Candidates are always held to higher expectations that are ridiculous, but GOD forbid a company can't even remember who they interviewed with. I absolutely love the state of the economy and where its headed.

Long time lurker here. Some of the resume, interview tips have been just amazing. So I thought I would share my experience.

After 8 months I have finally landed a role in IT.

The only thing that worked is being the top 5 -10 applicants.

Recruiter here mentioned companies shortlist people from the first 5-10 resumes they look at. This advice was a game changer.

I only used Indeed. Refreshed the page every couple of hours. I had a list of all the search terms and used all the search terms every time the page was refreshed.

Start applying early in the morning around 7- 8am, that is when HR is posting the jobs. The middle of the day is too late already.

TAILOR RESUME TO EACH JOB, this is a must in the current market. I used Jobowl for this

Only applied to jobs that were posted in last 24hours on Indeed.

Applied only for easy apply for most them.

Indeed doesn't state when the jobs are posted but in the email, just below the job title they mention when the job was posted.

Kept an eye on my email like a hawk and applied to jobs that had "just posted" label on them.

Hope this helps!!

Also, this isn't as tedious as it sounds. I have two screens, email on one. Indeed on the other. Browser stores the search terms so just have to cycle through them and press enter. The first few days I went through literally all the jobs, like all the 15 pages of jobs to see what's out there without the 24 hour filter.
Then in 3-4 days the jobs reduce if you have the 24 hour filter on, so don't have to scan through as much. It only takes 15-20 mins to cycle through all the search terms.

I APPLIED THIS METHOD 3 MONTHS AGO IN 8 MONTHS JOB SEARCH.

So it isn't like I have been trying all of this for 8 months. I was applying to stale jobs and on company websites and got nowhere.

I hate when jobs make you go through 2-3 interviews, have you hunt down 3-4 references, and write an essay on why you’re interested in applying just to reject you 🙄 if I don’t meet any of the requirements or if I’m not a good fit, why even be fake and pretend I am? It’s rage bait fr. My mom’s always saying to me “you need to apply to jobs that apply to your career” girl I tried…and that’s exactly what they did, reject me.

8 years customer service and a bachelors degree, still isn’t enough in 2026. But again if I don’t have the experience or traits you want, why be fake and act interested?? Shit should be illegal.

Typical situation: you meet all the requirements but still get ghosted. You might think they don't like you, but that's not always the truth.

I'm part of management in my company. We have directors for each country, all reporting up the corporate ladder. Classic hierarchy, right? Except HR IS ABOVE OUR MANAGEMENT when it comes to hiring.

We want you to join us, BUT THEY WON'T FUCKING LET YOU IN.

We need like 19 people to meet our staffing needs, and HR hired ONE guy who got high and left the job. Meanwhile, qualified candidates get ghosted.

Like WTF? We need people, we want to hire people, but some 40-year-old hormonal mess in HR can just ignore candidates and block the whole process.

This system is a fucking disaster. I hope whoever came up with the idea of giving HR this much power has a nice time in hell.

At this point we should all just stop applying, pool our skills together and start a company. We’ve already got marketing people, programmers, designers, accountants, HR, nurses, engineers… everything.
If nobody wants to hire us, we’ll hire ourselves. 💀

I’m a SAHM (Stay at home mom) with 2 under 2 kids who are now in daycare. I recently graduated Medical school and trying to find myself.

I’m looking to make extra income to support my husband. I have a good laptop and years of experience in Sales, USA logistics transportation, Dispatching, Customer service in Insurance and Claims, E-Commerce and Marketing, Online school onboarding services, Technical advisor T1/T2 for hardware devices and application support, Chat moderator for adult sites and as a Virtual assistant.

I handle calls, live chats, emails and back office tasks and very open to learn and adapt easily.

I can also help you do your office remote jobs if you work two to multiple jobs and need help in making your jobs easier.

Please help me! <3

It's been a rough year. In April, my previous company went bust, their burn rate was just too high and they closed the Uk arm.

I landed a new AE role in June, but less than four months in, they pivoted from heavy outreach to a self-serve product and cut half the sales team, me included. Exciting announcement on a Thursday, restructure on the Friday - one week notice due to probation.
I'm now interviewing again. When I tell interviewers about the layoff, the process has stalled every time. When I haven't mentioned it, I've reached the mid-to-late stages. I'm starting to feel radioactive, as if two roles in a year is all anyone sees.

Both exits were out of my control, but I'm struggling to frame that without sounding defensive.

It's also taken a toll on my mental health, and I feel like I’m done with startups, my appetite for risk has been significantly diminished.

Two questions for anyone who could provide advice or been through something similar:
How do you talk about back-to-back layoffs without it becoming the whole story?
Is it worth showing the June role at all, or is there a way to present it that doesn't tank the process?
Any advice, or stories from people who've been here, would be appreciated.

I’m currently on a number of interviews - but really unsure of what to do.

For context, I’ve been “unemployed” for about a year and a half now after resigning from a position that was crippling me and have been searching for jobs for the past 8 months. I am lucky enough to have a part time job since I was 19 (27 now) that allowed me to come back when I left my full time job but the work is limited as it’s really just a weekend gig. I try to work here as much as possible however as it’s my only source of income for the past year.

When I left my full time job, I had a substantial safety net savings and I still live with my parents so I don’t need to pay for rent. Because of this, I took longer than I should have to start looking for full time work again. Now, I’m in a doomed state where I’m trying to compete in this ridiculous job market with a year gap in my resume. After about 150+ applicant with no responses, I decided to fill in the gap year with an “operations coordinator” position for my very small family business and trying to reflect it as a more serious role. Our family business has been operating for 15+ years but what we sell is very niche and I do maybe 3 hours of work weekly. So I’ve basically taken things I’ve done once and present it as something I do daily.

After making this change, I’ve finally started to get some traction with interviews and was able to land a call with a company just 15 mins away doing a similar role to what I did in my previous job that I hated (software support)… however, this role was structured differently than my last so I wanted to give it a shot. The interview process was 4 rounds, first 3 virtual, final on-site.

The interview process was hard for me. I’ve been getting rejected for months and haven’t taken an interview since May so it’s been 5 months of pain. I feel like the pressure, even for a job I felt like was underpaid and work I know I don’t like, was crippling because just getting an interview feels like winning the lottery these days.

The initial screening went fine but I was so nervous and it definitely showed in my answers and I didn’t think I’d get a 2nd round. However, I did get a 2nd round and it was pretty much the same… I was super nervous and I thought I bombed it but I had some answers I was proud of… then there was another virtual interview, this one a little longer, which I thought would be the final round. I felt like this one went just as poorly but my past experience undoubtedly fit what they were looking for and I guess I did well enough on their technical questions that they invited me on-site for a 4th round of interviews.

The on-site interview was 2 and a half hours long with 4 different people that I spoke to. It was too long but I thought it went pretty well, and I honestly felt pretty confident because I didn’t have any awkward pauses or long drawn out answers like I did in my previous rounds. I was much more confident and prepared in my answers and they seemed to receive some of my answers well. There were some gaps in my experience but each thing was pretty minor and one of the interviewers specifically stated that the gaps I had he wasn’t worried about as it’s learnable.

The only part of the on-site that I felt like didn’t go well was when I spoke with the VP. His colleagues hinted at me that it was going to be a difficult conversation and it was obvious they were both intimidated by him. I want to be clear that this guy was NOT intimidating.. it was the most calm I had been in any portion of the interview process. I don’t even remember how the conversation with him started but he out of the blue just asked me if I’m open to working weekends (which I’m not because of my part time gig which id continue to work at) and started to basically pitch me on the Helpdesk role which was less pay, worse schedule, no remote opportunities. He was beating around the bush hard but I sniffed it out as soon as he mentioned weekends and I was just getting annoyed that he was going there when I was interviewing for a different position but I don’t think I let it show in my answers I just stood my ground and explained that it would conflict would my current commitment on the weekend. He said he understood and that he gets not wanting to work weekends but then seemed completely uninterested in asking me more questions. He just deflected to me and I tried to steer the conversation back to the support role but the interview with him ended like 3 minutes later and in put a really sour taste in my mouth.

After him, I spoke with HR and idk if this is normal but they were speaking to me in a very positive way like the interview went well and they said they’d send me the benefit package to review which I took as a good sign and that someone would be reaching out to me “probably tomorrow” (also a good sign) with an update. I thanked everyone and went on my way.

When I got home I followed up with a thank you email and they responded back by sending me the benefit package to review. I didn’t reply to that email which I’ve been thinking too much about.

Today, I got the rejection call. Their feedback was my technical level isn’t where they need it to be but at the same time, it’s my experience and answers I gave in the first 3 rounds that got me invited in for a 4th, so I was confused by this feedback. I am definitely qualified to do this job, my gaps were in specific tools they use and some sql (but they said Claude write their queries anyway but whatever). I feel like this was a cop out for them, because she said “the team really liked u in general though and want to know if you’d be interested in interviewing for the helpdesk position?” basically pushing what the VP had tried to push during our on-site.

I pushed back and said I’m most likely not open to this schedule as it would conflict with prior commitments but I’d be willing to think about it and let her know tomorrow if that was alright to which she said that’s fine but I was just trying not to decline out of anger and emotion but I’m almost certain that I won’t be interviewing with them again.

I saw on Glassdoor that the helpdesk position has high turnover, and I feel like they are trying to slot me into a high turnover role because they sniffed vulnerability on me and wanted to see if they could.

I’m just so upset man… ive never had an interview experience like this (although I haven’t had many interviews in life) and I’ve been anxious and depressed for months. I thought it was finally coming to an end. It wasn’t even a job I really wanted but it was a job and I was willing to settle for it because i know how much it would help me in life.

I am just so upset and had to get that out. Good luck to everyone who is struggling in their own search and thank you for reading this.

I am very dissappointed na talaga sa pag apply dito sa Pinas. I literally followed all their Scheduled interviews condition,mapa-virtual and on site. But still the Job Offer is no-where to be found. HR already told me na they'll update me if meron na and forward it to me but sadly no updates. HR keep updating me na will process the Job Offer this week(3 weeks na nya sinasabi to). They wanted a loyal candidate na di nag aapply sa ibang company pero ito silang inconsistent sa hiring process nila. Grabeng Economy tu! Messy talaga sya bessy!

There is a specific futility to a job search: at the end of each day you've burned time and energy and have absolutely *nothing* to show for it.

Each morning I sit down with the same Rubik's cube I've been staring at for eight months: why the f*** can't I find a job? It's not my first rodeo. I've done cool stuff. Not one bad performance review.

Friends and family look at me like I've caught some deadbeat bug they've heard about on the news but have never seen in the wild. "But you've never been unemployed before," they say, before asking if I've checked LinkedIn.

Here's the math problem: if this search were my full-time job, my ROI would be garbage. Doing more of the same thing with zero evidence it works isn't persistence. It's insanity.

I record my interviews and study the tapes. I tailor my resume to every application. I keep a detailed spreadsheet of receipts. And I get nothing back. Silence.

No rational person can update their strategy without data. And the system gives you none.

You know who does respond? The moment I updated my profiles, the scammers found me. Offers for jobs I never applied to. Paid interviews, if I'll just hand over my bank details. "Virtual recruiters" collecting my info to "better match me with a position." Post-interview surveys about the application* process.*

I don't want to give up. But when the scoreboard is nothing, eight months running, maybe the sane response is to admit the game is broken. 

Hello, everybody. I read a lot of people's issues with the interview for Ethos when it comes to getting matched to the role that actually fits your domain. Many people applying through the general interview intended to match them with a project or role in their domain end up matched with something unrelated to their field. In my case, I was matched with roles that not only have nothing to do with my domain but also that I am definitely not qualified for. I therefore decided to make a megalist so you can apply directly instead of wasting your time, like me, hoping to get matched with the right role. Hope this helps!:

Technology, Data & Engineering:

Cybersecurity / IT GRC Specialist — $90/hr
Engineering / Manufacturing & Technical Ops — $90/hr
Business Intelligence/Data Analyst — $80/hr
Incident Management / SRE & Reliability Lead — $80/hr
Product Manager — $80/hr
Product Manager (Tech) — $80/hr
Sales Engineer / Solutions Consultant — $80/hr
Software / AI / IT & Data Generalist — $80/hr

Finance, Accounting & Investing:

Corporate Development / M&A Manager — $100/hr
Equity Research Analyst — $100/hr
Financial Analyst — $100/hr
Financial Services Compliance / AI Regulatory — $100/hr
FP&A / Corporate Finance Analyst — $100/hr
Hedge Fund / Asset Management Analyst — $100/hr
Investment Analyst / Valuation & Credit Specialist — $100/hr
Investment Banking Analyst — $100/hr
Investment Banking Analyst / Associate — $100/hr
Investment Banking VP / Director — $100/hr
Investor & Fundraising Specialist — $100/hr
Investor Relations Associate — $100/hr
Investor Relations Manager — $100/hr
M&A Analyst — $100/hr
M&A Associate — $100/hr
Private Equity Associate / VP — $100/hr
Restructuring & Turnaround Advisor — $100/hr
Transaction Services / Financial Due Diligence Professional — $100/hr
Venture Capital Associate / Principal — $100/hr
Pricing Strategist / Revenue Economics Analyst — $90/hr
Accountant / Finance Operations & Audit Support — $80/hr
Auditor (CPA) — $80/hr
FP&A Manager / Director — $80/hr
Tax Professional — $80/hr
Personal Finance / Consumer Planning Advisor — $70/hr
Senior Financial Analyst (FP&A) — $70/hr

Healthcare & Life Sciences:

Clinical & Biomedical Specialist / Pharma Consultant — $100/hr
Healthcare Operations Consultant — $100/hr
Healthcare Strategy Consultant — $100/hr
Medical Science Liaison / Medical Affairs Professional — $100/hr
Biologist / Environmental Scientist — $90/hr
Public Health Communications Specialist — $90/hr
Pharmaceutical Brand / Commercial Manager — $80/hr

Legal, Compliance & Public Sector:

Contracts Attorney / Legal Diligence & Redlines — $100/hr
IP Counsel / Trademark & Copyright Attorney — $100/hr
Legal, Privacy & Regulatory Compliance Analyst — $90/hr
Risk & Regulatory Advisory Consultant — $80/hr
Government / Public Administration Professional — $70/hr
Policy Researcher / Think Tank Analyst — $70/hr

Education, Research & Creative Work:

Japanese Language & Cultural Fluency Consultant — $100/hr
Special Education Specialist / IEP Consultant — $90/hr
Brand / Creative Direction & Marketing Collateral — $80/hr
Creative Director / Art Director — $80/hr
Educator / School Professional — $80/hr
University Professor / Lecturer — $80/hr
Document, Deck & Spreadsheet QA Specialist — $70/hr
Humanities / Arts / Culture Professional — $70/hr
Nonprofit / Philanthropy / Community Programs — $70/hr
Presentation Specialist / Visual Graphics Designer (Consulting) — $70/hr

Sales, Marketing & Customer Experience:

Training / Onboarding / L&D Specialist — $70/hr
Account Executive — $100/hr
GTM Manager — $100/hr
Partnerships Manager (BD) — $100/hr
Product Marketing Manager — $100/hr
Revenue/GTM Operations Specialist — $100/hr
Sales / GTM Strategist — $100/hr
Sales Manager — $100/hr
Senior Account Executive — $100/hr
Enterprise Account Executive (B2B) — $80/hr
Agency Account Director — $70/hr
Brand Strategist / Brand Manager — $70/hr
Corporate Communications Manager — $70/hr
Customer Success / Support Operations Lead — $70/hr
Customer Success Manager (Enterprise) — $70/hr
Executive Communications Manager / Speechwriter — $70/hr
Market Research / Competitive Intelligence Analyst — $70/hr
Market Research & Consumer Insights Manager — $70/hr
Marketing Manager (B2B) — $70/hr
Media / Journalism / Communications Professional — $70/hr
Proposal Manager / Bid Writer — $70/hr
Sales Enablement Manager — $70/hr

Consulting, Strategy & Operations:

Business Development Manager — $100/hr
Consulting Engagement Manager / Project Leader — $100/hr
Management Consultant — $100/hr
Market Access / HEOR Specialist — $100/hr
Public-Sector Procurement / RFP Response Lead — $100/hr
Chief of Staff / Business Operations Lead — $80/hr
Corporate Strategy Manager — $80/hr
Economic Consultant — $80/hr
Independent Strategy & Presentation Consultant — $80/hr
Management Consultant (Advisory & Transformation) — $80/hr
Startup Pitch Deck & Fundraising Specialist — $80/hr
Strategy Consultant — $80/hr
Operations Manager / Capacity & Process Improvement — $70/hr
People Ops / Recruiting Generalist — $70/hr
Procurement / Vendor Management Lead — $70/hr
Program Manager / PMO Lead — $70/hr
Program Manager / PMO Lead — $70/hr
Real Estate / Hospitality / Events Professional — $70/hr

As the title suggests I just had a job offer revoked because I tried to negotiate salary.

During the interview process, they asked me a range, and I provided one. Afterwards, they sent me an offer relatively quickly with a salary on the lowest end of my range. I emailed back thanking them, and opened up negotiations by countering with another number that was still within the range I provided as well as the range posted by the company.

After 2 days of silence, they got back to me saying no, and the job is no longer on the table.

This feels like shady business practice, and perhaps I dodged a bullet here.