Anonymous member


Career development 15h
I wanted to move to another department because there was a great opening there. But they turned me down pretty bluntly, saying my soft skills weren’t good enough. I thought I got along fine with other coworkers. Now I don’t know how to keep working if they don’t see me as a “team player”. Are people just being fake to my face, even when they smile?

  • peter elweu

    4h

    Ask them what soft skills you need to work on then work on them. This is work, don’t take it personal.

    1

  • John Refila

    13h

    Soft skills don’t just mean “being nice” or “getting along with people.” They include how you communicate, handle feedback, disagree, read the room,... collaborate under pressure, and build trust.

    It doesn’t mean people are being fake to you. Someone can like you personally and still think you need to grow professionally.

    I would ask your manager for specific examples:

    “I want to take this seriously. Can you help me understand what soft skills I need to improve — communication, collaboration, tone, handling feedback, conflict, or something else?”

    Then listen without defending yourself. Take notes. Thank them. That alone shows maturity.

    The goal is to shift from “Do people dislike me?” to “What behaviors do I need to change so people trust me in bigger roles?” Soft skills are learnable, and improving them can absolutely help you move up.     more

    4

Career development

 10h

Biggest Résumé Mistakes and How You Can Avoid Them


This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Mizzou chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Résumé: Where it all Begins

Going into my first year of college, I had no clue what a résumé even was. I had experience, but none of my previous jobs required me to submit a résumé when I applied. So, when my on-campus job asked for one, I scrambled to throw it... together. I asked everyone I could for their help. With a horrible résumé (and a ton of grace given by my boss), I was hired.

Now, as a student assistant in the Journalism Dean's Office, I review résumés daily. This is a list of the biggest mistakes I see in the office and how you can fix them to improve your résumé and chances of getting hired.

Contact information

Contact information is located beneath your name at the top of your résumé. This section includes your phone number, email address, LinkedIn, city and state and portfolio (if you have one).

More than one email address

The first mistake I see in the contact information section is including more than one email address. A lot of college students think it's best to list both their student email and personal email address to give the employer more options to choose from. While this is a good idea in theory, it can be confusing for employers to figure out the best way to contact you. Instead, list the email address that you check most frequently, whether that's personal or school. If you're a graduating student, you should list your personal email and make a habit of checking it regularly.

Not including LinkedIn

If you do not have a LinkedIn profile in college, you're doing it wrong. LinkedIn is an extremely important form of social media used for networking with people in your industry. Although it is understandable not to have a LinkedIn profile your first year of college, it is highly recommended that you create one before the beginning of your sophomore year.

The next step is putting the hyperlink to your profile in your contact section. Don't just link it to the word "LinkedIn;" copy and paste the full URL to ensure your profile can still be accessed easily if your resume were to be printed.

Including a picture

In the United States, federal law prohibits discrimination based on race, gender, ethnicity, age, etc. Including a picture on your résumé may trigger unconscious bias from your employer and prevent you from even making it to the interview stage. Some employers will even immediately reject résumés with photos to avoid potential discrimination accusations.

Education

This section is the most important information on your résumé as a college student. It includes your college, major, degree, GPA (if a 3.0 or above), expected graduation and minors or certificates, if applicable.

Getting your degree and major name wrong

This might be surprising to some, but in fact, many students get their degree and major wrong! All colleges have different degrees and major names, so it's important to check your school website for the official name of your degree.

High school information after your first year

As unfortunate as it is, employers don't care what you did in high school if you're a college student. It is much more important what you are doing in college, so high school should be completely omitted.

The exception to this rule is first-year college students. This is because until the end of the first semester of college, first-years do not have a GPA or much experience in their degree. That being said, it is generally recommended to remove your high school information from your education section after the first semester of freshman year, and definitely before the beginning of your sophomore year.

Experience

Your experience is the second most important information on your résumé. This section includes your past and present work experience with two to four detailed bullet points describing the work you did in each position, as well as the location and time frame you worked.

Missing detail

An important thing to remember when writing the bullet points for your experiences is to add detail! Employers don't just want to know what you did; they want to know how you did it. Instead of saying, "Wrote articles for Her Campus." You should say, "Wrote 6+ articles for Her Campus over topics of self-love, entertainment, culture, etc." This way of writing gives your employer a better understanding of your capabilities while quantifying your work and adding credibility.

Not including unpaid experiences

Unpaid experiences make up a large portion of a college student's experience. From internships to organizations, college students gain lots of unpaid experience. And many students think that because they did not earn a paycheck for these experiences, they cannot include them on their resume. That is not true. Employers care much more about the knowledge you have gained and experience you have in the position, rather than the amount of paid work you have.

Skills

Your skills section should always be the last section of your résumé. This section is a simple list of skills that you haven't expressed in your experience sections.

Soft skills

Your skills section should be solely hard skills. Things like teamwork, leadership and other soft skills are good to have, but they can easily be demonstrated in the bullet points of your experience section or in an interview.

Instead, include hard skills relevant to the job you are applying for. If you're a journalism major, your skills section should include things like AP style writing, video editing and photojournalism. You can also include programs that you are familiar with. Think Microsoft 360, Canva or Adobe. These kinds of skills will give your employer more information about the skills you possess.

Formatting

Although not a section, formatting your résumé the correct way is extremely important to the hiring process.

Using templates

As tempting as a super cute Canva or Word template is, do not give in! Most templates are formatted in a two-column style that doesn't scan well with applicant tracking systems (ATS). This means that your résumé could be thrown out before an actual human even takes a look at it. Instead, make your own one-column template that you can use over and over again.

Typos

This might sound like an obvious one, but it is so important to triple-check your résumé for spelling and grammar errors. Even one typo can get your résumé thrown in the trash. Employers tend to see typos as a liability later down the line. If you're not checking your résumé for misspellings, it signals to your employer that you'll make that mistake with important work as well.

More than one page

Résumés are recommended to be only one page in order to not overload your employer with unnecessary information. The average amount of time an employer spends reviewing a résumé is six to seven seconds. A résumé that is short and easy to read will allow your employer to focus less on trying to decipher your résumé and more on the skills you could bring to their team.

The most important thing to remember is that your résumé is a living document. This means that you can (and should) constantly be updating it. You should change your résumé for every application you submit.

Résumés are a hard skill to master, but once you understand the reasoning behind all the factors, it will all click and you'll have no trouble creating and editing your résumé. more

Career development

 16h

I'm an ex-Amazon recruiter. My advice for job seekers: Don't come across as trying too hard -- be found or referred.


She explains how the four Ps -- product, promotion, place, and price -- along with perception, can help career growth.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Lindsay Mustain, a former Amazon recruiter in her 40s who lives in Washington. It has been edited for length and clarity.

Before I began my business about intentional career design, I was a recruiter. My most recent role was... at Amazon, where I led talent acquisition and employer branding strategies.

Over my career, I've hired thousands of people and reviewed countless résumés.

At Talent Paradigm, which I started in 2017, my small team works with thousands of clients on generating salary increases for them, based on what I call the "theory of hireability."

Think about bottled water. You can get water from your sink for basically free; meanwhile, people are willing to pay $9 for a bottle of water at an airport. Fundamentally, they're the same thing -- H2O -- but they have completely different perceived values.

The same thing happens when job searching.

The forces that determine what the market would pay for a product are the way people would pay for your candidacy. Those are rooted in the four Ps of marketing: product, promotion, place, and price.

In my theory of hireability, there's a fifth principle that changes everything: perception. I believe the job market isn't logical; it's psychological, and the only thing you need to change is your perceived value.

Together, these form what I call the five Ps of career ascension.

1. Product

When I was recruiting, I'd sit with a hiring manager before a job was posted and ask what they wanted: Who are they looking for? What kind of experience? If a candidate looked like the answer to that specific problem, they were at an advantage.

Many people market themselves with facts like, "I have 10 years of experience in operations." What actually works is marketing the benefit -- what you actually can do for the company.

For example, if you're shopping for a new vitamin C serum, you're not going to buy it based on how much vitamin C it has; you'll buy the one that says it reduces dark spots in two weeks.

Your résumé is basically the same thing. The commodity candidate only markets their features -- tasks, duties, years, titles -- while the candidate of choice markets the transformation: What did they change? What impact did they make? It's powerful to include a percentage, a dollar sign, and numbers. Make it clear what the company gained because you were in the room.

Are you deciding on a job offer? Or did you recently choose between competing offers and wonder if you made the right choice? Share your story here.

2. Promotion

In marketing, promotion is what you do to get people to know about and purchase the product. For job candidates, the goal is for employers to want to meet with you.

A lot of times, people's go-to move for promotion is the open-to-work banner on LinkedIn. However, from my observations, I don't think it actually helps -- and could actually hurt.

Strategic visibility is real promotion. Building your brand on LinkedIn attracts people into your world and creates referred opportunities. It can be a virtuous cycle -- you share content and thought leadership, engage with others, and create visibility in your field.

When you intentionally shape that narrative, a hiring manager feels like they already know you.

3. Place

You can buy a product in-store or online; for candidates, place is where employers find you.

I asked hundreds of hiring managers what they'd think if someone applied 17 times over 12 years. The overwhelming response was that there must be something wrong with the applicant -- if they were any good, the company would've hired them already.

Shift yourself from being active to being perceived as passive, so you don't come across as trying too hard. The goal is to be found, or to be referred.

With active applicants, it's very apparent they're job searching, whether it's the open-to-work banner on their profile or a post about how they were laid off from their last job and asking if anyone could help. They're spamming DMs with their résumé and asking about job openings.

Passive job seekers are typically those who are employed, who recruiters source, or who are referred by others. The underlying belief is that people who are good at their jobs are usually too busy to look for other jobs.

As a recruiting leader, I aimed for at least 40% of my hires to come through employee referrals, because that's where I consistently saw the highest quality and best hires.

4. Price

There are different ways to price products. There's commodity pricing, like the rollback price at Walmart. In the job market, this is the job board pool of commodity candidates, and the salary floor wins.

Then, there's asset pricing, which is paid according to the value, such as a limited release of Air Jordans. Last year, I was at the mall, and the line for the sneaker store was out the door. The competition is what's driving up the price; the line actually increased the perceived value.

When your product is premium, has a strong brand, and is not widely available, you stop negotiating for a number; instead, you become an asset that everyone wants to have.

You don't have to take the minimum because there's somebody willing to pay more right behind that first person.

5. Perception

Focusing on perception is the most important thing that you can do when you're job searching.

I've talked about perception in each of the other four Ps. It isn't its own individual thing; it's the multiplier -- the difference between being the commodity candidate and the candidate of choice.

It's why, when I was at Amazon, one of the first questions I asked candidates was, "Are you interviewing anywhere else?" I wanted to know if they were top talent, and if so, I could fast-track the process. The only time I could do so was if they had other options, because we didn't want to lose them.

It can be the exact same candidate, exact same talent. It's not experience. It's not qualifications. The only thing that's really changing is what everyone around them now believes to be true -- perception.

Read the original article on Business Insider more

Anonymous member


Career development 3d
It’s become basically impossible to work. The experienced boss retired, and now they put a 28-year-old woman in charge who doesn’t seem to know the job. It feels like a mess. It’s awkward to report to someone so young, and everyone else has more experience than she does. Do you think they’re just trying to make the company younger or is it better not to question why she got the position?

2   

  • Rando375

    16h

    The promotion process doesn't necessarily select the best qualified for actually doing the job.

  • Lydia Mphuthi

    1d

    Age is just a number as long as the person has a skill to do the job. Yes change its always uncomfortable but if a person can deliver its a win for a... company  more

    1
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Career development

 16h

Job Portal Platform


I'm building a stripped-down version of Naukri that focuses on one thing: connecting employers with a searchable pool of candidate profiles. The core of the site will be a database where job-seekers register, complete their profile and upload a résumé, while employers can: * View full candidate profiles * Post new job ads that appear instantly in search results * Run advanced searches across... résumés and profile fields On the revenue side, I want the employer dashboard to support three concurrent access models -- pay-per-profile unlocking, monthly or annual subscription plans, and a free tier with limited searches -- to give me maximum flexibility when I launch. Please wire the payment gateway and plan logic so I can adjust pricing or limits from the admin panel without deploying new code. Key build notes * Fast, mobile-first UI (React or similar) that mirrors the clean, minimal experience of larger boards without unnecessary bloat. * Robust back-end (Node, Laravel, or your preferred modern framework) with a relational database for speedy faceted searches. * Employer and candidate dashboards, each with analytics on views, applications and saved items. * Admin section to manage users, ads, plan limits, coupon codes and manual unlocks. * Secure résumé storage with controlled file downloads and audit logs. * Simple onboarding wizard for job-seekers so incomplete profiles are flagged and can be nudged by email. Acceptance criteria 1. An employer can register, choose any of the three access options, pay, and immediately access the corresponding features. 2. A candidate can complete a profile, upload a résumé and appear in search within 60 seconds. 3. Search returns relevant results in more

Career development

 18h

ATS Resume & LinkedIn Optimization


I'm preparing for a fresh round of senior-level applications and want to present a unified, keyword-rich story across every channel recruiters use. The first deliverable I need is an ATS-ready résumé that showcases my work experience as the main selling point while still weaving in skills and achievements naturally. From there, I'd like my LinkedIn and Naukri profiles rewritten so they mirror the... résumé's structure, headline, and key phrases, giving me maximum search visibility and a consistent personal brand. What matters most to me is that the documents not only look polished but also clear common applicant-tracking filters -- so tight focus on formatting, section hierarchy, and relevant industry keywords is essential. Once you've completed the draft résumé, we'll iterate quickly, then port the final language to both profiles and adjust the public-facing tone to suit each platform's style guidelines. Please bring experience with ATS compliance tools (e.g., Jobscan, Resume Worded) and solid knowledge of LinkedIn's search algorithm and Naukri's recruiter console. If that sounds like your wheelhouse, let's get started. more

Career development

 18h

Entry-Level Finance Job Search


I want to streamline my search for an entry-level role in the finance industry. The priority is practical, hands-on job-search support rather than résumé polishing or interview coaching. Here is what I need you to handle: * Research and curate a steady flow of entry-level finance openings that match my skill set and location preferences. * Organise the leads in a simple tracker (Google Sheet or... Excel) with links, deadlines, and basic role details. * Highlight any roles that require quick action so I never miss an application window. * Provide brief notes on why each position aligns with my background (so I can tailor cover letters efficiently). I will share my current résumé and a short profile summary once we start; you return the first batch of vetted listings within three days, then keep updates coming on an agreed schedule. Consistency, accuracy, and a good eye for true entry-level finance positions are the key success factors for this project. more

Career development

 18h

Tucson nonprofit provides more than a Band-Aid


Nonprofit organizations are rightly celebrated for serving those in need.

But few are recognized for something equally important: building the economic engine of their community.

Consider this: You're a young single mother with two kids, juggling two jobs, scrambling to cover daycare and barely keeping the lights on. You enroll in a program called the Single Mom Scholars Program -- one with an... 85% graduation rate. You graduate. And within months, you've moved from poverty wages to earning $55,000 a year with benefits.

Now multiply that story by 200 to 300 job seekers a year. That is Interfaith Community Services, known as ICS.

I sat down with CEO Tom McKinney and Workforce Development Manager Evelyn Wright to understand how they do it.

People are also reading... Lake Mead's drops raise prospect of unaffordable Hoover Dam electricity Court rules Arizona AG Kris Mayes illegally withheld information 'Copper corridor' revival could bring jobs, pollution back to Arizona town Tucson's San Xavier Mission is ready for her close-up State budget proposal eliminates Tucson's Rio Nuevo economic development Arizona AG investigators seek to interview Hobbs in criminal probe Kelly rips into Hegseth in tense Senate hearing Ariz., Calif., Nev. announce plan to save Colorado River water After NBA Draft declarations from Peat and Burries, Arizona still faces roster questions Tucson brew lauded in world beer competition Return of Krivas and Kharchenkov gives Arizona Wildcats foundation for 2026-27 Pressures on public schools prompt closures Man, 48, killed in south-side Tucson crash Your Tucson events guide: 37 things to do May 1-3 Massive Grand Canyon fire could sway wildfire tactics in Arizona

ICS has been a lifeline for Tucsonans living on the edge for 40 years.

It started simply -- a handful of churches pooling resources to meet the needs of their neighbors.

In those early days, the focus was on four pillars: food assistance, financial assistance, job resource center and helping seniors remain independent.

About 20 years ago, ICS made a pivotal shift. For its first two decades, the organization offered what its own leadership candidly called "short-term" solutions -- putting food on the table, keeping a roof overhead, providing cash in a crisis.

Vital, but temporary.

ICS leadership wanted to go deeper. They asked a harder question: What if, instead of treating the symptoms, we eliminated the cause?

The answer became their current workforce development program -- a robust, systemic approach designed to meet the needs of job seekers where they are at.

For workers -- the single mom, the recently unemployed, anyone living paycheck to paycheck -- ICS, working with their partner One Stop, delivers specific job training. This can include job search, résumé coaching, interview preparation, and financial literacy opportunities. It can also include more specific skills, such as CPR and First Aid, for those seeking to be caregivers.

Many employers use a tool called an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). Employers input a job description, all résumés, and all applications into the ATS. The ATS decides which top five to seven applicants to interview. The ATS is designed to count people out, not include them.

Wright and her team work with clients to fine-tune their résumés and applications in the best light for the ATS software selection process. Proper résumé design and complete details in applications help ICS clients get included in the top handful of candidates who get interviewed.

ICS workforce development program helps candidates not only get hired. Their ongoing training helps equip clients to stay hired, grow and thrive.

Powering all of ICS are 750 volunteers drawn from all walks of life. In workforce development, each volunteer is matched to clients based on their own professional background and experience -- a former accountant mentoring someone pursuing financial work, a healthcare veteran coaching a nursing candidate.

The result is a living transfer of knowledge, tailored to the person who needs it most.

Today, ICS works with more than 120 churches and faith communities across the region. Its annual budget is $9 million -- approximately $2 million from individual donors, $1 million from grants, $1 million from government funding, and almost $4 million in in-kind services. It partners with scores of non-profits and for-profit organizations, coordinating efforts so that every dollar and every hour goes further.

McKinney calls it "360-degree community involvement." It's an apt description.

Life near the poverty line is a constant, grinding uncertainty. Every day is a calculation: Will we make it through this week? What happens if something goes wrong?

ICS doesn't just help people avoid the cliff. It helps them step back from the edge -- and start walking toward something better. Toward sustainable, lasting self-sufficiency.

For Tucson and Southern Arizona, that means many more people each year entering the workforce with real confidence and a chance to move out of poverty.

It means employers gaining employees who are prepared, motivated, and ready to join the workforce.

And it means that a community is investing in itself -- systematically, strategically and with the compassion to match.

ICS Tucson

If you need help, want to help or want to contribute, call 520-297-6049, or visit www.icstucson.org, Tucson's Interfaith Community Services.

Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community.

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Anonymous member


Career development 2d
i really want to work in a friendly place...
recently working somewhere filled with lots of toxic people
what can i do to ignore their behaivour
2   

  • Corey Jones

    19h

    Ignore toxic coworkers and communicate to other coworkers about the job only. Do not discuss or communicate to any coworkers about your personal life... or issues. Toxic people or coworkers are only interested with a persons' personal issues or problems.  more

  • Migdalia Figueroa

    1d

    Focus on working and doing your job. Work is a place to do work and stay focus. Perhaps this will help you think more positive about your fellow... employees. People sometimes focus on the wrong thing at work and everybody’s opinion is their opinion.  more

    4
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Career development

 20h

Man who used AI to apply to 1,000 jobs while he was sleeping woke up to mind blowing results - Pulptastic


For a lot of people, job hunting follows a familiar routine: hours spent polishing a CV, stressing over cover letters, and sending application after application into what feels like a void.

One Reddit user decided there had to be a more efficient approach -- and went and made it himself.

Posting anonymously on Reddit's "Get Employed" forum, he explained that he built an AI bot to run his job... applications end-to-end, with minimal input from him.

And the outcome, by most standards, was hard to ignore.

Even while he was asleep, the system kept working.

According to his post, the bot would search listings, interpret each role description, tailor his CV and cover letter accordingly, respond to employer-specific screening questions, and submit applications automatically -- with each application customised to the job.

He said that in a single month, it resulted in 50 interviews.

"I created an AI bot that analyses candidate information, examines job descriptions, generates unique CV's and cover letters for each job, answers specific questions that recruiters ask, and automatically applies to jobs," he wrote to the page.

"And all of this while I was sleeping!

"In just one month, this method helped me secure around 50 interviews. The tailored CVs and cover letters, customised based on each job description, made a significant difference."

He also made clear why he believed this tactic was fair.

His reasoning was straightforward: many employers already rely on automated tools -- including AI-driven filters -- to screen applicants out before a person ever reviews their CV.

In that context, he argued, his bot was engineered to get through those same systems -- essentially meeting automation with automation.

Still, he didn't avoid the broader issues raised by turning applications into a machine-led process.

"We face a paradox, as we seek to optimise the selection process, we risk losing the human element that often makes a difference in a work environment.

"The challenge ahead is not just technological, but also ethical and social.

"We'll need to find a delicate balance between the efficiency of artificial intelligence and the richness of human interactions."

Unsurprisingly, people online were split. Some saw it as gaming the system and questioned whether using a bot to generate and submit applications accurately represents a candidate.

Others took the opposite view, saying that if companies use AI to filter people out at scale, it's only reasonable for applicants to use similar tools to compete.

So is it clever problem-solving or crossing a line? That's for you to decide. more

Career development

 21h

Tech CV & LinkedIn Revamp


I'm looking for a seasoned writer who can take the Indian-style résumés our candidates provide and turn them into sleek, European-format documents that impress both hiring managers and applicant-tracking systems. The same goes for their LinkedIn pages: I need fresh headlines, punchy "About" sections, keyword-rich experience blurbs and tidy skills lists that surface in European recruiter searches.... My focus is on Cloud, Cybersecurity, AI/ML, SAP, DevOps and general software engineering talent. Most of the candidates sit in the entry- and mid-level brackets, so each rewrite must strike the right balance between proven know-how and future potential. Every profile has to spotlight three things: the hard technical stack they master, the concrete achievements they have delivered, and the soft skills that help them work across cultures and time zones. You'll receive a structured intake form for each professional along with role descriptions and market insights, so you won't need to chase extra details. From that, I expect: * A two-page, achievement-led CV in European format, ATS-ready * A fully optimised LinkedIn profile (headline, About, experience bullets, skills/keywords) Turnaround is 3-5 working days per CV and 2 working days for the LinkedIn portion. If this matches your experience helping tech talent land roles across Europe, let's talk. more

Career development

 22h

Interview Trick: This simple interview trick helped him land 3 job offers - here's what he did - The Times of India


Job hunting can really mess with your head - especially when you're months in with no luck. One man recently shared how he was stuck in that exact loop, going from interview to interview for nearly eight months with nothing to show for it. Then he made one small mental switch - and suddenly, things started to click.He wrote about his experience on Reddit, and it clearly struck a nerve. His post... has since taken off, with people chiming in about confidence, desperation, and how much your mindset actually shows during interviews.According to him, he stopped walking into interviews like he needed the job. Instead, he started acting like he already had another offer lined up - even when he didn't. It wasn't about lying to recruiters, but more about tricking himself into feeling less desperate."I don't actually have another offer most of the time," he admitted. But just thinking that way made a huge difference.Once that pressure was gone, his whole vibe shifted. He wasn't overthinking every answer or trying too hard to impress. He stopped rambling, stopped apologising for every small pause, and didn't panic if he messed up a response. Basically, he started showing up as himself instead of a nervous version trying to "perform." Another big change? He flipped the script. Instead of seeing interviews as a one-way test, he started treating them like a two-way conversation. He began asking better questions -- not just to look smart, but because he genuinely wanted to know if the company was right for him.In the next four months, he landed three job offers - after getting nowhere for most of the year. Of course, he admits timing and luck probably helped, but he's convinced his new mindset played a big role. One interviewer even told him he came across as "grounded," which he took as a sign that he no longer seemed desperate.The most ironic part? He pointed out that the kind of confidence that helps you get hired is usually something people only feel after they already have options. So sometimes, you just have to fake it till you get there.A lot of people online related hard to this. Many said the difference in mindset is exactly why job hunting feels easier when you're already employed - you walk in knowing you can say no, and that changes everything. Others admitted they used to over-explain, fill every awkward silence, and end up sounding less clear because they were trying too hard.The takeaway is pretty simple: skills matter, sure - but how you carry yourself can quietly make or break the whole interaction. more

Career development

 1d

Man Says One Interview Trick Helped Him Land Multiple Job Offers: 'Kind Of Embarrassing To Admit'


A man shared how a simple change in mindset during job interviews helped him stay calm, ask better questions and eventually receive multiple offers after months.

A man who struggled for months to get hired says one small change in his interview mindset completely changed the way recruiters responded to him. His post on Reddit has now sparked a wider discussion about confidence, desperation and... how people present themselves during job interviews.

The man shared that for nearly eight months, he was unable to make progress despite attending interviews. Things only started changing after he stopped treating interviews like one-sided opportunities and began seeing them as conversations where he also had a choice.

He Changed The Way He Approached Interviews

In a post shared on Reddit, the man explained that he started pretending he already had another job offer before every interview. He admitted that this was not actually true most of the time, but it helped him change his attitude. "I don't actually have another offer most of the time," he wrote.

According to him, this mental shift helped him feel less nervous and more confident while speaking to recruiters. Instead of trying too hard to impress interviewers, he began focusing on whether the company itself was a good fit for him.

He explained that this change affected the way he answered questions as well. "I stopped over-explaining answers, stopped apologising for pauses, stopped trying to save every question I fumbled," he said.

The man added that he started asking more thoughtful questions during interviews because he was genuinely trying to understand the company instead of simply trying to get selected.

The New Mindset Brought Results

Over the next four months, the man said he received three job offers after struggling for a long time before that. While he admitted that timing and luck may also have played a role, he felt the mindset shift made a real difference.

One interviewer even told him he seemed "very grounded," which he believed meant he no longer came across as desperate during conversations.

"The irony is the attitude that actually gets you hired is the one you can only fake until you have enough offers to feel it naturally," he added.

Users Relate To The Experience

The post received strong reactions from other users, many of whom agreed that confidence can completely change interview performance. A user commented, "Been doing that since my 2nd job. This is the way."

Another wrote, "This is also why you job search WHILE you have a job. Your mindset is completely different, knowing you can walk away and be okay. The desperation factor doesn't come into play and people can usually tell."

A person shared, "This is actually so true - when you walk in like you need the job, you try to control EVERYTHING. I used to overexplain, fill every silence, and end up sounding less clear, which would sometimes confuse the interviewer too lol." Another user added, "Attitude can be everything. It can affect your body language subconsciously." more

Kristin Turton


Career development 1d
At a meeting we were told the company is going to cut costs on everything because times are tough, especially on office supplies. They said if we use too many supplies, we could be fined. Is that even legal? And shouldn’t the company provide everything needed to do the job?
2   

  • J M

    1d

    When you take the supplies away from the workplace that is illegal. On another note, it sounds like you should start looking for a new place of... employment before the supply police start giving out tickets. Best of luck -  more

    1

  • Kenya Moussa

    1d

    What can we do to stop these states from harming are communities from these costs?

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Career development

 1d

I'm a former Amazon recruiter. Here's my '5 Ps' rule for job seekers.


This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Lindsay Mustain, a former Amazon recruiter in her 40s who lives in Washington. It has been edited for length and clarity.

Before I began my business about intentional career design, I was a recruiter. My most recent role was at Amazon, where I led talent acquisition and employer branding strategies.

Over my career, I've hired thousands of... people and reviewed countless résumés.

At Talent Paradigm, which I started in 2017, my small team works with thousands of clients on generating salary increases for them, based on what I call the "theory of hireability."

Think about bottled water. You can get water from your sink for basically free; meanwhile, people are willing to pay $9 for a bottle of water at an airport. Fundamentally, they're the same thing -- H2O -- but they have completely different perceived values.

The same thing happens when job searching.

The forces that determine what the market would pay for a product are the way people would pay for your candidacy. Those are rooted in the four Ps of marketing: product, promotion, place, and price.

In my theory of hireability, there's a fifth principle that changes everything: perception. I believe the job market isn't logical; it's psychological, and the only thing you need to change is your perceived value.

Together, these form what I call the five Ps of career ascension.

When I was recruiting, I'd sit with a hiring manager before a job was posted and ask what they wanted: Who are they looking for? What kind of experience? If a candidate looked like the answer to that specific problem, they were at an advantage.

Many people market themselves with facts like, "I have 10 years of experience in operations." What actually works is marketing the benefit -- what you actually can do for the company.

For example, if you're shopping for a new vitamin C serum, you're not going to buy it based on how much vitamin C it has; you'll buy the one that says it reduces dark spots in two weeks.

Your résumé is basically the same thing. The commodity candidate only markets their features -- tasks, duties, years, titles -- while the candidate of choice markets the transformation: What did they change? What impact did they make? It's powerful to include a percentage, a dollar sign, and numbers. Make it clear what the company gained because you were in the room.

In marketing, promotion is what you do to get people to know about and purchase the product. For job candidates, the goal is for employers to want to meet with you.

A lot of times, people's go-to move for promotion is the open-to-work banner on LinkedIn. However, from my observations, I don't think it actually helps -- and could actually hurt.

Strategic visibility is real promotion. Building your brand on LinkedIn attracts people into your world and creates referred opportunities. It can be a virtuous cycle -- you share content and thought leadership, engage with others, and create visibility in your field.

When you intentionally shape that narrative, a hiring manager feels like they already know you.

You can buy a product in-store or online; for candidates, place is where employers find you.

I asked hundreds of hiring managers what they'd think if someone applied 17 times over 12 years. The overwhelming response was that there must be something wrong with the applicant -- if they were any good, the company would've hired them already.

Shift yourself from being active to being perceived as passive, so you don't come across as trying too hard. The goal is to be found, or to be referred.

With active applicants, it's very apparent they're job searching, whether it's the open-to-work banner on their profile or a post about how they were laid off from their last job and asking if anyone could help. They're spamming DMs with their résumé and asking about job openings.

Passive job seekers are typically those who are employed, who recruiters source, or who are referred by others. The underlying belief is that people who are good at their jobs are usually too busy to look for other jobs.

As a recruiting leader, I aimed for at least 40% of my hires to come through employee referrals, because that's where I consistently saw the highest quality and best hires.

There are different ways to price products. There's commodity pricing, like the rollback price at Walmart. In the job market, this is the job board pool of commodity candidates, and the salary floor wins.

Then, there's asset pricing, which is paid according to the value, such as a limited release of Air Jordans. Last year, I was at the mall, and the line for the sneaker store was out the door. The competition is what's driving up the price; the line actually increased the perceived value.

When your product is premium, has a strong brand, and is not widely available, you stop negotiating for a number; instead, you become an asset that everyone wants to have.

You don't have to take the minimum because there's somebody willing to pay more right behind that first person.

Focusing on perception is the most important thing that you can do when you're job searching.

I've talked about perception in each of the other four Ps. It isn't its own individual thing; it's the multiplier -- the difference between being the commodity candidate and the candidate of choice.

It's why, when I was at Amazon, one of the first questions I asked candidates was, "Are you interviewing anywhere else?" I wanted to know if they were top talent, and if so, I could fast-track the process. The only time I could do so was if they had other options, because we didn't want to lose them.

It can be the exact same candidate, exact same talent. It's not experience. It's not qualifications. The only thing that's really changing is what everyone around them now believes to be true -- perception. more

Career development

 1d

Speaking Mock Interview Projects


Job Interview Speaking Project - I am looking for a freelancer who can provide job interview sessions. - Strong communication skills and the ability to simulate real interview scenarios are important for this project. We will provide you the list of questionnaires and there will be a voice conversation with web camera ON. You will have to input response as note in a google sheet. Pay is $5-8 per... hour and there will be 4 interviews in an hour (15 minute each). Requirements: - Excellent public speaking and communication skills - Strong knowledge and understanding of business concepts - Ability to engage and captivate the audience - Creativity in delivering the speech to make it impactful and memorable - Professionalism and confidence in presenting the speech If you are a confident and experienced speaker with a passion for delivering impactful business speeches, I would love to hear from you. Please provide samples of your previous work. more

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Career development 4d

I have two jobs, sales b2b and life insurance and cannot make one sale either way. Any suggestions?
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  • Tish Sackey

    1d

    I need a Sales Rep for my academy. Send me your application documents if you reside in Nigeria.

  • Danielle Lee

    5
    2d

    What is your method? Sometimes it's in the approach. Also remember that you are included in the sale. How you approach the meeting, present yourself... and the product and show the benefit to them will help you close deals. You gained the meeting because they identified a need and wanted to learn more about it. Your job is to listen and learn more about the pain points and present your products in a manner in which you address those pain points without causing more pain. Add value in your presentations, don't just sell. Sometimes when you've gone without the yes for so long it shows to the customer. Claim it at the door and it will be yours when you leave. Hope this helps more

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Career development

 1d

The job market is brutal but some parents found a cheat code


Experts recommend internships, networking skills, and financial boundaries over costly coaching services.

You know the old script.

Work hard in school, get into a decent college, keep your grades up, then walk into a respectable first job that lets you move out, pay your bills, and start building a life.

That story has not matched reality for a lot of recent graduates.

Global entry-level job... postings have dropped by twenty-nine percentage points since January 2024, according to Randstad data published by the World Economic Forum. Youth unemployment in the United States sits around 10.8%, more than double the overall rate of about 4.3%, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers compiled by High5.

Parents feel that pressure.

Nearly two-thirds of parents with Gen Z kids ages eighteen to twenty-eight are still providing financial support, and more than half say it is straining their own finances, according to the 2026 Wells Fargo Money Study covered by TheStreet.

Now, in a twist that feels very 2026, some of those parents are not just covering rent. They are paying thousands, and sometimes tens of thousands, for private "early-career" coaching that promises to crack the brutal entry-level job market for their kids.

That is the cheat code.

Job market reality for new grads

The uncomfortable truth is that new grads are running into a tougher hiring wall than older workers.

The proportion of jobless Americans who are new entrants, including recent college graduates, climbed to 13.4% in mid‑2025, the highest level since 1988, according to the Richmond Fed data highlighted by Axios.

At the same time, global entry-level roles have fallen sharply, even as employers complain about "talent shortages," Randstad's analysis of 126 million job postings cited by World Economic Forum found.

This is not just a temporary slowdown.

U.S. unemployment is expected to peak around 4.5% in early 2026, with hiring staying slow and the quits rate below pre‑pandemic levels, a sign that workers do not feel confident about finding better jobs, according to J.P. Morgan.

BlackRock chief executive Larry Fink told attendees at the firm's 2026 Infrastructure Summit that he is "worried that when this year's college graduates enter the workforce, we could see the highest unemployment rate among them in years," even without a recession, according to TheStreet's coverage of his remarks.

When I look across that data as a personal finance reporter, what jumps out is not just a bad year for hiring. It is a slow structural shift that makes early career missteps more expensive, and more visible, than they were for prior generations.

More Personal Finance:

Parents turn to career coaching

Against that backdrop, a new booming business has emerged.

Parents of college students are paying thousands of dollars, and sometimes more than $50,000, for early‑career coaching that starts as early as freshman year, focused on internships, networking, and landing that first job, according to Bloomberg.

Coaches like Beth Hendler‑Grunt, who runs New Jersey-based firm Next Great Step, now work with students in small groups and one‑on‑one, helping them polish résumés, practice interviews, and map out internship strategies.

Packages at firms like Next Great Step typically range from about $4,200 for group programs to as high as $15,000 for more intensive support, with some families spending upward of $50,000 once travel and additional services are included, according to Fortune's coverage.

Those programs do not just target traditional soft skills.

In my analysis, this is the part that feels most like a "cheat code." The value is not only in the coaching itself, it is in compressing a messy, months‑long trial-and-error phase into a highly structured playbook that wealthier families can just buy.

What high-priced coaching really buys

So what do parents actually get for that money, beyond a lighter savings account.

First, they buy time and structure.

A six‑month program with Next Great Step is designed to help students secure a "coveted" summer internship and move closer to their target roles, essentially turning sophomore and junior summers into career assets instead of afterthoughts, according to Yahoo Finance.

Second, they buy a professionalized approach to a process many students would otherwise run on vibes and random job boards.

67% of Gen Z workers regularly receive career advice from parents, and 44% say their parents helped write or edit their résumé, according to a Zety report on "career co‑piloting." That support often spills into awkward territory, with 21% admitting their parents contacted a potential employer for them, according to the same survey.

High-end coaches offer a way to transfer some of that energy to a neutral third party who knows how hiring actually works.

But it is also true that these services sit on top of a stressful foundation, as shown by some recent data.

Early career stress by the numbers

* Global entry-level job postings have fallen by 29 percentage points since January 2024.

* Youth unemployment in the U.S. was about 10.8% in 2025, compared with 4.3% overall.

* The share of unemployed Americans who are new entrants to the labor force reached 13.4%, the highest level since 1988.

* Sixty‑four percent of parents with Gen Z kids ages eighteen to twenty‑eight still provide financial support, and 56% say it strains their finances.

When I line those numbers up against coaching price lists, the emotional logic makes sense.

If your kid is graduating into a market with fewer entry-level jobs, higher youth unemployment, and rising competition, a $5,000 or $10,000 package can feel like "insurance."

The question, especially for personal finance readers, is whether it is good insurance.

Smarter ways parents can support their kids

There are real benefits to structured coaching, but you do not need a five‑figure contract to give your kid an edge.

Many colleges already offer résumé reviews, mock interviews, and basic job-search training through their career services offices, which Bloomberg notes are often underused compared with private coaches.

Universum's 2026 Talent Outlook describes the job market as "stabilizing, but not necessarily accelerating," and points out that employers want new grads who can show concrete value, not just degrees, according to comments from executive Kortney Kutsop cited by Yahoo Finance.

That means parents can do three lower‑cost things that still move the needle.

First, push for real work experience.

Internships, campus jobs tied to relevant skills, and project-based freelance work matter more in a world where entry-level roles are scarce and applicant tracking systems filter ruthlessly.

Second, help your kid build basic networking habits instead of doing the networking for them.

Zety's survey shows that parents often contact employers or even complete test assignments, which may help in the short term but leaves young adults underprepared to advocate for themselves once they are hired.

Third, set clear financial boundaries.

45% percent of parents with adult children provide financial help, with an average of $1,442 per month, often for essentials like groceries, rent, and cell phone bills, according to research from Savings.com. That generosity can be life‑changing, but it can also quietly derail parents' own retirement plans if there is no end point.

If you are already covering rent, groceries, or health insurance, a five‑figure coaching package could be the difference between staying on track for retirement and working several extra years. more

Career development

 1d

How Mediators Can Use LinkedIn to Build Visibility, Relationships and More Business


A lot of mediators are underutilizing LinkedIn, even though it can be an incredibly effective tool for visibility, relationship building and business development.

Some have profiles that haven't been updated in years. Others occasionally share a speaking engagement or article, but there's no real consistency or visibility strategy behind it. And many still assume LinkedIn is mainly for job... seekers or people actively trying to sell services.

Meanwhile, lawyers, business professionals and in-house counsel are researching people online constantly. They're looking at LinkedIn profiles, articles, speaking engagements, recommendations, activity, comments and overall visibility. And when they're deciding who to hire as a mediator, familiarity matters more than many people realize.

People often choose mediators they know, have heard speak, have seen around the industry or feel some level of connection to professionally. LinkedIn gives mediators a way to build that familiarity consistently over time instead of relying entirely on referrals, conferences and existing relationships.

That doesn't mean mediators need to become influencers or spend hours posting every day. In fact, some of the strongest LinkedIn strategies for mediators are relatively simple and relationship-driven. The key is understanding how to use LinkedIn as a visibility and relationship-building tool rather than just a place to occasionally post updates.

Link to Your LinkedIn Profile Matters More Than You Think Your LinkedIn Profile Matters More Than You Think

One of the biggest mistakes I see mediators make is treating their LinkedIn profile like an online résumé instead of a positioning tool.

Your profile is often one of the first things someone looks at after hearing your name. That means it should immediately communicate your background, the types of matters you handle, your experience, your approach, your credibility and what differentiates you.

A lot of mediator profiles are surprisingly vague. They list past roles and credentials but don't really explain who they are, what they focus on or why someone would want to work with them.

Your headline alone is valuable real estate. Instead of simply saying "Mediator at XYZ," you can use that space to communicate much more clearly what you do and the types of matters you handle.

Your About section matters significantly too. This is where people should quickly understand your experience, areas of focus, mediation philosophy, credibility and communication style.

And honestly, personality matters more than many mediators realize. Parties and lawyers are often evaluating whether someone feels approachable, thoughtful, credible and practical. A profile that sounds stiff, overly formal or generic misses an opportunity to create connection.

Recommendations are another area many mediators underutilize. Strong recommendations from lawyers, former judges, clients or other professionals reinforce credibility in a very meaningful way.

Link to Visibility Builds Familiarity on LinkedIn Visibility Builds Familiarity on LinkedIn

One thing I think many mediators underestimate is how much visibility influences professional decision making. Lawyers are busy. In-house counsel are busy. People are constantly being introduced to new mediators, arbitrators and professionals. The mediators who stay visible tend to stay top of mind.

That visibility can come from posting thoughtful commentary, sharing speaking engagements, discussing trends in litigation or dispute resolution, commenting on legal developments, highlighting articles or podcasts, engaging with lawyers and law firms and participating in industry conversations.

Visibility compounds over time. Someone may not need a mediator today, but six months later they might remember seeing your content consistently and feeling familiar with your perspective and expertise.

I hear versions of this all the time from professionals:

* "I see your posts everywhere."

* "I feel like I already know you."

* "I've been following your content for a while."

That's how visibility gradually turns into opportunities.

Link to What Mediators Can Actually Post About on LinkedIn What Mediators Can Actually Post About on LinkedIn

This is usually the first question people ask: "What should I post?" The good news is that mediators already have far more content opportunities than they realize. For example, mediators can post about:

* trends they're seeing in disputes

* communication issues that derail negotiations

* lessons from years of practice

* litigation trends

* negotiation insights

* conference takeaways

* procedural developments

* professionalism

* emotional intelligence

* preparation mistakes lawyers make

* effective advocacy in mediation

A lot of mediators think they need groundbreaking content ideas, but honestly, thoughtful observations based on real experience often perform best.

For example, a mediator could share common mistakes that make settlement harder, what clients wish lawyers understood better during mediation, why preparation matters, how tone influences negotiations or communication habits that help move difficult conversations forward.

Those are the kinds of insights lawyers actually find useful.

And importantly, LinkedIn content doesn't need to sound overly polished or academic to be effective. Some of the strongest posts are conversational, practical and grounded in actual experience.

Link to Thought Leadership Works Well for Mediators Thought Leadership Works Well for Mediators

Mediators are actually in a very strong position to create meaningful thought leadership content because they sit at the intersection of litigation, negotiation, communication, psychology, business relationships and problem-solving.

That creates opportunities for content that goes beyond simply discussing legal developments. For example, mediators can write about:

* managing difficult conversations

* handling conflict professionally

* negotiation dynamics

* client expectations

* communication under pressure

* leadership during disputes

* emotional intelligence in litigation

* practical lessons from years of negotiations

This type of content often resonates strongly because it feels practical and experience-driven. People increasingly want perspective more than generic information. That's one reason mediators can stand out so effectively on LinkedIn when they share thoughtful observations consistently over time.

Link to LinkedIn Is Also a Relationship-Building Tool LinkedIn Is Also a Relationship-Building Tool

One of the biggest mistakes professionals make on LinkedIn is treating it only as a publishing platform. LinkedIn is also one of the best relationship-building tools available if you use it intentionally.

Your notifications tab alone can create significant networking opportunities. You can see who changed jobs, who got promoted, who spoke at an event, who wrote an article, who won an award, who's actively posting again and who's engaging in conversations relevant to your practice.

That creates natural opportunities to reconnect with people without awkward outreach.

A simple message saying:

* "Congratulations on the new role."

* "I saw your article and really enjoyed it."

* "I realized it's been too long since we caught up."

* "I can't believe you've been at your company for X years!"

Those small interactions matter. Many mediators rely heavily on conferences and in-person networking, which are still incredibly important, but LinkedIn allows relationship-building to continue between those moments. That consistency helps people stay connected to you professionally over time.

Link to Commenting on LinkedIn Is Extremely Underrated Commenting on LinkedIn Is Extremely Underrated

One of the easiest ways for mediators to increase visibility on LinkedIn is by commenting thoughtfully on other people's content.

And honestly, this is something very few professionals do well. A thoughtful comment on a lawyer's article, a litigation post, an industry development, a conference takeaway or a court decision discussion can create visibility with a highly relevant audience very quickly.

It also keeps your name consistently appearing in conversations tied to your area of expertise. The key is writing comments that add actual value or perspective instead of generic responses like:

* "Great post."

* "Interesting."

* "Thanks for sharing."

Strong comments often lead to profile views, new connections, conversations, referrals and invitations to speak or collaborate. And unlike creating original content, commenting usually takes very little time.

Link to Speaking Engagements and Articles Should Be Repurposed Speaking Engagements and Articles Should Be Repurposed

Another huge missed opportunity is that many mediators create valuable content once and then never use it again. Conference presentations, CLE panels, webinars, podcasts, articles, interviews and legal commentary can all become LinkedIn content.

One conference panel can easily generate several LinkedIn posts, short observations, article ideas, follow-up discussions and networking opportunities. A webinar can become multiple content posts, a LinkedIn article or short discussion points. A lot of professionals dramatically underestimate how much value already exists inside the work they're doing every day.

Link to Consistency Matters More Than Frequency Consistency Matters More Than Frequency

One thing I always tell professionals is that consistency matters much more than posting constantly. Many mediators disappear from LinkedIn for six months and then suddenly post heavily for one week after a conference or article publication. That usually doesn't build sustained visibility.

Meanwhile, someone posting once a week, writing a few thoughtful comments, sharing occasional articles and staying engaged periodically often builds much stronger visibility over time. Also, LinkedIn visibility compounds gradually. People may not publicly engage with every post, but they're paying attention quietly in the background.

Over time, that visibility can lead to:

* stronger familiarity

* referrals

* speaking invitations

* article opportunities

* professional relationships

* increased credibility

* more mediation opportunities

A lot of those opportunities develop slowly and indirectly, which is why consistency matters so much.

Link to Your Online Presence Increasingly Shapes Professional Reputation Your Online Presence Increasingly Shapes Professional Reputation

Another reason LinkedIn matters more now is because it increasingly shapes professional reputation beyond the platform itself. Search engines pull heavily from LinkedIn. AI search tools increasingly surface LinkedIn profiles, articles, interviews, posts, speaking engagements and broader visibility signals.

That means your LinkedIn presence increasingly influences how people perceive your expertise and credibility online. For mediators, that matters because trust and reputation are such significant parts of the decision-making process. A strong LinkedIn presence reinforces credibility, visibility, familiarity, professionalism and industry positioning. And honestly, when professionals are absent online entirely, that absence becomes noticeable too.

Link to Your Homework Your Homework

If you're a mediator and have been largely ignoring LinkedIn, spend the next month becoming more intentional about visibility and relationship-building on the platform. Start by:

* updating your profile

* refining your headline and About section

* reconnecting with past contacts

* commenting thoughtfully on industry conversations

* sharing one observation or insight each week

* paying attention to what lawyers and clients are discussing online

LinkedIn is no longer just a place to keep an online profile. For mediators, it has become one of the most effective ways to stay visible, reinforce credibility and remain connected to the lawyers, clients and referral sources who influence opportunities. The mediators who consistently show up, share thoughtful perspective and stay engaged professionally are often the ones people remember when the right matter comes along.

Stay in Touch! Connect with me on LinkedIn, Threads, YouTube, Instagram, sign up for my email list and follow my blog. Obtain a copy of my LinkedIn Secrets guide. more

Career development

 1d

Pair behind BBC's biggest ever on-air blunder share truth about what happened


EXCLUSIVE: Congolese finance graduate Guy Goma was visiting the BBC's London HQ for a job interview when he was accidentally put live on air. Here's how it unfolded

Twenty years ago this week, a legend was born. It rose from the ashes of a cock-up so all-encompassing, that it tipped the balance - in the process becoming a moment of shining TV triumph.

Who could forget the shocked face of... Congolese finance graduate Guy Goma, who was visiting the BBC's London offices for a job interview, when he realised that he was live on News 24?

Now he's written a book with Elliott Gotkine, the producer who put him on air by mistake. Here the pair tell us all about the broadcast that changed both of their lives...

If you ever think you're having a tough day, take a moment to consider Guy Goma. On Monday, May 8, 2006, he was already staring down the barrel of a job interview in his second language.

A French speaker, from Brazzaville in the Republic of the Congo, he was waiting in reception at BBC Television Centre, in west London, to discuss a role in IT support. It must have been nerve-racking - even before Elliott Gotkine showed up. What happened next would go down in history.

"That morning was a big shock for me, to be honest," Guy recalls. "It was stressful. I prepared myself for the job interview, but there was no expectation to go on live TV. But like I always say, 'thank God for everything.'"

Elliott, a frazzled young producer on News 24, was searching for a guest who was due on air within minutes. It was the late technology expert Guy Kewney, who was giving his verdict on a court case involving Apple Computer Inc.

Looking up his target online, Elliott saw a man with "pale skin, a red beard, a wry smile." But then a receptionist pointed him in Guy Goma's direction.

"I went over to Guy and I said 'Guy Kewney?'" Elliott, now 50, explains. "'Yes,' he says. 'Come with me, we're on air in five minutes.' I haven't got time to hang around and chat, so we run through the corridor, up the stairs, into the newsroom. I hand him to the floor manager."

New to the broadcast world and keen to impress his potential employers, Guy tried his best to roll with it all. Still, he wasn't expecting the makeup artist trying to powder his face. "I told her 'no, I don't need that'", he says.

He was ushered to a stool and within seconds, presenter Karen Bowerman was sitting in front of him. Guy, 58, says: "I knew her, because I had been watching the news. She sat and so many screens just went on. I saw my face.

"I said to myself 'God, what's going on here? I'm lost'. She sat talking. I said 'I don't know this subject, I'm lost, completely lost to be honest'. I said 'God help me'."

It sounds like the kind of anxiety dream that might follow a full week of scrolling through TikTok. But it also made Guy a hero. Because rather than screaming and running away, as any mere mortal might have done, he decided not to cause a scene.

He explains: "As soon as I realised 'it's not me,' I just remembered something my mother was always telling me. 'If you notice something, try to solve the issue.' That came straight away on me.

"I think at the beginning, the journalist didn't realise. But then she noticed my English was not fluent and tried to cut it short."

His next few moments of polite word salad were among the finest seen on television, as he did his best to answer Karen's questions. Then he went back to reception, had his interview and didn't get the job.

Elliott, meanwhile, was left to face the music. He says: "I sent an email to my entire department saying 'look, this guy could barely speak English, let alone form a cogent argument on the court case. It's not good enough.'

"The penny hadn't dropped yet. Then a producer approaches our desk and says 'have you got a Guy Kewney as a guest?' 'Yeeees?' 'He's waiting in stage door reception - apparently he's been waiting there quite a while.'"

At that point, Elliott finally twigged. He rushed to meet Kewney, who was understandably "not very happy," and a replacement segment was quickly pre-recorded. But even then, the nightmare wasn't over.

He explains: "When I go off shift, I leave a note to the person replacing me saying 'whatever you do, run this interview.' And they don't. In fact, they interview a friend of his instead."

For the next few days, it seemed like the omnishambles may have slipped by unnoticed. But the first stories showed up in the newspapers that Saturday, making Guy an immediate star.

Elliott left the BBC soon afterwards, going on to work for companies like CNN and Bloomberg TV. And until two years ago, he had no contact with Guy, who now lives a quiet life in Hackney, east London, and works with people with learning disabilities.

The pair have reconnected over their book, which tells the story of their shared Worst Monday Ever in even more agonising detail, and the impact it had on their lives. And seeing them together, it's clear they share a rather touching bond. more