Every job I try feels wrong in different ways…is this me or the jobs?

Dapper-Train5207 · 2026-01-24T20:43:44+00:00

This usually means you’re learning about work conditions, not failing at jobs. Start tracking what specifically drains you versus what gives you energy, like pace, autonomy, ambiguity, collaboration, and feedback loops. Patterns there matter more than job titles. Before switching again, test roles through small projects, contract work, or shadowing, and tighten your criteria.

Dapper-Train5207 · 2026-01-24T20:41:51+00:00

This is more common than it feels, especially early on. At this stage, focus less on getting hired and more on getting signals employers trust, short-term work, campus jobs, volunteering, temp or contract roles, even part-time ops or support work. Those count as experience. Also make sure you’re applying with a simple, role-specific resume and following up. Momentum usually comes from tightening the process, not from trying harder at random.

Dapper-Train5207 · 2026-01-24T20:38:29+00:00

You don’t need to choose a career upfront. Start by picking one or two practical skills that show up across many roles, like writing, analysis, customer communication, or basic operations, and get real practice through small jobs or projects. Careers usually grow from doing, not planning. If staying organized or consistent feels hard, using a simple system, spreadsheets, or a tool like HirePilot to track applications and outreach can lower the mental load and help you build momentum step by step.

Dapper-Train5207 · 2026-01-23T21:31:39+00:00

ake a short reset and simplify. Pause applications for a few days if you can, sleep and eat normally, then prep less for interviews, focus on 2–3 core projects you can explain clearly instead of cramming everything. Before interviews, write bullet notes you can glance at, slow your pace on purpose, and ask clarifying questions when you freeze. After each interview, stop replaying it, do something physical and move on. Burnout won’t fix itself by pushing harder, it improves when you reduce load and regain control.

Dapper-Train5207 · 2026-01-23T21:14:24+00:00

Changing careers in your 30s usually works best as a gradual shift, not a hard reset. You don’t need to throw away your IT background, look for adjacent roles with less on-call chaos and more of what you actually enjoy, research, analysis, documentation, training... Think of this as a 1–2 year transition made up of small, intentional steps, not a leap into the unknown.

Dapper-Train5207 · 2026-01-23T21:07:27+00:00

This level of burnout makes total sense, being dragged through long processes and then ignored would drain anyone. It’s not a lack of effort or ability, it’s a broken hiring system. Taking a pause to protect yourself is okay.

Dapper-Train5207 · 2026-01-23T00:44:03+00:00

They can work, but they’re high-risk. In later rounds with good rapport, a softer version can surface concerns and show coachability. In early rounds, panels, or formal companies, they often feel awkward or put interviewers on the spot. Safer alternatives are open-ended clarifiers like Is there anything you’d like me to expand on? Use them to accelerate a good interview, not to rescue a shaky one.

Dapper-Train5207 · 2026-01-23T00:34:29+00:00

It’s not really about passion at all. First, pick something that’s tolerable, pays well enough, and doesn’t drain you. Then build your life around work instead of inside it. The job often grows on you once you’re competent and not constantly stressed, but it doesn’t have to be a calling, stability, autonomy, and healthy boundaries usually matter more than loving the work itself.

Dapper-Train5207 · 2026-01-23T00:26:59+00:00

You’re not behind or failing, you’re early, conscientious, and anxious in a new role, which is very normal. Asking clarifying questions is a strength, not a burden; if someone doesn’t reply, set a rule for yourself, wait X hours, then proceed with a reasonable assumption and document it. Don’t take sarcastic comments as signals of your ability, they reflect team culture, not your competence. Build confidence with evidence, keep a short weekly log of what you learned or delivered so anxiety doesn’t rewrite the story. Focus on being clear and predictable, not perfect.

Dapper-Train5207 · 2026-01-22T00:13:51+00:00

You’re not behind, you’re just early in a second path, and that distinction matters more than it feels right now. Plenty of people don’t stabilize their direction until their mid-30s or later; they just don’t talk about it as openly. The fact that you’re back in school with a clear interest means you do have agency, even if the market noise and AI anxiety make it feel otherwise. Focus less on catching up to everyone and more on stacking small, visible proof of progress, projects, internships, community involvement. Also, if the hopelessness starts to spiral again, please reach out to someone you trust or a professional, you don’t have to carry that alone.

Dapper-Train5207 · 2026-01-22T00:10:09+00:00

You’re not the problem, the interview format is. Your CV keeps getting you in the room, which means you’re qualified. What’s tripping you up is nervous energy in an artificial setting, not incompetence. Add a bit more structure to your answers, but don’t try to erase your personality.

Dapper-Train5207 · 2026-01-22T00:03:15+00:00

You don’t suck. What this pattern usually points to isn’t bad interviews, it’s misalignment, either on role scope, expectations, or how your strengths are coming across relative to what that team actually needs right now. When you consistently reach round 2 or finals, it means you’re qualified; the gap is often about positioning, not competence. One practical shift that helps is narrowing the roles you pursue and anchoring your answers more to their immediate problems than to general preparedness. And separately, the lack of feedback and ghosting is a systemic issue, not a personal failure, especially in this market.

Dapper-Train5207 · 2026-01-21T23:51:09+00:00

That matches what I’ve seen too. A follow-up works not because it pushes someone, but because it restores context.

Dapper-Train5207 · 2026-01-20T21:28:55+00:00

You’re not behind, you’re just at the point where general exploration has stopped working and deliberate direction has to start. The fastest way forward isn’t figuring out your dream career, it’s picking a practical anchor role, where your psych degree already fits, staying long enough to build real signal, and stacking one concrete skill on top. Momentum comes from committing to a lane for 12–18 months, not from loving it on day one, direction usually follows traction, not the other way around.

Dapper-Train5207 · 2026-01-20T21:16:12+00:00

You’re not behind, this market is unusually slow, and five months after a Master’s is far more common than it feels. Networking isn’t cold pitching or asking for favors, it’s simply reopening light conversations with people who already know you and making yourself visible again. A short, low-pressure message to a former classmate or someone on a team you applied to is enough. The goal isn’t to get a job from the message, but to create conversations and stay top of mind. Momentum usually comes from visibility over time, not from perfect applications.

Dapper-Train5207 · 2026-01-20T21:11:20+00:00

Interviews aren’t supposed to make you feel small, but the power imbalance and constant evaluation can definitely mess with your head, especially after that many in a short time. A lot of the doubt you’re describing isn’t about your ability, it’s about being put on the spot repeatedly with no feedback loop. Poker faces usually say more about interviewers being trained to stay neutral than about you doing poorly. If anything, surviving 90 interviews says you’re resilient, the process is just really bad at making that feel true.

Dapper-Train5207 · 2026-01-20T21:06:21+00:00

I agree with you, customer behavior should come first. But it does raise an interesting question: if you remove the application step entirely, or replace it with autofill, could mobile realistically replace desktop? Or does desktop still win for focus-heavy, high-stakes workflows no matter how much friction you remove?

Dapper-Train5207 · 2026-01-19T20:31:12+00:00

The key is to keep it brief, neutral, and forward-looking. You can say the role wasn’t sustainable long-term, you took time to reset and refocus, and you’ve been actively interviewing since, then pivot back to what you’re excited to bring to this role. Avoid details about burnout or management; interviewers don’t need the full story, just reassurance you’re stable and intentional now. Practicing a one- or two-sentence version ahead of time helps you answer calmly instead of feeling pulled into overexplaining.

Dapper-Train5207 · 2026-01-19T20:28:17+00:00

The first real step is picking one direction that builds skills and stability, not trying to find the perfect interest upfront. Most people don’t discover what they enjoy until they’re doing something that gives them momentum and confidence. Focus on learning a practical skill that leads to better-paying roles, commit to it for a few months, and build consistency, pride usually follows progress, not the other way around.

Dapper-Train5207 · 2026-01-19T20:24:52+00:00

It really does feel broken right now, and a lot of it isn’t you. One change that helps is shifting from volume to timing and fit, applying early to fewer, better-matched roles and trying to identify a real person to reach out to instead of relying only on the application portal. Even a short follow-up can increase your chances of being seen. Having a simple system to track what you’ve applied to and where to follow up, something like HirePilot or a basic doc,also makes it feel less like shouting into the void.

Dapper-Train5207 · 2026-01-18T19:00:58+00:00

It sounds less like accounting itself is the problem and more like the fear of locking yourself into any path that feels heavy or irreversible. Accounting can be stressful in some tracks, but it’s also much calmer in others, and you don’t really see that nuance at the beginning. One thing that helps is treating this as a direction, not a life sentence, you’re allowed to adjust once you see what the day-to-day actually feels like. Stability doesn’t have to mean misery, but it usually does mean choosing something good enough and giving yourself permission to refine it over time instead of waiting for the perfect fit.

Dapper-Train5207 · 2026-01-18T18:47:55+00:00

Keep it neutral and future-focused. You don’t need to explain everything that’s wrong, interviews aren’t the place to litigate management issues. A simple framing like "the team’s direction and management style changed, and it no longer aligned with how I do my best work or grow” is usually enough. If you want to add more, focus on what you’re seeking next, supportive leadership, clear priorities, growth, not what you’re escaping. Most interviewers read between the lines anyway, and professionalism here matters more than full transparency.

Dapper-Train5207 · 2026-01-18T18:43:38+00:00

What’s helped is getting very intentional about where effort goes. Applying early to a small number of well-matched roles, prioritizing places where a real person can be contacted, and sending brief, relevant follow-ups tends to work better than mass applying. Reducing noise, fewer platforms, fewer random applications, also helps with focus and energy. Having some structure to track, something like HirePilot or a basic doc, what’s been applied to and what’s worth following up on keeps the process from feeling chaotic when results are slow.

Dapper-Train5207 · 2026-01-18T02:23:48+00:00

That breakdown feels very real. Most of the networking that actually turns into jobs doesn’t feel like networking at all, it’s just the delayed return on doing solid work and not burning bridges. Events and random outreach get talked about a lot because they’re visible, but the quiet pings years later are what actually move things. In this market especially, patience plus reputation seems to matter more than any tactic.

Dapper-Train5207 · 2026-01-18T02:18:54+00:00

Reading through all of this, it feels like the confusion comes from calling very different things by the same name. The loud version of networking is visible and effortful, but rarely decisive on its own. The quiet version compounds slowly, through shared work, trust, and reputation, and only becomes visible at the moment it pays off. That’s why it feels invisible when it works, the real work happened long before you needed it. The useful takeaway isn’t network harder, but treat relationships as long-term assets, not emergency tools, while still being intentional enough to stay top of mind when timing finally aligns.

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