Career development

Finch Vane

2d

I had a strange interview at a big real estate company. The HR lady first asked me what settings I changed on my phone. I just made something up so I could answer. Then she asked when was the last time I lied. It felt like a trick question.
They said they would call me in a few days to tell me if I got the job, but I’m shocked and don’t think I passed. What would you say if they asked you about... lying?
Thanks

more

2

Sheila Milburn
6h
As a 30 year licensed MD Realtor, I can attest that nationally we have surprisingly high standards for integrity and ethics. The lawsuits are caused... by those that ignore them. So I can see this being a question to test integrity. more
Ashaba Princess
1d
And some HRs sometimes they ask funny questions for u to fail,

Bexley Higgins

Career development

1d

My coworker who sits next to me really annoys me, she’s always stealing my ideas.
If I talk about something or mention an idea, she later presents it to the boss like it was hers. She also keeps looking at my screen and taking my project ideas.
I’ve honestly felt like flipping the table, but that’s obviously not an option.
What should I do? I’m tired of her constantly taking credit for my... ideas.

more

2

Kasuubo Esther
7h
Stop talking about your idears while in office. Do it outside office.
Sheila Milburn
7h
Have you asked her to stop? Stop letting her! Turn your screen in another direction. Stop talking loud about your ideas. If you have to share with... her put it in writing and bcc your team lead. That way someone else knows. Do not tell her or anyone you're bcc'ing the team lead. This is really your situation to fix. more

Career development

15h

Bikes, beds and bookings: Classified Moto revs up new garage-venue-hotel hybrid - Richmond BizSense

Facebook 0 X (Twitter) LinkedIn

(Slideshow photos by Adam Ewing)

In a career path that's taken him from writing ads to building motorbikes, John Ryland can now add another title to his resumé: hotelier.

The owner of local custom bike shop Classified Moto has relocated the company's garage from its previously secret spot in Manchester to a renovated building a few blocks away that moonlights as... a boutique hotel and events space.

The move was prompted by the construction of The Navigator Apartments, a 5-story building at 103 E. Second St. that replaced the 1800s-era mule barn that Ryland had used as Classified Moto's underground HQ.

At the same time, after 15 years in business, the move prompted Ryland to make the shop less secret and bring Classified Moto out in the open, while also opening up new business opportunities with the bigger building at 1000 E. Fourth St.

Having previously hosted karaoke parties and other gatherings at the old garage, Ryland said he'd been considering adding a retail or social component to the new shop. With the 10,000-square-foot Fourth Street building providing more room to work with, Ryland had the idea of renting out the excess space for lodging and events.

John Ryland in the lobby of Classified Moto's new digs. (Jonathan Spiers photo)

"I'd always thought maybe I'd have a coffee shop or retail thing one day, but I don't drink coffee, so it didn't really enthuse me," Ryland said.

"We've got 130,000 followers on Instagram, so I'm like, a lot of people will come to see (the shop). But maybe 2% of the people that come actually know anything about the bikes," he said. "That's kind of good and bad. I wished I was getting more from the people who know us, but the people who don't really like it."

Originally an office for the neighboring industrial complex now used by Kinsley and Hanover Iron Works, the 57-year-old Fourth Street building was previously owned by Estes Express Lines, which bought it in 1996, renovated it and later rented it to a local drug enforcement task force, Ryland said.

Working with Fultz & Singh Architects and UrbanCore Construction, Ryland set out to renovate the building with a mid-century modern aesthetic and motorcycle accents and references throughout. Motorbike pictures and props fill the five guest rooms, one of which is named The Minibike Room. The hotel rooms also feature lamps that Ryland made from motorcycle parts.

He manages the property with his wife, Alex Scheer, whom he met during his time as a copywriter and art director at The Martin Agency. Ryland launched Classified Moto in 2009 and, after getting laid off from Martin the following year, made it his primary gig.

Ryland is leasing the building through a rent-to-own arrangement with Boris Besler, a Classified Moto customer in Germany whom Ryland befriended and became a financial backer when the shop was forced to move.

"I told him we're getting kicked out of our space so we're looking for a new space. He said, 'Why don't we just buy one?' 'Because I don't have money,'" Ryland recalled, laughing.

"We just liked each other and never had any idea that something like this would come from it. That's why I'm so interested in the community part of it now, because that's when cool stuff starts to happen."

A balcony was added to the building, which is across the railroad tracks from the Kinsley steel plant. (Adam Ewing photo)

Besler purchased the 2-story building in 2022 for $850,000, and Ryland is paying that down monthly over 10 years, after which he said he could either buy Besler out or they could sell the building and split the profit.

"I'm 56 now, so I feel like by the time I'm 66, I'll be ready to hopefully make some money," Ryland said. Noting spillover expected from the development boom in Manchester, he added, "Everything's moving this way, so it's kind of like a real estate deal."

The building's hotel rooms are rented through Airbnb, though Ryland noted that he and his wife have a hotel license and the rooms are classified as tourist dwelling units. Nightly rates range from $180 to $250.

The upstairs events space features a stage for karaoke and bands, a bar and commercial kitchen, and a 40-foot balcony with views of the city skyline. Ryland said the space is ideal for weddings - he and Scheer had their wedding there - as well as family reunions, retreats and other events.

Rates for the events space start at $225 per hour with a four-hour minimum. The building's lobby and other common areas are also available to rent.

Parking around the building is enclosed by a security fence that Ryland added after the building was tagged with graffiti. Guests access the site with codes that open the gate and the front door.

Ryland said the renovation took two and a half years to complete and cost over $3 million.

"Which is way more than what we thought it was going to be," he said. "The original estimate to do what we wanted to do was $750,000. Everybody was like, 'Yeah, I think we can do this,' and then everything just snowballed."

He said the project required installing a new fire hydrant on the property and extending water lines out to the street. Other higher dollar costs included the balcony, sprinkler systems, and an elevator-like vertical platform lift that was needed to bring the building to code.

Ryland and Scheer opened the hotel and events space quietly about a year ago and said bookings have been pretty steady since then.

"The weekends have been really good pretty much ever since we opened, but we've got more people staying on weekdays, which is what I was hoping for," Ryland said. "If I can get the weekdays full all the time, then I can hire a manager."

The new garage in the building where Ryland makes his creations. (Jonathan Spiers photo)

The building marks a new chapter for Classified Moto, which upped its profile a decade ago when one of its bikes was featured on "The Walking Dead" TV show. Its client roster has included actor Norman Reedus, actress Katee Sackhoff and others. Last year, its bikes were featured in a five-week exhibition at Richmond's Branch Museum of Design.

While his bike-building was largely put on hold during the renovation, Ryland said he was able to fit in a few builds, including one for a customer in Dubai.

"I had a couple builds that were in the middle of happening when we got kicked out of our spot, so I just had to try to put my customers' minds at ease, and they were luckily really patient," he said. "I haven't been taking on builds until recently. This has just been all-consuming for three years now."

With the building open, Ryland said he's been focusing on getting the word out and has received enthusiastic responses from folks once they see it.

"Everybody I've shown so far is like, 'I had no idea this was over there.' Which is embarrassing," he said, "because I was in advertising so long."

Print Article Facebook 0 X (Twitter) LinkedIn more

Career development

16h

Why "Critical Thinking" Became a Buzzword Instead of a Skill

"Strong critical thinker."

You've seen the phrase everywhere.

On résumés.

In job descriptions.

In school mission statements.

In policy documents.

In performance reviews.

It's one of those terms that signals seriousness. Maturity. Intelligence.

To say you value critical thinking is to place yourself on the "reasonable" side of things.

And yet.

The more often the phrase appears, the less... clear it becomes what anyone actually means by it.

That's not an accident.

And it's not because people stopped caring about thinking well.

Something more subtle happened.

We didn't lose the skill. We changed how we talked about it.

Most conversations about critical thinking start in the wrong place.

They assume the problem is educational.

Or generational.

Or personal.

That people aren't trained enough.

Or aren't trying hard enough.

Or are too distracted.

That framing feels intuitive. It's also misleading.

Critical thinking didn't disappear.

It didn't suddenly become rare.

It got outsourced to language.

When a skill becomes a slogan, institutions stop cultivating it and start assuming it.

That's the shift worth paying attention to.

Familiarity can hide decay

The phrase "critical thinking" feels stable because it's familiar.

It's been around for decades.

It sounds academic.

It feels neutral and virtuous.

But familiarity has a strange side effect: it lowers curiosity.

When something is mentioned often enough, we stop asking what it actually refers to. We nod. We move on. We assume alignment.

In workplaces, "critical thinking" often means:

- You can question things -- as long as the conclusion aligns with leadership.

- You can analyze data -- as long as it supports the existing direction.

- You can raise concerns -- as long as they don't slow momentum.

In education, it often becomes:

- A line in a syllabus.

- A checkbox in an outcomes list.

- A word that floats above assignments without shaping how they're evaluated.

The term survives.

The practice thins.

And because everyone agrees the skill is important, no one notices the gap forming.

A pattern that shows up in interviews

This gap becomes especially visible in hiring.

Over the years, working as a Solutions Architect in the IT industry, I've interviewed candidates for multiple companies. Different roles. Different seniority levels. Different tech stacks.

One pattern repeats almost every time.

"Critical thinking" appears on a large number of résumés.

Sometimes prominently.

Sometimes grouped with communication and problem-solving.

Sometimes framed as a defining strength.

After technical discussions, I would often ask a simple, open-ended question about it. Not to test or trap -- just to understand how the candidate thought about the skill they had claimed.

What came back was rarely clarity.

Not because the candidates lacked intelligence.

Not because they were unprepared.

And not because they didn't care about thinking well.

But because the term itself had become detached from practice.

It was a signal they had learned to use, not a process they had been asked to describe.

That moment isn't a failure of individuals.

It's a symptom of how the language now functions.

The quiet shift: from practice to trait

There was a time when critical thinking was treated as something you developed.

It showed up in:

- How arguments were challenged.

- How assumptions were surfaced.

- How tradeoffs were discussed.

- How uncertainty was handled.

It was visible in behavior.

Then something changed.

Critical thinking slowly became a trait instead of a practice.

You either "had it" or you didn't.

You claimed it, or you were assumed to lack it.

It moved from verbs to labels.

Once that happens, environments stop doing the hard work.

Why design systems that reward careful dissent if everyone is already a critical thinker?

Why slow decisions down if rigor is assumed by default?

Why create space for doubt if confidence is easier to measure?

Language became cheaper than structure.

And cheaper things tend to win.

What breaks when everyone claims the skill

When a skill is widely claimed but rarely reinforced, predictable things start to happen.

Decision-making becomes performative.

People learn how to sound analytical without actually challenging underlying assumptions.

Disagreement becomes shallow.

Surface-level objections replace deeper questioning, because deeper questioning carries social risk.

Overconfidence rises.

If you're surrounded by people who all identify as critical thinkers, it becomes harder to admit uncertainty without feeling incompetent.

Conformity gets disguised as independent thought.

Shared conclusions feel earned, even when the process that led to them was narrow.

None of this requires bad intentions.

It emerges naturally when environments reward speed, alignment, and confidence more than depth, friction, and reflection.

The tragedy is that the word "critical thinking" remains present the entire time -- giving everyone plausible deniability.

This isn't about intelligence or effort

At this point, it's tempting to turn the critique inward.

To say people are lazy.

Or incurious.

Or insufficiently trained.

That move feels satisfying. It's also incomplete.

Thinking quality is not just an individual property.

It's an environmental outcome.

People think better when:

- Disagreement isn't punished.

- Slowing down doesn't signal incompetence.

- Admitting uncertainty doesn't reduce status.

- Changing your mind doesn't look like weakness.

Remove those conditions, and even very capable people will default to safer, shallower forms of reasoning.

Not because they don't know how to think critically -- but because the environment quietly teaches them not to.

If this framing resonates with you, following the thread here may be worth your time.

Why the buzzword persists anyway

If the term causes so much confusion, why does it stick around?

Because it's useful.

It allows institutions to signal values without changing incentives.

It allows leaders to demand rigor without tolerating friction.

It allows individuals to claim intellectual seriousness without risking social cost.

Buzzwords thrive when they create agreement without accountability.

"Critical thinking" is especially good at this because everyone wants to be associated with it -- and no one wants to be the person accused of lacking it.

So the word stays.

The practice becomes optional.

A different way to see the problem

The issue isn't that we need better definitions of critical thinking.

Definitions don't change behavior.

Environments do.

The more useful question isn't "How do we teach people to think critically?"

It's "What kinds of systems make critical thinking unavoidable?"

Systems where:

- Questioning alters outcomes.

- Dissent has consequences -- but not penalties.

- Depth is visible and valued.

- Silence isn't mistaken for agreement.

When those conditions exist, the skill shows up naturally.

When they don't, no amount of language can compensate.

Ending with clarity, not advice

It's worth noticing how often we reach for "critical thinking" as a comforting phrase.

We use it to reassure ourselves that rigor exists.

That someone, somewhere, is thinking carefully.

That complexity is being handled.

But words can only carry so much weight.

When a skill becomes a slogan, it stops doing the work we assign to it.

And the longer we rely on the label, the harder it becomes to notice what's missing underneath.

Seeing that shift clearly doesn't fix the problem.

But it does change how you hear the phrase the next time it appears.

And sometimes, that quiet reframing is where real thinking begins.

If this helped you see a familiar phrase differently, you'll likely enjoy what comes next. more

Jimmie Opakovsky

Career development

6d

I’ve been working at a karaoke bar for a couple of weeks, and honestly, drunk people are driving me nuts. They can’t sing or carry a tune, but they still scream through songs and ruin them. Every day it’s getting worse. Do you think I’ll ever get used to it, or should I just quit and find something else?

3

Monty Mertes
2d
Jimmie, first things first, if you are not enjoying it don't stay. If it's a part job, sometimes you have to deal with the crowd and if the money is... good that will make it tough to leave. Find a place you enjoy to save you. more
1
David Beal
4d
I'm not working these days but I am a karaoke host. Your experience is pretty much the norm. As a host I try to mix up my singers so that patrons... don't have to hear one really bad singer after another. I also tell my singers if they scream they be taken off the roster. It's really hard on the mics. If the host is not doing these things then they're not a very good host. Good hosts attract good singers. If the bar is marriedvtonthis host, it's not going to change. You can get accustom tonit a little. But I'd be looking for another bar. more
4

Career development

18h

Men's Bubble Watch: Virginia Tech gets biggest victory yet with Clemson upset

Career development

19h

Resume Writing and Optimization Service

I'm ready to transform my professional story into a clear, concise résumé that opens doors. My goal is a document that highlights my achievements, strengths, and value in a way that feels focused and modern, whether I pursue corporate, creative, or technical roles. I will share my career history, dates, and any relevant metrics you need; from there, I'd like you to shape this information into a... polished résumé with compelling language, strategic formatting, and keyword alignment for today's applicant-tracking systems. Please bring industry-standard design sensibility -- clean layout, balanced white space, and consistent typography -- while ensuring the content stays the star. I'm open to your guidance on what to emphasize once you learn more about my background. Deliverables * Editable résumé in Word (or Google Docs) * Final, print-ready PDF version I'll consider the project complete when the résumé is concise (ideally no longer than two pages), visually professional, and tailored enough that I can tweak a section quickly for different opportunities. more

Career development

23h

Happily Handicapped Nation: Almost 4 in 10 Stanford Students Claim "Disability"

"I'm disturbed, I'm depressed, I'm inadequate -- I got it all!" So exclaimed Seinfeld sitcom character George Costanza, trying to woo a woman he believed had a psychologically oriented Florence Nightingale syndrome. It was a funny scene in 1993, and entirely fictional. But today, a generation-plus later, life has sort of imitated art.

For unlike with George, whose appeal fell flat, having a... disability has now become a way to leverage advantage.

It's so bad that at Stanford University nearly four in 10 undergraduates are registered as disabled. What's more, this merely reflects a trend sweeping pseudo-elite universities in general. The issue?

While having a disability once brought stigma, it's now akin to a résumé enhancer. Moreover, a "keeping up with the handicapped Joneses" phenomenon is operative: If you don't game the system, you lose out to those who do.

The Daily Caller reported on the story last week, writing:

"One of the most prestigious universities in the US offers perks to those who say they have ADHD, night terrors, even gluten intolerance. You'd be stupid not to game the system," writes Elsa Johnson, an undergraduate at Stanford University, for The Times.

That system is Stanford's "disability accommodation" apparatus, which doles out privileges to the on-paper disabled: The "best housing on campus," extra time on tests, extra absences from class, tardiness allowances.

To put this in perspective, realize that it's akin to DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion). Only, it's being applied on a wider scale -- to anyone willing to claim "disabled" status. We're training people to not be competent but confidence-man-like.

Even the über-liberal Atlantic recently warned of this phenomenon. As the magazine wrote in December:

Professors now struggle to accommodate the many students with an official disability designation, which may entitle them to extra time, a distraction-free environment, or the use of otherwise-prohibited technology. The University of Michigan has two centers where students with disabilities can take exams, but they frequently fill to capacity, leaving professors scrambling to find more desks and proctors. Juan Collar, a physicist at the University of Chicago, told me that so many students now take their exams in the school's low-distraction testing outposts that they have become more distracting than the main classrooms.

Accommodations in higher education were supposed to help disabled Americans enjoy the same opportunities as everyone else. ... Over the past decade and a half, however, the share of students at selective universities who qualify for accommodations -- often, extra time on tests -- has grown at a breathtaking pace. At the University of Chicago, the number has more than tripled over the past eight years; at UC Berkeley, it has nearly quintupled over the past 15 years.

This just reflects a wider problem, too. When I was a child, being "handicapped" really meant something in virtually every case. People thus labeled were in wheelchairs, and needed them, or were blind and perhaps negotiated terrain with "white canes."

But then we "evolved," and this was reflected in language. The handicapped went from being "crippled" to "handicapped" to "disabled" to "physically/mentally challenged" to "differently abled," as the euphemisms metastasized. (And, yes, I'm missing a number. Where does "special needs" fits in, for example?)

Corresponding to this, handicaps transitioned from being liabilities to social-arena reputation enhancers (and those résumé enhancers). Claiming them has, too, become a good way to enforce your own ridiculous will on others. Just consider the service-animal phenomenon.

It used to be that almost every such case involved seeing-eye dogs, which are godsends for the blind. Now we've witnessed the following:

Daffy does describe, however, what the above tells us America is becoming. After all, can we really call ourselves a serious country if we're entertaining such lunacy?

As for this disability-metastasis phenomenon's deeper effects, they didn't escape the more astute MSN commenters on the Daily Caller article.

One noted that part of the problem is the extreme over-diagnosis of various purported psychological "conditions." And a handful warned that we were training people to "cheat." Consequently, a respondent lamented, "later in life you may think that anything is OK to get your target."

Another opined that this diminution of meritocracy "will lead to a USA that no longer innovates [and] no longer creates...."

Even more significantly, it will deliver a people so morally degraded that they will be, as philosopher Edmund Burke put it, those "men of intemperate minds [who] cannot be free."

So what is the remedy? First, a simple rule must be accepted:

Certain things disqualify you from doing certain things.

A corollary: This even applies to the most sympathetic of people, to those limited through no fault of their own.

(Of course, this includes us all since only God is without limitation.)

Let's illustrate this with a couple of examples.

A good accommodation: Virtually all of us would help a wheelchair-bound student attend intellect-oriented classes. A given immobile person, after all, may turn out to be a brilliant physicist (think Stephen Hawking).

A bad accommodation: If, however, someone can't complete a legitimate test in the allotted time, it reflects lack of merit. Perhaps his talents lie in a different field, and it's a service to him to channel him toward that.

Another bad one: If you can't take a plane without an emotional support pig, maybe you should drive cross country.

Sometimes, too, a handicap is an advantage in certain contexts. Consider wrestler Adonis Lattimore. He won a Virginia state championship some years ago -- despite having no legs.

When a realm's normal rules must be altered for a handicapped person, however, it's a red flag. An example is blind wrestlers in U.S. schools. Competitors normally begin a match separated. When the rare blind wrestler competes, though, his sighted opponent must maintain contact with him at all times. This changes the sport's dynamics notably.

Stating that this is an unjust accommodation may be unpopular. But that doesn't make it untrue -- just unemotional (as in objective). But today feelings trump all. This is why we're acting like turkeys, are graduating them, and have them on our airplanes. more

Ian Montgomery

Career development

3mo

Hey! I had an interview yesterday and realized that if I lied and said I fit all the job requirements, they would hired me. But I don’t have all the skills, so how would I do the job?
I decided to be honest and they didn’t take me. Now I’m thinking, maybe I should just lied and dealt with it later?

8

Last First
2mo
This might sound crazy but jobs train you once your hired. Fake it til you make it is a real strategy. There is no morality to job applications but 8f... you dont know how to answer the questions they can provide figure out youre not qualified, but maybe they dont and then you get training. more
Montrell Hammond
2mo
Proud of you
-1

Career development

1d

Penn State Mont Alto students 'Rock the Mock' and gain interview confidence

MONT ALTO, Pa. - Students at Penn State Mont Alto are now better prepared for internship and post-grad job interviews, thanks to the "Rock the Mock" career preparation event held on Feb. 5.

More than a dozen representatives from local employers met with students at the Allied Health Building on the Mont Alto campus. The employers engaged students in mock interviews, asking questions as they would... during an actual job interview. In addition to the skills students learned, both students and employers made valuable professional connections.

"Some of the employers walked away stating 'I think I got a solid internship contact' and 'this student will get an interview offer to be considered for a full time job,'" said Patty Gochenauer, senior manager for student life and career services at Penn State Mont Alto.

Acing the interview

The lessons students learned will go far beyond the event; the mock interviews helped participants gain confidence in acing a job interview with any company.

"I learned the importance of knowing not just you and your strengths, but researching and knowing the company to show that you're putting in the effort and would like that job. Things like that can really elevate you as a candidate," Miana Kaufman, a second-year student studying occupational therapy, reflected after going through multiple mock interviews.

Preparing for a job search

In addition to interview preparation, students learned how to set up and use a LinkedIn account, with a student photographer at the event to take a professional headshot that participants can use as a profile picture on the networking website.

Students also had the chance to perfect their elevator pitch, learning how to confidently and succinctly summarize their job experience and career goals.

"It's daunting to walk up to a perfect stranger, stick out your hand, and proceed to have a conversation about yourself. No one is organically comfortable doing that. The only way to prepare yourself for the awkward, but very necessary job interview, is to practice. And 'Rock the Mock' gives students that opportunity in a safe environment," Liz Denlea, program coordinator for the Information Technology program at Penn State Mont Alto and one of the main drivers behind "Rock the Mock," said. more

Career development

1d

Single mom laid off with just 2 months of savings left -- top advice that she got could help you too

A single mother facing job loss found solace and practical advice on Reddit after feeling overwhelmed. The online community offered a blend of emotional support and actionable strategies, including financial planning and a structured job search, helping her navigate the initial panic and regain a sense of control.

When a 32-year-old single mom logged onto Reddit after losing her job, she wasn't... looking for career hacks or résumé templates. She was spiralling.

With more than 10 years of experience in B2B marketing across SaaS and energy, she had always been the one who "figured things out." But this time felt different. Recently laid off, living without nearby family support, and raising her child on her own, she had just two months of savings to stretch on a painfully slim budget.

"I'm spiraling," she admitted in her post. The severance and unused PTO would help temporarily. She filed for unemployment immediately. But what terrified her most wasn't today -- it was the stories flooding her TikTok and LinkedIn feeds about job hunts dragging on for months, even years.

ALSO READ: Employee takes WFH within a week of joining without informing boss on an overseas business trip - Internet says she crossed boundaries

"Is this too niche? Am I screwed?" she asked.

What happened next is a reminder of what online communities can be at their best.

One of the first responses came from another working mom who had also been laid off after nine years in a marketing role.

"First take a breath," she wrote. "Try not to spiral too much right now." That tone -- calm, steady, practical -- carried through much of the thread.

Several commenters emphasized immediate action without panic: file for unemployment, apply for SNAP or any available state aid, and assess the household budget right away. Cut subscription services. Shop smarter. Adjust heating. Preserve cash.

But just as important was the emotional advice: give yourself a few days to process. Cry. Be angry. Then build a routine.

ALSO READ: Quote of the Day by Maya Angelou: 'There is no greater agony than bearing...' -- Inspiring quotes by the world-famous author

The most upvoted advice wasn't abstract motivation, it was tactical. One user suggested creating a job search spreadsheet to track applications. Others recommended setting up alerts on LinkedIn, BuiltIn, Welcome to the Jungle, and Hiring.cafe. Networking, several pointed out, would be key.

Since the original poster already had an updated résumé, commenters encouraged her to tailor it aggressively for each role. One person shared that rewriting their résumé for every job -- and using AI tools to optimize for an 80% or better match -- led to four interviews and two second-round callbacks in just two weeks.

Another smart tip: pull past performance reviews and turn them into fresh résumé bullet points. It's easy to forget your wins when you're in survival mode.

Importantly, multiple users reassured her that B2B SaaS marketing is not "too niche." In fact, skills like demand generation, lifecycle marketing, pipeline growth, CAC optimization, and RevOps alignment translate across industries. Smaller B2B companies, one commenter noted, may move faster than big tech right now and often value generalists.

ALSO READ: Employee quits on the spot after raise request, then wonders if he overreacted - Internet weighs in

One blunt piece of advice stood out: step away from doom-scrolling. "What you see on social media is not often reality," one commenter warned. Reducing time on platforms that amplify layoffs and anxiety could protect her mental focus.

And there was something else, something quieter but powerful. One user reminded her to lean into family time. Jobs come and go. Kids don't.

ALSO READ: Quote of the Day by Mark Zuckerberg: 'The greatest successes come from...' -- Inspiring quotes by the Meta CEO

After reading every comment, the original poster came back with an update. She admitted much of her fear was grief talking. As the eldest daughter who had always held things together, not having immediate control felt destabilizing. But she ended on a steadier note: "It'll be ok though, I will figure it out." The panic hadn't disappeared. But it had softened.

Two months of savings can feel like a ticking clock. But what this single mom's story shows is that clarity often comes after the initial shock.

Take a breath. Make a plan. Lean on your network. Cut the noise. And remember that a layoff is a chapter, not the whole story.

Is B2B SaaS marketing too niche in today's job market?

According to professionals in the thread, no. Demand gen, growth, and lifecycle skills are highly transferable across industries.

What should you do immediately after a layoff?

File for unemployment, review your budget, apply for any eligible aid, update your résumé, and create a structured job search plan. more

Career development

1d

AI Resume Generator Buying Guide 2026: 6 Must-Check Factors Before You Hit "Download

AI résumé builders can close that gap, yet the 2026 market is packed with copy-cat tools, hidden fees, and flashy templates that jam ATS parsers.

Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) filter out roughly 75% of résumés before a recruiter sees them, Jobscan reports. AI résumé builders can close that gap, yet the 2026 market is packed with copy-cat tools, hidden fees, and flashy templates that jam ATS... parsers.

This guide cuts through the clutter.

Applicant Tracking Systems read left to right, top to bottom. Anything that interrupts that flow can delete your best accomplishments. A University of Texas HR Analytics study found that multi-column layouts are 91% more likely to fail Workday parsing than identical single-column files. In Jobscan tests, moving a designer résumé from two columns to one raised the match score from 41% to 86%, no wording changed.

Then check whether the builder has done its own ATS testing. Enhancv, for example, publishes an ATS guide based on tests with major ATS vendors and a small myth-busting study; it reports that standard fonts and well-structured layouts usually parse correctly, while information embedded in graphics is more likely to disappear.

Many résumé builders advertise a low "$1-$3 trial." The catch is that, after only a few days, the plan switches to a full subscription.

A fair platform will:

On a transparent site, you can often see this at a glance.

Novoresume's AI Resume Templates, for example, lays out a free basic tier and one-time premium plans that explicitly state there is no recurring billing or automatic subscription, and its FAQ confirms there are no hidden costs and that you see the full price before entering any payment details.

Use that as a benchmark when you compare builders: renewal rules, total charges, and what you can download for free should all be spelled out just as clearly in one place.

If you instead spot countdown timers, hidden checkout steps, or forced card entry just to preview your PDF, close the tab; unexpected fees can drain more than your job-search budget.

A résumé lists phone numbers, locations, and even salary clues that can feed identity thieves or ad networks. According to HRME's 2023 industry coverage, 53.87% of U.S. job seekers rank privacy risks as their top fear when AI tools handle their data.

Spend two minutes on these checks:

If a platform hides these details or floods the page with tracking cookies, leave. Your career story belongs in a recruiter's inbox, not a marketing database.

"AI-powered" can refer to two distinct engines:

A strong AI résumé builder combines both functions. Look for a workflow where you:

These feedback loops turn a static document into a résumé that mirrors employer language while sounding like you. If the software only writes or only scores, you will spend extra time and may miss interviews.

File type can determine if an ATS reads or rejects your résumé. In a 2025 study of 50,000 submissions across 15 ATS platforms, DOCX files parsed correctly 88% of the time, text-based PDFs 7%, and image-based PDFs just 3%.

Keep at least three versions on hand:

Before you spend hours designing, open the export menu. If you don't see DOCX, PDF, TXT, and even a "copy to Google Docs" option, choose another builder. Multiple formats let you edit on any device, meet upload rules, and send the right file fast when a recruiter calls.

A résumé builder should let you shape content the way recruiters read it, with no coding needed. At minimum, you need to: more

Eliot Feldman

Career development

48m

The AI Elephant in the Room: Career Growth or Career Ghosting?

As a career coach, my inbox is usually a mix of "How do I nail this interview?" and "Is my resume too long?" But lately, the vibe has shifted. Whether I’m talking to a Gen Z grad landing their first role or a seasoned executive planning a pivot, the conversation inevitably steers toward Artificial Intelligence.

The reactions... range from the "AI is the Apocalypse" crowd to the "I’ll wait and see" group. To the latter: waiting to see how AI affects your career is a bit like waiting to see if that leak in the basement is a problem while your socks are already wet.Here are the two questions I get asked the most, and my honest, coach-to-client take on them.
1. "I’m worried that AI will eventually replace my position. Should I be?"This is the big one. And look, I won't give you the "toxic positivity" answer. Some tasks will absolutely be replaced. If your job is 90% data entry, basic transcription, or repetitive scheduling, the machine is indeed faster, cheaper, and more accurate.

But here is the distinction: AI replaces tasks, not necessarily roles.Historically, every major technological shift—from the steam engine to the internet—has automated the "drudgery" of a job. When Excel came out, people thought accountants were toast. Instead, accountants stopped doing manual math and started doing high-level financial strategy.

The Human-in-the-Loop Factor:AI is the ultimate "co-pilot." It has the social awareness of a toaster and the ethical compass of a calculator. It can draft an email, but it can’t navigate the delicate office politics of why that email needs to be sent. It can analyze a spreadsheet, but it can’t tell you which business move will build long-term trust with your biggest client.My Answer: AI won't replace you, but a human using AI might. The goal isn't to out-calculate the machine; it’s to lead it.

2. "How will AI impact my growth? Will it limit my opportunities?"Clients often fear that if AI handles the "heavy lifting," there will be fewer rungs on the career ladder. They worry that entry-level roles will vanish, leaving no way to "pay your dues."In reality, we are seeing the "Junior-to-Senior Acceleration."

AI allows you to bypass the two years of "grunt work" and move straight into analysis and decision-making.The Ceiling is Higher: AI doesn't lower the ceiling; it raises the floor. It allows a single employee to do the work of a three-person team, making you exponentially more valuable to an employer.

The Skill Shift: The "hard skills" of yesterday (like basic coding or manual research) are becoming "commodity skills." The new premium is on Human-Centric Skills.The "Old" High-Demand SkillsThe "AI-Era" High-Demand SkillsManual Data AnalysisData Interpretation & StorytellingContent ProductionContent Curation & Fact-CheckingBasic Technical TroubleshootingComplex Problem Solving & EthicsRote MemorizationCritical Thinking & Strategic VisionThe Strategy: How to Stay "Un-Replaceable"If you want to ensure your professional growth remains trajectory-bound, stop looking at AI as a competitor and start looking at it as your operating system. Here is how you stay ahead:

1. Become AI-Fluent (Not an Expert)You don’t need to be a computer scientist. You just need to know how to "talk" to the tools. This means mastering Prompt Engineering—the art of asking the right questions—and understanding which AI tool is the right "hammer" for the "nail" you're hitting.

2. Double Down on the "Soft" (Human) SkillsAs technical tasks become automated, "soft skills" become the new "hard skills."Empathy & EQ: Can you manage a team through a crisis?

Negotiation: Can you close a deal that requires human rapport?Ethical Judgment: AI can give you an answer, but can it tell you if that answer is right for your company's values?3. Adopt a "Beta" MindsetThe era of "learning a trade and doing it for 40 years" is over.

Career longevity now belongs to the most adaptable. I tell my clients to treat their careers like software: constantly updating, fixing bugs, and adding new features.

The Coach’s Bottom LineThe "wait and see" approach is the only guaranteed way to get left behind. AI is a tool, not a destiny. It’s here to take the "robot" out of the human, allowing you to do the creative, strategic, and empathetic work you were actually hired for.The most successful people in the next decade won't be the smartest or the most technical—they will be the most integrated.

Written by;

Eliot Feldman, MBA
President, Higher Education Consulting Services, LLC
Advisory Board Member – Customer Experience Program
Southern Connecticut State University more

Career development

1d

Navigating the Graduate Job Market: What You Need to Know

The graduate job market can feel daunting, but taking the right approach to job hunting can make all the difference. Discover the essential strategies, insights and advice you need to land the right graduate job for you.

Explore sectors and career paths

Use Prospects subject guides, job profiles and our careers resources to research industries, understand different roles and identify what might... suit your interests, values and skills.

Stay aware of timelines

Many graduate schemes open in the autumn, often recruiting months in advance. But from now onwards, graduate entry roles start being advertised ready for a May/June start, so it's the perfect time to begin your search.

Tailor every application

Employers expect clear, specific examples of your skills and experience. Adapt your CV, application answers and cover letters to each role to show why you're a strong fit.

Prepare for assessments

From interviews and video tasks to online tests and assessment centres, preparation is key. Use our online practice tool to build confidence for everything you might face.

If you're not sure what job you're searching for, don't panic. Check out our Career Planner. Whether you need some career inspiration, want to find out more about jobs, or just don't have a clue what to do next, this interactive pathway will help.

💻 Start the pathway on myCareer more

Monica Hills

Career development

1w

Hey everyone! I’m a mom on maternity leave. I’ve been home for a year already. My job was expecting me to come back on March 1, but I’m pregnant again and told them I’m going on maternity leave again, so I won’t be returning yet.
They said I can stay home for 4 more months and then that’s it, otherwise they’ll fire me.
Is that even allowed? Can they fire someone who’s pregnant and on maternity... leave? Thanks!

more

5

Sheila Milburn
1d
Yes, they can. And you cant just decide to stay home another year. Do you have Drs orders or a documented medical reason to be home during this... current pregnancy?
Paid or unpaid Maternity leave (ML) is for after you give birth. You have 1 baby and 1 year of ML. Being pregnant does not equal ML. Go back to work until you deliver your next baby. Then you can go back out on ML.
If you want to be a stay at home mom, quit and stay home. Stop taking up space on the roles and preventing your employers from filling the spot and getting work done.
As others have stated, you should read your employee manual. more
1
Kitty Troeger
2d
Well they can't fire you while you are on leave, but they don't have to hold your job. (At least not in the US Private Sector) What this means is that... when you come back, you will most likely have a different role. However, from what you are saying I would plan my exit strategy and find a remote role that will allow you to work part time and still have benefits. I am in the process of building several businesses, and I plan to offer generous packages to my employees. Tell me more about what you do and what kind of work you would be interested in. more
21 reply