c/career-advice

I used to think job interviews were about answering questions perfectly.

For years, I'd practice scripted answers to common questions like 'what's your weakness' and try to sound flawless. After a hiring manager in Chicago told me 'I want to hear about a real mess you fixed, not a textbook answer,' I switched to just telling short, honest stories from my past jobs. How do you prepare for the 'tell me about a time' questions now?

Went to a tech meetup in Austin and noticed something about how people talk about their jobs

I was at a small tech meetup in Austin last Tuesday, and I kept hearing people introduce themselves by their job title first, like 'I'm a Senior Software Engineer at X.' But the people who got the most interest were the ones who said what they actually *did* or *made*, like 'I build tools to help teachers track student progress.' I mean, it made me think about how I talk about my own work. I've been just saying 'I'm a project manager' for like 5 years, but that doesn't really tell anyone what I'm good at. Maybe we should all practice a one-sentence version of our job that's about the impact, not the title. Has anyone else tried switching up how they introduce themselves at networking stuff?

Just realized my $80 'professional' headshot was taken against my neighbor's garage door

I needed a new LinkedIn photo fast for a job application, so I hired a photographer I found online who promised 'polished corporate portraits,' but the whole shoot was in my driveway and the final shot has a garden hose clearly visible over my shoulder, so has anyone else had a career purchase totally backfire like that?

I was prepping for a big interview in Chicago and my friend said 'You sound like a robot reading a manual'

Pro tip: I tried both a 4-year degree and a 6-month coding bootcamp for a tech career

I got my business degree in 2019, cost me about $60k in loans. After two years in a boring office job, I signed up for a coding bootcamp in Denver that lasted 6 months and cost $12k. The bootcamp focused only on the skills I needed for a web dev job, like JavaScript and React. I landed a developer role three weeks after finishing, making $15k more than my old salary. The degree gave me theory, but the bootcamp gave me the actual tools to get hired fast. Has anyone else made a big career switch with a short, focused program instead of more school?

I thought the 'informational interview' thing was just corporate fluff until a 20-minute coffee chat got me a referral

A friend pushed me to just ask someone at a firm I liked about their path, and that person later emailed me directly when a spot opened on their team.

My freelance client list hit 50 this month and it felt weird

I was updating my spreadsheet and the total just sat there. I started with three local cafe jobs four years ago. The number matters because it's not about the money, it's about the trust. Each one is a person who chose my work over someone else's. Has anyone else had a number hit them like that?

I used to think you had to stay at a job for at least 3 years, but I left my last one in Austin after 18 months and it was the best move I ever made.

A warning about taking a 'safe' promotion over a risky new role

I chose the internal management track over a startup offer last year, and after 8 months of endless meetings and zero impact, I'm watching that startup's team grow while I'm stuck in a dead-end process job.

Can we talk about how job hunting changed after I stopped using the same resume for everything?

Back in 2019, I was sending out the same general resume for every single job I saw online. I got maybe two callbacks in three months. I was so frustrated. Then a friend who works in hiring told me to pick one job I really wanted and rewrite my resume just for that one, using the exact words from the job ad. I spent a whole afternoon on it for a project manager role. I got an interview the next week and the hiring manager said my resume 'spoke directly to the role.' It felt like a magic trick, but it's just about matching words. Has anyone else found a simple change that made a huge difference in getting noticed?

TIL that 80% of jobs are never posted online

I was listening to a podcast about job hunting and the host said that stat. She said most roles are filled through networking or internal hiring before they even get listed. I found this on the 'Career Tools' podcast from an episode last Tuesday. It made me rethink my whole plan of just applying on job sites. Now I'm trying to reach out to more people in my field. Has anyone else shifted their focus to networking because of something like this?

Serious question, has anyone else had a client completely ghost them after a big presentation?

Honestly, I was at a pitch meeting in Austin for a $25,000 project with a startup called GreenFlow. We gave the whole presentation, they said they loved it, and then... radio silence for two weeks. Ngl, I panicked and just kept sending polite follow-ups. Finally, my old mentor told me to call their main office line directly, and it turned out our main contact had quit suddenly. Has anyone else had to track down a ghosting client like that? What's your move?

Just wasted $400 on a 'career accelerator' program that was just a bunch of recycled LinkedIn posts

Rant: I spent $400 on a career coach who just told me to 'follow my passion'

I was stuck in my job and thought a coach would give me a real plan. I paid for four sessions, and each time it was just vague talk about finding my joy. The last meeting, she literally said 'the money will come if you love what you do' and sent me a link to a blog post. I got zero practical steps on updating my resume or finding new roles. Has anyone found a coach who actually gives useful advice, not just feel-good quotes?

My dad told me to never take a job just for the money. I did it anyway and got burned after 8 months.

I thought 'networking' was just a buzzword until a coffee chat changed my job hunt

For a long time, I ignored all the talk about building a network. I figured my resume was strong enough on its own. Then, after sending out over 50 applications with no calls back, I reluctantly asked a former coworker for a quick coffee. That 30-minute meetup led to an introduction to a hiring manager at a firm in Charlotte. I start there next Monday. How do you even begin to build those connections without feeling awkward?

My annual review showed I saved the company over $80,000 this year

I just got my performance feedback, and my manager highlighted a process change I suggested that cut our software licensing costs. I honestly didn't track the total savings, so seeing that big number on paper was a real shock. For those who have hit a big financial goal at work, how did you bring it up when asking for a raise?

Rant: People are way too scared to ask for a raise and it's hurting them

I keep seeing friends and coworkers just wait around, hoping their boss will notice their hard work and give them more money. That's a fantasy. I learned this the hard way after 18 months at my last job, watching new hires get paid more than me. I finally put together a list of every project I finished, the $15k I saved the company on a vendor deal, and asked for a meeting. I was nervous, but I got a 12% raise on the spot. If you don't ask, they assume you're happy. Bosses have a budget for this stuff, but they won't just hand it out. You have to show your value with real numbers, not just say you work hard. What's the worst thing that's happened to someone who actually asked for more money?

Warning: A client's offhand comment made me rethink my whole pricing model

I was finishing a furnace install for a lady in a suburb here, and she asked for the total. When I told her, she just nodded and said, 'That's fair, my last guy charged the same but took three hours longer.' It happened right there in her basement. That one line made me realize I was pricing myself like the slow, inefficient shops I left. I've been charging by the job, not the hour, but I was still basing it on their old, bloated time estimates. Has anyone else had a moment that made you completely change how you set your rates?

I just hit 50 job applications with zero callbacks

It was a real wake-up call about my resume. Has anyone else had this happen and figured out the fix?

Just learned the average salary bump from a certification is way lower than I thought

I was reading a report from the Project Management Institute last night and it said the average salary increase from getting a PMP certification is only about 16%. For some reason I always heard people talk about it like it was a 30% or more jump. Found it on their website's 'Earning Power' survey page. Has anyone else gotten a specific cert and seen a smaller raise than expected?

My old manager told me to never take a counteroffer, and I'm glad I didn't

He said it after I got a job offer from a tech startup in Austin, and my current company tried to match it. He told me, 'They'll just replace you when they can.' I took the new job, and six months later, my old role was cut. Has anyone else been given a piece of career advice that seemed harsh but was totally right?

Back when I started, my boss in Phoenix made us cold call from a paper list for 4 hours a day.

We'd get maybe one decent lead a week. Last year, I finally switched to building a real LinkedIn network and posting useful content about project management. After about 6 months, I was getting 2-3 inbound messages a week from people who actually knew my work. The difference was being findable and having a track record people could see. Anyone else make the jump from pure outbound to building an actual professional presence online?

My big presentation at work fell apart because of a software crash

I was showing a new client our quarterly report yesterday when the whole slideshow froze. The screen just went black, right in the middle of my main point. I had to restart the computer, which took about five minutes of awkward silence. I tried to talk through the rest from memory, but I know I missed key numbers, like our 15% growth target. Has anyone had this happen and found a good backup plan? I'm thinking of printing handouts next time.

Just hit 1000 days at my current job and it feels weird

I was updating my resume the other day and had to count it out. I started in the summer of 2021, and it just passed without me noticing. Back when I was younger, I changed jobs every couple of years, thinking that was the only way to move up. Hitting this number made me realize I actually built something here, like a real client base and a reputation. It's not about the time, but what you do with it, you know? Has anyone else had a milestone that snuck up on them and made you look at your career differently?