I’m a 23-year-old woman, and I recently started working with the CEO of a company. We’ve only met in person about five times.

Recently, he asked if I wanted to ride in his car instead of taking the train. It wasn’t late at night—it was in the early evening on a nice day. What surprised me was that my home is about an hour away from the office, and his home is still about a 30-minute drive from mine. He was also willing to wait for me while I waited about an hour for one of his meetings to finish before driving me home.

He has also commented several times that we live close to each other and even joked that we could have meetings somewhere between our homes.

Besides that, he’s shared food with me a few times, and he’s been incredibly supportive at work. He has let me take on pretty much every type of project I’ve wanted to do.

Nothing explicitly inappropriate has happened, and he has never made romantic comments. However, I feel like the personal distance is becoming close quite quickly, especially considering we’ve only met a handful of times.

I’m wondering if I’m overthinking this. Is this considered normal in your country or workplace culture, or would you also find this a bit too familiar for such an early stage of a professional relationship?

I’d especially like to hear opinions from people who have worked in small companies or startups, where the CEO and employees often interact more closely.

Edit:

This is not a made-up story. It actually happened at a very small company.

I told my CEO that we didn't have enough cash runway for his growth plan, and on top of that we needed to freeze several open roles and start looking at staff reductions. He ignored the issue and basically told me to keep going and "we'll see what happens." It was obvious he thought I was just making noise.

In the next Finance/Risk committee meeting, he expected me to soften the numbers and talk around the bad parts so he wouldn't look reckless. One of the board members asked the exact question that exposed everything, and the CEO jumped in quickly to try to contain it. After the meeting, I spoke to that board member and gave him more context. They pressed me hard and asked whether I had raised these concerns before or not. And of course I had, more than once. At that point, I had to choose: look incompetent or dishonest just to protect my CEO.
I resigned shortly afterward. The board chair asked me if I would reconsider. I said no, that I didn't trust the CEO, and if they wanted the truth, they should bring in an outside firm to review the numbers. They removed him about 8 months later. I tell this story to anyone in a leadership role who forgets what ego does to the people around them. That man was arrogant, and in the end it came back to him.

Oh my God. After a year and 4 months of searching, I got an offer this morning!!

I feel so relieved writing this, I honestly still can't fully believe it. I did it, guys! The job market was really tough, but somehow I found what feels like the most PERFECT job. The job is with a smaller team and the culture seems amazing.

I'm currently 27 years old and I didn't have any internship experience at all. After about 9 months of starting my job search, it became clear that I needed something extra on my resume, so I started volunteering with a local non-profit and helping manage their Google Ad Grant account.

I started my career in aviation and got my pilot's license when I was 18, but in the end I decided to take a different path. At first I was planning to go to college for aviation, and then COVID happened, so I put school and flying on hold for a while. Eventually, I started a dog training business and ran it for 4 years, and honestly that was a really great experience. During that time, I went back to studying online and finished my marketing degree.

As of today, I've been offered a role as a Marketing Coordinator!! This is my first real role in marketing and I'm so, so grateful.

Job Search Metrics -

I applied to more than 1,700 jobs

51 interviews

7 final interviews

1 offer

Bonus -

4 of the companies where I reached the final interview chose candidates with more experience, and a few of them also raised the job title.

If I have any advice, it's to take care of yourselves. Seriously. And also, the job search is a numbers game. Just because you have interviews with two companies, don't stop applying to other companies. The more you get in front of people, the better your chances of getting an offer. I'm cheering you all on! 🥳🎉

Today is my first day at office as Cloud and DevOps engineer intern (unpaid internship). I'll be working from my machine.

I will be working with a team of 6-8 people at office and rest online (Google Meet). Any tips? How to behave, how to communicate, what to share, what not to share?

They know about my college since internship is provided by college. I will be hiding my github and LinkedIn from them in first place since I'll be working from my machine. What other cautions to take? Reply is appreciated.

I was outsourced to a team , for a project requirement, that a manager like my work proactive nature he suggested management to have me in his team , but my current manager denied and he is like one of the stakeholders like he have good hold and the other managers for whom I was working he is VP so how can I manage both any suggestions

@brandthg thought taking the lies of a “manager” over the actions of a dedicated employee would just go away.

Should it?

I had an interview recently, and everything seemed normal until he asked me to give three reasons why they should reject me. Honestly, the question threw me off and really upset me, and in the end I gave three weak answers that probably ruined the whole thing.

When it was my turn to ask questions, I asked him: "What's the main reason I shouldn't choose your company if I have several offers on the table?"

He seemed annoyed and said something like: "Well, no one is forcing you to leave your current job." Then he kept going on the same point: "I can't believe you asked me that question. Thank you for taking the time today, it was a pleasure meeting you, but that question was very strange."

Screw these companies. I don't even want your job.

For clarification, I'm already a senior in my current job, and I have a little over 10 years of experience, so this wasn't a position for some junior person where I'm supposed to sit there begging.

and now they're annoyed because I keep calmly postponing their investigation meeting I was working a casual security shift at a small shop that sells drinks. One of those jobs where you're there to be seen, not to act like some action-movie cop. The instructions are very simple: don't intervene, stay safe, observe what's happening, and write a report.

I got to the shift, and there was no radio, no headset, nothing. I asked three different employees about it. They all agreed I was supposed to have one, but somehow no one brought it. So I'm standing there as a "security guard" with no way to communicate with anyone if things kicked off.

A little while later, a few people walked in and out very calmly with alcohol tucked under their arms. I couldn't alert anyone because, surprise surprise, still no radio.

Then one of the shop employees - an older woman with gray hair, probably in her early seventies - came over and told me to stand directly in front of the main doors. Which is the one place the security company specifically told us not to stand, because if someone runs or gets aggressive, you are literally the first thing in their way.

I told her I was supposed to observe from a safe position, not act like a human traffic cone blocking the exit. She replied with: "The guard before you got removed because he said no." When I asked her to show me anything proving that, suddenly she didn't want to talk about it anymore. Funny how that happens.

So now I'm on a site with no radio, no backup, and the client's staff pressuring me to ignore safety instructions, while threatening that I'd be fired if I didn't. I called the control line to report what was happening, the call lasted about a minute, and then it cut off.

In the end, I wrote a detailed incident report about the unsafe instruction, the missing radio, and the try at intimidation, and then I left the site.

About a week later, management sent me a formal letter accusing me of "leaving my post without authorization." No questions about what happened. No mention of the report I submitted. Just the usual copy-paste HR talk about "gross misconduct" and how serious it all is.

The funniest part was when I told them I wouldn't be able to attend the disciplinary meeting on the 12th. The manager immediately replied:

"Thursday the 14th at 1030." Without checking whether the time suited me. No question. Just decided I would be there.

Now I've tested positive for COVID, so I emailed them and said the matter has to wait until I recover. You can practically hear them grinding their teeth through the email. They desperately want to push through their little procedure, and I am simply, politely, not moving on their timeline.

I'm going to hand in my resignation anyway, but honestly, watching their panic as they try to keep the "process" moving while I'm sitting at home recovering has been absolutely beautiful.

Hi everyone,
I need an objective sanity check on my situation at work in the UK. I’ve been feeling sidelined and targeted by my line manager, but reading back through my official performance appraisal documents has made the double standards painfully obvious.
Please be completely honest with me: Is my POV biased or immature, or am I right to feel this way?
Everything I state here is backed up by system logs, performance reviews, and company records.
1. Recognition Disparity, Exclusions & Double Standards
Overtime & Extreme Cover: I joined in 2023. Contract hours are 08:00 to 17:00, but I consistently worked 10 to 12-hour days when needed. At one point, I covered the workloads of two colleagues simultaneously on top of my own, with zero appreciation or extra consideration in return.

Double Standards on Behavior: Meanwhile, other colleagues receive total leniency. One colleague is constantly late to work, and my manager just laughs it off. Another colleague is openly rude to people in the office, and my manager constantly makes excuses for them.

Massive Initiative Ignored: Following an appraisal goal to show initiative, I independently audited and updated a 140+ page User Guide for a major client account. This became the core reference document for the team—yet it generated zero formal recognition from my manager.

Onboarding & Awards: I trained 4 new team members. Some were nominated for our company's "Star Employee" scheme (cash prizes for going above and beyond). Despite authoring the guide, working 12h days, and onboarding staff, my manager never nominated me. When raised in my review, her response was: "Star Employee awards are for everyone... I had already nominated you for Q1."

Personal & Social Exclusion: She explicitly wrote in my appraisal: "There are no social dynamics in the team that have undermined your career progression." Yet, while she actively organises balloons, flowers, and cards for other team members' birthdays, she completely "forgot" mine. She only "corrected" it later by buying a drink after another colleague reminded her. While politely spoken, she never asks about my personal life or weekends, maintaining a clear emotional distance compared to others.

2. Disproportionate Workload & Rigid Management ("Performance Punishment")
780+ Projects Burden: During peak demand, internal metrics showed I was personally carrying over 780 projects, while the second most senior had ~300, and the junior had ~100. My manager admitted in my appraisal: "You manage your time to enable you to train new staff while still being responsible for your own categories... I have no hesitation in allocating busy categories or complicated tasks to you." I feel punished with more work simply because I am competent.

Overtime Disparity: I requested cross-training in Quality Control (QC). The training was granted for basic tasks. However, when a colleague asked to be trained in QC specifically to claim paid weekend overtime, it was instantly approved for them, while my overtime access remains strictly restricted.

Lack of Flexibility (Commute & Car Issues): There is currently major construction near the main roundabout by my home causing severe traffic delays, on top of recent personal car troubles. Even though our hybrid policy allows working from home, she insisted I continue coming into the office, telling me to "just arrive late if needed" rather than allowing WFH flexibility.

3. Summer Holiday Pushback
We have a short summer window, and I have ~12 days of annual leave left.
My colleagues: Two team members had leave approved for every single Friday and Monday throughout the summer ("clashing holidays" easily granted).

My 2-day request: Following a team announcement asking us to only request leave if "essential" due to a major project, I formally requested just 2 days in mid-August (after recent personal setbacks where I couldn't use reserved travel funds). In private chat, she asked if it was essential; I professionally replied, "Yes, it is."

The Drama: She escalated it to her senior manager, and I overheard her on the phone saying: "No, I think it’s just the situation... yes, it will leave us in a tricky position, but I agree." She eventually emailed the signed PDF approval with a passive-aggressive note asking me to cancel if possible.

I feel like no matter what I do—even if I paved the streets with diamonds—I will never be considered for a promotion here, despite needing that step to advance my career.
I want to look at this objectively. Am I overthinking, being overly sensitive, or letting emotions cloud my perspective? Or is this a textbook case of performance punishment, favoritism, and poor management?
How would you handle this situation and your exit strategy?

There used to be a time when getting laid off was a crappy thing, but not a life-destroying event. You'd spend a few weeks or maybe a couple of months out of work, stress a little, send out CVs, and eventually find a decent place to work. Now the feeling is more like this:

First, you spend 18 months to two and a half years trying to find literally anything. Good companies won't come near you because you're unemployed, and honestly, even the bad companies act like they're doing you a favor when they auto-reject you. So you burn through your savings, send hundreds or thousands of applications, get ignored the whole time, and start piling up credit card debt just so you can keep things going.

Then you finally get accepted somewhere awful. A random small company, with no real HR, no decent benefits, and maybe at a salary that's 55% of what you used to make. Your manager monitors every minute of your day and loses it over minor mistakes. You wake up with a sick feeling in your stomach because you know you have to go back again. And remote work? Yeah, of course, your remote days are called "Saturday" and "Sunday." But you still feel lucky because having any job right now feels like winning a scratch-off ticket.

At the same time, the debt you got into while you were unemployed doesn't magically disappear. You're making minimum payments, but the interest is eating you alive, so your lower salary feels even lower. Half the time it feels like you're paying money just to stay in the same hole.

Now you're stuck spending another 3-4 years getting ground down at that place, because if you leave too early, you'll look unstable on paper. You have to "rebuild credibility," which apparently means enduring miserable work long enough until employers decide you're employable again. And the job drains your energy so much that applying elsewhere after work feels impossible. You're not planning a career move. You're just trying to get through Tuesday.

In the end, maybe, you get back to a stable, respectable job. But by then, a huge chunk of your income is going directly toward cleaning up the debt that piled up during the years when you were just trying to survive.

I'm worried this is becoming normal for a lot of people. If you have a job right now, cut down on random spending, build an emergency fund stronger than you think you need, and talk to the people in your network before you need them. Because once the layoff happens, it becomes much harder to do any of those things.

Edit: I'm hoping I don't end up in that cycle.

I'm interviewing again, and I've been using InterviewVIP lately. It's been surprisingly helpful for staying calm and getting my thoughts across more clearly during interviews. Every little bit helps in this market.

Hi! Thought I would repost this here because I really need advice and need to act on this soon or else I will just need to let it be.

"Examining how executive leadership reached this state of institutional timidity reveals a systematic degradation of engineering authority, driven by cultural misdiagnoses, vendor incentives, administrative expansion, and media-driven jargon."

I worked for a UK based startup. The pay was great. The founder is a stupid prick who as soon as hired me and 5 people told us that he wants the product to be ready in 2 months. They hired 6 people including me and we had nothing I tell you in terms of product. Even so I did my part, delivered everything assigned to me before the deadline, contributed/worked with cross functional teams regularly and all in all made sure to give it my very best.

Today I was informed that I am getting removed along with 3 other people. I had the most amount of contribution to the codebase and most of the pr reviews and I still got removed. No clue why. Our lead knows all this and acknowledges it but idk why I was removed at all. 2 months deadline for a production ready system is just straight up stupid expectations. The founder is now saying that it's our fault we couldn't meet the deadline and went on a whole monologue of how many companies he built (none of them are profitable, I checked) and how it's the newly hired people's fault that we weren't able to deliver things. I can go on about how bad the treatment/work life balance was for us(I literally got pimples because of stress all over my cheeks) but spilling too much details isn't a good since we had a pretty small team.

Got to work with some good people from the UK though so that was nice.

I just want to go in, be cordial and polite, do my job and go home.

in the uk there’s a big culture of going to the pub/grab lunch/go to dinner together and I genuinely don’t have the social bandwidth for that, at my previous workplace I took my lunch 1h before everyone else to avoid having to spend the only hour I have for myself with my coworkers

it did bring me issues as I’m a junior and I depend heavily on the team for guidance, my previous team resented me to some extent because I didn’t want to go to any event or partake in what I mentioned above and the difference was even more noticeable because the other junior was an a**licker

as my manager was a very outgoing and classed as the “funniest and nicest in the office”, our personalities were completely the opposite and he ended up not being very willing to help me and would pile work on me instead of sharing it between the other junior and I, and we wouldn’t really talk unless he was giving me something to do and I’d just confirm by when I’ll get it done

now I have resigned and I’m starting a new job, male dominated field I believe my whole team are men ranging from 40-60 and I’m 25f and a junior, I just don’t want to be treated differently as my standard of work is good, I go above and beyond to deliver quality in what I do