I'm writing this post because I have been unemployed for the last 2 years, and it's continuing. Honestly, it's been one of the most difficult phases of my life.

Initially, I thought it would take a few months to find a job, but as time passed, the self-doubt, overthinking and frustration kept increasing. I constantly question myself, my skills, my decisions and my future. Some days I feel motivated to try again, while on other days, I struggle to find the energy to do anything.

The financial pressure makes everything even harder, especially when your savings are running out and you still haven't found a way to get back on your feet.

I also wonder how other people in the same situation are dealing with everything. What is your family situation like? Are your parents supportive or do you face pressure and criticism from them? What do your relatives, friends, and society say when they find out you are unemployed for so long?

Sometimes, it's not just about finding a job anymore. It's also about dealing with mental pressure, comparing yourself to others, losing confidence and wondering whether things will ever get better.

I'm not posting this to complain or seek sympathy. I just want to connect with people who understand what this feels like, share our experiences and motivate each other.

My unemployment has been going on for 2 years and I'm still struggling with self-doubt and overthinking.

It would genuinely help to hear your stories, especially from people who have been through something similar and managed to turn things around.

Let's talk openly without judging each other. Sometimes, knowing that we're not alone in this situation can make a difference.

How long have you been unemployed, and how are you holding up?

I’ve been applying for jobs through LinkedIn, Indeed, and Naukri for a while now. I’ve sent out hundreds of applications but haven’t received a single interview call. It’s been rejection after rejection, and honestly, it’s getting disheartening.

I completed my M.Tech in Computer Cyber Security from NIT Kurukshetra, hoping that getting a master’s degree would help me build a good career and improve my opportunities. But being qualified and still struggling to get even one interview is frustrating. I genuinely want to work, learn, and build something meaningful, but right now, I feel stuck.

I previously worked at Dell Technologies as a Graduate Intern in Data Engineering and Analytics. I’m comfortable with DSA and problem-solving, and I’m also interested in AI/ML. I’ve worked with Python, SQL, and PySpark, and I’ve built projects involving machine learning, Transformers, and Agentic AI.

I’m open to opportunities in Software Engineering, AI/ML, and other related technical roles.
If anyone knows of relevant openings or could refer me to their organization, I’d be genuinely grateful. I’m happy to share my resume over DM.

I know the job market is tough, and I’m sure many people here can relate. I’d really appreciate any leads, referrals, or even advice on what I could be doing differently.

To preface, I know there’s no easy “just do this and you’ll be hired” strategy otherwise everyone would be doing it. But for anyone recently hired, was it through a job board, direct outreach, in-person, referred by friend or something else entirely?

Hello! Planning a move to Virginia soon and looking for advice on pivoting into the non-profit sector. I have over 25 years of experience in hospitality, catering sales, running major special events, and compliance training.

I'm looking at fundraising, special event coordination, consultative sales, or teaching/training tracks. I'm completely fine handling operational components if they are part of a blended, multi-faceted role, but I'm trying to steer away from straight operations positions. I'm also independently finishing a certification in universal design and accessibility (CLIPP) to bring some unique value to the table.

Has anyone here successfully transitioned a high-level hospitality, events, or training background into a non-profit development or fundraising role? I'd love any tips on how to position these skills to Virginia non-profit recruiters, or recommendations on regional registries to look at. TY!

Hello! Planning a move to Virginia soon and looking for advice on pivoting into the non-profit sector. I have over 25 years of experience in hospitality, catering sales, running major special events, and compliance training.

I'm looking at fundraising, special event coordination, consultative sales, or teaching/training tracks. I'm completely fine handling operational components if they are part of a blended, multi-faceted role, but I'm trying to steer away from straight operations positions. I'm also independently finishing a certification in universal design and accessibility (CLIPP) to bring some unique value to the table.

Has anyone here successfully transitioned a high-level hospitality, events, or training background into a non-profit development or fundraising role? I'd love any tips on how to position these skills to Virginia non-profit recruiters, or recommendations on regional registries to look at. TY!

One thing I find difficult about interviews is the follow-up questions.

You might have a good answer for the original question, but then they ask “why?”, “how did you handle that?”, or “what would you do differently?” and suddenly you have to think about the answer from a completely different angle.

For people who have gotten better at this, what helped?

Did you practice follow-up questions specifically, prepare a few examples from your experience, practice speaking out loud, or did it just get easier after doing more interviews?

I'm a software engineer. Over 7 years of experience, primarily working close with marketing. Design background before this. I was going back to school for math before being laid off, but had to pause because I'm not getting a student loan just to continue. Since then, I've been considering pivoting just to have a sustainable job in a better market and finish school.

However, there seems to be a lack of jobs allowing zero experience in every market, unless you're a new grad or intern. Any tips or suggestions for pivoting (other than leveraging transferrable skills)?

Other positions I've applied for: customer support, IT support, product and project management, bookkeeping, accounts payable/receivable, and data entry.

I’m a recent USC film school graduate building a career in commercial filmmaking, directing, cinematography, and editing. A few months ago, I was hired to film an event for a growing startup in the sports and fitness industry with a lot of big Hollywood names as investors. Afterward, the founder (a legitimately successful entrepreneur who is responsible for founding multiple top sports channels and has a lot of industry connections) expressed interest in bringing me on more regularly. He invited me to lunch, showed me around a new retail location, and also expressed interest in helping advance my filmmaking career through his connections and future opportunities.
After months of discussions about a potential role with little clarity about compensation, hours, or responsibilities, he finally made me an offer for a minimum-wage, W-2 position with a Creative Director title. The job would involve producing and filming content for social media. It would also include assisting with retail and administrative operations within the store, essentially wearing multiple hats. He did not tell me which of these responsibilities, whether creative filmmaking vs administrative, would take up more of my time, and said we would “learn as we go.” He said there would also be opportunities to teach sports clinics and lessons for $40 an hour on-site and within the same hours as my shift (so additional income for the same hours, no extra time. I also have experience teaching the specific activities in these clinics so this is within my skillset). He also promised that he and his team would go out of their way to be flexible if I had other freelance gigs arise. He said the company has only a few members and that I would essentially be the company’s first employee. He made a point to say that the Creative Director title would be worth way more than any amount of pay. He also emphasized how studios are consolidating and laying off employees and he emphasized how hard it is to get a job in the film industry. he continued to emphasize *his* industry connections and potential equity later down the road, although none of it was guaranteed.
I initially declined because of the low pay, additional store responsibilities, and undefined schedule. He pushed back saying he felt like the wage plus opportunity for lessons was fair, and suggested consolidating my hours into fewer days so I would have to do the drive back and forth less (I also don’t live particularly close). He promised to send a concrete schedule yesterday but hasn’t followed through.
I’m currently waiting on the more defined schedule, but im contemplating. He is a legit industry person with a stacked resume and connections to back it (he’ll remain anonymous). I’ll be honest, I’m not particularly struggling financially, but I would much rather make more than minimum wage for filming and editing, which I make much more money for in my freelance ventures (although right now those jobs are not super consistent). I’m quite skeptical of his personality as well, but I would feel less skeptical as long as I have concretely written out shifts and hours to protect me. In that scenario, my thinking is that I could switch shifts around if he is truly willing to be flexible when a freelance opportunity comes up. 
I like the idea of working in house and doing what I love (which is filming and editing), but I’m not even entirely sure that’s what I would be doing a majority of the time and I don’t think he is sure either. Is this opportunity worth even considering? Is it a good idea to have something reliable like this for when freelance work dries up? Am I right to feel like the whole thing is sketchy?

Do jobs go through the trouble of you having to meet the whole team for your division and eating lunch with them for 2 hours, with no intention of hiring? Just completed final interview with one and wondering the chance of job.

I can work : data entry and chat supporter and translator into Arabic and i have account in outlier

Hey guys,

Currently losing my mind in that brutal post-interview waiting window and just need to get this off my chest I just wrapped up a 5-round (1st round: phone call, 2nd round: assessment, 3rd round: team lead, 4th round: VP, Director, Manager, 5th round: Chief Accounting Officer) loop for Data Analyst role at a consumer credit company. The job is basically a mix of financial accounting rigor (I’m on the CPA track) and data engineering stuff (SQL, Python, Databricks). The first 4 rounds went awesome—great chats with the recruiter, managers, technical leads, all of that. Addressed a 1-month gap on my resume from a company restructuring without any issues. Then came Round 5: an in-person meeting with the CAO.Honestly, the vibe in the room had me second-guessing everything. The guy barely asked any questions, seemed pretty low-energy, and was checking his phone a few times while I was talking. Classic C-suite busy guy, I guess?

BUT—I brought a physical, printed sample of a data project I built on customer behavior / willingness-to-pay models. At the end of the meeting, he actually kept the printout and said he’d check it out on his own time. And then I debriefed with the leader who interviewed me first round. We did not discuss about salary, timeline or anyhting. He said he'd get HR answer that question.

Now I’m handed back to the HR Manager. Before I left the coordinator said that the HR Manager will contact me for "next steps" (hoping for $76k–$82k), but my brain is running 100 miles an hour:

• Was he just doing a required protocol check and going through the motions?
• Did he keep the project because he actually cares, or was he just being polite?
• Am I overthinking a guy who was just busy handling corporate fires during our meeting?

Has anyone ever had a final round with a super distracted executive and still gotten the offer? How do you guys stop checking your email every 5 minutes while waiting on HR?

edit 1: so the CAO didnt even know who interviewed me the round before, i had to remind him

Hey all! Im 21(M) looking for a FT job however i have a little issue. I kinda have set hrs i need to work (m-f) and needa be in a realm of 7-4. However idk where to fond that. Any help is appreciated!

To set the scene, I'm four years post-grad, with experience interning for media and animation companies. The hard part is that the media industry has been hit hard by COVID, the 2023 strikes, AI, and Trump gutting PBS/NPR. Somehow, I have never landed a full-time career position, and not for lack of trying.

In 2025, I spent the first half of the year interning at a local NPR station, editing short-form and podcast videos. In the latter half, I was a video producer for a local documentary organization, making videos for the regional energy provider. That built out my portfolio much more substantially.

I debated continuing to intern but decided no more, and since May, I've been applying for full-time positions in video production and marketing. I've applied broadly across the country, but employers in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York City, and Washington, D.C., responded. This year, I've interviewed with 20 companies and made it to several second and third rounds. The roles I'm applying for pay around $80,000, and most have four rounds.

Now for my dilemma: I applied for a remote job in political advocacy. The process began in late September with a screening call, and I met with the hiring manager in early October. During that interview, she said, "If it were up to me, you would start in a week." The third/final round was supposed to start October 12, but the organization told me they're swamped with the election. I don't know if it'll be delayed until after the election.

I don't have any other companies actively interviewing me. I can apply endlessly, but applying doesn't generate interviews. This is the best-suited position I've interviewed for: YouTube video producer, plus managing analytics, a skill I want to grow.

I don't know if I should give up on it. Part of me doesn't understand how a political advocacy organization is too swamped to hire when they knew the election was coming. Now the final round might not happen until a month after the second, and I don't understand why.

Thanks for everyone’s help. I hope this is enough to connect for my dilemma to make sense

I'm asking because I've never had to do this before. I'll be starting a new job soon. The pay is a 50%+ cut from what I was making and it may as well be considered an entry-level job in my field (I have over a decade of experience). It won't be awful, but it's definitely not my dream job, nor is it the end of my job hunt.

What's the best way to explain this sort of thing while staying professional? Especially if I just recently started this role?