Finding a new job can be stressful, but for many, the interview process itself is becoming overwhelming. Candidates say companies are asking far more from applicants than ever before, even for junior-level roles. A recent post on Reddit captures just how exhausting the current hiring process can be.
“I got terminated from my former employer a few weeks back and have just been so beaten down by the amount of work I’ve had to do for interviews. I can’t even imagine trying to be employed AND do all of this. Expectations are so much higher compared to where they were in 2022 for the same types of roles (and literally same salaries),” the user wrote.
The post said that what used to be just a few interviews has now become a long, exhausting process.
Adding further, he said it used to be around three interviews at most, but now candidates face three cross-functional interviews, a technical test, a mock presentation, and a final leadership round, even for junior-level positions. Companies expect applicants to know the product completely, remember the company’s core values, and stay updated on recent announcements. The whole process can feel overwhelming.
Frustration grew as the user found it difficult to understand the reasoning behind hiring decisions. Despite putting in extensive effort, he was repeatedly rejected at the final stage for lacking experience that had been clearly stated on their resume. Attempts to clarify hiring priorities were met with generic responses, leaving them uncertain whether to continue investing time in interviews or focus on less stressful activities.
Other Reddit users shared their own experiences and advice. One wrote, “It’s because none of them have real training to find talent. These people just today expected me to drop everything for a technical project manager with a business partner in less than 2 hours. I asked why and they said the project is starting in 2 days…..oh my god…..these people are so bad…..Most of the time these companies and hiring managers are more of a problem than they realize.”
Another added, “I don’t bother. I have my resume, my credentials, my referrals, & my reputation. No quiz or mock project will tell you more about me than those will, and if you have any questions, you can ask me in an interview.”
A third commenter reflected on the long haul: “Only doing this for a few weeks? I am on month 11. 35 years of experience and getting a reference to get me interviews so they know someone who knows me. I did 9 rounds at Stripe. I have been looking for 15 months now and yes it is impossible to do a day job and interview in this cluster situation.”