How to overcome office politics

I went to a job interview for a middle management position in quality. It was a 30 minute, brief, interview. They asked me for a second round of interviews, which I was excited for. The second round includes multiple interviews with a panel and individuals and also includes a technical, 1 hour long, presentation that I have to give. They wanted to do the interview/presentation within the next 5 days. They want my presentation sent to them asap, and absolutely before the meeting. So I’m investing several hours of preparation and a day off of work for a second interview. I work a full time job, so I cannot get this together during the day. I have a family to take care of in the evenings, so I could maybe get an hour or so of work in then. I have some mixed feelings on this situation…. Would love some input to make me feel better or validate my uneasiness.

so I'm a bartender at my work ,been there for three years ,love my job, I am comfortable there I have many regulars there ,and many have become my close personal friends ,it's like home away from home , I have alot of anxiety issues,and find it hard to branch out to work somewhere else ,I'm 50 years old and am set in my ways , before I started working were I'm at currently,I hadn't worked in about two years and stayed home watching my granddaughter,that I absolutely enjoyed every min of it ,but things changed and I had to get back up into the working world and my best friend was the manager at my work at the time ( she is now somewhere else) and she said ” hey why don't you come work for me ,you'll feel comfortable ( I know how your anxiety is) she said ,'and the people will love you here " so I said ok and got the job and been there sence ,well my friend went to another job ,I stayed and they hired someone else ,a man from a local bar that everyone knows ,his this big AA GUY .is all about honest program and accountability, so anyway we hit it off really well ,I meani felt like a new person ,we were a great team ! I felt things were gonna go smoothly finally ,so anyway my days were sun and Monday .he worked the rest and we're closed on Tuesdays, it really was picking up business quick as the word went around torn that he was now at this other bar and his regulars followed ,so he was getting really swamped at work fri and sat nights so he asked me if I could be on call those two nights weekly, I said yes ! so I was called in frequently .I loved it we were a good team .I only live like three blocks away from work he would text me and I'd come right in , so it started to slow down ,newness for him started to settle and people moved on ,he stopped texting me to come in for about three weeks ,I would always cover any shift he needed at a drop of a dime no question's asked , I mean I even worked thru my covid outbreak because he was busy and my boss boss / owner did not care.there Chinese and work thru murder , death, sickness you name it ! they work there asses off !so anyway so pretty much my on calls started wearing thin. so one day my phone was dead and I realize the time and thought omg he could have text me to come in as it was a Friday í promptly charged my phone and was released he had not reached out for me to come in .( he always text me never called) well as you know when your phone is dead it does not register calls but it does my text messages) well come to find out from one of my regulars that he had tried to CALL me !to come in.í was like o shoot .but then thought o I'm sure he was ok as he was getting used to the computer and the crowd's .no biggy right ? one day! .so my point in this story is he went to my boss boss and told him I never come in when he asked me to and asked if his girlfriend could come help him ,SHE IS NOT AN EMPLOYEE NOR DID SHE GET HIRED ON AS ONE AND NO FOOD CARD OR LIQUOR CARD! she as I Hurd from all my costumers that she was coming in every night he works an had her behind the bar and all over the bar .working my on call shifts! I was livid ! I was so upset ,it effectsd my pay and my well-being as she is illegally working .I expressed over and over to him that this is not right and not fair or legal.i asked for a meeting with him over three different times and he avoided all of my requests.i cant go to my boss boss because he doesn't care and has his head up his ass as he is the star employee and pluse a man and sees me as pretty much nothing because I'm female and if I bitch I feel I'll get fired or just flat out ignored .I can't go to labor and industry because then again they would fire me .I'm a will to work state .so he's making all these extreme drink specials that no one know how to make .and I come in on my day and am bombarded with all this crazy drinks I don't know how to make or even know that now we have all these new whiskeys to make them with I mean my lord it's a whole in the way old timers that come in there that are regulars for years ! and drink vodka sodas and whisky and waters ! like he's trying to make it's flipping whisky bar ! and not preparing me with these crazy drinks I walk into on my shift and have no idea what's going on .his girlfriend has taken over my job and doesn't even care .so basically he has her come in and doest have to tip her out like he would me because they live together and his money is her money type of situation.and my boss boss doesn't have to pay her ! I mean I come in on my Sunday shift and special boards are all written out by her and she leave me notes ! for stupid shit ! and I'm like WTF is going on ! am I in the Twilight zone !?how dare her or him for doing this to me ! and fucking with my lively hood and my job .it's wrong any way you look at it ! you go within as a bartended and don't ask outside help ! my regulars are asking me what's going on three asking were im at and why is she there and not me .I look like a joke ! I am having nightmares and am stressed out to the max ! I'm embarrassed! he would never ever be aloud to do what he's doing at any other bar he had worked at ! EVER ! AND IS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE OWNERS .I ABSOLUTELY DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO .I DO NOT WANT TO QUIT ABSOLUTELY NOT ! please someone help

Seven years ago, on the Thursday before Thanksgiving, my world shifted. I was laid off. I saw the signs, but hearing the words made it painfully real. That moment was the lowest point of my career and my life. I was broke. Depressed. Struggling as a single mom. Christmas was a single present for my daughter and a holiday season spent in a dreary apartment, unable to fly home to family. But here’s why I’m sharing this: The holidays can be a tough time for job seekers, and I want you to know you’re not alone. Out of sheer necessity, I started writing resumes to survive. It wasn’t glamorous, but little by little, it became my lifeline. I invested $69 in LinkedIn Premium—a leap of faith that changed everything. Fast-forward to today, and what started as survival has become a thriving business. How did I get here? Gratitude. Tiny steps. Asking for help. And holding onto the belief that better days would come. ? To anyone searching for a job this holiday season: You’ve got this. Even in the darkest moments, there’s a way forward. Let gratitude guide you, take one step at a time, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. What’s one thing you’re grateful for today? Drop it in the comments—I’d love to hear from you. #JobSearch #CareerJourney #Resilience #Gratitude https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/from-layoff-leap-faith-finding-light-career-adversity-melanie-ebrsc/?trackingId=QjJL%2BlVSQvqjl%2B4GhoGfJA%3D%3D

I've worked in an array of industries for over 15 years resulting in a lot of experience but not in the years required for my former level in my current search. I'm too qualified for lower levels and not specialized for others. I've taken LinkedIn and Hubspot courses to make sure my LinkedIn profile is updated but while a difficult job search my diverse background is making it even harder to find employment. I've considered consulting but having moved to this area, I don't have the connections and the industries don't align with my background. I'd appreciate your advice!

My company has been talking about downsizing to reduce costs and I fear my position would likely be eliminated. I started working in 2023, and I am currently 20 weeks pregnant. I work in administration and data entry so I am hesitant about telling my manager especially now that the company is looking to cut down expenses. Would it make sense to wait until I am farther along before informing my manager or would telling them help to “secure” my job? - based on pregnancy discrimination act PS: I work remotely and I need this job as it’s flexible and has great benefits for maternity leave and time off for FMLA. Please advise, thank you!

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