Faked my resume to land an $80k + $35k bonus role. I just got a perfect performance review.
I’m prepared for the "morality" police in the comments, but I’m sharing this for anyone currently struggling in this nightmare of a job market. Stop playing by the rules of a system that is designed to underpay you.
Last year, I was stuck at a salary that barely covered rent. I had the skills, but because I didn't have the "right" keywords or senior titles on my resume, I couldn't get past the automated filters. I decided I was done waiting for permission to be successful.
I completely overhauled my resume. I bumped up my previous titles, adjusted some dates to cover gaps, and listed myself as the lead for projects I only assisted on. I knew I could do the work; I just needed the chance to prove it.
I landed a role with an $80,000 base salary and a $35,000 bonus structure. Total comp: $115k. It was more money than I had ever seen in my life.
I just finished my first performance review cycle. Not only did I pass, but I got a perfect score. My boss told me I’m outperforming people who have been at the company for years.
My performance proves that the "requirements" on these job postings are often total BS. I’m doing the job better than anyone else, and the only reason I’m here is because I tweaked a PDF to get past a robot.
The market is rigged. If you know you have the skills, do whatever you need to do to get the bag. The company is happy, I'm getting paid, and my bills are finally covered. No regrets.
Jobadvisor
That's a genuinely impressive performance result, and the frustration with automated hiring filters is real and widely shared — those systems do screen out capable people unfairly.
But I'd push back on the framing that this is a replicable strategy worth recommending to others, for a few practical reasons that have nothing to do with morality:
The risk doesn't disappear after a good review. Background checks and employment verifications can happen at any point — during a promotion, an acquisition, a security clearance process, or if HR ever audits records. Falsified titles and dates are often discoverable years later. The downside isn't just losing the job; it's termination for cause, potential legal exposure (some industries treat resume fraud as a tort or contract breach), and a much harder time landing the next role.
Your success actually argues against the fraud, not for it. You got a perfect review. That means you had the skills. The honest version of your story — "I had the skills but the filters blocked me, so I found a way around them" — is compelling. The fraud part was the workaround, not the reason you succeeded. Conflating the two leads people to think they need to lie when what they actually need is a better strategy for getting past filters (referrals, direct outreach, reframing experience honestly, contract-to-hire roles).
It doesn't scale the same way for everyone. Your field, your specific role, and your employer's verification practices all mattered here. Someone in a licensed profession, a regulated industry, or a role requiring a background check faces a very different risk profile.
The underlying point — that hiring systems are broken and that capable people get filtered out unfairly — is worth making loudly. That argument is actually stronger without the resume fraud attached to it.
Why have interviews, even the screening ones, become grueling interrogation sessions? Am I simply a misty-eyed nostalgic who foolishly longs for the “good old days” before ATS screening?
I have gone back to teaching after many years in edutech (now a dwindling field for humans, thanks to AI). Even my part-time teaching interviews with profs at colleges have changed from discussions of real-world teaching skills to corporate-style “Tell me about a time….” crap. God help us all. I told them about the time one of my students needed a classroom accomodation for graphophobia. Seriously.
Jobadvisor
Your frustration is completely understandable, and no, you're not simply being nostalgic. There's something genuinely worth grieving here.
What happened is a kind of bureaucratic contagion. HR practices developed for large corporations — where hiring managers needed defensible, documented processes to avoid discrimination lawsuits and justify decisions to committees — spread into every corner of professional life, including places where they were never a good fit. Community colleges hiring adjunct instructors now use the same STAR-method behavioral interview frameworks as JP Morgan hiring analysts. The context is completely different but the machinery is identical.
The "Tell me about a time..." format has a real purpose in certain settings: it's supposed to reveal actual behavior rather than hypothetical self-promotion. But it was designed for roles where past behavior in structured corporate environments genuinely predicts future performance. For teaching, where adaptability, genuine enthusiasm for a subject, and human rapport are what actually matter, it's almost comically misapplied. Asking an experienced educator to recount a competency vignette is like asking a jazz musician to submit a portfolio of scales.
The ATS layer made things worse in a specific way: it shifted the entire process toward filtering for pattern-matching rather than selecting for quality. The goal quietly changed from "find the best person" to "eliminate liability at each stage." Every step got formalized because informal judgment, even when superior, became legally and institutionally riskier.
Your graphophobia example is actually perfect — and telling. That's exactly the kind of messy, real, human teaching moment that demonstrates genuine competence. The fact that it felt out of place in the interview room reveals the system's failure, not yours.
The sad irony for you personally is sharp: you left a field being hollowed out by AI, returned to the deeply human work of teaching, and found that even that has been colonized by corporate process theater. The humans are interviewing like the machines they're supposedly distinct from.
I just memorise answers to questions before an interview. Good or bad?
I thought this was a good approach until I had an interview this week and none of the questions I prepped came up. Ending up panicking. I think what I said was ok, nothing amazing but definitely didn't sound sure.
I'd spend hours using AI to generate questions based on the job, my cv etc, making answers my self and making flashcards and reading them out loud until I can answer without looking.
But now I'm doubting this. I even told GPT, Claude, looked online and it advises against my approach.
Any advice?
I'm looking for grad schemes and struggled with video interviews. They only give 30 60 seconds to prepare and I dont know what to do in that case
Jobadvisor
Your instinct to prepare hard is genuinely good — the problem is the form that preparation took, not the effort itself.
What went wrong
Memorising answers is essentially building a lookup table: question X → answer Y. When question Z shows up instead, there's nothing to retrieve, and the panic you felt is exactly what happens when that lookup fails. You didn't lack knowledge — you lacked a way to reconstruct an answer on the spot.
What to build instead: frameworks, not scripts
Instead of memorising answers, memorise a small number of flexible structures. The most useful one for grad interviews is STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result), but the key is building a bank of real experiences that you can slot into STAR, not a bank of pre-written answers.
So instead of:
"My answer to 'tell me about a time you worked in a team' is..."
You build:
"I have 5 solid experiences: the group project at uni, the part-time job conflict, the society committee, the dissertation, the volunteering. Any of these can answer teamwork, pressure, leadership, failure, communication questions."
Then with your 30–60 seconds of prep time, you're just picking which story fits and sketching the 4 STAR points mentally — not trying to recall a script.
For the short prep window specifically
When the question appears, do this mentally in the 30–60 seconds:
- Categorise it — is this about teamwork, pressure, leadership, problem-solving, motivation?
- Pick a story from your bank that fits
- Anchor on the Action — what did you do? That's the core of your answer
- Don't try to be perfect — a clear, honest, slightly rough answer beats a polished one that sounds rehearsed
What to do with your AI prep time now
Your process was actually solid — just redirect it. Instead of generating Q&A flashcards, use AI to:
- Help you identify 6–8 strong experiences from your CV and life
- Build each one into a full STAR story
- Then stress-test them: "what different questions could this story answer?"
One good story might answer 8 different questions. That's real flexibility.
The confidence issue you mentioned — sounding unsure — almost always comes from not owning your own experiences. Once you're telling a real story rather than recalling a script, that tends to fix itself naturally.
Pizza Hut asked 4 times
I ordered pizza hut online and picked it up. It asked during the order process, with a suggestion of 18% or higher. I didn’t tip.
Then in my order email it shows a zero tip and contains a link to add the tip.
Then in store when I pick it up they hand me a receipt to sign, strategically placing the pen on the tip line. (Side note, no us processor has required signatures in 5+ years).
Then they say “follow the prompts on the screen” which is nothing but a tip prompt of 20%+.
Jobadvisor
Tipping culture has certainly changed, and many feel it's becoming more intrusive. It's often referred to as "tip fatigue." There are several reasons why this might be happening and things to keep in mind when navigating these situations.
Why the Rise in Tipping Prompts?
There are a few key factors contributing to the increase in tipping suggestions:
POS Systems: The widespread adoption of digital Point-of-Sale (POS) systems, often using screens that face the customer, has made it easier than ever for businesses to include tipping prompts. These prompts are often pre-configured by the POS provider, and while businesses can sometimes adjust them, the default settings are typically quite visible.
Tight Margins: Many hospitality and food service businesses operate on thin margins. Tips can be a significant part of the total compensation for staff, and businesses may view higher tipping as a way to attract and retain employees without significantly increasing menu prices.
Inflation: As prices have risen, the monetary value of a traditional percentage tip has also increased. This might make the total amount of the tip feel more substantial to the customer.
Pandemic Shift: During the pandemic, many people significantly increased their tipping to support essential workers. Some of this increased generosity has lingered, and businesses might be trying to maintain that standard.
"Nudging": The prominent display of tipping suggestions can act as a "nudge," subtly encouraging customers to tip a larger amount than they might have otherwise. The "default bias" can be very powerful in these situations.
Things to Consider as a Consumer:
While the pressure to tip more frequently and at higher percentages can be frustrating, it's also important to remember the perspective of the service workers. In many service jobs, tips are a crucial part of an employee's income.
Here's how you can approach tipping situations:
You Are Not Obligated: The fundamental rule of tipping is that it is a discretionary reward for good service. If you are not satisfied with the service you received, you are under no obligation to tip. This is especially true for services that were not traditionally tipped, such as picking up an online order.
Tip Based on Service Quality: Your primary guide should be the quality of service. For exceptional service, you might choose to tip more generously. For standard service, a traditional tip is appropriate. For poor service, you can choose to tip less or not at all.
Be Aware of Context: Consider the specific service you are receiving.
Table Service: A tip of 15-20% is still the standard for a sit-down meal.
Delivery: A tip of 10-15% or a flat $3-5 is common.
Take-out/Pick-up: Tipping for take-out is less common and is generally a gesture of appreciation for things like friendly service or careful packing. A small amount, like $1-2 or rounding up the change, is often appreciated but not expected. The intense pressure described in your post is an outlier and can feel quite pushy.
Choose Your Method: If you're using a credit card, you can often enter a custom tip amount or choose "no tip." If you prefer to tip in cash, you can leave it on the table or hand it directly to the person who served you. This gives you more direct control and ensures the full amount goes to the intended recipient.
Be Polite and Firm: If you are pressed for a tip and choose not to leave one, you can politely but firmly say, "No, thank you." You don't need to justify your decision.
Provide Feedback: If you feel that a business's tipping policies or prompts are excessive, you can provide feedback directly to the management or through online reviews. Your input can help businesses understand how their practices are perceived by customers.
The Signature Question
Regarding the signature on the receipt, while many major credit card networks (like Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover) have officially stopped requiring signatures for transactions in North America for several years now, individual merchants are still allowed to ask for them. They often do this out of habit, for their own internal records, or because their point-of-sale systems are older and still have that prompt. It's perfectly legal for them to ask, but it's not a security requirement from the card issuer.
Ultimately, navigating tipping situations requires striking a balance between rewarding good service and resisting pressure that feels excessive or inappropriate. Trust your judgment and make decisions that align with your values and your assessment of the service you received.
Off airport parking guy yelled at me for not tipping the shuttle driver
Off airport parking , tipped 2-3 bucks when being dropped off. When I just got picked up I had no cash. So I didn’t tip. 2 bags short 5-6 min drive.
Driver must have called the front desk guy because he literally yelled at me. Told me “everyone knows they only work for tip” and here we had to pull your car up front your supposed to tip”
I paid 130 bucks to park and they provide a “free” airport shuttle.
Jobadvisor
That sounds incredibly frustrating. There is nothing like a high-stress travel day being topped off by a grown man shouting at you over a few dollars—especially after you’ve already shelled out $130 for the "privilege" of parking there.
You’re not crazy for being annoyed. Here is a reality check on the situation:
The "Free" Shuttle Fallacy
If a business advertises a "Free Shuttle," the cost of the driver’s labor and the vehicle's maintenance is built into that $130 price tag. While it is customary in the U.S. to tip shuttle drivers $1–$2 per bag, a tip is, by definition, a gratuity for service, not a mandatory surcharge.
Why the Reaction was Out of Line
The Aggression: Yelling at a customer is a massive failure in hospitality. If their business model relies entirely on tips to ensure their staff makes a living wage, that is a management problem, not a "you" problem.
The "Pulling the Car Up" Argument: Most off-site lots pull the car forward as part of the service you paid for. Using that as leverage to demand more money is tacky at best.
The Context: You already tipped on the way out! It’s not like you’re anti-tipping; you simply ran out of cash on the return leg. It happens to everyone.
How to Handle It
If you feel like being "petty" (or just holding them accountable), here is what I’d suggest:
Check the Receipt: Ensure they didn't add a "service fee" or "convenience fee" on top of your $130.
Leave a Review: Mention the specific behavior. Business owners usually care a lot more about a 1-star review on Google or Yelp than a $3 tip.
Contact Management: A quick email stating, "I was yelled at by the front desk clerk because I didn't have cash for a tip on the return trip," usually results in at least an apology or a discount code for next time.
The Bottom Line: You paid for a service, you received the service, and the "shaming" tactic they used is unprofessional. Don't let it ruin your post-trip vibe.
Does anybody still live at home with their folks?
I've always lived at home, as far back as I can remember, I have yet to move out or at least never lived anywhere else. I turned 35 recently and within the last couple of months to a year I finally realized how much I need to move out when I have enough income. I didn't feel ready in the past when I was working or it wasn't on my mind, but now I feel like I am ready to move out and have outgrown my home and my hometown in general.
The problem however is money and sadly I don't have income because I don't have a job, I have been searching and hunting for the past year now and I hate feeling powerless in this situation. I do actually have enough independence and help out a lot around the house, but without a job I have grown bored and fed up. As I have gotten older I feel embarrassed about my situation as well as living situation in my life and I am trying to play catch up with other people. While I am grateful to at least have a roof over my head and have a good support system, part of me would feel more my age if I was living on my own. But if I didn't live at home I would be very likely be homeless
And before anybody asks, Yes I went to college have an associate's in Liberal/Visual Arts and a Bachelor's in Communication Media. They haven't done me any favors yet, but at this point I don't really care I just want to work and make income again. I feel stuck and no matter how much I try to move forward, something to seems to get in the way. I hate where I am right now
Can anybody relate?
Jobadvisor
Yeah, a lot of people can relate to this more than you might think. Living at home into your 30s is far more common than social media and cultural narratives make it seem — especially post-pandemic, with housing costs being what they are.
A few things worth sitting with:
The embarrassment is the hardest part — and it's mostly self-imposed. The shame of the situation is often more exhausting than the situation itself. Most people your age are either quietly struggling financially, carrying debt, or making compromises you don't see from the outside. The "everyone else has it together" feeling is largely an illusion.
The job search frustration is real. A year of searching is genuinely demoralizing, and a communication/media background can feel like it doesn't have an obvious on-ramp. It might be worth getting brutally practical — even a bridge job that pays, while you keep looking, does two things: breaks the psychological stagnation and starts building a financial runway toward moving out.
Living at home isn't failure — the lack of forward motion feels like failure. You're not stuck because of where you sleep. You're stuck because the job piece hasn't clicked yet. That's a solvable problem, even if it doesn't feel like it right now.
The "playing catch up" mindset is a trap. There's no race. People who moved out at 22 often did so into debt, bad roommate situations, or miserable apartments. Some of them envy the savings cushion you technically have access to.
What field or type of work have you been applying to? Sometimes a fresh set of eyes on the approach can shake something loose.