention the number they advertised. They can dress up the truth in the job description like it's no big deal, but applicants are expected to be 100% transparent about everything. Honestly, it makes me wonder why I shouldn't make my CV look a bit more impressive too, since they're already presenting an unrealistic picture of the role. The whole thing is absurd.

That's basically what happened when I told him the number. His reaction was like I had asked for something outlandish, and he treated $110k like it was a crazy demand, even though the range was right there in their own posting.

I'll probably leave them a bad review on Glassdoor, what do you think?

https://preview.redd.it/s1df3f49wedh1.png?width=622&format=png&auto=webp&s=136e332444be7a277c909043ba4422e7fcf2b198

🤣🤣🤣

I spent about 4 years at this company. About 5 months ago, they switched me to this uncapped commission system that they promised would make me rich. In reality, the volume wasn't even enough to cover my basic expenses. I tried hard for a while, but I was receiving a very poor salary for high-level technical labor. When I received my first very small paycheck, the manager laughed and told me, 'I'm glad you're a team player in this.' It was truly an insult. I was doing exhausting and difficult work for less than 45% of what I was making before.

I started looking elsewhere and got a role with a 30% increase along with real health insurance and tuition reimbursement. When I submitted my notice, the owners acted as if I were betraying their family. They didn't even try to offer me more money. Instead, they spent an hour complaining about their mortgages and how much they spent on the office. I asked them frankly if a skilled person could live on what they were paying me. They said 'Of course!', so I told them 'Fine, then you won't have a problem finding someone to replace me since I'm clearly the problem.'

Now the place is completely falling apart. Since I announced I was leaving, 4 other key employees have also submitted their resignations. There is almost no one left to operate the equipment. I didn't imagine how much the operation depended on me specifically until I saw them in a state of panic. It's a strange feeling when you discover that you were the backbone of a place that treats you like just a line on a piece of paper.

I'm sharing this because I spent a long time thinking I was lucky just because I had a job. If you are underpaid and no one cares about you, start looking. You likely have much more use than they want you to believe. Don't let a bad manager convince you that you don't deserve a salary that lets you live well.

Maybe I'm exaggerating a bit, but I can't get this thought out of my head: I'm only 28 years old. Is this really it? Am I supposed to accept that I'll spend 80% of my waking hours hating what I do? I feel like this whole thing is fundamentally wrong.

The thing is, my job is 'good.' The salary is good, my team is awesome, and the benefits are good. But I hate the work itself. I feel like I'm trapped by golden handcuffs because it makes no sense at all for me to leave all this and walk away.

Is this really what adult life is? I don't understand how people don't just leave everything and go live in a cabin in the middle of nowhere, far away from it all.