After four interview rounds, jobseeker discovered she wasn’t even a candidate but was training the same AI tasked with replacing her

For many job seekers, the promise was simple: get a degree, gain experience, build your network, and opportunities will follow. But a growing number of US workers say that formula no longer works, and a viral Reddit post is crystallizing why so many believe the job market is broken.

In a post shared on r/jobs, one user with eight years of experience and a master’s degree described months of being stuck in what they called the “application void.” After countless rejections and silence, the poster finally reached the fourth and final round for a role they believed was a perfect fit.

That’s when the reality, they say, hit.

A final interview and an unsettling revelation

According to the post, the hiring manager told the candidate they were the top choice. But instead of an offer, the company decided to pause hiring altogether.

The reason? They were testing an AI workflow to see whether the role could be automated instead of filled by a human.

“I had just spent 6 hours on a technical ‘take-home’ assignment for them,” the user wrote. “It hit me right then — I wasn’t actually an applicant; I was just providing free consulting so they could train their software to replace me.”

There was no apology, no follow-up promise, and no next steps. Just a brief thank-you. “That was the moment I realized the game is rigged right now.”

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A familiar story for many workers

For many workers, the realization that the job market is broken doesn’t come all at once. It arrives slowly, after months of silence, endless applications, and offers that feel disconnected from reality. In a growing Reddit discussion, users shared the exact moments they knew something had gone wrong.

One commenter described how long job searches have become the norm, regardless of experience. “Covid took me 9 months to find a job in software engineering,” the user wrote. “Other times it’s taken a few weeks to over a few months. Fast forward to today, I’m 9 months in again, unemployed.” After applying to “thousands upon thousands” of roles, they concluded: “This tells me the market is broken based on how many jobs I’ve applied to. Hiring, job sites, etc — all dysfunctional.”

‘Don’t insult me and my hard work,’ another responded

Another shared a story that reflected disbelief at how far expectations have fallen. One commenter described receiving an offer that crossed a line. “When I got a job offer for 17.50$ an hour. I’m a Nuclear Authorized User for compounding Nuclear meds. I laughed and hung up on the company. Don’t insult me and my hard work.”

The unresolved question hanging over the discussion is one many workers are now asking themselves:
If education, experience, and effort are no longer enough, what does a “fair” job market even look like anymore?