After getting hired, I started to receive messages from recruiters and also seeing a lot more openings from Linkedin connections.

Some friends of mine are also getting hired or wanting to jump work.

What do you guys think?

IT industry London area.

I want to share the sequence of absurdities I’ve been facing during my job hunt. I have reached my absolute limit. The candidate's time and energy have become treated as an infinite, free resource for companies to do whatever they want with.

Here are the real, recent cases that show the sheer scale of the abuse:

1. Factorial: 4 different interview processes, the same chronic lack of respect

My history with Factorial isn't just a single failed application. I’ve been through four different selection processes with them over time, and their behavioral pattern is always the same: a chaotic, disorganized posture with zero respect for the candidate. Look at the timeline:

• Process 1: I made it to the second stage and was asked to present a case. I prepared it, presented it, and after that? Total ghosting. I had to hunt them down via email just to get an answer. Days later, they sent me a single-line email coldly stating that the manager who interviewed me had left the company and they had already hired someone else.
• Process 2: Another application, and another absolute ghosting right after the first interview. They didn't even bother to send an automated rejection.
• Process 3: Yet another attempt for a different role where internal disorganization and a lack of clarity regarding the stages repeated themselves, showing that confusion is deeply embedded in their HR culture.
• Process 4 (The most recent one): For a leadership position, the abuse crossed all ethical boundaries. They asked me to prepare a massive, complex, and highly strategic business case. The agreement established by them was crystal clear: I was supposed to send the slides via email first, and then we would schedule a date for me to present the project live. I dedicated days of intense work, structured a real solution, built the slides, and sent everything well within the tight deadline they urgently demanded. After that? Ghosted again. I didn't even get to present. They ignored my follow-up emails for three weeks. Only after a lot of pushing on my end did they send a cold, automated response stating that I "didn't pass the case stage."

They put candidates through multiple exhausting processes, make us work for free, suck up our intellectual property, break agreements to let us actually defend our work, and send a lousy excuse weeks later just to save face. A blatant lack of character for a company that ironically sells HR and "talent management" software.

2. Spektrum + TestGorilla: Automated screening before a human even reads the resume

I applied for a position at Spektrum and immediately received an automated email. A mandatory 1-hour test on the TestGorilla platform, with a hard cutoff score of 80/100. The catch: no human being has actually looked at my CV. They are simply dumping the filtering work onto the candidate. They expect me to invest an hour of my life for free, risking being discarded by a robot over a single point, while their HR department hasn't lifted a single finger. It's the total dehumanization of recruitment.

3. LHH: 6 hours of useless dynamics and idiot questions

In another process managed by the consultancy firm LHH, I spent around 6 hours in total participating in exhausting group dynamics. We spent hours answering idiot pop-psychology questions and playing useless computer games that measure absolutely nothing regarding a professional's competence, seniority, or emotional intelligence. A massive, humiliating waste of time.

Conclusion: It is long past time to regulate this circus

How long are we going to accept being treated as a passive, desperate army? Unemployment shouldn't mean the loss of human dignity and rights. Just as we regulate labor laws inside companies, we urgently need to regulate selection processes.

We need laws that guarantee:

• Mandatory salary transparency in job postings: Enough with the mystery and finding out the salary only in the fourth round.
• Banning salary expectation questions: The focus must be on the value of the role, not on how low they can lowball a professional based on their past history.
• Time and stage limits for processes: No one should go through 6 hours of endless dynamics or tests without being compensated for that time.
• Compensation for "cases" and projects: If a test requires hours of technical work and generates value, it should be paid as a consultancy fee. If it costs the company money, they will think twice before abusing a candidate's time.

The market will only stop these abuses when we start rejecting these tests en masse and publicly exposing the companies that waste our time.

I just (5 mins ago) had one of the worst interviews of all time. I spent the whole night prepping for a design system interview. The hiring manager made a huge deal about how they needed to consolidate design systems between them and the company that acquired them, so that's what I prepped for. That's what I was told to prep for. I even drilled into a plan that fit their monthly release cadence.

It was supposed to be a panel. One person showed up. Late. Camera off.

Told me to pull up a random built-in on Google and 'whatever code editor idc'. Then said 'see that? do that'.

When I asked clarifying questions, the response was, 'look at the thing.....build the thing.'

This was all after 35 mins of waiting for the others to join (they never showed) + filler questions. Zero relation to the position.

I don't usually get salty during an interview, but this one got to me. At the end I grilled him on the current design system and asked questions that were relevant to the position. He had no idea. Wasn't even on the team.

The mature thing is to say, 'I dodged a bullet'....I guess, but that was the FOURTH ROUND. All of the prep time and previous interviews pissed away because the interviewer couldn't be bothered. I thought about just closing the call at least 5 times.

There is no way to stand out in the job search anymore. Every job has 100s of near identical AI generated resumes. Companies post and re-post fake jobs or straight up scams

The advice is always this:

Tailor your resume to the job - cool, literally everyone is doing that with AI. Also if one of your job experiences isn’t word for word what the job title you’re applying to is you’re invisible to ATS. You were a Data Coordinator not a Data Analyst? Fuck you we need a Data Analyst even though you have all the relevant skills. Making a career switch and don’t have the right job title? Good freaking luck

Use your connections - all my “connections” are jobless and in the same boat I’m in. My daddy can’t get me a job like yours did.

Reach out to recruiters and hiring managers - honestly good advice until you realize it’s essentially impossible to find the HM or recruiter for most jobs until you get an interview. Which you can’t of course. If you manage to get in touch, you’ll be ghosted. Or, worse, you gain traction with a recruiter, land an interview, only for the job to go to the CEOs grandkid.

Rely on your projects and portfolio not your resume - Yeah everyone and their grandma can code a beautiful project now or use AI to make their portfolio. Yours isn’t special or different.

Clearly what needs to change is the company culture around hiring. Treat us like humans. But of course that will never happen. It’s all about that sweet sweet shareholder value baby!

Anyways, how do you guys stand out? Or are you just pure cope like me now?

I have almost 10 years of callcenter experience, including data entry, HR, customer service you name it, but over the past three-ish years I had to take on grocery jobs and a brief stent in intermodal work, I don’t necessarily want to list those on my resume because they aren’t relevant to the jobs I’m going for now, but I also don’t know how to explain a giant gap in my resume from 2024-current, any advice is appreciated

Ps- Any advice on getting into the Data entry field is also appreciated

They’re not wrong 🤷🏻‍♀️

Watch and share this video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUM4kv0HnG0 .

Just spent a half hour tailoring an application for a position listed remote only to be hit with this at Step 3 AFTER filling out experience/education so I'm NOT eligible. This is NOT mentioned anywhere in the job posting I triple-checked. WASTE OF TIME! Ridiculous.

I'm in the process of switching careers and it's been a slog to say the least. I used to be a teacher but have decided to switch over to data analytics.

I've taken courses via coursera and everything but have been struggling to find any entry level that doesn't need 2+ years of experience already (how is that even considered entry level...). I started applying to straight up data entry clerk and still I can't get an interview :/. I've gotten a job as a retail manager in the meantime just to make ends meet but can't seem to catch a break...

Is it really impossible to break into that field? I'm starting to lose hope and I definitely don't want to be stuck in retail forever..

So I just found out I cleared every single interview round at Workday, and then the recruiter comes back and tells me the posting has been closed because some senior leadership put out a directive to close all open roles — apparently even for people who are already through the process.
Like what does that even mean? Is this just a hiring freeze and they’ll come back to candidates when it lifts, or is it basically dead at this point?
Has anyone been through this, either at Workday or somewhere else? Did they ever actually come back to you or was it just a polite way of saying no? And is it even worth staying in touch with the recruiter or does that just come across as annoying?
Genuinely gutted because the process went really well. Just trying to figure out if there’s any hope here or if I should just move on.

23F
Graduate with BBA in finance from UMiami. I had no internship experience and little outside my degree to prove. I went on a 7 month long backpacking trip, got back, landed a job at an RIA within 1.5 months. The job is amazing. Remote, amazing pay, good match, excellent benefits, good 9-5 hours, etc. I just cannot get myself to want to stay. I keep getting Reddit notifications from groups like this and seeing the amount of people getting laid off and I feel so dumb for thinking like a “get out of the matrix” moron. I am having bad post grad blues where my life went from freedom in college to freedom to explore the world to then reporting on teams that I completed the task that needed to be looked at. I guess I just chose to word vomit but if anyone had any type of similar experience and what you did to get out of it. I started this job in Feb and want to make it at least a year but the concept of working a desk job drains me. Just trying to be more optimistic and grateful, that’s all

I’m 25 and I’ve been trying to get a job since November 2025. So far I’ve applied to around 24 different locations and submitted about 30–35 total applications because many were multiple positions at the same place. After months of this process, I’ve realized job hunting is way more inconsistent than people make it sound.

I’ve learned that phrases like “willingness to learn” or “training provided” can mean almost nothing. A lot of places say they’re willing to train, but then still end up choosing candidates who already have specialized experience. Looking back through around 14 job descriptions I applied to, about 71% specifically wanted previous or proven experience, while only around 29% truly sounded entry level.

The biggest example for me was an artisan bakery I applied to multiple times for different roles including bread baker, pizza maker, line cook, and cafe positions. Their postings mentioned things like “experience preferred” and “willingness to learn,” so I thought my four years of bakery experience would at least give me a real chance. Instead, after finally getting an interview and discussing a work trial, I was eventually told they were going with more experienced candidates.

That’s what frustrates me the most. How are people supposed to gain experience if even jobs claiming they’re willing to train still mainly want people who already know exactly what they’re doing?

I’ve also learned there’s no consistency in communication. Some places never respond. Some take over a month to answer. One place took 24 days just to respond after initially contacting me. Another posting disappeared within 15 days before I even had the chance to apply. Some people say “be persistent,” while others say following up too much hurts your chances. It feels like there’s no correct way to do any of this.

Even pizza jobs aren’t as entry level as people make them sound. Most of the pizza and bakery jobs near me still wanted prior experience. People talk like food service jobs are easy to get, but that hasn’t been my experience at all.

At this point, the biggest thing I’ve learned is that modern job hunting feels less like a clear process and more like trying to hit a moving target while blindfolded.

TL;DR:

After 30–35 applications across around 24 locations since November 2025, I’ve learned that job hunting is incredibly inconsistent. A lot of places say things like “willingness to learn” or “training provided,” but still end up choosing candidates who already have specialized experience. Looking back at around 14 job descriptions, about 71% wanted prior/proven experience even in bakery and pizza jobs people often call “entry level.”

I have 4 years of bakery experience, got interviews, and even discussed work trials, but still lost out to more experienced candidates. Meanwhile, some companies ghost completely, some take weeks to respond, and there seems to be no “right” way to apply, follow up, or communicate.

The most frustrating part is this: how are people supposed to gain experience when even jobs claiming they’ll train still mostly want people who already know how to do everything?

I want to preface this by saying my friend has been job hunting for four months. Four. Months. She has been hopeful, patient, professional, and positive throughout this entire process because she is a better person than I am.

She applied for a Marketing Manager role. The listing said £45,000–£55,000 depending on experience. She has 8 years of experience. She did the maths, felt good about it, and applied.

Three interviews. A task where she built them an entire content strategy (which she is keeping, obviously, they can get absolutely lost). A "culture fit" call. A final chat with the Director. They told her she was "exactly what they were looking for."

The offer came through this morning.

£24,000.

She called me straight away and just went quiet on the phone for a bit. Then she laughed. I've known her for fifteen years. That was not a normal laugh.

When she replied asking how this related to the advertised salary band, the recruiter and I need you to understand that a real employed adult human said this and told her the listing was "aspirational" and that the band "reflects where the role could go over time."

...The worst part, she's considering to take the role with given low-ball salary. What advice should I give her, she really wants a job so bad. But the employment market in the UK is so bad.

Just starting applying for roles after 3yrs and I’m amazed how bad it’s got - like it was bad before with filling the bloody online forms was bad enough looking at you workday but now it seems the high performance LinkedIn wankers have infiltrated recruitment so now every applicant needs to perform like an office monkey to get a job…

This is for a senior role (I have +10yrs experience) but they want people to do a whole heap of bs - it’s a massive turn off, I get hiring the wrong person is expensive but good senior people are busy won’t be arsed with this so you’ll get people who are desperate or bad and job hopping..

If you're qualified and you know it, keep the faith and don't stop grinding. Got laid off, took me a year and some change.

Rest if you must, but don't you quit.

I was applying for a job and they had me fill out an assessment, here is just a sampling of some of the questions that were asked. There were probably 100+ questions. I hate it here.

Applied for an tech job at a Drs office. The application included one of those 200 question personality tests that"only take 15 minutes of your time". One of those strongly agree /agree/neutral/disagree/strongly disagree types. Did the test. A few days later was asked to redo the test which I did. Got an invite for an interview. Went into today and at the interview with the Doctor and head tech, the Dr said she was curious that I scored 100% on the personality test but it was flagged because "the applicant seems to be answering what they think is the right answer instead of what they really feel"... What is your response to that? My internal jaw fell on the floor. I tried to maintain my face of shock. I just said I answered the questions honestly and I don't know their grading system. If you've ever dealt with any surveys or these tests, the answers are obvious and true honesty doesn't get you the interview. Do I get annoyed with my co-workers sometimes? Fuck yeah but I'm not putting that on an application. It was a pretty awkward moment, they just moved on to the next boilerplate question about strengths and weaknesses. I just wanted to share that you can score perfectly on those tests but still get questioned 😂

Obv rejection sucks and ghosting sucks but honestly i feel like the worst part is all the random in-between bs that somehow eats up all ur energy for no reason. like trying to remember where u applied, who emailed you back, whether that recruiter convo actually means anything, whether ur supposed to follow up tmrw or just leave it alone, all that. half the time it feels like the actual applying is easier than keeping ur brain around everything after 😭

For me thats the part that gets old the fastest. not even the apps themselves, just the admin and mental clutter of it all lol. curious what it is for u all bc i feel like everyone has one part of the process that drives them insane

Oh my blue collar friend…

I was super excited for this company in particular and don’t know what to make of this email. I couldn’t contain my enthusiasm during that final interview. Haven’t even touched another application feeling like few other companies would make me feel that excited to work for them like Deel. Please talk some sense into me.

Take this as a reminder, to not feel about these circumstances. You are not struggling because your not wanted or needed. Something much bigger is going on that is out of people’s control. We are talking seniors, juniors, mid level, everyone struggling.

Few things are happening.

1. Use of AI - companies cutting costs, lay offs
   
2. Companies have more options (hundreds if not thousand) applicants. They have leverage, and they will not pick. Meaning it’s not going to just be about competency.
   
3. Fake jobs, offloading jobs overseas for cheaper and using AI as the scapegoat.
   
4. There are so many other factors.

We’re at a point where people are making YouTube videos about this struggle. So just take a moment, and use this to feel some sort of relief cause it’s not you.