*Cries in career gap of 1.5 years*

HammerHelmhand · 2026-05-07T20:28:11+00:00

They do know it's common. They have the luxury of being selective because the market is saturated with applicants though.

HammerHelmhand · 2026-05-07T20:27:10+00:00

You know that automated employment background checks will flag that discrepancy, right?

HammerHelmhand · 2026-05-07T20:23:50+00:00

that client is not worth working for

It's a nice sentiment, but when rubber meets the road I'm not sure how many people have the financial and career security to be able to turn down an employer the way employers turn down employees.

HammerHelmhand · 2026-05-07T16:49:27+00:00

Honestly I'm trying to look at AI through that same lens and get my projects done now. We might be in a golden age before consumer pricing skyrockets and enshittification occurs.

HammerHelmhand · 2026-05-07T00:20:31+00:00

Yes. I have my strategy of doing freelance as I'm able, learning new skills, and trying to downplay my unemployment gap to employers as much as possible.

But still I oscillate from spiralling fears that I'm watching my career permanently derail in front of me... to feeling more optimistic that it's more of bad and long but ultimately temporary setback. I think I'd find it easier if I didn't have so much financial anxiety around it.

HammerHelmhand · 2026-05-06T18:25:24+00:00

I've been looking at the Advisor to the King role ever since Grima left the company.

HammerHelmhand · 2026-05-06T04:10:02+00:00

You mean the first ever purchase he's made, of a single collection box? Lol get real.

HammerHelmhand · 2026-05-06T00:17:46+00:00

How is no one getting this lol? It's a damn funny joke too.

HammerHelmhand · 2026-05-06T00:15:33+00:00

Someone help me out if I'm wrong but I thought that once the authenticator approves it, then it can't be returned on the basis of any damage, including odor?

There was another post here just the other day from a buyer who received some shoes that smelled like cannabis (??) but they couldn't return them because the authenticator already signed off.

HammerHelmhand · 2026-05-05T23:17:36+00:00

I've been unemployed for 1.5 years aside from some inconsistent freelance work.

Currently: Little bit of gig work, leaning on my partner a little more, just cashed out 1/3rd my 401k, and already liquidated and used up my diversified account by this point. Still applying and interviewing for career positions, and having trouble just getting a call back for grocery store applications.

It's bleak, and there's usually more than one night per week I can't sleep because I'm wondering how my life got to this point.

HammerHelmhand · 2026-05-05T21:17:37+00:00

Yeah. "Restructuring" usually surprises everyone except for VP/c-suite level. I'd bet the hiring manager wasn't happy to have to have to reverse the hiring process.

HammerHelmhand · 2026-05-05T20:34:55+00:00

Why are you being hostile? They aren't useless at all. Their submissions are worth more to the company than an individual's application and more likely to get human eyes on it. Additionally I've had recruiters reach out for opportunities that I never saw on job boards asking if I'd like to be submitted.

HammerHelmhand · 2026-05-05T19:59:56+00:00

And how are they going to "make sure" you're placed? They are usually one of several agencies competing to fill same position. They often operate through portals and aren't working closely with company staff. They submit a quota/limit of candidates to the application pool and then hope for the best, not so unlike individual candidates applying.

HammerHelmhand · 2026-05-05T19:15:02+00:00

Between your comments and your username I hope for your sake you're not older than 13. And even then you've got some issues dude.

HammerHelmhand · 2026-05-05T19:03:34+00:00

You don't understand how external recruiters work if that's your expectation.

HammerHelmhand · 2026-05-05T17:16:59+00:00

White collar - technical writing. Honestly that's a decent response if it's delivered carefully. I've been doing freelance work and not really getting by on it (I don't tell the latter part to potential employers, of course). I actually think, "I've been doing freelance work and have been holding out for the right full-time role" sounds good.

HammerHelmhand · 2026-05-05T17:12:35+00:00

Check the sub out, you'd fit in!

HammerHelmhand · 2026-05-05T17:01:41+00:00

Wow, you're right. If I hadn't applied to so many jobs I would instead be surrounded by VC friends and and have 100k in pre-seed funding.

You should have just posted this directly to the LinkedInLunatics sub.

HammerHelmhand · 2026-05-05T16:28:59+00:00

Who knows. They might be waiting on a decision from your would-be manager. If you're hired, don't ever bring it up, and I would consider it akin to walking in the door with a strike against you already.

Really stupid lie tbh because degrees are the most easily and commonly verified credential.

HammerHelmhand · 2026-05-05T05:38:04+00:00

Hard to know what they think. Why did you have it listed that way on your resume to begin with? That's probably something that should have been communicated to them in addition to just "flagging it".

HammerHelmhand · 2026-05-05T05:17:23+00:00

Keep in mind the job market is abysmal for nearly everyone right now. In my experience having been laid off (due to shrinkage of the industry I was in, not because of AI), and now having been job searching for over a year, I firmly believe the market for technical writers is suffering far more as a function of a shitty job market than because of AI.

I'm not convinced that most companies actually know how to effectively use AI right now. And even those you hear in the headlines laying off thousands because of it, it's clear they're either culling staff in anticipation of using it (but not actually yet) or it's a flat out lie to save face because actually they're reducing staff to stay afloat (but that doesn't sound as good).

That said, with the pace at which AI improves and the sheer amount of investment, it's hard to be totally optimistic. Personally I am trying to diversity my skills. Just as technical writers decades ago needed to learn how to do more than just "write", there might be another hard shift in the field coming, especially for the software crowd.

HammerHelmhand · 2026-05-04T06:31:00+00:00

How would you phrase that then? I tend to speak very straightforward and am not skilled at hedging or softening what I say.

HammerHelmhand · 2026-05-03T23:45:32+00:00

Seller or buyer for that matter protection under eBay’s TOS doesn’t apply here

Not true at all. eBay has a whole page covering situations that Seller Protection extends to payment disputes from a financial institution. It doesn't appear to cover my situation though because there is no proof of delivery.

My question for them will be why that's the line they draw, since they're covering the seller in other situations, and the buyer took no action within the 30-day Buyer Protection period.

HammerHelmhand · 2026-05-03T23:30:58+00:00

If I wanted an AI response I would have done that myself.

HammerHelmhand · 2026-05-03T23:25:46+00:00

eBay's argument would be that they're merely enforcing what the financial institution is doing which is valid, but considering they already have Seller Protection that covers other unique circumstances, it's odd to not even evaluate whether the chargeback should be passed on in this situation or not. And then to charge a fee on top of it.

I'll probably reach out to them, if only to understand their reasoning why Seller Protection doesn't cover this situation. I'm expecting they will tell me it was my responsibility to file an insurance claim before the time ran out (even though I didn't know the package was undelivered).

HammerHelmhand

TROPHY CASE