Career development

17h

I landed a job by cold emailing the CEO. Nothing else worked for me.

Job seekers should focus on personalized outreach instead of traditional résumés and cover letters.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Cathy Xie, a 25-year-old marketing professional based in Toronto. It's been edited for length and clarity.

I remember opening my laptop about a month into my job hunt, seeing yet another automated rejection, and feeling this kind of collapsing... desperation. I knew I needed to do something different in my approach if I wanted to stand out in the job market.

I tried three new job-finding strategies, but I didn't get hired until I sent an email directly to a CEO with the subject line "My landlord inspired this email."

Job seekers should be thinking less about their résumé and cover letters, and more about how they can get a potential employer's attention.

In 2024, I founded a startup aimed at helping students and new grads with unconventional backgrounds pivot into tech and navigate the job market. Unfortunately, we had to shut down about a year and a half later due to changes in the market. It's a little ironic that the tech job market is what put me back on the job hunt.

After mass applying to roles across marketing, product, and growth, largely targeting tech and AI companies, I felt drained. I was also spending so much time doom-scrolling on TikTok, watching video after video of young Gen Z job seekers talking about their frustrations with the job market.

Job searching was always in the back of my mind, and I knew it was time to try a different approach.

The first route I tried was referrals, but those were not a huge success.

My next approach was scouring niche startup boards, subscribing to free newsletters that posted about startups hiring, and even following LinkedIn creators who report on startups that had just raised. Then I'd apply directly through the company's website and try to email someone on the team who would likely be my manager for that position. Though I didn't end up with a job from that approach, it was still a great way to network.

My last approach, cold emailing a founder, ultimately landed me my new role. I'd been following this founder's journey on LinkedIn for a while because I was passionate about his startup's mission to address the housing crisis in major cities. He posted that he was hiring a marketing manager and included a link to apply. I thought to myself, "I am not applying the traditional way again."

I had just come across a social media post from someone about how cold emailing helped them achieve so many of their life goals, and how rejection was redirection. It made me think maybe I should just email the founder directly. I had nothing to lose.

I know, as a founder, you get thousands of emails, so I needed to make sure my email was one he had to open.

It was also important to me to make my email as personal as possible because I think it's a lost art. Especially with AI, we've become overly formal with writing. My subject line was "My landlord inspired this email" because I thought it was funny and might grab his attention.

In the body, I introduced myself, described my past roles and how they prepared me for this job, and wrote about my passion for and interest in the startup itself. I tried to keep it personable and a little funny. I kept it around 150 words, so it was short and sweet.

He responded just over a week later by emailing me back and messaging me on LinkedIn to set up an intro call with him and the CMO. After two more interviews, including an intro to a case study and a case study presentation, I was offered the role of marketing manager.

The job has been great so far, and my team is amazing.

The first two questions a lot of people ask themselves when applying to a job are "How should I write my résumé?" and "How should I write my cover letter?"

However, I think the question you should ask yourself instead is, "How can I get the attention of this person?" Once you ask yourself how you can get in front of a person, you open up so many ways to approach this job hunt, rather than just doing the traditional cold application.

With this wave of AI, it's so easy not to put in effort with job applications and just mass apply. But I think what comes with getting people's attention is putting in the effort.

You can spend a few hours cold applying and maybe get one or two automated emails, or you can spend those hours doing a couple of very personalized outreaches. It will take effort, but I think it's important to put that effort in if you want to stand out in today's job market. more

1

Julius Nyule
54m
Great approach. I have been using the first approach you mentioned and it helped me get the company insights very quickly. I will try your last... approach (cold emailing a founder) and see how it goes. Thanks a lot for sharing. more
Mabolo Kituyi
2h
Well put

Career development

10h

The Algorithm That Decided You Didn't Get the Interview

You submitted an application. The AI read your résumé in 0.03 seconds. It decided you weren't a fit. You never heard back.

A human being never looked at your application. Nobody made a decision. A model -- trained on historical hiring data from a company whose historical hires were not representative of you -- scored you and moved on.

This is not a hypothetical. This is standard operating... procedure at most major employers in 2026.

Modern enterprise hiring has been almost completely automated at the top of the funnel. A typical Fortune 500 hiring process now looks like this:

In high-volume roles, human review doesn't begin until stage 6 or 7. AI has already made all the gatekeeping decisions.

The AI systems doing this work are not one product. They're an ecosystem: Workday, Taleo, Greenhouse for ATS; HireVue, Pymetrics, Paradox for AI interview analysis; Eightfold, Beamery, SeekOut for candidate matching and sourcing. Each layer adds algorithmic filtering.

HireVue is the most documented and most criticized AI hiring tool. Used by Unilever, Delta Air Lines, Goldman Sachs, and hundreds of other major employers, HireVue records asynchronous video interviews and analyzes them using AI.

HireVue's AI analyzes:

The system generates a score. That score influences whether the candidate advances.

Facial expression analysis has no scientific validity for employment prediction. This is not a fringe position -- it reflects the scientific consensus in psychology and AI research.

The American Psychological Association, the Association for Psychological Science, and AI Now Institute have all published analyses finding that facial expression analysis systems:

HireVue announced in 2021 that it was removing the facial expression analysis component following sustained pressure from researchers and regulators. The company maintains that its remaining linguistic and vocal analysis tools are valid predictors. Independent validation of these claims in peer-reviewed literature remains limited.

People with conditions that affect facial expression, vocal characteristics, or communication patterns are systematically disadvantaged by HireVue-style systems:

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued guidance in 2023 noting that AI hiring tools may violate the Americans with Disabilities Act if they use physical or behavioral characteristics to make employment decisions without valid evidence that those characteristics predict job performance.

Before AI scores you, your résumé must survive the parser.

ATS systems convert your résumé PDF into structured data: name, contact info, employment history, education, skills. They do this imperfectly -- and the failures are not random.

Non-standard formatting: Creative résumé designs, graphics, tables, and two-column layouts frequently parse incorrectly. Skills appear in education sections. Employment dates disappear. The parsed output that the AI scores bears little resemblance to the document you submitted.

Non-Western names: Multiple studies have documented that ATS parsers misparse names from certain linguistic traditions -- names with multiple given names, names with diacritics, names that don't conform to "First Last" conventions. If your name doesn't parse, your application may fail to associate with your profile.

Employment gaps: Standard ATS parsing logic flags employment gaps. The reason for the gap -- caregiving, illness, layoff, education, a global pandemic -- is not parsed. The flag is.

Non-traditional career paths: ATS systems are optimized for linear career trajectories. Freelance work, portfolio careers, entrepreneurship, and career pivots create parsing challenges that translate into lower scores.

The résumé parsing layer creates systematic bias before the AI scoring layer even runs.

AI hiring tools are trained to predict "successful" hires. The training data is historical hiring and performance data from the company.

This creates a compounding feedback loop:

Amazon's scrapped AI recruiting tool is the canonical example. Amazon trained a model on 10 years of résumé data. The tech industry is predominantly male. The model learned that male candidates were more likely to resemble successful hires. It penalized résumés that included words like "women's" (as in "women's chess club") and downgraded graduates of all-women's colleges. Amazon discovered the bias and shut the tool down in 2018. It had been operating for years before anyone audited it.

Amazon's case became public. How many similar tools are running without audits?

Pymetrics (now Harver) takes a different approach: instead of analyzing résumés or interviews, it has candidates play a series of neuroscience-based games. The games measure traits like risk tolerance, attention, memory, and emotional response. The measured traits are then compared against profiles of current top performers.

The approach is sophisticated. The bias problem is identical: if your current top performers are demographically homogeneous, the model learns to prefer candidates who score like demographically homogeneous people score on these games.

Cognitive assessments have documented differential performance across demographic groups on tasks that measure certain traits. Using cognitive game scores as a hiring filter -- where the benchmark is set against existing employee performance -- can systematically screen out candidates from groups underrepresented in the existing workforce.

Pymetrics publishes bias audits conducted by external researchers. The audits show the system does not show bias for gender and race in the tested populations. Critics note that the audits test against demographic categories but not against the more subtle proxy-based discrimination that emerges from training data composition.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Crucially, it applies to both disparate treatment (intentional discrimination) and disparate impact (practices that are facially neutral but disproportionately affect protected groups).

AI hiring tools that produce disparate impacts on protected groups are potentially unlawful under Title VII -- regardless of intent. The employer must demonstrate that the selection criterion is job-related and consistent with business necessity.

The challenge: proving disparate impact requires data. Employers control the data. Candidates don't know what factors the AI used. The opacity of AI decision-making makes disparate impact litigation significantly harder than traditional employment discrimination cases.

The EEOC's guidance on AI and algorithmic decision-making in employment confirmed:

The EEOC lacks enforcement resources to audit AI hiring tools proactively. Enforcement is complaint-driven -- which means affected candidates must first know they were screened by AI, must know it produced a discriminatory result, and must be willing and able to file a complaint.

Illinois passed the first law specifically regulating AI video interview analysis. Requirements:

New York City followed with Local Law 144 (effective 2023), requiring bias audits for AI employment decision tools and public disclosure of audit results.

These are the exceptions. Most jurisdictions have no laws governing AI hiring at all.

For job seekers, AI hiring creates a kafkaesque experience:

In tight labor markets, companies receiving tens of thousands of applications per role argue that human review of every application is impossible. This is true. The alternative -- transparent, validated, auditable screening criteria -- is possible but expensive and uncomfortable, because it might reveal that the screening criteria are discriminatory.

The invisible AI gatekeeper is convenient for employers. It eliminates the paper trail of explicit discriminatory decisions. "The algorithm decided" is offered as an explanation that forecloses accountability.

Mandatory bias audits: Before deployment, AI hiring tools must undergo independent bias audits testing for disparate impacts across protected categories. NYC Local Law 144 provides a model.

Candidate disclosure: Candidates must be informed when AI is making or influencing hiring decisions. They must receive a summary of what factors were assessed and how they were weighted.

Validation requirements: AI tools must demonstrate validity -- that the factors they measure actually predict job performance -- before use. The validation must be specific to the role and employer, not just generic claims.

Right to human review: Candidates who receive AI-generated rejections must have the right to request human review of their application.

Vendor liability sharing: When an employer uses a vendor's AI tool, both the vendor and the employer share liability for discriminatory outcomes. Current law places all liability on the employer, which creates perverse incentives for employers to avoid auditing their vendors' tools.

Data access: Candidates must be able to request the data that was used to assess them -- including parsed résumé data, assessment scores, and the factors that influenced the decision.

Hiring AI has been marketed as a solution to human bias. The pitch: humans are biased, algorithms are objective. Remove humans from the loop and you remove bias.

The reality: algorithms are not objective. They're encoded historical preferences. When those preferences were shaped by discrimination, the algorithm perpetuates discrimination at scale and with plausible deniability.

Human bias in hiring is episodic and inconsistent. Algorithmic bias is systematic and consistent. At scale, a biased algorithm causes more harm than a biased human reviewer -- because the algorithm applies its bias to every single application, with perfect consistency, forever, until someone audits it and discovers the problem.

Amazon's tool ran for years. Nobody looked. Nobody checked. The assumption that computational process equals fairness delayed discovery by years.

Every day that unaudited AI hiring tools operate, they make decisions about who gets interviews, who gets jobs, who has access to economic mobility. The decisions are made by black-box models, trained on historical data, operating without meaningful legal constraint, invisible to the candidates they screen.

That's not removing bias from hiring. That's encoding bias into infrastructure. more

Career development

12h

The AI That Decides If You Get Hired (And Then Watches You Every Second You Work)

In 2019, HireVue was used by Unilever, Goldman Sachs, and dozens of major employers to screen job candidates. An AI analyzed applicants' facial expressions, vocal patterns, and word choice to generate a score. The score determined whether a human recruiter ever saw their application.

HireVue quietly dropped facial expression analysis in 2021. But the AI hiring and surveillance industry has grown... exponentially since. Today, AI doesn't just screen your résumé -- it scores your interview, monitors your keystrokes every 30 seconds, analyzes your emotional state, flags your bathroom breaks, and generates behavioral profiles that shape your career.

More than 99% of Fortune 500 companies use ATS systems. Applicants who don't game the system get screened out before any human sees them.

The bias is documented:

AI video interview platforms (HireVue, Modern Hire, VidCruiter) score recorded responses based on vocal attributes, word choice, and facial expression sequences. Applicants have no access to their score, no explanation of criteria, no recourse.

What research actually shows (Journal of Applied Psychology, 2023 meta-analysis of 12 platforms):

The EEOC has explicitly warned these tools may violate the ADA -- vocal analysis that penalizes stutter patterns is disability discrimination regardless of intent.

For hired employees, surveillance begins on day one:

In 2020, the employee monitoring market grew 78% in one year. By 2024, 60-80% of companies with remote workers used some form of monitoring software.

The core problem: productivity scores reward activity, not output. A developer thinking through an architecture problem -- staring at the screen -- gets flagged as idle. A worker rapidly clicking through email scores high. The metric is a surveillance artifact.

For gig workers, algorithmic management operates without even thin labor law protections:

What exists:

What doesn't exist: Federal law requiring disclosure of AI hiring tools to applicants, or employee monitoring to workers. Most U.S. workers have no specific AI employment protections.

EEOC investigations found most employers couldn't answer:

Vendors protected model architecture as proprietary. Employers purchased systems they couldn't audit, making legally consequential decisions using criteria they didn't understand.

Your ATS score from 2019 may still be in a vendor's database, affecting how their system ranks you today. Your HireVue score may be shared across employers on the same platform. Your productivity scores may follow you across employers.

None of this requires disclosure. None requires deletion when you leave. Most isn't covered by existing law.

Workers are held accountable to AI-generated assessments they cannot see, cannot contest, and often don't know exist.

That is not HR technology. That is algorithmic control. more

Career development

17h

Healthcare Executive CV Revamp

I need an experienced CV writer to polish my existing résumé so it is compelling for a senior-level job application in the healthcare sector. The document already outlines my accomplishments, but it needs sharper language, stronger metrics, and modern formatting that will resonate with hospital systems and health-tech employers alike. Here is what I am looking for: * A thorough content audit to... spot gaps, remove redundancy, and highlight leadership achievements. * Powerful, industry-specific wording that passes applicant-tracking systems yet still reads naturally to hiring managers. * A clean, professional layout with clear section hierarchy, optimized for both PDF and Word export. Once the draft is complete, I would like one round of revisions based on my feedback to ensure it aligns perfectly with the targeted roles. If you have a track record of crafting senior healthcare CVs and understand current ATS best practices, I'd love to work with you. more

Emilia Allen

Career development

1d

Hi everyone! Today my boss scolded me for reading a book and eating a sandwich at my desk. He said I wasn’t working. I told him it was my lunch break. But he said that if I leave the office for lunch, that’s fine, but if I’m at my desk I should only be working.
I’d gladly go read in the park but it’s still too cold outside. Now I’m not sure what to do. What do you think?

1

Randall Giancaterino
21h
Ask your (un)supervisor if he can create a break room. It sounds as though it is your boss' personal pet peeve, rather than official written company... protocol. more
S K Bridges
21h
I’m a past Supervisor. In some offices there should be a designated place for you to eat. If not, it’s understandable that you eat lunch at your desk.... Read your employee Handbook. Talk with HR and EEOC.
In my office, we ate at our desk or in the lunch room. It was our choice. more
1

Career development

21h

Job Application Document Prep

I'm gearing up for a new career opportunity and need polished application materials that help me stand out. Once I share my background, achievements, and the role I'm targeting, I'd like you to craft (or refine) the necessary documents -- whether that ends up being a résumé, a persuasive cover letter, a concise portfolio overview, or a combination of all three. You should be comfortable with... modern, ATS-friendly formatting, keyword optimisation, and tailoring content to different industries. A sharp eye for grammar and clarity is essential, as is the ability to present information in a clean, engaging layout using tools like Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or Canva. Deliverables * Professionally formatted documents in both editable (Word/Google Docs) and PDF versions * Content calibrated to the role we choose, rich with relevant keywords * One revision cycle after my feedback to ensure everything meets my expectations Acceptance criteria: the final files must be error-free, visually consistent, and ready to submit immediately. I'd like the first draft within three days of providing my information, so please be prepared to move quickly while maintaining a high standard of quality. more

Career development

23h

Mathew Knowles Considering Legal Action After Tina Knowles Question Clip Leaks, Tina Timely Shares Resumé Reminder

LISTEN LIVE. LIKE US ON FACEBOOK. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER.

A pretty perturbed Mathew Knowles is considering legal action after an interview where he questioned how much Tina Knowles contributed to Destiny's Child's success leaked. Meanwhile, Beyoncé's superstar mom is offering a perfectly timed reminder of her extensive résumé.

As previously reported, Mathew's irritation ties back to a January 30... chat with PIX11's Kendis Gibson for "Kandid With Kendis." The interview was framed as a promo moment, where Mathew could talk about legacy, Destiny's Child history, and a Destiny's Child tribute concert/tour he's been pushing.

Now weeks later, a clip resurfaced showcasing Gibson giving Mathew his flowers while crediting Tina Knowles as part of the foundation that shaped Destiny's Child behind-the-scenes.

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Apparently perturbed by that, Mathew immediately pushes back with a question that made the room go cold: "What work did she put in?"

Gibson starts listing specifics like the hair, the clothes, the styling/costumes, and Mathew agrees before abruptly ending it with a quick "We'll stop now" and a walkout.

That's the uproar in a nutshell: online, many folks heard that first question as Mathew trying to downplay Tina's role in Destiny's Child -- and that's a sensitive lane because Tina's contributions to the group's look and early branding have been talked about for years. In the past, Tina has shared a story about the name "Destiny's Child" coming to her (and Mathew adding "Child"), which is part of why people felt the shade so loud. So once the clip hit the timeline, it turned into a debate about credit, ego, old family wounds, and who really helped build what in those early Houston days.

While Mathew was catching heat, Tina's energy was way more "I'm not about to argue with y'all on the internet" -- but she still made her point.

Instead of a direct clapback, a post started circulating that basically gave her flowers and highlighted her résumé: not just as "Beyoncé's mom," but a designer, philanthropist, and a real architect of the group's image/branding in those early years -- the kind of subtle response that says her "uncrowned queen" work speaks for itself.

After it went viral, Mathew tried to reframe what happened, explaining that the interview was supposed to be about the tribute concert and that the conversation had been steered into Tina-related territory.

According to PageSix, Mathew is stunned by how people took it, saying it's been "a complete misrepresentation," and he even said he's "evaluating all legal remedies" as he sees it as a situation that was spun the wrong way. He also made a point to say he doesn't even like calling Tina his "ex-wife," preferring "former wife," because he considers "ex" a negative label and says he's always been respectful about her publicly.

So what happens next? Realistically, this could go a few ways: the clip will keep doing numbers for a while, Mathew will keep doing damage control (and possibly push the "legal remedies" talk if he feels it was edited or presented unfairly), and fans will keep arguing in circles about intent vs. impact.

But the bigger thing is this: when a family's history is this public -- and Destiny's Child is this iconic -- one awkward moment can turn into a whole cultural conversation overnight. Whether Mathew meant shade or not, the internet already decided how it felt, and that's usually the part you can't un-viral.

Mathew Knowles Considering Legal Action After Tina Knowles Question Clip Leaks, Tina Timely Shares Resumé Reminder was originally published on bossip.com more

Martin Firth

Career development

2d

I’m on a trial period at work and I’m not sure if I want to stay at this company. Our workday ends at 7 PM and I go home on time. But my coworkers don’t understand why I don’t stay late. They say I’m not interested in the company and that I don’t care about my job.
I honestly don’t understand, are they jealous or do they just want to control me?

4

Sheila Milburn
23h
Why are you entertaining what they say? Work hard, leave on time. Worry when your lead/ supervisor says something directly to you.
1
Mutoni Janviere
1d
Try to be patience may be there is reasons for that you just stay calm and positive every day no matter what comes on your way.
1

Career development

1d

Make your résumé stand out in an AI-first job market

In this environment, a résumé must be designed to pass automated screening. Because the sheer volume of applicants for a single role can reach the hundreds, these systems evaluate candidates before a human ever sees a résumé. These AI-driven frameworks can be up to 11 times faster than traditional manual review methods.

It's critical to remove ambiguity. If an ATS cannot quickly determine that... you meet hard requirements -- such as seniority, scope, and tools -- the résumé simply won't move forward.

1. Structure your résumé as machine-readable data

Your résumé shouldn't look robotic, but it should be explicit and unambiguous. Modern hiring systems use pattern recognition to identify seniority and skill categories. more

Career development

1d

How I Rebuilt My Developer Portfolio Using Next.js

Building a portfolio is one of the most important projects for any developer. In this article, I share how I built my portfolio, what I learned, and why I decided to rebuild it with a better approach.

A portfolio is more than just a collection of projects. It represents a developer's potential, hard work, and the way they think while solving problems.

Why Every Developer Should Build a... Portfolio

A portfolio is often one of the first real projects many developers build. It becomes a place to experiment, learn, and showcase growth over time.

While a résumé lists skills, a portfolio shows them in action. Recruiters and hiring managers often prefer seeing real projects because they reveal how someone approaches problems and builds solutions.

Beyond job opportunities, a portfolio also helps you build your personal brand as a developer. It becomes your corner of the internet where people can explore your work, your ideas, and your journey as a builder.

With that in mind, I decided to build my own portfolio to showcase my work and skills.

My First Portfolio (React Version)

My first portfolio was built using React. At that time, my goal was simple: create a clean place to showcase my projects and experiment with UI ideas.

Tech Stack

For this portfolio, I used a small and simple tech stack.

- React + Vite -- for building the interface

- Animista -- for simple CSS-based animations

Design Approach

The design followed a fixed-width layout, similar to platforms like GitHub or LinkedIn. This means the content stays within a defined width instead of stretching across the entire screen. It makes the layout more consistent and easier to structure.

I focused on keeping the interface minimal and clean, avoiding overly complex animations or heavy design elements. The goal was to keep the experience simple so visitors could quickly explore my projects without distractions.

What It Did Well

Since it was my first attempt, I learned a lot while building it. I experimented with different layout ideas and animations, which helped me understand how things work in practice and improve my creativity.

The portfolio was simple and clean. It focused on showing my projects without adding too many complex designs or features, which made it a good starting portfolio for a beginner.

What It Lacked

However, over time I realized the first version had some limitations:

- SEO was limited, since it was a typical client-side React application.

- It wasn't very scalable when I wanted to add new sections or features.

- As the portfolio started growing, the overall structure felt less flexible and harder to maintain.

These limitations made me realize that the portfolio needed a stronger foundation. Rather than trying to fix everything in the existing version, I decided it was the right time to rebuild it from scratch.

Why I Rebuilt My Portfolio

My first portfolio felt more like an introduction card than a complete website. It showed my work, but it didn't fully represent the kind of experience I wanted to create.

As I continued learning and building more projects, I started thinking about how I could improve it -- not just visually, but also technically.

There were a few reasons why I decided to rebuild it:

- Better performance -- I wanted faster loading and a more optimized website.

- Learn Next.js -- rebuilding the portfolio felt like a great opportunity to explore Next.js in a real project.

- Add missing sections -- my previous portfolio didn't include some sections like a skills section or an articles section, which I wanted to add.

- Improved UI/UX -- I wanted the design and interactions to feel more polished.

- A more dynamic experience -- instead of a static portfolio, I wanted something that felt more interactive and modern.

Rebuilding the portfolio wasn't just about redesigning it. It was about creating a better foundation that could grow as I continue learning and building new things.

Tech Stack I Chose

For the new portfolio, I wanted a stack that would give me better performance, smoother interactions, and a more scalable structure. Here are the main tools I used:

- Next.js -- the main framework for building the portfolio, providing better performance and improved SEO.

- Tailwind CSS -- used for fast and flexible UI development.

- Framer Motion -- for creating smooth and interactive animations.

- Lenis -- to implement smooth scrolling and improve the overall browsing experience.

- FastAPI -- used as a lightweight backend to handle a custom email service.

- Vercel -- for deployment and hosting, making it easy to publish and manage the site.

Key Features I Added

Some of the key features I added include:

- Smooth animations and scrolling -- animations powered by Framer Motion and smooth scrolling using Lenis to create a fluid browsing experience.

- Fully responsive layout -- the portfolio is designed to work smoothly across different screen sizes, from mobile devices to large desktops.

- Project showcase section -- a dedicated section where visitors can explore my projects and understand what I've built.

- Scroll progress indicator -- a small visual indicator that shows how much of the page has been scrolled.

- Notes section -- a section where I share small insights, ideas, or important notes that might be helpful for others.

- Dark / light mode -- users can switch between dark and light themes based on their preference.

Challenges I Faced

Like most projects, rebuilding the portfolio also came with a few challenges. Some features took more experimentation than expected.

Here are a few challenges I faced during development:

- Responsive layout problems -- making sure the layout worked well across different screen sizes took extra adjustments, especially when balancing design and usability.

- Project image grid alignment -- arranging project images in a clean grid while maintaining consistent spacing and proportions required careful layout handling.

What I Learned

How to build more informative websites -- I started thinking more about storytelling and how information is presented, not just about showing projects.

Simplicity matters -- clean and simple interfaces are often more effective than complex designs.

Performance matters -- a fast and smooth website creates a much better user experience.

Rebuilding projects accelerates learning -- rebuilding something you've already made helps you notice mistakes, improve your approach, and apply new knowledge.

Overall, rebuilding the portfolio helped me think more carefully about how I design, structure, and build websites. more

Career development

1d

Last/JobScout: Job search that detects ghost jobs before applying

LastJobScout automates the tedious parts of job hunting. It searches dozens of job boards at once, reads every posting, and scores each role against your resume so you can focus on strong applications and interviews. Ghost job detection and source verification flag expired or spammy listings, while Scout Reports provide company research and skill gap analysis. Triage opportunities on mobile with... swipe actions, dive deep when ready, and track application status in one place. more

Monica Hills

Career development

1mo

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

STEPHEN ANGURIA
1d
You are a true believer!! Go.....produce and fill the world. How I wish the next pregnancy are triplets or quadruplets because it seem you pay more... attention to manufacturing more children than valuing your job more
Sheila Milburn
3w
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
2

Career development

1d

Writing an effective résumé

Pam Abbott is managing director at SteppingStones recruitment agency in the Cayman Islands. Here, she shares her top tips to make your résumé stand out.

A résumé is your first introduction to a potential employer, and your chance to make a strong impression before you step into an interview.

A well-crafted résumé doesn't just list your past jobs; it highlights your achievements, skills,... and the value you can bring to a company. In today's competitive job market, where recruiters may spend only a few seconds scanning each résumé, the quality of your résumé can make all the difference between getting noticed and getting overlooked.

Creating a standout résumé doesn't have to be complicated. With attention to detail and a focus on relevance, you can craft a document that communicates professionalism and purpose.

Here are some top tips to help your résumé rise to the top of the pile:

Keep it concise. Your résumé should be short and focused, offering a clear snapshot of your skills, experience and accomplishments. Aim for two to three pages if you have extensive experience.

Highlight your most relevant experience. List your previous positions in reverse chronological order, placing your most recent and applicable roles first. Employers are most interested in what you've done lately and how it relates to their opening.

Show your achievements. Don't just describe responsibilities, quantify results where possible. Use strong action verbs to show how you solved problems or improved processes.

Tailor it to your target job. Define your goal clearly and adapt your résumé for each position. Focus on the skills and experience most relevant to that role, and remove anything unrelated that might distract from your strengths.

Include key sections. At minimum, list your contact details, education, and employment history. You can also include certifications, technical skills, or relevant volunteer work that adds value.

Use a clean, readable layout. Keep your format simple and professional with consistent fonts, spacing and headings. Avoid large blocks of text and ensure everything is easy to read both on-screen and on paper.

Be cautious with creative designs. A visually designed résumé can stand out, but it's best for situations where you'll hand it out in person such as career fairs or networking events. Many companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), which may struggle to read graphic-heavy résumés. For online applications, stick to a plain, text-based version that's ATS-friendly.

Proofread carefully. Errors in spelling or grammar can quickly undermine your professionalism. Review your résumé thoroughly or ask someone else to look it over before sending it out.

Include a thoughtful cover letter. Accompany your résumé with a short, personalised letter explaining your interest in the role and why you'd be a great fit.

By following these tips, you'll create a résumé that not only presents your qualifications clearly but also positions you as a confident, capable professional ready for your next opportunity.

This article originally appeared in Compass Media's 2026 Careers Guide. more

Career development

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ULV to host Women in Business Summit

Marcella Camberos, MBA '10, EdD '22, founder of the Women in Business Summit, returns to ULV on March 21 to inspire the next generation of leaders. (Courtesy Marcella Camberos)

The Women in Business Summit will bring together leaders, students, and professionals at the University of La Verne for a daylong event focused on leadership, entrepreneurship, and emerging models in commerce. Founded and... led by alumna Marcella Camberos, MBA '10, EdD '22, the summit will feature keynote speakers, panel discussions, and breakout sessions highlighting a variety of career pathways.

Camberos, a first-generation Latina with more than 20 years of experience in human resources and career development, said the University of La Verne was a natural setting for the event. She earned both her master's and doctoral degrees at the university and has remained connected to its academic and community-oriented mission.

"The University of La Verne shaped me in every way," Camberos said. "It was a safe space where I was allowed to ask questions, and the faculty were accessible and invested in our growth."

Speakers and panelists at the March 21 summit at the Campus Center Ballroom represent a variety of industries, including brick-and-mortar businesses, e-commerce, hybrid business models, and technology-driven platforms. Sessions are designed to provide attendees with practical insight into entrepreneurship and career development.

"If you're going to come to this summit, you're going to see a variety of business models," Camberos said. "There's really something for everybody, whether you're a student, an emerging leader, or someone already running a business."

The event also highlights women of color in leadership roles, an intentional focus for Camberos. As a Hispanic-Serving Institution, ULV provides a context that aligns with the summit's emphasis on representation and access to leadership opportunities.

"I would have loved to see a successful Latina keynote speaker when I was a student," Camberos said. "This summit is about showing what's possible and making those pathways visible."

Camberos currently leads Velvet Anchor, a leadership development company focused on supporting women, particularly women of color, in building leadership skills and professional confidence. "Coming back to the University of La Verne feels like coming home," Camberos said. "It's meaningful to bring this event to the place that played such a big role in my journey."

Learn more about the Women in Business Summit.

Faculty, staff, and alumni are also eligible for a discounted ticket with the coupon code provided below. more

Katya Damjan

Career development

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I wanted to apply for a job at a small company near my home, but they set up an online interview. I said I could come to the office instead, but they said it had to be online.
Later they rejected me because my neighbors were doing repairs and there was noise during the interview. Is that normal? Or were they just looking for an excuse to reject me? Has this happened to anyone?
Thanks

4

Steward Tony Pacheco
1d
You’re responsible for finding a quiet location for an online interview. They may have dinged you for requesting to visit the office because it’s... their process, not yours. That’s would depend on the recruiter? As far as not being hired, you may have the latest & greatest opinion of yourself yes, but recruiting as well as interviewing is scientific. Thats why we make the big bucks. Do not be hard on yourself because for every hundred resumes I would receive as a sr headhunter, only 10 to 20 get phone interviews, 5 gets video interview & 2 will get a face to face with department managers.

You need the same numbers when searching. Get those resume out there, network, and learn some head hunter tricks to improve your odds.

Everyone is using AI today but it’s personality and problems resolution which teams need.

Let me know if you have questions!
You don’t get hired the think NEXT! No time to waste! more
1
Tiana Hercules
2d
Kayta, the world is literally on fire. It’s hard enough to quiet the noise inside our heads let alone a neighbor. That you were able to continue your... interview despite the environment shows your commitment. These jobs need to cut the bs. more