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Job hunting today can be pretty ridiculous, and many job seekers will attest to that. Even compared to last year, Americans need to send out more applications to find a job. In 2023, the average number of applications job seekers had to send in the U.S. was 254. In 2024, it’s now 294 applications on average.

Unreasonable screening requirements, recruiters who “ghost” applicants, and laughable salary offers: looking for a job today is really like going through Dante’s nine circles of hell. And the Recruiting Hell subreddit documents them all. So, for your exasperation, here are the most bonkers situations its members had to deal with.

#1 “This Is Your Only Means Of Interview” – So I Simply Refused

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#2 A Linkedin Laugh

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#3 Goddamn This Felt Good

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The unemployment rate in October was 4.1%, but that doesn’t mean that those who are looking for jobs have it easy. In fact, the worrying trend of “ghost jobs” still persists after a year since major publications first started reporting about it. According to The Guardian, 40% of job listings aren’t actually real.

In a previous interview for Bored Panda, leadership coach Robyn L Garrett explained that some companies “test the waters” with their job listings. “They aren’t obligated to hire (or even interview) any applicants,” she said. “They might just be collecting information about things like salary requirements or job titles.”

#4 Well!

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#5 No Idea If This Will Work, But Hey – Worth The Try

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#6 Hiring Manager Accidental Reply All

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The saddest part is that it can be very hard to determine which job ads are real and which are not. “You’re never going to know for sure,” Garrett told us last year. “If you find yourself in an ‘interview’ that seems predatory or misleading, don’t feel obligated to stay. You can politely say, ‘I don’t think this is the right fit’ at any time.”

Garrrett also pointed out that sending out as much resumes as you can is part of the process. “Job searching is a numbers game. You never know where the business is in the hiring process, so you have to cast a wide net. Sometimes your resume just needs to be in the right place at the right time, so keep applying,” she encouraged.

#7 I Cant Do This Anymore

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#8 The Only Acceptable Application. 2 Seconds If You’re Slow

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#9 “Minority Drawers” Should Be A Crime

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Recruiting hell starts from the very beginning of the process: spotting ridiculous ads listing unrealistic requirements. Job seekers often think to themselves: how do recruiters keep getting away with asking for 4+ years of experience for an entry-level position and inquiring about unemployment gaps for when the applicant was 14 or 15 years old? The reasons might be that either the managers are out of touch with reality or they believe in an old-fashioned work ethic.

#10 Girl- What?

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#11 I Had To Take A Walk After This

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#12 Sick Of People Who Think Like This. Do You Live Under A Rock?

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“Some employers are completely out of touch with reality,” Robyn L Garrett told Bored Panda in another interview. “They can’t understand why people won’t be breaking down doors to work their low-paying, do-everything job. To them, whatever meager salary they’re offering is a lot. They’re not researching enough to realize that it’s not.”

#13 I Am So Sick Of These Ridiculous Screening Questions

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#14 Gap In My Employment History, In 2017 I Was Fourteen

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#15 Just Going To Leave This Here

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Back in April, manager trainer Ashley Herd, the founder of Manager Method, told us something similar. She explained that many recruiters don’t know how expensive life has gotten. “And those that do think that means they can take advantage of people who need income,” she added.

#16 Got Hired To The Local Taco Bell, Did All The On-Boarding Paperwork Then Got This Message From Them A Few Days Later

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#17 Interviewer Cancelled An Hour Before The Meeting. I Know My Worth

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#18 Reminder: You Are Good Enough

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Another reason for making absurd requirements for potential hires is that some companies and managers still have an old-fashioned attitude towards younger people in the workforce. “Many employers believe ‘paying your dues’ is necessary,” Ashley Herd said. “Including doing long, hard work for minimal pay.”

#19 At 58, A Recruiter Says ‘Too Old To Code’—heartbreaking ?

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#20 The Companies vs. Me

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#21 After 6 Months Of Unemployment And Hundreds Of Rejections, This Is How I Started Seeing Other People. I’m Not Ok

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Making sure you know as much about the company as possible can help you avoid getting into such situations as listed here from r/RecruitingHell. LinkedIn, for example, can be a hellscape of job advertisement scams. “Anyone can set up a company and job posting on LinkedIn,” Garrett told us back then. She recommends doing some research online. “If they have very few employees or you can’t find a proper corporate website, be wary.”

#22 They’ve Officially Lost Their Minds

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#23 The State Of The 2024 Job Market

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#24 Naming And Shaming Done Right

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Although, as we’ve discussed earlier, casting a wide net is beneficial, sorting out through “the weeds” may be a better option. A thorough job search involves many hours looking through job ads. “‘Green flag’ signs of employers include putting pay ranges even where not legally required, giving an overview of the interview process and what you can expect in a role,” Herd explained to us back in April.

#25 Craziest Rejection Email I’ve Ever Gotten While Job Hunting

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#26 Yep…

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#27 ?

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Herd also suggested a different approach to job searching. Instead of the good ol’ sorting through advertisements, try reaching out to friends. Either directly, or via social media. Posting something along the lines “If you like your job or boss, where do you work and what do you like about it?” may bring in some surprising answers. It even “may lead to referrals for open positions,” Herd said.

#28 Am I Absurd For Asking This?

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#29 Response My Wife Received

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#30 Give It 10 Years And We’ll See Widespread Consequences Of Refusing To Train Entry Level Talent

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This list is pretty infuriating, huh, Pandas? It certainly can make you appreciate having a stable job and not having to participate in the job searching rigamarole. However, if this list is not enough and you’re looking for more horror stories about recruiting, head over here, here and here!