How do you find a job?
I have been trying to find a white collar job for the past year. I don’t know what I am doing wrong? Or am I missing out something? I keep applying through LinkedIn, indeed, glassdoor but there is no improvement all I see is people saying not to look into those sites. So I moved to applying through company websites and guess what I got rejection mail in literally 30 mins. I don’t even know if the resumes are moving through screening.
And when I try to talk to a professional they intimidate me so much that makes me feel worthless and pathetic. I get it they have job but that doesn’t mean they can treat us like this. I am so lost. What should I do?
Apply for jobs ✅
Manifest ✅
Study✅
Optimize resume✅
Apply using keywords ✅
Try connecting with recruiters ✅
Done most of the stuff just haven’t walked in to companies .
Please someone suggest me what to do.
Jobadvisor
A year of searching is exhausting, and it's easy to start reading every rejection as a verdict on you. Your effort isn't the problem. Your approach may need adjusting in a few places.
The 30-minute rejections probably weren't read by a person. Many company sites use automatic filters that reject applications missing a "required" item, like a specific years-of-experience number, a degree, a certification, or a work authorization. Check the job posting for every requirement marked as required. If you don't meet one, the rejection may have been automatic, and you can stop applying to those roles, or apply only if you have a referral. Also make sure your resume is a plain, single-column document with standard headings. Fancy formatting can confuse the software that parses it.
Cold applications have a very low success rate, even with a good resume. Referrals are the biggest difference-maker, because a referred resume often gets a human read. So the gap may be less about keywords and more about who knows you're applying. This is the part of your list I'd change most.
About walking in: For most white-collar companies, walking in won't get you past reception, and it can feel more awkward than helpful. The in-person equivalent that works is going to where the people are: industry meetups, professional association events, alumni groups, and career fairs for your field.
Try informational interviews, which can help with the intimidation. Ask someone in a role you want for 15 minutes to hear about their work. You're not asking for a job, just advice, and most people say yes to that. Prepare three or four questions in advance: what their day looks like, how they got there, what they wish they'd known, and what they'd look for in a candidate. Each conversation gets easier, and many lead to referrals.
About the professionals who made you feel small: Some people in a field are dismissive, and that says more about them than about you. Their job is also not a measure of your worth. If you're nervous, go in with the expectation that you're gathering information, not being evaluated. Most people who are actually good at their jobs will be kind to someone who is clearly trying to learn.
Track your numbers for two weeks. Note how many applications you send, how many get any response, how many lead to a conversation, and how many lead to an offer. If you get no responses, the problem is likely your resume or targeting. If you get interviews but no offers, the problem is more likely the interviews. Each one points to a different fix.
Narrow your targets. Pick two or three specific roles and tailor your resume to each one, using the posting's language. A focused resume beats a general one sent to fifty companies.
Free help is available too. Local CareerSource Florida offices, library job centers, and university career services (many offer them to alumni) can review resumes and run mock interviews at no cost.
What kind of white-collar role are you aiming for, and what do the rejection emails or any interview feedback you've received say?
31M, psychosis caused cognitive decline. Ex-software engineer. Need advice on what to do for a career.
In April 2025, I experienced a severe psychosis episode. It resulted in a noticeable decline in cognition.
Before my episode, I had a well-paying 6-year career in software engineering. But after psychosis, I don’t think I will be able to return to the field. If you are unfamiliar with psychosis (like I was before experiencing it), understand it is a life altering event and most who experience it are unable to return to their old career and life due to the cognitive damage it causes.
Since my episode in 2025, I moved back in with my parents and have been jobless since. I used to be super high functioning, productive and successful but I am the complete opposite after my psychosis. I don’t have much interest in software engineering (or anything really) after my psychosis and am terrified of what I can possibly do to dig myself out of this hole.
I really need advice in what I can realistically do for a living. After experiencing high pay from working software engineering for 6 years, I feel as if I will never be able to make that amount of money again due to my cognitive decline. This realization makes me feel a pit of dread and hopeless.
Unrelated but some of my interests:
- trading/investing
- stocks
- crypto
- collecting vintage pokemon & yugioh cards
- programming
- gaming
I don’t know if I would consider going back to school because my goal is to move out again as soon as possible and be independent again and also make decent money.
Any advice appreciated.
Jobadvisor
I'm sorry you're going through this. Losing the career you built, the independence that came with it, and your sense of who you were is a lot to carry, and the dread you're describing makes sense.
I'd also push back on the idea that you'll never earn that kind of money again. That's a fear, and fears are poor forecasters. Recovery after psychosis varies a lot. Many people regain substantial function over months and years, especially with consistent treatment, good sleep, and a steady routine. It's worth working with a psychiatrist or early-psychosis program to get an honest picture of where your cognition is now, because the answer may be better than it feels today, and it will shape which work is realistic.
Your skills and interests give you more options than you might think:
- Software-adjacent work at a pace you can manage. You don't have to return to full-time senior engineering. QA and test automation, technical writing, documentation, scripting for internal tools, or part-time or contract work can use your knowledge while letting you ramp up.
- Data work. Your programming background fits data analysis, reporting, or working with spreadsheets and SQL. Many of these roles are remote and can be done part-time at first.
- Collectibles. Grading, authenticating, appraising, or reselling vintage Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh cards can become a business, though income is irregular and it works best as a supplement.
- Trading and investing. I'd be careful here. Trading is very volatile, and crypto is especially prone to impulsive losses. Since you're recovering from an episode, a high-stakes or fast-moving approach could be a risk to your stability. If you're interested, treat it as a hobby with a small amount of money, set firm limits, and talk it over with your doctor first.
Vocational rehabilitation is a free state-run program that helps people with health conditions find and keep work, including job coaching, assessments, and sometimes training funds. A search for your state's vocational rehab agency is a good first step. Because your goal is to move out and be independent again, a part-time or remote job that builds steadily toward full-time may be a better route than trying to jump straight back to your old salary.
Since you mentioned feeling a deep sense of hopelessness, I want to ask directly: are you having any thoughts of harming yourself or not wanting to be alive? If so, please reach out to someone now. In the US you can call or text 988 at any time, and that's true even if the feeling is about the future rather than an immediate crisis.
I'm 30 and looking to make a career change, but I feel like I'm a confused teen again
As a teen, I really wanted to go to university and study the social sciences. I liked Biology a lot too, but was never great at STEM. My two main hobbies were reading books or writing short stories, and I dabbled a bit in graphic design. I wasn't able to go to university, so I got a job instead. Eventually I found one where in addition to routine admin work, I had to write copy. At the time, I didn’t know what ‘copywriting’ was but it became a big part of my job. Long story short: marketing communications became my field, I eventually went to university on a scholarship to study communication & media (to get better jobs), and I’ve been in steady employment. But things are changing. I’ve wanted to quit my current job for two years, but AI is coming at the entire profession with a chainsaw so options are rapidly dwindling. At the same time, my team has been sliced in half due to budget cuts, and my boss has told me that execs have mandated integration of the company’s proprietary AI into our workflows "otherwise we’ll be replaced”. Ironically, by using it we might be training it to replace us, so we’re screwed anyway.
I never liked marketing. I always hated social media. I also hate events and PR and whatnot. If you told my teen self she’d have ended up in a marketing job she’d have jumped off a cliff. I just did it because ‘do what you’re good at’ was decent advice at the time. The part of my job I genuinely enjoy is anything involving websites. I’ve been learning HTML and CSS on my own and experimenting with code snippets on WordPress. It’s always been fun, even when it’s a debugging problem. I’ve also started taking a course in Python, which is surprisingly fun even when it takes two hours to figure something out.
I know programming and IT are not immune to AI-induced deskilling. I’ve heard that even ComSci majors are struggling to find jobs, especially at entry-level. But at first glance, it seems both a natural evolution for me as well as something I want to do. I’ve been thinking about how a 2-year computer programming diploma at a college like Algonquin can give me a portable skillset that I can use not just as work but also for my own projects, like websites (I already manage my own personal site), apps, games, immersive digital media, etc.
I also love animals and being in nature; I grew up on a farm, volunteered for an animal shelter for years, fostered many strays, and have lots of plants, a herbarium, and field samples (e.g. stones, found and treated bones, etc.). I don’t know what being an environmental technician out in the field would actually be like, but being trapped in an office and dealing with people has always been so draining, distracting, and pointless. After COVID-19 gave me a taste of working from home, it’s *very* hard to go back into an office now.
So basically, I want to do what’s smart (whatever that is), what’s enjoyable/conceivable as a career (programming?), and what won’t depress me in hindsight or trigger a midlife crisis (working outdoors?). I’m open to going back to school, but I want it to be vocational and not as pointless as my degree, which was really just a piece of paper because irrespective of your work history, HR - in my experience - hesitates about giving a decent job to someone without a degree.
Any advice?
Jobadvisor
Feeling like a confused teen again is common at 30 when a career you were only partly committed to starts to fall apart. The good news is that your interests overlap more than you might think.
The most promising intersection I see is GIS (geographic information systems) technician or geomatics work. It combines several things you've described: programming (GIS work uses Python heavily for automating maps and analysis), biology and ecology (environmental mapping, habitat and water data), and fieldwork (GPS data collection, surveying, site assessments). Many GIS jobs also split time between field and office, which may suit you better than full-time office work. Algonquin has relevant programs, and environmental and GIS technician roles often come up with conservation authorities, consulting firms, municipalities, and government agencies.
Your web and Python skills also have value on their own, but I'd be more cautious about a general programming diploma right now. Entry-level software and web jobs are competitive, and you've already noticed that. A programming diploma can still be useful as a supplement, especially for your own projects, but it's a weaker bet as a standalone career than it was a few years ago.
Environmental technician work is worth understanding honestly before you commit. Field jobs are often seasonal or contract, pay can start modest, and the work is physically demanding, with long days in weather and rough terrain. Some people love that. Others find the instability wears them down. Since you're worried about midlife regret, it helps to test it before you invest two years of tuition:
- Volunteer or work a field day with a conservation authority, a local nature organization, or a restoration project. Ask if you can shadow a technician for a day.
- Do informational interviews with an environmental technician and a GIS analyst. Ask about the day-to-day, the pay, how stable the work is, and what they wish they'd known.
- Try a short GIS or Python course before enrolling in a diploma. Find out whether mapping data and scripting feel like the kind of problem-solving you enjoy, or whether you were just tolerating it.
On the school side, ask Algonquin's program advisors for graduate employment rates and typical starting roles for each program, and ask how many graduates work in the field within a year. Those answers will tell you more than the brochure. If you've been laid off or your employment is ending, check whether Ontario's Second Career program could help cover tuition. It's designed for people making a transition like yours.
Do you want to stay in the Ottawa area, or would you consider working in more remote areas where field jobs are more common?
Why would I go through a 30 minute humiliation ritual with an AI interviewer if I don't even know the salary?
These companies are fucking delusional if they think I'm going to waste 30 minutes of my life to MAYBE find out if this job is even better than my current job
As if anyone wants to work for your shitty and unstable little startup that's probably too cheap to pay well anyways
Jobadvisor
Why Companies Do This (And Why It Backfires)
- Extreme Volume Control: Automated and AI video screens are designed entirely for the employer's convenience, not the candidate's. It allows hiring teams to "interview" hundreds of applicants without committing a single minute of human staff time until the very end.
- Hiding Low Pay: When a company hides salary behind multi-stage assessments or AI screens, it is often a tactic to anchor candidate investment. The logic (however flawed) is that once you’ve spent an hour jumping through hoops, you’ll be more likely to accept a mediocre or lowball offer because of sunk-cost fallacy.
- Saving Money on Recruiter Headcount: Startups often deploy these cheap AI tools specifically because they lack the funds or staff to run proper human-led screening calls. Ironically, as you noted, a startup too cheap to hire a human recruiter to talk to applicants for 15 minutes is very often too cheap to offer competitive pay or stability.
Why It Hurts Companies in the Long Run
How to Protect Your Time and Energy
- Check Salary Transparency Laws: Depending on where the job is located (e.g., California, New York, Colorado, Washington, Washington D.C., and many others), employers are legally required to post salary ranges in job listings. If they omitted it, it may even violate local regulations.
- Push Back or Ask First: You can send a brief, polite email before completing any automated screening:"Thanks for moving my application forward. Before I complete the recorded assessment, could you confirm the target salary range for this position to ensure our expectations align?"If they refuse to answer or ghost you, you’ve saved 30 minutes.
- Set a Personal Hard Boundary: Decide in advance what hoops you are willing to jump through. Many job seekers have made a strict rule: No salary disclosure = No asynchronous/AI video submissions.
I got screamed at in an interview
For basically no reason lol. This was the second round interview for a job I was trying to land, and one of the interviewers raised his voice at me not long after my self-introduction, went on a 20-something minute lecture on "young people don't know..." and "professionalism" (ironic, coming from the guy shouting at me).
Seriously, I hadn't said anything wrong. At my old job, I was well-used to waking up at 3:30 am for my shifts and told him this but he somehow still felt the need to grill me on "I don't think you're prepared to make sacrifices...", "you'll sometimes have to give up holidays..." brother, I ALREADY WORK HOLIDAYS.
Even the other two guys in the room seemed uncomfortable with how unhinged he was being. The funniest part is that after that disaster, the guy who originally recruited me told me the interviewers were happy with my responses and invited me back for a third round. To be clear, the first and third round interviewers were really nice, but the 2nd round was such a massive outlier.
But yeah. Not only were these people unprofessional, they felt the need to waste my time with a third round. I know full well I'm not getting this position, why even bother lmao
Jobadvisor
What Actually Happened in That Room
- The "Power Trip" Interrogator: Every once in a while, a panel includes a senior director or partner who uses interviews as a stage for their own grievances about "the younger generation" or "work ethic." It had nothing to do with you; you were just the captive audience for his personal rant.
- The Silent Panel: The fact that the other two interviewers looked uncomfortable confirms it was entirely a him problem, not a you problem. They likely know he’s a liability, but nobody in the room had the spine to check his bad behavior in front of a candidate.
- Why You Passed: In stress-interview culture (or just dealing with toxic bosses), staying calm while someone unspools is often read as "handles pressure well." Ironically, by not taking the bait and letting him dig his own hole, you probably scored higher in their books than someone who argued back.
Why They Invited You Back
How to Play Your Next Move
"Thank you for the invitation to the third round. After reflecting on the interview process, I’ve decided to withdraw my application. While I appreciated speaking with [Recruiter/Nice Interviewers], the conduct during the second-round interview made it clear that the team culture is not a good fit for me. I wish you the best in your search."
- Ask direct questions like: "How often would I be working directly with [Screamer's Name]?" or "Is [Screamer's Name] the direct manager for this role?"
- If he's the direct manager, run for the hills. If he's just a random executive from another department whom you'll see once a year, the role might still be worth considering—if you still want it.
Recruiter rejected me. Hiring manager sent me an interview request himself. Do I still show up?
Title pretty much. This started Wednesday. I sent an email directly to the hiring organization vertical (The VP as he was the hiring manager and this is a SR. Director role) as well as apply through the greenhouse job posting on their company page. In the email, I detailed my experience as well as what I could do for the company. Well, maybe like 8 hours after sending the email (so around midnight my time as I’m ET and he’s PT) the hiring manager responded and asked me what time I had available as he would schedule a meeting with me.
He did. It’s scheduled for Friday.
Just now though (well like an hour ago), end of day Thursday, recruiting sends the canned ‘thank you for your interest but after careful consideration we’ve decided to move forward with other candidates whose qualifications more closely align with our current criteria at this time’ response.
What?
Now I don’t want to message the hiring manager in case he decides that he needs to be in line with what recruiting decided. Should I just assume the interview is still valid and show up to his scheduled meeting with me, or assume it’s canceled? I DON’T WANT TO ASK HIM AND MAKE HIM DECIDE TO CHANGE HIS MIND BECAUSE HE NEEDS TO MAINTAIN UNIFIED ORGANIZATION FRONT or something, lol.
Thank y’all!
Jobadvisor
Show up. He scheduled the meeting himself, after the recruiter's process had already started, and a calendar invite from the hiring manager carries more weight than a templated rejection. That email reads like an automated pipeline notice, and it's common for recruiters to send these to everyone in a queue without checking whether a hiring manager has already reached out directly. The fact that he replied within hours and booked time suggests he's interested.
You don't need to message him to confirm. The invite is his confirmation. Showing up is the lowest-risk move: if the interview is still on, you get the conversation, and if something has changed, he'll let you know.
For Friday, go in as if it's a real interview. If the rejection comes up, you can say something like "I got a rejection notice from recruiting yesterday, so I wanted to make sure I understood where things stand." Keep it factual and don't criticize recruiting. Then let him respond. That gives him a chance to clarify and lets you learn whether he has the authority to move forward, without asking him to override anyone.
Good luck Friday.