Negotiating start dates. Can I ask for a break between positions?

Yah, it's an "employer's" market, but seeing so many listings for roles that are offering literally half or 25% of what the pay should be is making me sick. You want 5-10 years experience for x? The pendulum always swings back. Employers may want to consider that. Don't hire until you can afford to or prepare for mass resignations when things turnaround--because they always do. Thank you for letting me rant.

My current job: I'm the marketing lead for a division within a large, global media company. In addition to pay being great, benefits are as well, including 401k matching. Also, while I have a hybrid schedule and do need to go into the office a few times a week, it's flexible enough where it's never an issue for me to work from home an extra day, go in late, leave early, etc. I also have a lot of colleagues I like. Why I'm looking elsewhere: I've been in this role for 3 years and I feel like I've gotten everything out of it I can. While my title is "only" at the manager level, I'm the most senior marketer for the line of business I work on, so there's no where for me to grow in this role. I've felt increasingly bored, burnt out, and I don't feel appreciated. I've been looking both internally within other parts of my current company and external. Potential external role: Fully remote, better title, and opportunities for lots of face time with media leaders I may not meet otherwise (role involves traveling about once a month for events), but for a much smaller media company; benefits won't be comparable and the hiring manager has said the highest they can likely go with salary would be a $10k ish cut. The role would heavily involve public speaking, relationship-building, and storytelling (three areas I love and would like to lean into even more), but I'm hesitant to lose the type of benefits I have now and I do feel like I have a great work/life balance now (I know from previous experience at a small company, and from how the hiring manager spoke of the job, that this type of job really becomes three jobs in one). Thoughts? Also, if you've been in a similar situation, i'd love to hear what you decided to do and if you were ultimately happy with that choice. Thank you!

This isn’t just for job seekers. This is how you build a long-term network that opens doors over and over again. 1. FIND THE RIGHT PEOPLE: Look for professionals who are already in roles you admire. They’ve been where you are, and their insights are gold. 2. REACH OUT (KEEP IT LIGHT): No “asks.” No pressure. Just a simple message to say: I’d love to connect and follow your work. That’s it. The goal is to start a conversation, not ask for a favor. 3. BUILD THE RELATIONSHIP: Be curious. Ask about their journey, lessons learned, and how they think about their work. This isn’t an interview—it’s a conversation. And it’s something we should all be doing regularly, not just when we need something. 4. FOLLOW UP (LIKE A PRO): Thank them. Then stay in touch. A thoughtful email or handwritten note can keep you top of mind long after the conversation ends. 5. PLANT THE SEEDS FOR FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES: Over time, relationships turn into referrals, recommendations, and real offers. But that only happens when you nurture them. Tag someone who could use this reminder—or share how a genuine connection has helped you grow your career. #NetworkingThatWorks #JobSearchStrategy #CareerDevelopment #RelationshipBuilding

I'm the Marketing Assistant at my company. I work with the company president on all marketing initiatives and deployments. This is half of my job, as I'm also the company's Administrative Assistant. Like many in small companies, I wear two hats. I've been here six years. Last year, the outgoing president of the company - who today remains the CEO - hired a Growth Strategy Manager to help bring the Marketing Department (me) and Sales together. The current President doesn't really know what to do with this role and although we all work together on initiatives, it's not regularly. I walked into our kitchen where the Growth Strategy Manager was sitting for an online meeting with the CEO. He began talking about a marketing agency, his meeting with them, their suggestions for a new website, and all they would do to handle our marketing needs. Needless to say, I was surprised. My boss, the President, has mentioned to me that she would like to hire a marketing firm to build a new website and help with marketing, but that I would continue in my role as a contributor and a liaison. The issue I'm concerned with is that my boss has no idea that the CEO is taking this on with the Growth Strategy Manager - neither of whom have any marketing experience. I'm also concerned for my job, since I wasn't brought in on this initiative by the person who is supposed to bring sales and marketing together. Do I say anything to my boss? Do I leave it alone? Thank you for your input and advise.

Job searching can feel draining, but every application, every interview, and every rejection is pushing you closer to the right opportunity. Stay prepared. Stay visible. Stay confident. The right door will open, just keep knocking.

I was laid off in May 2024. This was my third layoff (for a total of 5) in the last 5 years. I feel I’m stuck in a position I took 8 months ago at a low level and very low salary because I was desperate. No other offers. I was running out of unemployment. Each time I’ve been laid off, I’m older and it’s been increasingly harder to get a position. I’ll apply for a position that is an appropriate level at a comparable salary to what I was making and I don’t even get a response or if in the rare case I do, it’s a rejection. Makes no sense. I’m in a field that there aren’t 100s of qualified applicants. Yet, if you look on a LinkedIn post, it will have “over 100 have clicked applied”. Is it that the recruiters/HR are inundated with tons of unqualified applicants and people like me are being screened out somehow? If they use AI, shouldn’t it pick me out with my experience (I. e keywords). I’ve even been referred for positions and silence. Is it age discrimination? Do these companies somehow know I’m not in my 30s or 40s? My resume doesn’t have any dates for education, doesn’t include positions going back 20 years, etc. Any advice? I’m in the Pharma field (QA/QC) with an MBA and PMP. I’m trying to hold off from retiring until I get my full Social security at 67, maybe even longer. I don’t want to end up as a greeter at Walmart.