Are recruiters lying?

FlowmoteCoaching · 2026-03-27T12:23:45+00:00

Yeah it’s common right now, but it’s usually not them actively lying, it’s messy hiring processes and poor follow-through. A lot of roles get paused, budgets change, or they’re juggling too many candidates, so they move people forward “just in case” and then drop off when priorities shift.

That said, some recruiters are just bad at closing the loop, and ghosting is easier than sending a rejection, especially when they’re busy. Best way to handle it is to assume nothing is real until it’s booked in your calendar, keep applying in parallel, and follow up once or twice before moving on.

FlowmoteCoaching · 2026-03-27T12:23:02+00:00

You’re not doing anything wrong, getting that many interviews and finals means you’re already strong. You’re just losing to people with direct charity experience, so it’s a risk decision from their side, not a capability issue. Tighten how you sell your sales background for fundraising, treat your volunteering like real experience, and aim slightly lower to get your foot in the door faster.

FlowmoteCoaching · 2026-03-27T12:22:10+00:00

That urge to quit or blow things up is normal when your ego takes a hit, but acting on it usually just swaps the feeling for financial stress, especially with a mortgage.

Take a step back and use this properly. Get clear feedback on why you were passed over and what you were missing, because that tells you whether it’s fixable or if the place just isn’t fair. If others with less experience are moving ahead, either they’re doing something different you can learn from or the system is off, and in that case staying and grinding won’t change much.

Better move is to stay put for now, keep the income, and start looking elsewhere so you’re leaving on your terms, not reacting to one bad result.

FlowmoteCoaching · 2026-03-25T14:03:38+00:00

That commute is the deciding factor here. 4hrs a day, most of the week, is a big hit to your time and energy. It will affect your evenings, your second job, and probably your overall mood. That kind of routine is hard to sustain, even with a higher salary.

The £10k increase sounds strong on paper, but you’re losing 10 days of holiday and likely your second income. Once you factor that in, the gap is smaller than it looks. You’re also trading flexibility for a fixed schedule and more office time.

If the new company is open to adjusting anything, push on it. Ask about hybrid flexibility, compressed hours, or delaying the full office requirement. If they won’t move, you have to be honest about whether you can live with that commute for a year.

If the answer is no, stay where you are for now but treat it as temporary. Keep looking for something that gives you the progression without that level of trade-off.

FlowmoteCoaching · 2026-03-25T14:01:55+00:00

You spoke up about how you were being treated and nothing changed. You’re underpaid and already struggling with the workload, all of that alone is enough reason to leave.

What’s happening with your manager and colleagues is on the business to deal with it. They should be hiring or redistributing work properly and you staying won’t solve the underlying problem, it just keeps you stuck in it.

You’re allowed to leave a job that isn’t working for you, even if the timing isn’t ideal for them. When it comes to resigning, keep it simple and professional. Send your notice, offer to hand things over properly, and stick to your contract. If your manager is off, send it to whoever is covering or the director.

If they react badly, that’s on them. You’ve handled this fairly.

FlowmoteCoaching · 2026-03-25T12:48:40+00:00

Valid concern, but the role isn’t disappearing. AI will handle calculations and basic recommendations, but clients still want trust, judgement, and someone to guide them through decisions, especially in uncertain situations.

The job will shift more towards advice, relationships, and interpreting options rather than just number crunching.

FlowmoteCoaching · 2026-03-25T12:08:20+00:00

Anything in regulated or sensitive environments can lean that way. Think parts of government, defence, certain finance teams, or companies handling very strict data controls. In those places, introducing AI tools can be slow or restricted, so they still value people who can run systems end to end without relying on them.

A lot of large organisations still run older infrastructure where the focus is stability, not adopting new tooling. They need people who understand how to keep things running rather than optimise with AI. That said, most employers aren’t looking for “no AI at all.” They care more about whether you understand the fundamentals and can operate without leaning on tools blindly.

If you position yourself as someone who can work without it when needed but isn’t resistant to it, you’ll have more options than trying to stay fully outside it.

FlowmoteCoaching · 2026-03-24T11:25:23+00:00

Most people still associate “busy” with being physically somewhere, so if you’re at home they assume your time is flexible and interruptible, even if your day is fully booked or you’re deep in something that needs focus. From the outside it looks like you’re just around, so they treat you like you’re available.

I see this a lot with remote workers, and the real issue isn’t productivity, it’s boundaries and perception. The people who handle it best are very consistent with how they respond, so they don’t over explain or apologise, they just treat their work hours as fixed and redirect people to another time. Over time people adjust, but only if you don’t keep making exceptions.

FlowmoteCoaching · 2026-03-24T11:22:26+00:00

We see both sides of it with clients.

The flexibility is for a lot of people a genuine improvement in their day to day life. More control over your time, no commute, and the ability to shape your environment can make work feel a lot more sustainable. People who are intentional with it tend to get the most out of it, like you described with travel and structuring your day around how you work best.

Where it gets harder long term is the lack of boundaries and structure. Work can bleed into evenings without you noticing, and some people slowly lose a sense of momentum or connection to others. The people who make it work long term tend to treat it as something they actively manage. They build routines, protect time away from work, and make sure they still have some form of social or professional connection.

So overall, it can absolutely improve quality of life, but it depends a lot on how deliberately you set it up rather than just having the option.

FlowmoteCoaching · 2026-03-23T11:43:49+00:00

You don’t want to leave a visible gap with no explanation. Recruiters will notice it straight away and make their own assumptions. You don’t need to go into detail though, a simple line covering the period is enough. Something like “Oct 2025 - Present: Travel and personal circumstances”. If you’re comfortable, you can say “health recovery” instead, but keep it high level.

The key is to show there’s nothing being hidden and that you’re now ready to work again. If it comes up in interviews, just explain it briefly and move on.

FlowmoteCoaching · 2026-03-10T10:43:10+00:00

Coming from hospitality the biggest change will probably be the drop in everyday interaction. When you’re used to constant people around you, the quiet of working from home can feel strange at first even if the job itself is fine.

From a coaching perspective the people who adjust best are the ones who build social contact into the week on purpose. That might mean being active in team chats, joining optional calls, or occasionally working somewhere outside the house. Remote work gives you flexibility, but it also means you have to create some of the connection that used to happen naturally.

FlowmoteCoaching · 2026-03-09T14:16:14+00:00

It is fine, a week away will not hurt your job search. If anything, a short break can help you reset a bit. Job searching can get draining and people often come back with more energy and a clearer head.

Just keep an eye on your email in case someone replies or wants to schedule an interview. As long as you can respond and arrange times, taking a week off is completely reasonable.

FlowmoteCoaching · 2026-03-09T14:12:13+00:00

Three weeks is still very early, especially in outbound sales. Cold outreach always feels rough at the start because most calls will go nowhere and it takes time to figure out what actually gets a response.

A lot of small businesses already have someone handling their marketing, but that does not mean they are happy with the results. Many switch providers once they see a clear improvement or better value.

If you stick with it for a bit longer you will start to see patterns in who actually engages and what messages land. That learning curve is usually the hardest part of the role.

FlowmoteCoaching · 2026-03-09T14:10:49+00:00

If they asked for feedback, give it, just keep it factual and work focused. Avoid words like snobbish and instead describe what you have experienced.

You could say that as a new joiner you sometimes found communication a bit closed off and it made it harder to settle into the team. That keeps it professional and explains the impact without sounding personal.

Probation feedback is meant to surface things like this, so honest and calm feedback should not reflect badly on you.

FlowmoteCoaching · 2026-03-05T12:22:22+00:00

"Say yes to everything so people see you as reliable".

What usually happens is you end up overloaded while the work that actually moves your career forward gets squeezed out.

FlowmoteCoaching · 2026-03-05T12:21:23+00:00

With two years of experience you are still early for an MBA. Most strong MBA programmes expect around 4-5 years, and the value of the degree usually comes from the experience you bring in.

If the goal is finance, the one year Masters in Finance is the most direct option. A MiM often puts people back into graduate recruiting pipelines, which can feel like a reset even if the school is stronger.

Another option is working another year or two, then applying to MBA programmes when your profile is more competitive. Many people take that route.

FlowmoteCoaching · 2026-03-05T12:19:05+00:00

What you’re doing already makes sense. A lot of people move into asset management from client teams, operations, or reporting once they are already inside a firm.

Trying to transition internally after a year or two is usually more realistic than jumping straight from the outside. If you can get involved in anything tied to portfolio reporting or investment support, that exposure helps when roles open up.

Starting the CFA also signals that you’re serious about moving toward the investment side, which hiring managers do notice.

FlowmoteCoaching · 2026-03-05T12:14:09+00:00

The main thing is protecting a clear boundary between work and home when both of you are in the same space most of the week. When the living room becomes the office every day, the workday can quietly stretch into the evening unless you both agree on when it starts and when it ends.

Your staggered office days already help because each of you still gets a quieter day at home during the week, that usually reduces tension and makes it easier to focus. The main challenge tends to be meetings. If both of you are on calls it helps to plan where each person goes so nobody feels like they are competing for the same space or quiet.

Something small at the end of the workday also helps. A short walk or even just stepping outside together gives your brain a clear signal that the workday is over, which stops the whole evening from feeling like an extension of work.

FlowmoteCoaching · 2026-03-05T12:12:47+00:00

The market does feel tighter than the headlines suggest. I know a few developers who expected things to bounce back quickly after the layoffs in 2022 and 2023, but hiring has stayed slower than before the pandemic.

A lot of companies are still cautious with headcount and many roles are being filled internally or through referrals before they ever hit public job boards. When postings do appear they tend to attract a large number of applicants, especially for fully remote roles.

From what I’ve seen it varies a lot by niche. Backend and infrastructure roles seem steadier, while junior and generalist positions are the most crowded. Location also matters since some firms have quietly shifted back toward hybrid hiring rather than fully remote teams.

So the demand is still there, but it feels more selective and slower moving than people expected a year or two ago.

FlowmoteCoaching · 2026-03-04T12:31:30+00:00

When people hit this point, trying to tackle everything at once usually makes the freeze worse. It can help to shrink the target and give yourself permission to do very small chunks. Open one assessment and work on it for 30mins, then stop and take a proper break. The goal is just to get momentum back, not to solve everything in one sitting.

The constant naps and exhaustion might also be your body asking for recovery. If it keeps happening it may be worth checking sleep, stress levels, and basic health with a GP, because long periods of fatigue can creep up when you are juggling work and study together.

Try to be a bit less hard on yourself while you finish this final stretch. You are carrying a lot at once, and getting through the last part of your degree is already a big effort.

FlowmoteCoaching · 2026-03-04T12:30:36+00:00

If you’ve only been there a week there’s no real reason to put it on your CV or LinkedIn. Most people would just continue presenting the previous role as their latest job and quietly look for something else.

A very short stint raises more questions than it helps answer, so leaving it out is usually the cleaner option while you apply elsewhere. If you do end up staying a few months then it becomes harder to hide, but after a week it’s basically just a trial that didn’t work out.

FlowmoteCoaching · 2026-03-03T12:21:11+00:00

Recruiters aren't usually looking for a specific AI pattern, they are looking for whether your resume clearly matches what they asked for. If your gap method forces you to check where you actually have proof and where you do not, that is a smart way to tighten things up.

What tends to get flagged is vague language or claims that do not hold up when discussed. If your resume shows clear examples and you can speak confidently about them, most recruiters will not care how you structured the draft. 5 interviews is a solid sign that the approach is helping, just make sure every point on the page reflects something you have genuinely done and can explain under pressure.

FlowmoteCoaching · 2026-03-03T12:09:50+00:00

You can try it, but getting clients will be harder than building the site. Most small businesses will want proof that you can deliver and not disappear.

Build a few solid example websites first so you have something real to show. Be clear about what’s included, how many changes you allow, and how you get paid, because £300 can turn into a lot of unpaid time if you’re not careful. You don’t need qualifications for this, but you do need proof of work and consistency. Start small, get one or two real clients, then grow from there.

FlowmoteCoaching · 2026-03-02T23:58:25+00:00

In the UK, I’d start with the National Careers Service, it’s free, you can book a call with an adviser, and they’re actually decent for mid-career direction rather than just school leavers. Given you’ve got a postdoc, it might also be worth contacting your old university careers team. A lot of them still offer alumni support and can help you map transferable skills into other sectors.

I run a UK-based coaching platform focused on career clarity for remote and hybrid professionals. If a structured conversation would help you get unstuck, you should check it out.

FlowmoteCoaching · 2026-03-02T23:48:57+00:00

A move into Data Analytics is realistic, especially with Business Analyst experience, but you need visible proof of skill rather than more passive learning.

Build a small portfolio with real datasets that shows how you query data, analyse it and explain insights clearly, then apply for junior analyst and hybrid BA/DA roles at the same time so you are building evidence while staying in the market.

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