I need to vent and honestly ask: Is this the new normality in Switzerland? I have 10+ years of experience in IT, but I’ve been struggling to find a stable role for nearly 2 years. I finally got an interview with a local company recently. Round 1: Went great. The team said my skills were perfect. We agreed on a salary (which I kept low just to get back into the market) and they confirmed it was well within their budget. Round 2: A month later, I meet the new boss. Total shift in vibe. He brought up the salary again and looked visibly uncomfortable, despite it being cleared before. He ignored the technical stuff and went full “HR psycho questions” that I already answered in round 1. He seemed irritated whenever I asked for clarification on his scenarios. The silver lining: I met the team right after and we had a blast. Joking, talking shop, great chemistry. I left being told to send two references by Monday. The Rejection: The very next morning, I get a call from HR. The reason? “You don’t have the experience we are looking for.” When the follow-up email came, they added “it didn’t work out with the team.” The Kick in the Teeth: LITERALLY the same day I was declined, a fresh job posting for the exact same position appeared on their website. Same title, same requirements. I’m starting to wonder if there is a hidden bias because I did an EBA apprenticeship (Informatikpraktiker) over 10 years ago. Does the “paper” matter more than a decade of actual work experience? Interviews were never this backstabby and weird pre-2024. Last year, I had another interview where everything fit perfectly, only to get a sudden rejection after the second round with no real explanation. Are companies even hiring, or are they just wasting people’s time to justify their HR budgets? I’ve sent over 1,000 applications and finally getting a glimpse of hope just to have it snatched away like this is exhausting. Seriously, do I smell bad or something? Has anyone else seen this “reject and immediate repost” trend lately? submitted by /u/OneEnvironmental9222
Originally posted by u/OneEnvironmental9222 on r/Switzerland