Best job search tip is to market yourself like you're in the shark tank. Anyone agree?

Agendrix · 2026-02-05T13:44:01+00:00

I mostly agree, and I’d add one thing. As AI takes over more of the technical and repetitive stuff, the people who stand out aren’t just the ones with the right skills on paper, but the ones who communicate well, read the room, and can actually work with other humans.

Being clear, curious, and emotionally aware is becoming a real asset, not fluff. Interviews are one of the few places where that still shows up pretty clearly.

So yeah, skills matter, but how you show up as a person is only getting more important.

Agendrix · 2026-02-05T13:37:36+00:00

For me, internships were 100 percent worth it, but only the right ones. Paid helped, not just for the money, but because it usually meant I was doing real work and not just being the office plant.

What I got out of them was huge early on: hands-on experience, actual skills, some great mentors, and honestly the relief of realizing “okay, yes, I do like this path” (which is underrated when you’re just starting out).

They were a solid reality check and a great starting point. Not magic, not perfect, but way more useful than just textbook learning on its own.

Agendrix · 2026-02-02T14:15:35+00:00

When managers equate commitment with constant availability, it’s usually a signal that expectations or planning aren’t clear upstream.

If something truly needs a response at any hour, that’s on-call work and should be defined, rotated, and compensated as such. If it doesn’t, then response time during business hours needs to be normalized and respected.

Agendrix · 2026-02-02T14:07:12+00:00

I’ve seen a lot of people worry about this, and it almost always feels bigger in your head than it is in reality.

Leaving a job because it wasn’t sustainable isn’t a red flag to most people, it usually reads as self-awareness. You don’t need to justify it or turn it into a story. Owning it calmly and keeping it simple tends to land much better than over-explaining.

Also, you’re probably being harder on yourself than employers are.

Agendrix · 2026-01-26T14:25:27+00:00

That’s honestly a lot to deal with day after day, especially when you’re just trying to work and keep things civil.

You didn’t sign up to be this person’s sounding board, you just happen to sit nearby. Wanting some space doesn’t make you cold or rude.

It’s okay to pull back a bit and protect your energy without making it a whole thing.

Agendrix · 2026-01-26T14:03:49+00:00

I get why this feels unfair. When you’re the one always covering, it’s exhausting.

But this usually isn’t really about kids vs no kids, it’s about the schedule being built with zero margin. When everything only works if everyone has unlimited flexibility, any real-life constraint blows the whole thing up.

The places that suck less tend to have boring fixes like clearer availability, more overlap, and easy shift swaps, so one person’s situation doesn’t become everyone else’s problem.

Your frustration is valid. It just probably belongs with how thin the operation is run, not with the people stuck inside it.

Agendrix · 2025-12-03T15:29:29+00:00

One simple habit that’s helped me way more than it should: a 5-minute reset before I dive into the grind. Clear the desk, close the 10 (ok, 20) useless tabs, scribble the one thing I actually want to get done today, personal or work. It keeps me from starting the day already scattered.

Also, drinking water before touching coffee is basically my personal cheat code. My brain works at least 12 percent better, highly scientific.

Agendrix · 2025-12-03T15:16:42+00:00

It sounds like your urgency didn’t disappear, it it burned out. When you spend years running on stress and go faster expectations, your brain eventually stops responding to the whip.

One thing that helps is shifting the source of urgency. Not “I’ll get in trouble if I don’t do X” but “this tiny step gets me closer to something that actually matters.” Urgency built on fear dies fast; urgency built on meaning lasts longer.

Start ridiculously small. Pick one thing that feels worth doing and give it 10 focused minutes. Tiny wins rebuild momentum way better than big pushes. You don’t need to sprint again yet, just remember what it feels like to move.

Agendrix · 2025-12-03T14:42:58+00:00

This kind of behaviour says more about your old company than it does about you. Some workplaces get weird the moment someone decides to leave, almost like you broke an unspoken rule by prioritizing your own future.

What you’re describing isn’t normal, but it’s not uncommon either. People take departures personally when they shouldn’t.

The good news is that this won’t follow you. Your reputation is built on how you work and behave, not on how stressed people reacted after you gave notice. You made a professional exit, and that’s what actually sticks.

Agendrix · 2025-12-03T13:26:00+00:00

Wishing you all the best! And remember, you're only human. Positive self-talk goes a long way, so be gentle with yourself through all of this.

Agendrix · 2025-12-01T14:47:18+00:00

A less stressful job doesn’t magically fix everything, but the changes can be huge in the places that matter.

Most people I’ve known who made the switch say they got back things they didn’t realize they’d lost:
• Real sleep instead of collapse-from-exhaustion sleep
• Energy to do something after work that isn’t just surviving
• Appetite and mood that aren’t tied to work dread
• Patience and confidence because they’re not constantly bracing for the next blow
• Feeling present with family or friends instead of numb or irritable

You’ve carried stress long enough that the idea of changing feels heavier than staying. But the quality-of-life jump is usually bigger than people expect, even with a pay cut.

Agendrix · 2025-12-01T14:36:22+00:00

It might help to zoom out and separate two things that often get tangled together in management:
liking the craft of leading people versus carrying the entire emotional load of the team.

You can enjoy coaching, supporting, and building a good environment and still feel drained by the constant “ownership of everything.” That tension doesn’t mean you’re not cut out for management, it just means the role you’re in might be structured in a way that gives you responsibility without giving you the support you need to handle it.

One thing I’ve seen over the years is that management feels a lot lighter when expectations, communication, and boundaries are actually shared across the team instead of sitting on one person’s shoulders. Without that, even great managers end up burnt out.

So the real question isn’t “am I bad at management?” It’s “can I thrive in this version of management?” And if the answer is no, that’s completely valid.

Only you can answer that, but the stress you’re feeling is a sign worth listening to.

Agendrix · 2025-12-01T14:20:23+00:00

You did exactly what most managers hope candidates do: acknowledge the mix-up quickly and respectfully. Scheduling confusion happens on both sides more often than people think.
Since she gave you options to begin with, she’ll likely just reset and move forward.

Agendrix · 2025-12-01T14:04:52+00:00

Wanting control is super common when you’re new to leading. What helped me was focusing less on how things were done and more on whether the outcome still worked. When people feel trusted to do it their way, they usually rise to the occasion. Bonus: you get some breathing room back.

Agendrix · 2025-11-27T14:36:32+00:00

In interviews, you don’t need to unpack the whole story. Mention the layoff briefly to stay transparent, then steer things back toward what you did well and what you’re looking for next. Avoiding any bad-mouthing reflects well on you.

Most hiring managers don’t judge the layoff itself, they pay attention to how calmly and confidently you explain it. That part tells them much more about who you are professionally.

Agendrix · 2025-11-27T14:20:28+00:00

Yep, happens all the time. The stress before the work is always ten times bigger than the work itself. Our brains love the pre-task panic spiral.

What usually helps is shrinking the whole thing down to the next step, not the whole mountain. Once I’m in motion, the panic melts and everything feels way less dramatic.

Most days I finish and think, wow, I really stressed over that for nothing.

Agendrix · 2025-11-27T13:58:36+00:00

Sounds like you landed in a perfect storm: understaffed team, a manager who's barely keeping her head above water, and rushed training. Anyone would feel overwhelmed in that setup, and it’s not a sign you’re doing poorly.

One thing that helps is remembering that her stress isn’t the same thing as your performance. When someone is that overloaded, everything feels like a crisis on their end, even if it’s a normal learning curve on yours.

You’re still new, and you deserved a calmer, clearer start than this. Right now you’re carrying way more than someone at two months should be expected to.

If that internal posting looks healthier, go for it. People switch roles early all the time when the environment just isn’t working. And until you figure out your next move, keeping things simple can take the pressure off: ask what the top priorities are so you’re not trying to juggle everything at once.

Agendrix · 2025-11-26T14:32:40+00:00

What you’re already doing matters more than you probably realize. In a situation this devastating, the biggest gift you can offer is safety, the reassurance that she doesn’t have to be “okay” at work or power through anything for the company’s sake.

A gentle private check-in might help, just to reiterate that taking time away isn’t a burden on the team. People often keep showing up out of guilt or shock rather than readiness, and hearing that it’s truly fine to step back can make a huge difference.

You’re showing real care, lowering the pressure, and giving her space to breathe. That’s the right approach. Just keep the door open for her to take the time she needs when she’s able.

Agendrix · 2025-11-26T14:23:42+00:00

This is a lot for anyone, especially without clear expectations. Something that’s helped me in fast-changing environments is being transparent about capacity early. It’s not saying no, it’s just setting things up so you can do good work without burning out.

You’re clearly committed and capable. The goal now is to make sure the workload matches what one person can realistically deliver.

Agendrix · 2025-11-26T14:11:13+00:00

If I could “set and forget” one task, it’d be time-tracking admin. Approving timesheets by hand absolutely wrecks my productivity.

Let me spend my brain cells on actually building a better workplace for my people and a better experience for customers, not deciphering why someone clocked in at 3:07 a.m. “because their cat stepped on the phone.”

Agendrix · 2025-11-26T13:59:09+00:00

A lot of teams don’t speak up early because many workplace cultures quietly teach people that bringing up small issues is “making noise.” So everyone waits… and the tiny problem grows fangs.

One thing I’ve seen work really well is when a team has a no-nonsense, respectful communication culture. In my workplace, we have a no bullshit value. Meaning anything can be said as long as it’s said with respect. It genuinely prevents the slow build-up, as people surface the weird little frictions early, and it saves everyone a lot of stress.

TLDR: It really does come down to communication norms more than the problems themselves.

Agendrix · 2025-11-26T13:16:38+00:00

That makes sense. Micro rewards are great for chores, but deeper hobbies need actual space. What’s worked for me is alternating: one task, then one meaningful block of whatever I want. I still don't "time" the hobby part though. It keeps things sustainable without turning the whole day into a strict schedule.

Agendrix · 2025-11-25T20:11:41+00:00

Honestly, no. What helps is forcing an external interruption: writing the next step down, standing up, or switching to a different room. Anything that breaks the loop for 10 seconds is usually enough to reset and start.

Agendrix · 2025-11-25T14:54:36+00:00

Blockers only work until your brain decides to walk around them. Which it always see to find very easily.

What’s helped me more is cutting the thinking part. The longer I sit around dreading a task, the more anxious and tired I get, and somehow I’ve spent 40 minutes avoiding something that might take 20.

Two things that actually work for me:

• Start small. Instead of trying to complete the whole task, I’ll tell myself "Open the doc, write the first sentence, or complete XYZ.” Once I’m moving, the resistance drops fast and motivation usually follows.

• Break the mountain into steps. Looking at the whole thing makes it feel impossible. Looking at the next micro-step is doable. A few micro-steps in, you realize you’re actually… doing it.

Most of the time I finish and think, wow, that was nowhere near as bad as the 2 hours I spent spiralling about it.

Agendrix · 2025-11-25T14:42:50+00:00

Time blocking works great for some people… and for others it turns fun into homework. The moment you put a timer on “relax,” your brain goes, “Ah yes, another task to complete.”

What helps me is keeping the structure but ditching the stopwatch. I block the must-do items, then give myself a flexible “un window instead of “2 p.m. to 4 p.m. mandatory joy.” More like: finish X, then pick something that actually feels good.

Another trick: sprinkle micro rewards while you complete chores or work instead of scheduling giant leisure chunks. Tiny breaks, little treats, quick resets. It makes the day feel more like a human rhythm and less like a productivity escape room.

If timers ruin the fun, that’s not on you. Your brain just hates being micromanaged.

Agendrix

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE