104 “Recruiting Hell” Stories That May Make You Want To Hang Onto The Job You’ve Got (New Pics)

There are around 6.8 million unemployed adults in America alone. Some are desperately searching for work, some aren’t. Others have just about given up. The good news is millions of positions become available every year. In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) says around 19 million jobs will open each year across all education levels for the next ten years. The bad news is, we all know job hunting (and the steps that follow) is no walk in the park. At times, it can feel like actually hell on earth.

There’s an online community dedicated to shaming recruiters, and sometimes job hunters, who seem to have forgotten how to conduct themselves in this day and age. And we are here for it. Recruiting Hell has more than 787,000 members. The mods invite people to share their most ridiculous experiences when it comes to the recruitment process. They offer to pay in—you guessed it—experience. Bored Panda has picked our personal favorites from the page, for you to scroll through when you need a break from LinkedIn. Don’t forget to upvote the ones you find painfully relatable.

#1 It Be Like That At Work

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#2 Sounds About Right

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#3 Finally, Realistic Requirements, I’m In

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The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts that 19 million positions will become available every year until at least 2033, and there are various reasons for this. “Most openings come from the need to replace workers who leave permanently, either to exit the labor force or to transfer to a different occupation. But others are from employment growth: that is, newly created jobs,” notes the BLS site.

#4 So This Just Happened

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#5 Louder For The Ones In The Back

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#6 Agreed!

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But as we already know, not all jobs are created equal. Depending on your industry and experience, you might be looking at an annual salary that’s either way below or way above the median wage.

If you’re not familiar with that term, “a median wage is the point at which half of workers made more than the amount, and half made less,” explains the BLS, adding that the median annual wage for all occupations in 2023 was $48,060.

#7 Creepy Much?

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#8 Not Enough Experience

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#9 “Gen Z Doesn’t Want To Work”

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Online career resources platform Resume Genius recently published its 2025 In-Demand Jobs Report. The report details the 15 careers expected to see the highest demand over the next few months and ranks positions according to strong hiring potential, salaries above the U.S. median wage, and long-term stability.

It also gives some insight into whether or not we should be worried about AI stealing our jobs, and how to stay relevant in the face of working robots. Keep scrolling for a glimpse into the report… and to find out where your industry ranks.

#10 Oldie But Goody

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#11 Data Analysis And Technology Degree Gets You A Job As A Dishwasher

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#12 9-12 Month???

I’d really love to know if anyone has any insight on recruiting processes that take more than 3 months from application submission to job offer, not even first day, just job offer? I’m perplexed.

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“Workforce trends are shifting toward high-skill, high-impact roles,” said Geoffrey Scott, Senior Hiring Manager at Resume Genius, in a press release.

“AI and automation are handling routine tasks, but that’s driving demand for workers who can analyze data and make the decisions that AI provides. That’s why jobs like software developers, market research analysts, and management analysts are growing — businesses need people who can turn data into strategy.”

#13 Hmmm

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#14 Resume Wasn’t Good Enough I Guess

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#15 Can Someone Second The Motion For Me?

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According to the report, those in healthcare and logistics shouldn’t feel threatened by the robots. “[Those] roles remain essential because they require hands-on expertise that automation still can’t replace,” revealed Scott.

In fact, nurses rank second on the Most In-Demand Careers for 2025, in particular nurse anesthetists, nurse midwifes, and nurse practitioners. These roles have a 40% job growth projected from 2023 to 2033. That’s much faster than average. If you’re not familiar with the positions, “nurse anesthetists administer anesthesia and manage pain, nurse midwives specialize in childbirth and women’s health, and nurse practitioners diagnose and treat patients, often acting as primary care providers,” explains Resume Genius.

#16 When You Don’t Take No For An Answer

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#17 Then vs. Now

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#18 No. Thank You

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The United States, like many countries, is currently facing a nurse shortage. And it’s only expected to intensify. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) explains that “as Baby Boomers age… the need for health care grows. Compounding the problem is the fact that nursing schools across the country are struggling to expand capacity to meet the rising demand for care.”

“Healthcare demand isn’t slowing down, and workforce shortages are becoming more pronounced,” added Resume Genius’ Career Expert, Eva Chan. “With an aging population and expanded access to healthcare, providers are under pressure to fill critical roles, especially in nursing and mental health services. This isn’t a temporary trend — it’s a long-term shift that’ll continue shaping the job market for years to come.”

If you’re already in the industry, or are considering breaking into it, Resume Genius puts the median annual salary at $129,480, adding that there are a projected 29,000 job openings each year. You will typically need a Master’s degree, though.

#19 Are U Kidding

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#20 Sent To Me A Full Minute After The Interview Was Supposed To Start

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#21 Sorry What?

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If nursing isn’t your cup of tea, and you prefer a corporate gig, you might want to consider a General and Operations Manager role. They “oversee multiple departments or locations to ensure everything within the business stays on track” and they top the list of Most In-Demand Jobs for 2025.

“Businesses constantly face new challenges, such as layoffs, rapid AI growth, and changing policies,” notes Resume Genius report. “That’s a major reason why operations managers are in high demand — they help companies streamline inefficiencies and adapt to these changes.”

The median annual salary for these positions is $101,280 and you’ll typically need a Bachelor’s degree, but it varies by industry. Job growth here is expected to be 6% between 2023 and 2033 with around 320,800 positions advertised each year.

#22 The Fact That They Saw My Resume Having 11 Years As A Line Cook And Have The Audacity To Ask If I Want To Be A Dishwasher Instead Of The Line Cook Position I Applied For

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#23 LOL

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#24 Recruiter Ghosted Me Today So I Look Them Up

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Software developers come in at number 3, with a median annual salary of $130,160 and projected job growth of 17%. They’re followed by heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, who could earn around $54,320, give or take.

There are projected to be 194,500 registered nurse jobs advertised annually. These aren’t as specialized as the previously mentioned nurses, but do typically require a Bachelor’s degree. The median annual salary is $86,070 and job growth until 2033 is expected to be 6%.

#25 Saw This In A Job Listing: “Ability To Work 7 Days A Week, 12 Hours A Day.” Excuse Me, What?

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#26 Didn’t Respond On A Weekend And Got Fired Before Even Starting?

I didn’t immediately respond to the manager for a position I had already been offered (have already received emails from HR with paperwork ready to go), and received this message the next morning. For context I received their question about paperwork on a Saturday, and today is currently Sunday. Should I have been expected to reply to a work message on a weekend? Additionally though, it seems excessive that it hasn’t even been 24 hours since receiving their question and I’m being cut from the team due to unresponsiveness. Genuinely confused on what’s just happened and this is both a vent and an “am I the asshole?” post. How does everyone here feel about this?

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#27 I Think This Belongs Here

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#28 Funny, Cause It’s True

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#29 Whiplash From Reading This Rejection Email

Seriously – who writes a rejection email like this? You can’t start of saying I’m on the right track and you’re glad that I applied and I seem to have what it’d take to work there to then rug pull me with a “the thing is…” in the next sentence.
What the hell IKEA…

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