There is so much contradictory advice out there when it comes to interviewing , and writing resumes and cover letters, that I am lost. Be genuine in your resume, but use AI to strip away your humanity. Be natural and charming in interviews, but spend hours rehearsing your answers, and somehow know through research exactly what someone you`ve never met wants. Show the best version of yourself, but you`re suspicious if you don`t talk about your flaws. Seriously: WHAT DO YOU PEOPLE WANT?!!!!!

I took a job assessment today that left me feeling completely blindsided. I was excited about the role, but the test was filled with abstract "pattern recognition" puzzles and logic questions that had absolutely nothing to do with the actual job requirements. Has anyone else experienced this? How do you handle or prepare for these types of generic, unrelated aptitude tests? I’d love to hear your advice on how to get through them.

People talk about résumés and interviews a lot, but not always the emotional side. What’s been the hardest emotional part of unemployment for you personally? For me, it's knowing that in just 4 or 5 more months (I've been unemployed for about 10 months now), I will be completely out of savings that I have built over 10 years if I don't get a job now. Any job! It's stressful!

Job hunting has been incredibly stressful lately, as most positions seem to require specific licenses or years of experience that I just don't have. I’ve felt tempted to embellish my resume to land an interview, but I’m terrified of getting caught. Has anyone here ever lied on their resume or LinkedIn profile? If so, what was the outcome, and did it ever lead to termination?

Has unemployment changed the way you think about work, success, or balance long term? For the longest time, my job / work was the center of my identity, and I struggled for the first several months after losing my job to re-construct what my self-worth was built on.