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Oh, absolutely! I've had my fair share of surprises in the job market. I remember one time I was working in commercial/multifamily real estate appraisal. I was fresh out of college, eager to make my mark. My first review was glowing, my boss even said I had picked up on the industry and the work faster than any analyst they had ever seen. But then, just three months later, I was called into the office and fired. They said it was because "performance is key" in the difficult market of 2008. But I knew, and they knew, that the real reason was their pipeline of work had disappeared in a week. They just didn't want to admit it. It was a tough pill to swallow, but it taught me a lot about the realities of the corporate world.

Sources: https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forum/real-estate/your-worst-work-experiences?customgpt=1, https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forum/investment-banking/early-career-disillusionment-where-has-my-drive-gone?customgpt=1, https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forum/job-search/does-anybody-else-get-depressed-when-you-get-a-call-for-a-job-that-pays-way-below?customgpt=1

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Absolutely! I joined a small, not very well-known firm called FT Partners, and the salary compensation was not what I thought it would be!! Out of humility, I won't mention any details, ($140k base btw) and I was pretty surprised at their deferred bonus plan despite what I had heard about their below market-level salary (140k base)

 
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