r/jobhunting

Ugh i hate this question because it’s so broad. How do you guys answer this?

I’ve sent out hundreds of applications the past few months and one of them was at a company I’ve been looking at for years waiting to apply for the right role. Once it popped up I sent it in and actually got an interview - the only interview I’ve had this round looking for a new job. I left the interview really excited and felt extremely confident if move forward to the next round. Unfortunately after two weeks of radio silence they followed up that I wouldn’t be moving forward. I know you shouldn’t hang on to these things but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t super demoralized now. I feel like I’ve been sending job applications into a void. Last time I looked for a new job I was offered an interview at every job I applied for and got an offer at every job I interviewed with. It’s scary how different the market is now.

Hi everyone!

In preparation for the interview, I wrote down a list of questions and topics I wanted to cover to acquire a more informed impression of the company (since their glassdoor reviews were slightly concerning) and I wanted to be as prepared as possible. 

I went through three rounds of interviews; first was with the recruiter, second was with HR and the person whose role I would have replaced, and the final was with the CEO and the two people from the second interview. I gave room for the interviewers to ask all their questions in the main portion of the conversation and I managed to slip in a couple of follow-up/general questions, however, that left me feeling quite rushed in the last 10-15 minutes to cover the priority topics on my list. 

In the end, the recruiter shared that while I performed well in the interviews, they felt that I asked too many questions and that I was "interviewing them" about details that "did not matter" and should have been left until a later time to be asked. Additionally, my questions gave them the impression that I was too focused on these small details when a leader should be looking at the "bigger picture". My first reaction was that this left me quite confused as I believe that both parties should be interviewing each other to assess for overall fit and satisfaction in the role.

I want to know if anyone else has experienced this during their job hunt, and if anyone in any HR/hiring posit could share their pov/thought process on this particular feedback would be insightful! 

Thank you for taking the time to read my post :)

I recently got a job offer and the salary was under the employer provided salary range on the job posting. I figured they were anticipating me to counter, so I did with
my desired salary - the same salary expectations I put on my application and within the range listed. They came back and said the salary is not negotiable.

Do I try to counter with something else? (more PTO, bonus, etc) Is this a huge red flag? Help!

I used to be a recruiter. Yes I know, I know. Left that to pursue my passion in resume writing and now I do that basically full time. What I’m about to share isn’t from an article. It’s from what I actually saw happening on the other side of the table during hundreds of interviews.

What was already decided before you even walked through that door rarely gets spoken about. And honestly some of it might surprise you.

1.Sometimes the role wasn’t even really open. An internal candidate had already been told they were getting it and you were there to tick a box. I did this more times than I’m comfortable admitting.

2.Your LinkedIn was looked at before you ever walked in. If it didn’t match your resume or hadn’t been touched in years that conversation was already happening before you arrived.

3.The hiring manager had already formed an impression from the way you emailed when scheduling. How you wrote, how quickly you responded, whether you were clear or vague. Most people don’t think about that email at all.

4.Your subject line and opening sentence on your application already signalled whether you understood professional communication before anyone had read a single qualification you had.

5.Your most recent job title and the company name next to it told them what number to open with before salary ever came up in conversation.

6.If there was a gap on your resume it was already being talked about before you sat down. Not always negatively but a story had already formed in the room that you’d have to work against without knowing it was there.

7.The first sixty seconds after you walked in carried more weight than most people realise. How you greeted whoever was at the front desk, how you sat, how you handled the small talk before it started. That stuff lands before your answers do.

Knowing this doesn’t mean the game is rigged against you. It just means there are things most people never think about that actually matter. Your LinkedIn before you even apply. The email you send to schedule the interview. The gap sitting on your resume that you’ve never addressed. These aren’t small things and they’re all fixable. Most people just walk in having never thought about them once.

Can someone please explain why any given job I apply to makes me go through multiple interviews? And they never tell you how many interviews you have to do up front. You think you’re done and then you get an email telling you that you have to do yet another round. Why are we all going through so many rounds of interviews? Two, three, four, sometimes even five rounds of interviews? I feel like you can get all the information you need after the second interview.

I have a 3-year gap on my resume and was recently questioned about it by a recruiter. I now want to add to my resume:

Career Break – Family Care and Professional Development 

• Took a temporary career break to provide full-time care for a terminally ill mother while continuing professional growth and skill development

Is that too much or should I change anything?

I've been in recruiting long enough to have seen a few cycles where companies cut during downturns and hired back when things improved.

These are not struggling companies. Meta's revenue grew 16% last quarter. PayPal processed over a trillion dollars in payments last year. The cuts are not because the business is failing, they are because the business figured out it can do the same work with fewer people and AI handling what junior and mid level roles used to cover.

The category they worked in just stopped making sense to keep at the same headcount.

What makes this harder to navigate than a regular layoff is that the usual advice does not fully apply. Finding a similar role at a similar company is a shorter term solution if the same logic is playing out everywhere, and it is.

The people I have seen come out of situations like this in the best position are the ones who moved quickly, were honest with themselves about which parts of their skill set were most exposed, and made a deliberate decision about where to go next rather than just applying to the same type of role out of familiarity.

I'm wondering if anyone has had success with or has opinions on directly contacting recruiters at certain companies (i.e. via LinkedIn, email, etc.). I know there's this issue of "ghost" job posts where you may be applying to a job that isn't even available anymore. In theory, it seems like contacting recruiters directly somewhat bypasses that issue. For example, just contacting a few recruiters at a company you're interested in and making yourself known/asking about job openings that may fit your experience. Does anyone have experience with this?

Also, has anyone used headhunting agencies and have any recommendations for agencies that handle careers in the life sciences? (I have a psychology/neuroscience background)

I’m 18 years old and a Sophomore in college, I recently moved and have my own place now. I have some retail experience, and almost two years worth of kitchen line cook experience. I was planning on getting my certification for life insurance over the summer but am struggling to find work until then. I’ve applied to over 40 listings both on indeed and on the company’s website if there is one. Gotten about 10 interviews some in person some virtually. I got a job about two weeks ago after an interview and they then shortly told me they are closed for the summer due to me living in a college town lots of places close during summer. I recently got another job that i am extremely qualified for i worked about 3 days there and worked extremely well during this period. However my manger has ghosted on the upcoming schedule it’s been days and he hasn’t responded to any attempts of contact effectively ghosting me. I have the next month of rent paid but i have other bills to pay here soon with basically no money left after moving in im starting to become hopeless it’s stressing me out so much i do not know what to do. I would also like to add i have completely open availability and would say I don’t struggle at all during the interview process.

It’s been about 4 weeks since I started seriously applying for jobs. I know that’s not long compared to many people here, but mentally, this process has hit me harder than I expected.

For context: I’ve been freelancing and self-employed since I was 18. Privileged to have autonomy over my schedule, work remotely, travel, and build a lifestyle that was exciting and meaningful to me. But over the past year, especially with the current economy, my clients gradually stopped renewing and by December 2025, I pretty much had to start from zero again. At first, it didn’t stress me out that much. I still had savings, was travelling around Europe, travelled to cities like London, and honestly still felt very alive and hopeful. But after moving back home to Southeast Asia two months ago, I feel more shit than ever. I live in one of the most expensive countries in the world, and for the first time in my life, I’m trying to enter the corporate world properly.

I feel like I don’t even recognise myself anymore. Going from running my own thing, travelling, working from cafes on projects I genuinely cared about… to refreshing LinkedIn every 10 minutes looking for a new listing, drafting up a new resume with Claude, and hearing nothing back. I also feel insecure because I don’t have the “traditional” background most applicants have. I don't have that many internships, no long corporate history, just years of freelancing and building things on my own (which isn't appreciated in my country at all).

The hardest part, honestly, isn’t even the financial stress. It’s the hit to self-esteem and identity. You start questioning your worth, your choices, your future… everything.

I’ve also drifted from a lot of friends after living abroad, so this whole period feels surprisingly lonely. Trying to stay optimistic and remind myself that maybe this season is happening for a reason, but some days are definitely harder than others.

For those who eventually landed a role:

- How long did it take you?

- What helped the most?

- Any advice for someone transitioning from freelancing/self-employment into corporate?

I’ve mainly been applying through LinkedIn, Indeed, and We Work Remotely. Would genuinely appreciate hearing other people’s experiences.

I have been searching for a legit wfh part time job across the globe, considering there are so many scams going on I always research well before applying. But currently I feel all the potentially well paying jobs(considering my currency is INR) are for the USA or Canada candidates only.

Where do I even get a good paying remote role in this market now?

The other day I had interviewed for a position in the produce department at a nearby grocery store, I feel it went fine despite me being nervous. Today the hiring manager called me and told me the bad news, I asked him why and I even asked him for feedback on the interview but he assured me I did good on the interview. He suggested I call up other nearby stores and ask what positions they have open. But now I am feeling depressed, disappointed, frustrated and defeated. WHY DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING TO ME?! WHAT AM i DOING WRONG? AND NOW I'M PISSED OFF BECAUSE OF COMPETITION! WHY DOES EVERYTHING NEED COMPETITION?!?!

I feel like i'm growing more desperate for a job even I'm not THAT desperate deep down. but it's just like "what will it take at this point?!" I WISH THERE WAS A SIMPLE SOLUTION FOR ALL MY PROBLEMS.

Sorry for all the venting but I feel like shit and very low right now and feel like nobody wants me

Today was my final day with my employer, and the VP took me out to lunch. During the conversation, he asked where I’ll be working next, and I regrettably shared the company name. My official start date with the new company is next week.

Now I’m wondering: can a former employer realistically pose any risk to your future job after you’ve already accepted the offer and completed onboarding/background checks?

For context, I never caused problems, sabotaged work, or acted unprofessionally. I did my job and worked hard, but culturally I never felt like I fit in well there. Honestly, I also got the sense the VP never really liked me from the beginning, though I never understood why.

The lunch itself was awkward. He said he saw a lot of potential in me, but also mentioned things like, “I could tell from the start that you didn’t really fit here.” I also found out I was officially backfilled today, which makes me think I may have eventually been let go anyway if I hadn’t resigned.

After I told him the company name, he said something along the lines of:
“I appreciate you trusting me. Don’t worry, we aren’t petty like that.”

I'm 26 with a background in mechanical engineering if that makes any difference. Am I overthinking this, or should I be worried that he might reach out to my new employer? What are the actual risks here?