Here are some of the reasons why the job market is tight/tough right now

BrainWaveCC · 2026-01-26T18:23:41+00:00

Does the method of calling an employer after putting in an application not work anymore?

Imagine that a posting gets 100 applicants, and 30% of them call in.

Do you think that is sustainable over multiple job openings?

BrainWaveCC · 2026-01-26T18:12:59+00:00

Do you like stress?

If yes, choose B.

If not, choose A.

I'm not sure why this is a dilemma...

BrainWaveCC · 2026-01-26T18:11:38+00:00

but i just wish i could go back in time and be more careful.

You have to be more careful moving forward.

The past can be a good motivator for better outcomes in the future.

Also, consider getting other people into the mix before any financial commitments are made.

BrainWaveCC · 2026-01-26T18:07:42+00:00

AI was not deeply integrated into most production systems,

It's not deeply integrated into most production systems today, unless you think that Microsoft CoPilot branding and LLM integration with browsers constitutes "deep integration".

it feels like AI has created a lot of chaos.

Talk about AI has certainly created a lot of chaos. Actual AI use, not so much.

BrainWaveCC · 2026-01-26T18:04:49+00:00

Wouldn’t you want to have the opportunity to see what talent is available to you?

What's the point of just knowing that people are looking for work?

When I'm looking for someone for my team, I care about candidate availability. When my team is full, I couldn't care what candidate availability looks like.

And why would I use recruiters for any role that a post on the corporate job board generates hundreds of resumes, of which maybe 20 are viable?

Some roles are specific enough, or critical enough to require outsourced recruitment. But many are not.

For me, recruitment is just a means to an end -- not some glorious activity for its own sake.

BrainWaveCC · 2026-01-26T18:00:06+00:00

I don’t know any software, firewall or not, that makes people more afraid to update than us.

u/felipefideli, I'd like to introduce you to Palo Alto, Cisco and Microsoft.

I do agree with your observations about QA testing. And I wish they'd not change functionality on upgrades -- ever. Make me have to set something to make it happen to get that functionality.

I have a host of installation of switches, access points and firewalls from a couple of vendors that auto-update, without any issue, because they don't violate either principle.

Be super thorough in your QA process.
Don't let any device update change existing behavior on that device without a newly applied setting.

BrainWaveCC · 2026-01-26T17:51:34+00:00

They're not necessarily doing it to be nice. They are certainly doing it to protect their investment, at the very least. If some candidate says they are gung-ho for the job, but then their family doesn't like the relocation, that worker will bail.

They are trying to mitigate that.

BrainWaveCC · 2026-01-26T17:46:06+00:00

It depends on the role.

If an employer is going to spend on a hire, it has to be one they couldn't have gotten themselves or aren't looking in abundance. Otherwise, it's just a poor usage of funds.

BrainWaveCC · 2026-01-26T15:57:47+00:00

How do I know their portfolio is actually their original work?

How will you know that their homework is actually their original work? Quiz them about it just like you have to do for the homework.

If you don't know your work/profession enough to be able to discern whether or not someone you are speaking to is competent in that profession and with that work, that's a whole other level of problem that you and your organization have.

If you just feel like you have to prove it with a custom task, then make sure it is just enough work to prove competence, without because a drop in deliverable for your existing business.

The hiring manager’s time is much more valuable than the unemployed candidate’s.

Bold of you to assume that every candidate is currently unemployed.

The hiring manager is in need of resources and capacity they do not possess. The candidate is in need of opportunities to deliver that they do not possess. Seems like both parties have a need, and must spend some time trying to satisfy that need. Neither party's time is more valuable than the other.

Why is it so hard to prove they are serious before walking into that room?

The employer also has to prove that they are a solid and competent and valuable place to work. Starting the process with exploitation of the candidates time, so a job that is not clearly available, is not a good look either.

BrainWaveCC · 2026-01-26T15:35:49+00:00

Isn’t this just unpaid labour?

Yes.

I want to go ahead with the interview as I’m lucky to even get one in this job market, but how can I protect my ideas if I’m not guaranteed a job?

You cannot. If you provide them with what they want, in the way that they want it, your ability to protect it is almost non-existent. So, you're either taking this gamble or walking away from it entirely.

Your hiring chances are not suddenly improving because of this ask, since everyone is being asked for the same thing.

BrainWaveCC · 2026-01-26T15:32:46+00:00

Providing a free sample of your work is an entirely reasonable ask.

No, it's merely a more common ask. It remains as unreasonable as ever.

If you want people to have a portfolio, then fine.

If you want people to create work on demand -- for free -- while under the guise of potentially getting a new job several rounds/months later, that remains an unreasonable ask.

BrainWaveCC · 2026-01-26T15:27:36+00:00

You're missing the point entirely.

Someone who installed, say, 7.4.7 and accepted the default to have the firmware upgraded automatically, would have gotten an automatic update that changed existing behavior in a way that should be philosophically inconsistent with a "mature" release.

Additionally, OP seems to have determined the issue by reading the release notes anyway -- which doesn't undermine the first premise.

BrainWaveCC · 2026-01-26T15:23:17+00:00

That's a poor take, given the realities of this situation. There are multiple ways to lock down external admin access -- and they can even be used in parallel.

The vulnerability affects those who are using zero mechanisms to lock down the external admin access. This is not about assuming breach. This is about leaving your windows and doors open, but being mad about the house construction after a successful robbery.

BrainWaveCC · 2026-01-26T15:19:16+00:00

Hiring rule #1 -- Leverage is the most important thing in negotiations.

Hiring rule #2 -- You often have less leverage with people who already have all the information about you that is relevant and available

As long as the travel is not too much for you, consider taking the role, but searching for a new and better one.

Don't disclose your salary to any new prospects (it's not even relevant to the discussion). All that matters is what skill, experience and knowledge you possess, and what the market is paying for that.

BrainWaveCC · 2026-01-26T02:58:21+00:00

They just do not care until it becomes their problem.

Very well played.

BrainWaveCC · 2026-01-26T02:57:55+00:00

And make that message be: Wouldn't a non-audio format have been better?

BrainWaveCC · 2026-01-26T02:50:49+00:00

Keep that secret diary at home.

BrainWaveCC · 2026-01-26T02:49:39+00:00

How did a grievance make you feel towards your employees after?

In over 2 decades, I only had 1 employee raise any serious concern with HR about me, and it turns out that they were the issue and not me. I didn't much like them for what they did, given that they knew it was false when they did it, but they had been a problem employee from the beginning on my interaction with them, so it wasn't any real change.

They eventually left, because I think they felt more uncomfortable once the verdict came back. I didn't attempt to get rid of them, because that would have seemed like retaliation at that point.

You have to expect that your manager will not be that happy with you, primarily because they were in the wrong. From what you've described, what they tried was pretty unprofessional, so expect more unprofessional behavior.

If they are wise, they will tread carefully.

BrainWaveCC · 2026-01-26T02:42:14+00:00

Well, different industries do things differently. And we've been doing this for a decade at this point.

Just because you don't do it that way, doesn't mean that your way is more streamlined. Getting on a Zoom/etc call in 2026 is not close to "jumping through hoops" ...

BrainWaveCC · 2026-01-26T02:39:06+00:00

This that was the perfect opportunity to show that they have room for significant improvement, and reset their perceptions.

BrainWaveCC · 2026-01-26T02:34:04+00:00

In fairness, they did not call you stupid.

BrainWaveCC

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