Career development

 1d

Navigating rejection after a job interview


The emotional rollercoaster of job hunting is a stressful one, from the first application all the way through to, hopefully, an interview and securing a role. I have written before about dealing with professional ghosting, being ignored after sending a job application or even after an initial conversation about a role. But what happens when you have got as far as an interview and then are told 'no... thank you'?

For many, the interview is the final hurdle and it can feel like the job is yours. But it often ends with a 'no', and sometimes even with no reply at all. I have heard many stories and experienced myself the silence that can come after a job interview. I think it's cruel and unprofessional of those recruiting to interview someone and then never follow up to let them know if they have secured a role or not. Dealing with the post-interview rejection, however it comes, is something you can navigate and move forward from.

When you apply for a job, you will begin to imagine life when you have that role. You might think about the salary and the take-home numbers. You might consider how it'll help you clear your overdraft or pay for that next holiday. I am sure, when you apply for a job, you also imagine the workplace and how it'll feel to work for that brand or company.

You might even go so far as to think about the ways in which the job will change your life long-term. Could this be the job you stay in until retirement, or a place where you imagine yourself growing, being promoted and really making an impact? When you are invited for an interview, those dreams get a virtual 'tick'. Someone is saying 'yes, you can dream those dreams because we think you are potentially worthy of this role'.

Following an interview (and perhaps even a second interview), the waiting game is a big emotional challenge. You will go over in your head all the things you said, wondering if you answered in the best way. You'll refresh your emails, and jump at every 'unknown number' that lights up your phone.

If it takes a while for them to come back to you, you will begin to feel a mixture of worry and excitement. Questions will go through your mind, ranging from whether you should contact them, to asking yourself if you should try to move on.

I have been that person refreshing my emails on the Friday of week two when I was told I'd hear within a fortnight - it can become all-consuming! You almost long for any answer, thinking: "It'd be better just to know if it's a no!" even though you are hoping and praying for a 'yes'.

Then, finally the email (it's usually an email) comes. And it's a no. Your stomach flips, your heart sinks. And you go from a 'maybe' and plans about your future career to a huge wallop of rejection. What next?

It's possible that you may cry when you get a job rejection. I have done, many times. There is a simultaneous shock of rejection and a slump in your belly, where it feels like all the emotions that have been battling within you all sink to the bottom like pebbles in a jar of water.

There might also be anger - the feeling that you have been rejected will be strong. Never mind that someone else was the 'slightly better candidate'! Right now, you are smarting. You thought you were in with a chance and that's now been denied.

Finally, there will be an element of shame and failure - especially if you had told other people about the interview. You'll be asked or have to tell them directly that you didn't get the job and go through the grief of knowing someone else will be announcing that they got the role.

All of the above feelings might come out really fast, or over a matter of hours or days.

There is one curveball feeling that you might also experience, and that's relief. If you feel relief not to have secured the role, it's time to think about the kinds of jobs you are going for and your job hunting dealbreakers.

Licking your wounds and regrouping after a job rejection is inevitable. You are allowed to feel sorry for yourself for a short while.

It's also very important not to knee-jerk into more job applications. It's acceptable to take some time, even if it's just a day, to accept the news and not to throw yourself immediately into job hunting again.

One of the biggest frustrations and a question that often goes unanswered after the 'no' following a job interview is 'why?!'. Of course we all want to know why we didn't get the job. We might have had a standard reply, that there was a 'stronger candidate' or that 'your skills didn't quite match what we were looking for'. But those don't truly help you in your job hunt moving forward.

They can feel like platitudes, and can smart and fuel the anger and rejection you feel.

Asking for feedback is something many people consider doing - for some, it is important for their pride, for others it is about knowing what they can do differently next time.

If you are lucky enough to be told 'why' in the rejection email or phone call, that is gold dust because it is something you can then work on and focus on. For example, if someone is told they didn't have a certain skill, or that it was felt you needed more experience in a certain area, you can then go ahead and look for training in that area or focus more on it in your current role.

Replying to a rejection and asking for feedback is very tempting, and it's a personal decision. I would advise against it if there isn't already information in the rejection email. This is because the no will still stand. For me it is a little bit like asking someone why they don't want a second date with you. If they said truly, why, would it make a difference?

Much better to focus your attention forwards than forcing information from someone who has said 'no thank you'.

Going through the job hunting process alone can be challenging and demotivating. A coach can help you focus on goals, as well as the roles that are right for you and the jobs that align with your values and the things you can't and won't compromise on.

I offer a bespoke package for job hunters, which includes CV and LinkedIn edits and support, worksheets on goal setting and job hunting dealbreakers and one on one coaching, with support between sessions on everything from a cover letter to interview questions. more
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Anonymous member


Career development 1d
I'm getting really frustrated with these companies and their rejected form letters. I have 21 years of video production experience, including video editing. I've sent hundreds of resumes over the last two years complete with links to my portfolio on YouTube, TikTok, and now Vimeo. As they can see by looking at those links, I produce professional-quality work. I know Final Cut Pro like the... back of my hand, and I've utilized Adobe Photoshop and Final Cut's Motion, so I'm also a graphic artist. Yet all I get is form letters turning me down for employment, and I can barely get an interview. I don't understand with all this experience. I recieved this experience while incarcerated, so I wonder if it's due to me being formerly incarcerated and in my 50s. Can somebody prove me wrong, because I have a lot of experience in this field and don't understand being passed up after being on the outside exactly two years as of tommorrow? more
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  • Leonard Boyer

    5h

    What you should try is start your own company. Use social media to promote yourself and your businesses. Good luck.

  • Lara Schuler

    15h

    It’s a challenging time to be in the entertainment industry. I grew up in it, won an Emmy and have over 15 years experience as a writer /... producer/
    Post producer who can also edit on Final Cut, Avid & Premiere yet I’m still struggling and working outside the field. I would have your resume looked at by a professional & redone if possible. They will tell you to keep it to two pages. Make sure your LinkedIn profile matches your resume as many companies compare the two to make sure they match. It’s also important to tailor your cover letter and resume to fit the job you’re applying to. Push out the negative thoughts about age and having been incarcerated - they don’t help. Try not to get discouraged by those rejection form letters - typically its the ATS nonsense weeding out strong candidates. Do go on LinkedIn and look at their free courses- you might find resume help or cover letter tips. If you can connect with a recruiter they can be very helpful. Chin up and good luck!      more

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chisha brandz
Career development 6d
i graduated as a registered nurse 6years ago,i ve been applying for different hospitals,companies but never been lucky enough to get picked or even called for interviews ,its really stressing me out
how do you guys get lucky with jobs,need some practical tips and help,maybe i do it the wrong way?
6   

  • Otes Morgan

    1
    1d

    You all can get a job without no stress

  • ATUHAIRE PHIONAH

    1d

    Your not alone. Am going through the same situation. Am a medical Laboratory technologist with a Certificate,diploma and degree in medical Laboratory... technology,But still failing to get i
    a job.Please recommend. Me for the jobs. Am giving up     more

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Career development

 8h

Thousands of Florida workers reject promotions, study finds


A new study found thousands of Florida workers turned down promotions over the past year as employees weigh whether career advancement is worth the added stress.

The study from Careerminds, a global outplacement and career development firm, surveyed 3,017 employees about "promotion pushback," or workers rejecting career advancement because the trade-offs do not feel worth the reward.

According... to the study, 37% of Florida employees who were offered a promotion over the past year turned it down.

Careerminds estimated that amounts to 189,811 Florida employees rejecting promotions.

The study found workers are increasingly weighing promotions against longer hours, heavier workloads, management responsibilities, increased scrutiny and work-life balance.

Nationally, work-life balance was the top reason workers gave for rejecting or considering rejecting a promotion.

According to the survey, 23% of respondents said they were happy with their current work-life balance and did not want to disrupt it.

Other common reasons included concerns that the pay increase would not be worth the extra responsibility, not wanting more stress, not wanting longer hours and not wanting to manage other people.

The survey also found more than a third of respondents had previously accepted a promotion and later regretted it.

Careerminds said more than half of respondents would need a raise of at least 20% to seriously consider accepting a more stressful role.

The study also found many workers are wary of increased monitoring. Nearly half of respondents said they would be less likely to accept a promotion if the role came with more AI-driven performance tracking or productivity monitoring.

When asked what would make them more likely to accept a promotion, 33% of respondents said a guaranteed "no weekend work" rule would be the most persuasive perk.

Other responses included Fridays off, no people management, a private office or quiet workspace, fewer meetings and the ability to ignore emails after 5 p.m.

Amanda Augustine, a certified professional career coach and resident career expert for Careerminds, said the findings show promotions are no longer viewed as an automatic win.

"A better title alone may not feel worth it if the role also comes with longer hours, higher stress levels, increased monitoring, or a poorer work-life balance," Augustine said.

Augustine said employers may need to rethink how advancement opportunities are structured and communicated.

"Today's employees are looking beyond salary and title; they also want realistic workloads, healthy boundaries, meaningful support, and long-term career stability," Augustine said. more

Career development

 9h

Why Your Hiring Process May Be Your Greatest Security Risk


For years, security professionals have warned employees about suspicious LinkedIn messages, fake recruiters, and unsolicited consulting offers. But according the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA), foreign adversaries have found an even more effective way to get inside U.S. organizations: applying for jobs.

The latest Targeting U.S. Technologies: A Report of Threats to Cleared... Industry reveals a troubling shift in foreign intelligence collection efforts. Instead of relying primarily on cyber intrusions or technical exploitation, adversaries are increasingly targeting people and business processes. And the most common tactic reported by cleared industry wasn't a sophisticated cyberattack, it was résumé submission. According to DCSA, résumé submissions accounted for 28% of all reported collection attempts, making it the single most frequently observed method used by foreign intelligence entities.

That statistic should be a wake-up call for recruiters, hiring managers, security teams, and anyone working inside the defense industrial base.

The Hiring Process Has Become a Collection Platform

Hiring is built on trust. Organizations want to move quickly to identify talent. Candidates are encouraged to showcase their experience, credentials, technical expertise, and professional networks. Recruiters are trained to engage with applicants, answer questions, and build relationships. Foreign intelligence services understand this.

The DCSA report highlights how adversaries are exploiting academic and professional hiring processes to gain access to sensitive information, establish relationships with cleared personnel, and identify opportunities for future collection efforts.

In some cases, a fake applicant may simply be gathering information about a company's projects, technologies, facilities, or workforce. In others, the objective may be far more ambitious: obtaining employment, gaining insider access, or developing long-term relationships with employees who possess valuable knowledge.

For security-conscious organizations, every résumé should be viewed as more than a potential hire. It may also be a potential intelligence collection attempt.

Why Fake Applications Work

The effectiveness of résumé-based targeting comes down to one simple fact: applying for a job is normal.

Security awareness training teaches employees to be skeptical of suspicious emails, phishing attempts, and unexpected requests. But when a candidate submits an application through a legitimate hiring portal, they are following an expected business process. That normalcy lowers defenses.

A résumé often provides an adversary with a legitimate reason to communicate with recruiters, hiring managers, technical leaders, and even senior executives. Interviews can become opportunities to ask probing questions about programs, technologies, customers, or organizational structures. Even a rejected applicant may walk away with valuable information.

As DCSA notes, today's adversaries are increasingly "hiding in plain sight," leveraging routine business activities rather than relying solely on traditional espionage tradecraft.

The Cleared Workforce Is a High-Value Target

The report identifies aeronautic systems, software, advanced manufacturing capabilities, and other defense-related technologies as top collection priorities for foreign adversaries. Entities from East Asia and the Pacific accounted for the largest share of reported incidents. But the technology itself is only part of the story.

Adversaries increasingly recognize that people are often the fastest route to understanding sensitive programs. Cleared professionals possess institutional knowledge, technical expertise, and access that can be difficult to obtain through cyber means alone.

A fake job applicant can help adversaries identify who works on a program, what skills are in demand, which technologies are receiving investment, and where critical vulnerabilities may exist.

What Recruiters Should Watch For

Not every unusual application represents a threat. But organizations should be alert to indicators that an applicant may be more interested in gathering information than obtaining employment.

Potential red flags include:

* Résumés that appear tailored to gain access to sensitive programs rather than match legitimate qualifications.

* Applicants who ask detailed questions about technologies, customers, classified programs, or facility operations early in the hiring process.

* Candidates whose employment history cannot be independently verified.

* Applications linked to foreign institutions, organizations, or entities known to have connections to foreign governments.

* Repeated applications targeting multiple sensitive positions within the same organization.

* Attempts to move communications off official hiring channels.

Security teams should also remember that modern intelligence operations are often patient. The goal may not be immediate access but relationship-building over months or even years.

What Cleared Candidates Should Pay Attention To

While cleared companies and technologies are the target, candidates are often the bait. Social media is increasingly being used to solicit resumes of cleared professionals, and 'national security' and 'security cleared' resume farms are being used to collect data in mass -- which can then be used to target companies.

Candidates should follow similar advice as cleared recruiters and be wary of job opportunities that are good to be true, unverified careers sites, and employers who appear more interested in your classified work than your work experience.

HR Is Now Part of the Security Team

One of the most important takeaways from the DCSA report is that counterintelligence is no longer confined to security offices and SCIFs. Human resources professionals, recruiters, talent acquisition teams, and hiring managers are increasingly on the front lines of national security.

Organizations that treat hiring solely as a business function may miss critical warning signs. Recruiters should be trained to recognize suspicious behaviors, understand reporting requirements, and coordinate with security personnel when concerns arise.

The report also reinforces the importance of Suspicious Contact Reports and robust insider threat programs. Security teams cannot investigate what they never hear about.

Trust, But Verify

The defense industrial base depends on attracting talented people. Companies cannot stop hiring, nor should they. But the latest DCSA findings underscore an uncomfortable reality: adversaries have adapted to our defenses. Rather than attacking hardened networks, they are exploiting the human processes organizations rely on every day.

The next foreign intelligence collection effort may not arrive through malware, phishing, or a cyber intrusion. It may arrive as a PDF attached to a job application. more

Career development

 16h

As a recent college graduate, I knew I'd have to do more than just send out my résumé. I found my first job from a Facebook post.


Last May, I graduated from Smith College. Now I live in New York and work as a Project Manager at PDS Development, a Brooklyn-based real estate development and consulting firm. My experience with the job application process had nothing to do with LinkedIn, a perfect résumé, or most of the mainstream advice Gen Z has been given about landing a job.

It had everything to do with human... connection.

I've loved all things real estate and design since I was 10 years old. I grew up around it -- spreading garden mulch on Brooklyn investment properties for $15 an hour, shadowing agents at showings, interning at a local architecture firm, and ultimately passing my real estate licensing exam at 18.

Thankfully, I landed my dream job straight out of college in a unique way.

A Facebook post, and seizing the moment

One day, during my junior year, I randomly hopped on Facebook and spotted a post in a community group called "Park Slope Together," formed during COVID to support neighbors and local businesses. A successful real estate developer was looking for administrative assistance, and I was hungry for real-world, working experience -- something not easily accessible as a full-time student in Massachusetts.

Twenty-three people flooded the comments. I messaged him directly on Facebook Messenger, we got on the phone, and within days, he started sending me remote tasks to complete while I finished my studies. The most amusing part? He lived up the street from my childhood home; we were neighbors.

I worked quietly in the background of his operations for two years.

As my last semester of college approached, he said, "You know, if you're ever interested in full-time work, we can talk about what that could look like." It was a no-brainer; I jumped at the opportunity to work with him, someone who was so inspiring to me. His mentorship and generosity felt invaluable. I'm now working full-time at PDS, and I couldn't be happier.

Since starting, I've sourced sites for charter schools and other nonprofit programs, attended RFP site visits, supported loan financing for nonprofits, helped facilitate relationships with financial institutions, and represented the firm at events. The most meaningful part has been the building of relationships with clients, brokers, building owners, and coworkers.

The importance of human connection

In this new era of digital connection, where many people are firing off identical applications, I've found that human connection is what helps people stand out -- nurturing real relationships. I've watched peers navigate the process through digital channels alone, and the contrast is stark.

I've recently started attending real estate events. Though I've struggled with a fear of public speaking, I raised my hand to ask a question during a Q&A. I left feeling proud, and it even opened up conversations after the event.

It's no surprise that much of professional communication happens digitally, and often without a face behind the name. As communication becomes increasingly digitized, it's more important than ever to grow human connections.

Recognizing your existing network

Despite the challenges that come with building a career as a young person, one major advantage is that people want to help you. They think back to when they were just as uncertain in their early 20's.

Accept the help and welcome mentorship.

For those who don't think they already have a strong network: you may not realize it, but you do. You have family, friends, neighbors, teachers, community members, alum. Asking someone to grab a coffee may seem like a small step, but you never know what types of opportunities could come from it.

Don't rush figuring everything out

When I was a kid, I went rock hunting behind my home in Michigan. I found a rock, and something made me grab a marker and write a message on it: "Try new things." I still have the rock, and I often think back to the message.

I've learned to go with the flow and not rush myself to figure out my life. It's easy to feel pressured to follow specific, linear paths, but I've observed that career trajectories (and personal ones for that matter) aren't always as structured as they appear to be.

Three years ago, I would never have expected to be doing the work I'm currently doing, but I was open to the experience of trying something new.

My message to those reading, who may feel lost: Believe in yourself, even when the destination isn't visible. Put yourself out there and meet new people. Try new things.

Liliana Hetherman is a real estate professional based in Brooklyn, New York. Connect on LinkedIn more

Career development

 21h

Identical AI-Generated Resumes Reveal Stark Bias Against Women Who Use AI At Work


If you're using AI for professional work purposes and are wondering if you're being judged for it, it might depend on who you are.

A new study sought to determine whether women -- particularly young women -- would be treated more harshly than their male counterparts for using artificial intelligence in job applications. Zehra Chatoo, a former Meta strategist and the founder of thinktank Code For... Good Now, used AI to generate identical résumés with just one difference: One was for a candidate called Emily Clarke, another for James Clarke.

The résumés were distributed to two groups, who had been told the documents had been created with the help of artificial intelligence.

Reviewers of Emily's résumé were 22% more likely to question whether the individual could be trusted compared to James. The female candidate's CV was also twice as likely to raise doubts about her competence and ability to do her job.

"She can't even write a CV herself -- not sure she has the skills to carry out the job," read some of the feedback on Emily's CV. James's résumé had a different response, with his use of AI justified: "He just needed a bit of help putting it together," was one response.

"When men use AI, we question their effort. When women use AI, we question their integrity. That difference changes the perceived risk of using AI," Chatoo said.

The latest data point feeds into broader concerns about an AI gender gap. In a working paper published last year, Harvard Business School Associate Professor Rembrand Koning put the adoption rate between men and women at about 25%.

Koning identified the concern Chatoo's study exhibits, saying women are concerned about the perception of their work if they use or rely on AI. Koning, a Professor of Business Administration, explained: "Women face greater penalties in being judged as not having expertise in different fields. They might be worried that someone would think even though they got the answer right, they 'cheated' by using ChatGPT."

It's perhaps no surprise, then, that women are generally more risk-averse when it comes to AI, a trend also seen in behavior like investing. A January study from Caltech, which surveyed 3,000 people, found women were consistently more skeptical than men that AI benefits would outweigh its risks, and were less convinced that their professional lives would gain because of the technology.

Their concern may be justified: A Brookings Institute study this year found that of the roles with high AI exposure, but low capacity to adapt to the technological change, 86% were held by women.

Gen Z are the harshest critics

A generational divide is also appearing in Chatoo's study, which surveyed 1,000 British adults: Gen Z men, who have grown up with AI, shared some of the harshest views about Emily's resume.

Of their responses, 3.5 times the number of Gen Z men described Emily's résumé as "weak" compared to James's, whose résumé had a 97% approval rating. By contrast, for the same resume content, Emily's CV was rated strong by 76% of respondents.

"If people believe they will be judged more harshly for using AI, they are less likely to adopt it -- regardless of their capability," Chatoo added. "Closing the AI adoption gap means addressing not just how people use AI, but how that use is evaluated."

Written by Eleanor Pringle for Fortune as "AI generated identical résumés for a man and a woman: Hers was more likely to be labeled 'weak,' while his got a 97% approval rating" and republished with permission. more

Career development

 21h

HR offered a 100% hike to candidate willing to accept lower pay; speechless, he learns it wasn't just about him being the 'strongest candidate'


A viral X post about a job interview is sparking conversations around toxic workplaces, salary negotiations, and ethical hiring practices. The story follows a candidate who agreed to take a lower salary just to escape a bad work environment, only to be surprised with a much higher offer from the interviewer.

The average yearly salary in the United States is an average annual salary of about... $65,000 to $75,000; it would definitely sound unbelievable if any company or organization were ready to give you an unexpected hike for being honest.

A recent post shared on X by career counselor Simons captured that reality, especially when many are trying to leave a toxic workplace through a fictional-style interview scenario that quickly drew attention online for its unexpected ending and message about workplace trust.

According to the post, an HR interviewer asked a candidate about his current salary during a job interview. The candidate reportedly said he was earning around 90k. When asked about salary expectations, he admitted he was unhappy in his current work environment and said he would even accept a lower package if it meant joining a healthier company.

The HR representative then asked whether he would accept 60k. The candidate agreed, saying he had "no other option." The post described the moment as emotionally difficult, reflecting how vulnerable many job seekers can feel during hiring discussions.

Also Read: Employee waits 22 years for leadership handover, only to learn 65-year-old boss refuses to retire as he doesn't want to stay home all day with his wife because she's unemployed

After asking the candidate to wait while the offer letter was prepared, the HR team returned with an envelope containing the final salary package.

To the candidate's surprise, the offer reportedly stated a monthly salary of 120k instead of 60k, a 100 % hike. When the candidate pointed out the difference, the HR representative allegedly responded: "Then what would be the difference between a toxic company and a healthy one?"

Candidate agreed to lower salary to escape toxic workplace, then HR surprised him with a 100% hike

The interviewer reportedly explained that the company's budget for the role had always been 120k and that the candidate was the strongest person selected for the position.

The post ended with the words: "Welcome to the team." The story gained attention because it highlighted a topic many employees relate to: the emotional toll of unhealthy workplaces.

The viral discussion also comes at a time when conversations around employee well-being, work-life balance, and ethical hiring practices continue to grow across industries.

For many readers, the story's central takeaway was simple: employees may forget job titles and pay packages over time, but they often remember how a workplace made them feel. more

Career development

 3d

Tips for a Successful First Job Interview


The first job interview is one of the last steps to getting the job of your dreams. It is especially nerve-wracking if you have just graduated and are looking for a place of work. Perhaps you do not know where to start and who to ask. Everything stresses you out because, in the world of work, you are a beginner.

Getting to the process of a job interview means you have done a lot of things... right. That is, you have managed to get the recruiter interested in your resume. They think you are a promising candidate and can potentially fill the position.

Obviously, a job interview is crucial to getting a job offer, as it allows people from the company to get to know you better. You should pay attention to how to prepare for your first job interview and how to act in the best way possible. Here is what you need to know:

1. Learn information about the company

Forget about coming for an interview without reading or hearing about the organization or the position. It may not be easy to find specific information about the company, but you can look through its website and, if it is a huge company, read the news.

Regarding the interviewer, the basic thing is to see if they are present on social networks such as LinkedIn to know a little about their professional life and what type of content they share. What if they post information about the company or how to get a position?

Look for as much information as possible about the company, its history, values, and what it has recently stood out for. This can help you look responsible.

2. Talk about your professional experience

Recruiters can ask you about your previous job experience. If you do not have it yet, admit it. There is nothing wrong with it. Read your resume and highlight what you would like them to hear. You can talk about your volunteer experience or point out that you had internships.

Speak positively about your previous experience if you have any and describe your most important achievements that are related to the position you are applying for. Try to make it sound like a story to grab the interviewer's attention.

You can also add a speech lasting no more than 2 minutes in which you can express your strengths, abilities, what you are most passionate about that is related to the position, and what you can contribute to the company if you are selected.

3. Dress appropriately

Your resume has managed to generate a positive image that has caught the attention of the recruiter. However, the first impression is key since it allows people from the company to know if you are the right person and if you fit into the culture of the company.

Therefore, it is advisable to do some research on organizational culture. This can give you information about possible dress codes and what type of wear they prefer.

The first impression can be decisive, and the idea is that you should wear clothes according to the sector in which you are presenting yourself as a candidate. Choose formal, well-presented, and neat clothes.

Avoid distractions such as necklines, colorful or large accessories, excess makeup, or too elaborate hairstyles.

4. Be calm

You can be asked questions about your weakness, what you would like to improve in yourself, or anything that may perplex you. Answer calmly and think ahead of time about what to say.

For example, do not expose weaknesses that could pose a problem for that job position. That is, if you are applying for a position that involves the use of technology, do not say that you are bad at it. Instead, you can say that you are still improving what needs to be enhanced.

5. Arrive on time

Go to sleep early and wake up at least an hour before the interview starts. If the interview is virtual, prepare your computer and web camera.

However, it is not necessary to arrive long before the interview. Find out how much time it will take to get from your house to the company's office and plan your journey.

6. Pay attention to your body language

Avoid crossing your arms, hiding your hands, and constantly touching your face. Control the movements of your legs, feet, and trunk. If you do not, it will make seem that you are nervous.

Always look the interviewer in the eyes and try to smile whenever necessary.

7. Listen carefully to the questions

When asked something, try to be polite and attentive. Do not lie or exaggerate. Make it seem effortless and calm.

Do not interrupt the interviewer. Speak without hesitation, and do not go into too much detail. At the end of the interview, you can ask questions about the position, company, or its owners. You can also say that it would be a pleasure to work at the company. Do not forget to thank the recruiter for their time. It will make you look positive in their eyes.

8. Be genuinely interested

If you did not find the information you wanted to know on the website, ask recruiters. You may also want to know specific questions about the salary, if it is possible to work remotely, or anything else. If you do, do not hesitate to ask.

Additionally, ask for their contact information. If you forgot to get it after the interview, you can find the recruiters' contacts on Nuwber.

These small actions will make you look genuinely interested. It can benefit you in the long run.

9. Follow up after the interview

The tips for a successful first job interview are not only related to preparation. It is especially important to follow up after one week. Therefore, if you have not received a response after your interview, a good option is to write an email or make a call.

Get more information about the selection process because some companies clarify that they can take more time. If you know that they take more than a week, wait a bit longer. However, try not to go overboard. Do not write multiple emails asking if they have hired you or not. Be patient and prepare to get the job of your dreams. more
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Career development

 22h

How Safety Certification Gaps Are Affecting Skilled Trade Recruitment


A lot of skilled-trade hiring looks busy from the outside. Jobs are posted. Recruiters are calling. Supervisors are asking for updates. A few decent résumés come in.

Then the real sorting starts, and the list gets thin fast.

Someone has the hands-on experience, but no proof they can lead a crew safely. Someone else has a long work history, but it's all under close supervision. Another candidate... sounds confident until the interview turns to hazard checks, incident reporting, or what they'd do if a newer worker took a shortcut.

That's the part employers don't always name clearly. The shortage isn't only about finding people who can do the work. It's also about finding people who are safe to trust with more responsibility.

The missing middle in skilled-trade hiring

Most trade employers know the difference between a strong worker and a worker who is ready to lead. They just don't always write job ads that way.

A good carpenter, technician, warehouse lead, machine operator, or installer may be excellent at the task in front of them. That doesn't automatically mean they're ready to watch two apprentices, push back on a rushed schedule, document a hazard, or tell a project manager that a job needs to pause.

That middle layer is where hiring gets sticky.

A candidate who has completed OSHA 30 safety training gives an employer a more useful signal than a vague line about being "safety-minded." It suggests they've at least been exposed to the kind of hazard recognition and workplace responsibility that comes with senior field roles. It doesn't prove they're the right hire, but it gives the recruiter something firmer to discuss than years on the tools.

That matters because "experienced" can mean very different things. One person spent six years on job sites where supervisors explained the why behind every safety rule. Another spent six years getting told to hurry up, stay quiet, and keep the day moving.

Both résumés may look similar at first glance.

This is where employers lose time. They screen for trade ability, then discover late in the process that the person isn't ready for the safety side of the role. Or they overcorrect and demand every credential up front, even for candidates who could close the gap quickly with the right training plan.

The better move is to define the responsibility before the search starts. If the job involves leading people, opening or closing a site, working around energized equipment, operating machinery, managing subcontractors, or handling documentation, say so clearly. Don't bury it under "must follow company safety policies." Every job says that. It tells the candidate almost nothing.

Why the applicant pool feels smaller than it is

There are real labor shortages in the trades, but employers often make the problem worse by advertising one job and screening for another.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects hundreds of thousands of construction and extraction openings each year, which sounds like a big market. On the hiring desk, though, those numbers don't feel big. They turn into one foreperson role that has been open for six weeks, a supervisor who is covering too many crews, and a recruiter trying to work out whether "ten years' experience" means independent judgment or just time served.

Onrec has covered this pressure in trade-specific hiring before, including the way roofing employers struggle to attract and retain workers with the right mix of skill, reliability, and career interest. That kind of shortage is rarely solved by posting faster or widening the radius alone; the hiring process has to be clearer about what readiness actually looks like. The issue shows up clearly in this Onrec piece on workforce shortages and recruitment challenges in roofing.

A messy job ad can pull in the wrong crowd. Say a company posts for a "site lead" but describes the role as a general labor position with slightly better pay. The company may get plenty of applicants, but many will be people who want more money, not more responsibility.

Now rewrite that ad with plain detail. The site lead will run a three-person crew, perform a start-of-shift safety check, flag fall hazards, confirm equipment is in usable condition, and document issues before the end of the day. Suddenly, the wrong applicants can self-select out. Better candidates can picture the job. Recruiters have a cleaner first call.

That doesn't make the role easier to fill overnight. It does reduce the number of half-fit conversations that waste everyone's time.

There's a small confidence problem here, too. Many employers assume candidates understand the difference between an entry-level safety expectation and a supervisor-level one. A lot of candidates don't. They see "OSHA preferred" or "safety knowledge required" and guess what the employer means.

Guessing is not a hiring strategy.

Recruiters need better questions, not just better filters

Credentials help, but they can also make recruiters lazy if the process turns into a box-checking exercise.

The question isn't only, "Do you have the card?" A better question is, "Where have you had to use that knowledge when the job was moving fast?"

That second question tells you more.

A strong candidate may talk about stopping work when scaffolding didn't look right, pulling a newer worker aside after a risky shortcut, or calling a supervisor before entering a confined area. The answer may be plain and unpolished. That's fine. You're listening for judgment, not a conference speech.

A weaker answer often stays vague. "I always follow safety rules." "I'm very careful." "Safety is important." None of that is wrong. It's just not enough when the role involves other people's risk.

OSHA's own Outreach Training Program separates 10-hour awareness training from 30-hour training intended more for supervisors and workers with safety responsibility. Recruiters don't need to become safety experts, but they do need to understand that those two signals are not interchangeable. A person applying for a helper role and a person applying to run a crew should not be screened with the same safety questions.

This is where HR can do something simple and useful: build a role-by-role safety matrix.

Keep it boring. Keep it practical. For each role, note what training is required before day one, what can be completed after hiring, what tasks require direct supervision, and what responsibilities belong only to leads or supervisors.

A maintenance role might need lockout/tagout knowledge before solo work. A warehouse lead might need equipment-specific authorization before assigning forklift tasks. A construction foreperson might need stronger hazard-recognition training before managing a small crew. A project manager may need enough safety fluency to avoid setting timelines that pressure teams into bad decisions.

Once recruiters have that map, interviews get better. Hiring managers stop changing the standard halfway through. Candidates know whether the missing credential is a dealbreaker, a first-month requirement, or something the employer is willing to support.

That kind of clarity saves more time than another round of generic screening questions.

The hidden cost of "we'll train them later."

There's nothing wrong with hiring someone who still needs training. In a tight labor market, employers who refuse to develop people will keep complaining about the same shortage.

The problem is the casual version of "we'll train them later."

Later often means after the worker has already been placed on a crew. After the supervisor is busy. After the project is behind. After everyone assumes someone else explained the site rules, the equipment limits, or the paperwork.

That's how a training gap becomes a safety gap.

A better onboarding plan is specific before the person starts. On day one, what can this worker do alone? What can they do only while paired with someone senior? What can't they touch until training is complete? Who checks that the training actually happened?

Those questions are not glamorous, but they keep people from inventing the answer on a Tuesday morning when the job is already moving.

This is especially important for workers moving between related environments. A residential construction worker stepping into commercial work may have the hand skills, but not the same documentation habits. A warehouse worker moving into a lead role may know the floor but not how to coach someone else through risk. A manufacturing technician moving into field service may understand the machinery but not the hazards of working on a client site.

The résumé can't carry all of that context.

Online training can help when it's attached to the job instead of being thrown at the employee as a formality. Onrec has covered how digital training is being used to close skills gaps, especially when employers need more flexible ways to build workforce readiness. The useful version is not "assign modules and hope for the best"; it is connecting training to the work a person will actually be allowed to do, as discussed in this piece on online training and workforce readiness.

The same logic applies to compliance. The National Safety Council has long tied workplace safety to prevention, training, and employer systems, not just individual caution. Skilled-trade employers should think about hiring the same way: individual judgment matters, but the system around that worker decides how much room there is for mistakes.

If the company can't answer what happens before training is finished, it doesn't have a training plan. It has a hope.

What stronger hiring actually looks like

Strong hiring in the trades does not need to become complicated. It needs to become more honest.

Start with the job description. Replace soft phrases with real duties. "Safety-minded" becomes "leads daily hazard checks for a four-person crew." "Knowledge of regulations" becomes "documents site issues and escalates unsafe conditions before work continues." "Leadership skills" become "coaches newer workers during high-risk tasks."

That language will not scare off the right candidates. It will help them understand the job.

Then fix the interview. Ask for examples. Ask what the candidate would stop work for. Ask how they handle a younger worker who keeps skipping a step. Ask what safety paperwork they've actually completed, not just whether they've seen it before.

A useful question is: "Tell me about a time safety slowed the job down. What happened next?"

The answer can reveal a lot. Some candidates will describe the tension honestly. They'll mention the pressure to keep moving, the awkwardness of speaking up, or the supervisor who backed them. Others will give you a neat answer that sounds rehearsed but has no real scene behind it.

Listen for the scene.

Finally, stop treating missing credentials as either harmless or fatal. Sometimes the missing piece means the person is not ready for the role. Sometimes it means they're a good hire who needs a structured first 30 days. The difference should be decided before the offer, not discovered after the first incident, near miss, or angry call from a site manager.

A credential gap is manageable when it's visible. It becomes expensive when everyone politely works around it.

Wrap-up takeaway

The safety credential gap slows skilled-trade hiring because it hides behind words employers use every day: experienced, qualified, reliable, ready. Those words feel clear until a recruiter, candidate, and supervisor each attach a different meaning to them. Better hiring starts with naming the safety responsibility inside the role, then deciding which credentials are required, which can be earned after hire, and which duties should wait until training is complete. That approach does not lower standards; it makes the standards easier to apply. Before posting the next trade role, take one vague safety line in the job description and rewrite it into the actual responsibility the person will carry on the job. more

Career development

 1d

11 Careerflow Alternatives for Job Seekers Who Need Volume, ...


You paste the same résumé into yet another Workday form, type your salary range for the tenth time, and wonder if anyone will read it. An MIT Sloan study shows job seekers who use algorithmic résumé help are 8 percent more likely to get hired than those who click-and-pray. Careerflow polishes your LinkedIn profile, but you still send every application by hand. If you want volume without... sloppiness, you need tools that hunt, tailor, and submit roles while you focus on interviews.

We compared the leading AI job-search platforms on five factors that shape callback rates: application automation, résumé personalization, workflow aids, price-to-value, and platform coverage. Here are the picks that matter most.

AIApply: smarter automation, not just faster

If your calendar is packed and you refuse to trade résumé quality for speed, AIApply leads the pack. Its homepage at https://www.aiapply.co pledges to find high-match roles, tailor your résumé, and auto-apply so you move from submit to interview in days. We fed it 30 varied job links -- marketing, data, bilingual customer success -- and watched it build customized résumés and cover letters in under three minutes per role.

The workflow has two clear steps. Drop a URL and the engine parses the description, then rewrites your key résumé bullets to match the employer's language. One more click sends the application across LinkedIn, Indeed, or niche boards. Because each submission pulls fresh keywords, you avoid the single-résumé trap that hurts ATS scores. You control volume with credits, so treat them like espresso shots -- useful in moderation. If you want genuine personalization at autopilot speed, AIApply is a reliable co-pilot.

Novorésumé and Rezi: documents that pass the bots

Sometimes the problem isn't how many résumés you send; it's that each one looks like it crawled out of 2012. Novorésumé fixes that with clean, ATS-friendly templates and a live match meter that climbs as you add metrics and power verbs. Switch palettes or fonts with a click while staying parser-safe, and lean on the AI writer for phrasing ideas that keep your voice intact. A free tier covers one résumé; premium unlocks unlimited versions for a couple of dollars a month.

Rezi tackles the blank page. Enter a target role and a few bullet seeds, and it generates keyword-rich lines that still sound human, cross-checking your draft against the job description you paste. Its templates stay plain so ATS parsers never choke -- ideal when you pivot industries and need fresh jargon fast.

Teal and Huntr: turn the hunt into a pipeline more

Career development

 1d

An Interview No-Show Turns Into an Unexpected Email Response From the Candidate


It's really pretty shocking these days to see how some people behave when it comes to job interviews...or in this case, even turning down a job.

Do folks not expect to work hard anymore?

It's pretty hard to wrap your head around the kind of things that you hear about!

And here's another shining example...

A person shared an email response they received from a job candidate who, by the looks of... it, is going to have a hard time getting hired anywhere with their attitude about how things work.

Read on and see what you think.

"We're looking to hire an additional employee. The post went up for a full time position on Indeed and we got a few good candidates.

One we had pegged as a 'maybe', but she called (despite a no calls please in the ad) and basically convinced my partner to interview her.

There are always exceptions to the rules...

Partner has a big heart and set up an interview for 1 pm (time chosen by candidate).

Going by her resume, this woman is late 30s / early 40s.

1:10 goes by and she's a no show, so I send out our usual rejection letter and get the following reply:

Dear YYY,

I am sorry we didn't get the chance to meet about the XXXX job. I was interested in the position. I still am.

Some people are so entitled...

If you would like to meet another time, please let me know. I was on the bus and I suddenly remembered that I was late for the interview, this was at 1:41 p.m.

The thing is, I am not interested in a full time position. I couldn't work on Wednesday or Thursday, because of my other job. If this doesn't meet your requirements, I understand.

The hours that were discussed (10:30 to 6:30) sound perfect for me, as I am not a morning person. Also, I am not too far away, making it very convenient.

Good luck finding someone to join your team."

This person is in for a rude awakening in "the real world."

The response pretty much scared me - the list of red flags just seems to go on and on. I'm really surprised just how out of touch this person is.

Can't be bothered to remember an interview

Doesn't want full time despite job being full time

Doesn't want to work mornings

Not sure if the 'good luck' is a threat or not

An offer had gone out to another candidate by 1:15."

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a Glassdoor review that had an unexpected impact on hiring.

Reddit users spoke up.

This person weighed in.

Another reader shared their thoughts.

This individual spoke up.

Wow...that is pretty shocking, isn't it?

As they say, good help is hard to find these days, and maybe this is part of the reason why.

A word to the wise for all the young people out there looking for jobs: show up early, be polite, and expect to DO SOME WORK.

Isn't that what a job is supposed to be for?

The entitlement of some people is simply mind-blowing! more

Career development

 1d

The Adult Gap Year Trend Is Here: Why Burned-Out Gen Z Is Hitting Pause on Careers and Traveling Instead


Burnout is no longer a problem to push through -- it's becoming the reason a growing number of young workers are walking away from their jobs entirely. Instead of waiting for retirement, Gen Z and millennials are taking what's known as an "adult gap year": A deliberate pause from career-building to travel, learn new skills and figure out what they actually want from life.

The shift matters now... because the workers driving it are the same ones companies are trying to hold onto. And the financial, emotional and professional stakes of taking -- or skipping -- an extended break are reshaping how a generation thinks about work.

What Is an Adult Gap Year?

An adult gap year functions as a kind of mini retirement. Much like a teenager might take time off before college, adults are using the period to slow down, reset and explore. It can last weeks, months or longer, and the goal is rarely another line on a résumé.

The trend has gained significant traction online, where the hashtag #adultgapyear on TikTok has accumulated thousands of videos of young people speaking out against hustle culture. In one viral TikTok video, a creator warned that "hustle culture is going to be the downfall of this generation." Another admitted she once viewed being constantly busy as "an aspirational status symbol."

Why Adult Gap Years Matter Now

The scale of burnout among younger workers is hard to ignore. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 74 percent of Gen Z and millennials report experiencing moderate to high levels of burnout. For many, an adult gap year is less a luxury choice than a necessary response to years of unsustainable working conditions.

Employees are signaling the same priorities in benefits data. In SHRM's 2025 benefits survey, leave was the second-highest priority for workers -- trailing only health benefits -- for the fourth year in a row. Yet paid sabbaticals remain rare in the U.S. Society for Human Resource Management data showed that five percent of companies offered them in 2019, rising to seven percent by 2023.

Can You Actually Afford an Adult Gap year?

The financial barrier is the first question most people ask. AJ Schneider, financial strategist and founder of Beyond The Green Coaching, argues that with planning, an adult gap year is achievable for more people than expect it to be.

"Getting your finances in order is so you can take huge leaps of faith in your life. It is not only so you can retire, buy a home, and make money in your sleep. It's so you can say, 'I am unhappy, and I'm safe to leave,'" she told The Post. "Every dollar you save is going to fund you in the future, get excited about what you'll be able to do with that money, versus feeling like your instant needs are more important."

Her math is straightforward: figure out where you want to go, estimate flights, accommodations, food and activities, then divide that total by the months you have to save.

What the Research Says About Taking a Break

The case for stepping away isn't just anecdotal. Organizational psychologist David Burkus, who began researching sabbaticals in 2015, says the benefits extend in both directions.

"People report better mental and physical health, increased confidence, and a greater sense of purpose after an extended break," Burkus told Business Insider. He also notes that teams left behind tend to cross-train, share knowledge and become less dependent on a few "indispensable" people.

A peer-reviewed study published in the Academy of Management in 2022 interviewed 50 professionals who had taken extended time off. All said they came back as better leaders.

DJ DiDonna, a senior lecturer at Harvard Business School and coauthor of the study, told Business Insider that everyone he interviewed wished they had taken one earlier. The best times for a sabbatical, he said, often coincide with natural life transitions -- a honeymoon, a newly empty nest or the "twilight career" stage before retirement.

For a generation already questioning the rules of work, the adult gap year is starting to look less like an escape and more like a strategy. more

Career development

 1d

Boss Fabricates Story About Employee's Schedule to Force a Shift Change -- Leaving Her Trapped in a Brutal Job Search Dilemma


Most people assume that what was agreed upon in a job interview is what actually shows up in the job -- and most of the time that assumption holds, but not in this story.

An employee six months into a new position found out the hard way that not everyone plays by those rules, when her manager told her boss that a major schedule change had been discussed and settled during the hiring process. The... catch? This was a complete lie.

Now she's facing a forced shift to 12-8 that would effectively erase her social life, with no clean way out and no unemployment safety net if she walks.

You'll want to read on for the full dilemma.

I work a job from 7:30-4:30 Monday-Friday, and I've been at this job for the last 6 months.

I come in today, and my boss pulls me into the meeting room and tells me that they are moving my schedule to 12-8 every day.

The boss then tries to gaslight this employee into thinking this was the plan all along.

The manager of the place told my boss that this was discussed in the interviewing portion, and I knew of it.

This is a lie.

So she soon reaches out to another contact to back her up.

I even texted my old boss, who was in all of my interviews.

He confirmed this was never talked about, confirming that the manager straight up lied to my boss.

She's now feeling like she has to take this less favorable schedule or face the consequences.

So if I don't take this change, I can't get unemployment, which is absolutely absurd to me.

I didn't want to go job searching again after it took 6 months to get this job, but I will have no choice.

Now she's feel incredibly hopeless.

It's gonna be awful working a 12-8, which pretty much destroys the usual social stuff and things I do on the weekdays.

Guess I don't get to have a social life and afford rent in this society.

It's one or the other, apparently.

It really is an unjust world we live in.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a Glassdoor review that had an unexpected impact on hiring.

What did Reddit have to say?

This company apparently is comfortable telling all sorts of lies.

This workplace may not have as much of an upper hand as they say they do.

Maybe it's worth it to bite her tongue for now until she can move on to something better.

It may not be the best situation, but there's still a way to make the most of it.

Many toxic workplaces count on one thing above everything else: that their employees are too tired, too broke, or too scared to push back.

This situation has all the hallmarks of a workplace that's used to getting away with it. A lie gets told, a schedule gets changed, and the employee is quietly handed an impossible choice with no clean exit.

What makes this one different is that the lie got caught. The former boss picked up the phone quickly, confirmed everything, and handed over exactly the kind of proof that should matter.

The maddening part is that it might not matter enough to change anything. She's not choosing between right and wrong here -- she already knows which one is which.

She's choosing between her income and her integrity, which is a choice nobody should have to make six months into a job. more

Career development

 1d

Creeped out by AI interviews? Get ready anyway


Companies say automated interviews help weed out low-intent and fraudulent applicants, but for many jobseekers the rise of chatbots in hiring feels more dystopian than efficient

Have you applied for a new job? If you've been shortlisted, get ready to be interviewed by artificial intelligence.

Deluged by a flood of AI-generated job applications from easy-apply job boards, recruiters are turning... to AI to cope. Companies are using chatbots to interview candidates, typically at the screening stage, through phone calls, text messaging or video chats avatars.

Recruiters have been using AI-powered hiring tools for years to assess job applicants, and their use has been expanding in step with technology advances.

Many people find AI job interviews unsettling, though the trend seems here to stay. According to recent research by hiring platform Glasshouse, more jobseekers are reporting they've faced AI job interviews. But many applicants have walked away from the hiring process because of it, which could be a sign that they're either creeped out, or they could be fraudulent or "low-intent," depending on who you ask.

Here's what to expect from an AI job interview and how to do your best.

Whatever the interview format, the fundamentals still apply, said Amanda Augustine, a career coach at Careerminds, which helps companies support laid-off workers with resume writing and job search services.

Ahead of the interview, review the job description, research the organization, and understand what it's looking for.

If you've never done an AI job interview before, the first time could be unnerving or unsettling.

I did a demo AI interview set up by Netherlands-based TestGorilla, one of numerous platforms providing recruitment tools for companies. First came two sets of questions, one that tested problem-solving skills and another gauging work experience. Then I faced an AI-generated female face.

"My goal is to learn more about you and the experiences, skills and competencies that you might bring to this role," it said, adding that I should plan to spend about two minutes to answer each of three questions.

Unlike a human interview, there was no warm-up chit-chat, no chance to build a rapport. There was no point in smiling or trying to break the ice.

Experts say the best way to get over that is preparation.

"You need to practice out loud," said Priya Rathod, workplace trends editor at online job board Indeed. "And when I say practice out loud, I mean, say the actual answers out loud," because the chatbot needs to record what you're saying, she said.

Also keep in mind you're providing information about yourself to a machine, not having a conversation.

"You have to be particularly descriptive and a very clear communicator in your language so that they can pick up on things that a regular interviewer might pick up through your facial expressions and tone," Rathod said.

An AI interviewer "cares less about my tone and more about what it is that I'm saying," she added.

Use an online interview simulator to prep -- there are many available. They can record your answers and provide instant feedback on your content, delivery or pacing. They'll also help you get used to speaking into a camera, manage time limits and give your answers in a structured way without the natural back-and-forth of a live conversation, Augustine said.

GET READY FOR BEHAVIORAL QUESTIONS

For my demo interview, the AI grilled me for a communications professional role.

One question it asked was how I use AI in my "workflow," including examples of both success and failure. When I replied that I saved lots of time with an AI transcription tool for interviews and other recordings, it summarized my answer and then asked me if I wanted to add anything else. I wasn't sure whether I had answered satisfactorily.

I scored "below average" on this question, according to TestGorilla's assessment, which said I provided "no concrete metric" such as minutes saved. "The improvement claim is therefore vague," it said.

AI interviewers are asking these "behavioral questions" because they want candidates to provide examples of how they handled specific work situations, complete with numbers and metrics, Rathod said.

"Those are the kinds of questions that AI relies heavily on. And the trap that we see a lot of people falling into is giving really vague answers," she said.

Candidates should still rely on tried and tested tactics like the STAR method -- short for situation, task, action, result.

So be prepared to talk about a specific work situation and the task assigned to you, the action that you took, and the result, Rathod said.

"You want to use numbers as much as possible. Even if you're not in a revenue driving role, there are ways in which you can say (how) you influenced something or

SETUP STILL MATTERS

Don't neglect the physical setup of your desk and computer -- it's still important even if the video-based interview is with AI, and not a person.

Test your audio and video in advance. Make sure the lighting is bright enough and is on your face. Raise your laptop to eye level so that you're not looking down at the camera.

"Small adjustments, such as using a stack of books or a ring light, can make a noticeable difference in how polished and professional you present," Augustine said.

Don't be tempted to use AI shortcuts

Jobseekers might be tempted to use AI to help come up with answers. After all, they're so easy to use and if you're not talking to a human, no one will be able to tell, right?

"That's a big no-no because it's pretty obvious" to both the AI interviewing tool and anyone who might review the recording, said Rathod. Using AI for your answers "can sometimes immediately disqualify you."

If you're having difficulty answering, you can always ask it to clarify or repeat the question.

The question might even be designed to figure out if you're using AI to cheat. TestGorilla's head of marketing, Mehak Chowdhary, said it sometimes poses simple questions worded in a very convoluted way.

"We do that intentionally to understand whether you are running an AI alongside, because the AI will then try and optimize for the length of the question," she said. "But if you know your skill set, you will understand what's being asked.

"And we strongly recommend candidates put the AI devices aside. This is a test of your capability." more

Career development

 1d

the interns I'm mentoring don't want my help


I am mentoring my third summer intern (in a company program that assigns mentors and mentees), and I'm facing a frustrating trend: none of them seem to want my help.

I want to be a supportive mentor, but I keep running into walls. My current intern spends our 1-on-1s exclusively selling himself, never asking questions or listening. My previous intern refused to practice her end-of-summer... presentation with me or take my feedback before pitching to executives. The intern before that turned down a great internal job interview because the role wasn't "perfect."

Given how tough the entry-level market is right now, I'm confused by the resistance. Is there a new professional dynamic with Gen Z interns that I'm failing to understand, or have I just hit a bizarre statistical anomaly? How do you mentor people who don't seem to want it?

I don't think it's new -- I've been getting letters with similar themes since time immemorial (i.e., 2007). It's not generational; it's about inexperience and lack of professional judgment borne of that inexperience.

When you initially meet with the interns, make sure you're laying out what you can offer, how your meetings should work, and what you should both expect from the time together. (Ideally your company would also be doing that before these meetings ever happen.) From there, it's really up to them whether they want to take advantage of the time.

It's okay for the intern who didn't want to practice her presentation or take your feedback to make that call -- although at that point I'd ask her how the time could be useful to her and what she'd like to get out of your meetings.

With the guy who's spending the time selling himself, interject! You're the mentor and you're allowed to have input into how your time is used. It's okay for you to say, "The best way for us to use this time is XYZ, so before we next meet, spend some time thinking about questions about your work or company culture that you'd like us to discuss." And then if he keeps pitching himself anyway, you can interject and explicitly redirect him.

But also, talk to whoever organizes your company's mentoring program and tell them what your experience has been so far. They may have guidance for how you should handle it, and they might want to be alerted when it happens so they can check in with the interns. They also might be able to change how they're presenting the program so that interns are going in with a better understanding of how it's expected to work. more

Career development

 1d

Bengaluru Start-Up 'Skillsurger' Launches AI Career Agent to Close the Gap Between Ambition and Opportunity


Early beta users report 40 % faster interview call-backs; the company opens public sign-ups today with a free seven-day trial.

Bangalore (Karnataka) [India] : When Ananya Iyer lost her job as a marketing associate in last year's round of tech layoffs, she faced the familiar whirl of résumé rewrites, online courses and marathon interview prep. "It felt like a full-time job just managing my job... search," she recalls. Two months later, she joined the closed beta of Skillsurger.com, an AI-powered career agent that promised to diagnose her skill gaps, redesign her CV, and rehearse interviews -- using the same large-language-model technology popularised by ChatGPT. Within three weeks, she had two offers on the table, one at a 22 % salary bump.

Stories like Iyer's are beginning to surface across LinkedIn and Reddit, and they underpin the quiet arrival of Skillsurger's public launch this week. Founded by Apeksha Gupta, a Bengaluru-based tech professional, the start-up sits at the junction of generative AI and professional development -- an intersection investors have tipped as the next billion-dollar SaaS frontier.

"A CV is just data until someone contextualises it," says Gupta.

"Our agent learns who you are, where you want to go, then reverse-engineers the fastest path."

From Generic Job Boards to Precision Career Maps

Unlike conventional job portals, Skillsurger begins with a 30-second profile scan. Users upload a résumé; the platform's proprietary AI technology converts it to a web profile, which can be enhanced based on career path and job of interest or AI-suggested.

That gap analysis powers four signature tools:

During its last-month invite-only beta, the platform attracted 5,000 users -- largely mid-career professionals in tech, finance and product management. According to internal telemetry shared with reporters, the median user secured an interview 14 days sooner than the control cohort that relied on conventional job-board alerts.

Why Now?

Industry analysts say the timing is ripe. A recent Deloitte study notes that 63% of professionals plan to change jobs in 2024-25, yet only 11% feel "well equipped" for the search. Meanwhile, corporate L&D budgets continue to fragment across MOOCs, bootcamps and internal academies, leaving workers to stitch together their own upskilling roadmaps.

"We're seeing the unbundling of the career ladder," explains Dr. Ritu Kataria, Future-of-Work researcher

"Tools that recombine discovery, learning and placement into a single flow will dominate the next cycle."

A Business Model that Starts Free -- But Values Commitment

Skillsurger adopts a freemium strategy: a seven-day unrestricted trial, then ₹ 860 per month (≈ $10) for unlimited job matches, CV rewrites and interview sessions. For enterprise clients, the company quietly rolled out a SaaS tier that charges per employee, already piloted by two Indian IT services firms looking to streamline internal mobility.

Gupta insists the pricing is intentional: "We wanted to be cheaper than a single session with a human career coach, yet sticky enough that users commit to their growth."

Early Success and What's Next

* 40 % reduction in average time-to-interview among beta cohort

* 98 % CV rewrite satisfaction (in-app NPS survey)

* First enterprise deal signed in Q2 2025, covering 1200 learners

Next on the roadmap: multi-lingual support (Hindi, etc) and a Chrome extension that grades job descriptions in-line and flags instant fit scores.

For professionals reconsidering their next move -- or companies seeking to future-proof their workforce -- Skillsurger may be worth a test-drive. The team is capping its discounted plan at the end of the month; after that, pricing is expected to rise.

Prospective users can explore the full feature set at skillsurger.com, where sign-up takes less than a minute and no credit card is required for the initial trial. If the platform delivers on its early promise, scrolling LinkedIn might feel a little less daunting -- and that following interview a lot more attainable. more

Career development

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Pilates Parties and Swingy Men


Olandria is the latest face of MAC Cosmetics; Gracie Abrams is going on tour; all signs point to a Phoebe Bridgers fall (the season, not the demise); Cooper Hoffman has been cast as the lead of the new Hulu drama pilot Durango; and filmmaker Curry Barker -- who made 100 times the budget of Obsession -- just got an eight-figure offer for his next movie.

A $300-A-MONTH GYM IS GEN Z'S SOCIAL CLUB,... bloomberg

The notion that Gen Z is "trading boozy brunch for spin class" is well-documented at this point, but what stood out to me in Bloomberg's reporting is that premium gyms and boutique studios have replaced not just bars but also restaurants and offices, emerging as a third place. At London's Sentiré Pilates, founder Iza Recelj says younger clients are booking the whole studio for birthday parties and bachelorettes, staying after class for mocktails or food. "Every friendship I have now, no matter what phase of my life I met them, we always say, 'Let's go take a class' instead of let's go to drinks or dinner," said 26-year-old Manhattan resident Olivia Antonelli. According to Mintel, 77% of U.S. Gen Z consumers say they're more focused on wellness than a year ago, 30% say they're spending more on gym memberships and classes than a year ago, and 45% report actively prioritizing physical fitness. Nicolette Brewer, a 25-year-old tech consultant living in the West Village, spends $500 a month across Equinox, SoulCycle, and a Pilates-barre studio called the Silhouette Method; fittingly, she met her boyfriend at a run club.

'INSTAGRAM TRULY IS THE NEW LINKEDIN': WHY GEN Z IS USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO GET HIRED, theguardian

In early February, the Boston Globe reported that Hinge is the new LinkedIn, and a few weeks later, Fast Company declared that Tinder is the new LinkedIn. Now, The Guardian would like us to know that Instagram is the new LinkedIn. Anya Roodnitsky, 22, a Dartmouth senior, filmed herself reformatting her résumé into a PowerPoint deck after 300 applications went unanswered, describing a $6,000 grant to model nuclear reactors as "I'm, like, super cool. I'm basically Oppenheimer." The 94-second video drew over 500,000 views, 52 coffee chats, 20 referrals, 10 interviews, and one offer as a solar analyst. Short-form video is "essentially becoming extensions of Gen Z's résumés," said Vicki Salemi, a talent strategist at Monster.

THE DESPAIR OF THE PROFESSOR IN THE AGE OF A.I., newyorker

AI is now rampant on college campuses, even as the same students boo every commencement speaker who reminds them that AI is rampant in the real world. Jay Caspian Kang spoke to a dozen educators at U.S. colleges about how their jobs have been reshaped by AI cheating: Religious studies professor Jane Sloan Peters said her "Letters from Prison" course used to culminate in students stressing over synthesizing themes from the assigned texts, but last year, none of her 60 students struggled at all, sending in "tidy" submissions that read like book-jacket blurbs. She got choked up in class, grieving the loss of that struggle, and said relief now washes over her when she sees misspellings and bad grammar. Theatre professor Neal Hebert said papers on August Wilson's "Fences" arrived in "that inimitable ChatGPT style" -- "elevator muzak, but in words" -- and he now assigns obscure plays the model hasn't been trained on. "Was it always the case that half of our students would cheat if it were easy enough?" asked history professor David Roach, who says he has seen a "shocking and discouraging amount of A.I." from students.

IS AI PUTTING GRADUATES OUT OF WORK ALREADY?, economist

Less than a fifth of the class of 2026 think it's a good time to find a good job, the lowest share in over a decade and well below the more-than-a-quarter figure for Americans overall. Recent graduates are now likelier to be unemployed than the average American, and a slump in on-campus recruiting isn't helping -- job postings on Handshake are 50% below their 2022 peak. "It's grim," one professor said of the job market. The Economist's analysis of a decade of National Association of Colleges and Employers surveys delivered a chart headlined "Forget Python, study Plato": between 2022 and 2024, graduates in the least AI-exposed quintile -- philosophy, education, civil engineering -- saw full-time employment drop just 1.5 percentage points, while those in the most exposed fields -- computer science, computer engineering, information science -- fell 6.6 points.

'UP FOR GRABS': CAN DEMOCRATS SWAY YOUNG MEN WHO HAVE SOURED ON TRUMP?, nytimes

Young men swung 15 points right in 2024, but Trump's approval among them has fallen about 10 points in recent months, per NYT/Siena polls. In two dozen interviews across seven states, Gen Z men described disillusionment with Trump's tariffs, immigration raids, and the Iran war alongside skepticism of Democrats, whom they see as "clinical" and "unwelcoming." "Both parties kind of get it wrong," said Vincent McKibben, 25, an Austin hardware engineer. Jared Cassell, 25, a Phoenix server who regrets his Trump vote, said, "It feels like nobody really cares about me." Richard Reeves, the president of the American Institute for Boys and Men, is "exasperated" by the assumption that all young men are now Trump-supporting, Andrew Tate-worshipping misogynists. "Maybe," Mr. Reeves said, "they're actually really swingy and up for grabs." more

Career development

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I tried the Leeds service helping women conquer the job market - and left empowered


The mission of Smart Works Leeds is simple: provide women with the coaching, clothing, and confidence they need to secure employment and thrive in the workplace.

The charity helps clients prepare for job interviews by providing a career coaching session and bespoke dressing service, all free of charge.

Now, as the latest figures reveal that 16.2% of 16-24 year olds are unemployed, the work of... Smart Works Leeds is particularly relevant to my generation.

That's exactly why I decided to try it out - as I visited the Leeds centre to get a taste of the comprehensive service.

Smart Works Leeds is based on the fourth floor of Unit 1 of Mabgate Mills, which is around a fifteen-minute walk from Leeds city centre.

When I walked in through the charity's doors, I felt instantly welcomed. The space is bright, inviting, and full of friendly faces. Seeking career support can be intimidating because it requires you to put yourself out there, but Smarts Works Leeds creates an environment to put you at ease.

My first task was to complete a questionnaire, which included some details about my demographic background and why I was seeking support. I filled out the short answers with a comforting cup of tea in my hand.

The comprehensive approach ensures that the appointment is tailored for you and I think this is what makes it so effective.

From there, it was on to my one-hour dressing appointment with volunteer dresser Stefanie Shaw. We headed to the office's wardrobe section, where you can see rails upon rails of donated clothes from brands including Boden, New Look, and Whistles. What stands out is the variety, as clothes of every colour, size, and style hang across the room.

To make sure I found an outfit which would fit my style as well as size, we began by talking through what kind of clothes I think best suit me and for what kind of interview I would need them for. Stefanie made mental notes and quickly got to work while I got to sit, relax, and sip some more tea.

She returned with a personalised rail and let me pick and choose what I liked and what I didn't like (and no offence was taken by the rejected suggestions). After picking my favourite options, I went to a private space where I could get changed and see if the clothes on the hangers lived up to the hype.

In this space, I noticed a box of toiletries with an instruction to take whatever you need, which I felt was a lovely and subtle extra helping hand.

Trying on the clothes was a really interesting experience and the results surprised me. As I stepped out to the big mirror to see how I looked, I had a chance to slowly evaluate how I feel in myself and what clothes give me the most confidence.

My favourite clothes weren't what I expected.

Going into this, I thought I'd leave with something in blue or black, like most of my wardrobe, but a pink dress pushed me out of my comfort zone and, strangely, I enjoyed this. It felt like me.

Once I'd picked my dress, we played around with accessories to complete my outfit. This consisted of shoes, a blazer, and a bag to make me fully interview-ready. Picking and choosing was a playful and fun experience that really gave me the opportunity to try completely new things.

Another surprise was that after the dressing service, each Smart Works Leeds client is invited to pick a pamper-style gift. The charity recognises that looking after yourself is a crucial part of interview preparation and this small gift is a fantastic way to show this. Smart Works Leeds celebrates self-care - as to be your best self in an interview, you have to feel like your best self.

After choosing some cleaning mitts from Revolution Skincare London (though I was heavily tempted by the Lush bath bombs), it was on to my career coaching session with volunteer interview coach Karen Rolinson and shadow coach Gemma Heron-Brown.

We sat in a soundproof booth to create a relaxed environment, so I felt at ease. I think this is important because even practising interview questions with someone can be a vulnerable experience as you talk about your greatest strengths and weaknesses. It was great how Karen and Gemma ensured this setting felt approachable so I could learn as much as possible.

We began by talking through my CV, which I'd sent over in advance. This was really useful to identify where I was underselling myself and how exactly I could improve. In high school, I remember having one class about writing a CV back when I'd only had one Saturday job, but as times have changed since then and my experiences have too, I've never learned how to update my structure.

Karen and Gemma advised that the best CV is tailored to the job you're applying for and shows off how you are the candidate they are looking for. As well as this, a great CV should highlight your achievements rather than shy away from them. In short, if you are proud of something, shout about it. Smart Works Leeds gives you the confidence to do this.

We then moved on to exploring what an interview might be like and how to best present yourself. In the booth, we practised questions so they won't be as frightening in the future. Karen and Gemma used what they've learned from their experiences to help me.

They gave an invaluable tip: the best interview answers for questions that ask for anecdotes use the STAR method, where you detail the situation, the task, the action, and the result. They also gave great advice on body language and active listening to ensure that even when you're not speaking, you are still making a great impression.

What felt most apparent in my career coaching session was that it was a supportive setting. Their insight always came with compliments to ensure I could recognise what I was doing well, as well as what I needed to improve on. This is what made the session the ultimate confidence boost for my next job interview.

When the session finished, I was able to take home an interview guide with more top tips and tricks that I could look back on closer to an interview date.

After completing a post-service questionnaire, I left Smart Works Leeds with a feeling that the world is my oyster. In just two hours, the charity had given me a renewed faith that the job market is mine to conquer.

Over the past 10 years, 35,000 people supported by Smart Works have secured employment. The charity has a formula that works and it was really insightful to see how it works first-hand.

Smart Works Leeds accepts client referrals from any service that helps a woman into employment - including job centres, employability schemes, refuges, and other charities. It doesn't matter if you're recently unemployed or are looking to return to work after a long career gap; this is a charity in the heart of Leeds which is looking to help you succeed.

It was a joy to visit Smart Works Leeds and I truly believe the career coaching and dressing session will have a lasting impact on my working future. In just two hours, they provided me with tools that may just change my life. more

Career development

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Influential Women Profiles: Dana Crumity, HR and Operations Strategist Driving People and Culture Excellence


CORAL SPRINGS, FL, UNITED STATES, May 28, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Empowering Organizations Through People-First Leadership, Strategic HR, Talent Development, and Operational Excellence

Coral Springs, Florida -- Dana Crumity, B.B.A., is a seasoned People & Culture leader, operations strategist, and human resources executive whose career has been defined by her passion for helping people grow... while strengthening organizational performance. With more than 18 years of experience spanning human resources, operations management, recruiting, employee engagement, and business strategy, Dana has established herself as a collaborative and people-centered leader dedicated to building thriving workplace cultures and sustainable organizational success.

Currently serving as Director of Human Resources at Carey & Co, Dana oversees HR operations across multiple corporations following acquisitions, managing recruiting initiatives, employee development programs, leadership coaching, and consulting efforts. Her role requires balancing operational efficiency with employee engagement, ensuring organizations have the systems, leadership structures, and workplace cultures necessary to grow effectively and sustainably.

Dana's career journey began in retail, where she first discovered her passion for the people side of business. Early experiences in recruiting and talent development quickly revealed her natural ability to connect with individuals, identify potential, and create environments in which employees could succeed both professionally and personally. From there, her career expanded into increasingly strategic leadership roles, including regional recruiting for GEICO and later serving as Director of Operations for a digital art space, overseeing multiple locations, including New York.

Across both nonprofit and for-profit sectors, Dana has consistently focused on improving operations, implementing process efficiencies, building strong teams, and developing talent pipelines that support long-term organizational growth. Her leadership style combines operational insight with a coaching-oriented mindset, allowing her to guide both organizations and individuals through periods of transition, expansion, and professional development.

One of Dana's defining professional strengths is her ability to see human resources not simply as an administrative department, but as a strategic driver of organizational success. She believes the employee experience -- from onboarding through long-term career development -- plays a direct role in shaping business performance, culture, retention, and overall organizational effectiveness.

As a professional health and life coach, Dana incorporates coaching principles into nearly every aspect of her work. She emphasizes employee engagement, career development, onboarding, communication, and leadership alignment as critical touchpoints that help organizations create stronger and more connected teams. Her work focuses heavily on helping individuals gain confidence, recognize their potential, and move beyond limitations they may place on themselves professionally.

A graduate of the University of Miami and a member of the Society for Human Resource Management, Dana combines analytical business understanding with emotional intelligence and strategic leadership. Her ability to bridge operational strategy with human-centered leadership has made her a trusted advisor within the organizations she supports.

Dana attributes much of her success to learning to trust her instincts and refusing to second-guess herself. She believes intuition became especially important after navigating a difficult period in her life that forced her to recognize she already possessed the clarity and direction she needed internally. Since then, she has committed herself to trusting her judgment and moving forward confidently without allowing fear or outside opinions to override her instincts.

At the heart of Dana's work has always been a genuine passion for people. She speaks enthusiastically about the joy she experiences bringing new employees into organizations, guiding them through the hiring process, and watching their confidence and excitement grow from the first interview through becoming valued members of a team. For Dana, one of the most rewarding aspects of leadership is helping people evolve professionally beyond what they may have originally believed possible for themselves.

Some of her proudest accomplishments involve helping build and develop teams within the digital art industry. She played a major role in opening the organization's New York location, an achievement she still views as deeply meaningful. However, what brings her the greatest fulfillment is not simply opening locations or driving operational growth -- it is seeing the people she hired, trained, mentored, and promoted continue succeeding years later.

Dana takes particular pride in watching former employees she developed continue leading high-performing teams today, including individuals who began as volunteers before eventually advancing into management and executive leadership roles. Seeing those individuals flourish independently remains one of the most rewarding aspects of her career and reflects the coaching-centered leadership philosophy she brings into every organization she serves.

The best career advice Dana received came from leaders who modeled people-first leadership and demonstrated how human resources can serve as a true strategic function rather than simply an administrative necessity. Through those examples, she learned that when organizations prioritize supporting and developing employees, businesses themselves become stronger, healthier, and more successful.

Dana now shares that same philosophy with young women entering the workforce. She encourages women to trust themselves fully, avoid second-guessing their instincts, and remain confident in their goals even when others question or dismiss them. According to Dana, many ambitious ideas initially seem unrealistic until someone successfully brings them to life. She strongly believes people often already possess the answers they need internally and simply need the courage to trust themselves enough to move forward.

She is especially passionate about mentoring and supporting young Black women in professional spaces, recognizing the importance of mentorship, representation, and having trusted individuals to turn to for guidance and encouragement. Dana hopes to continue serving as both a resource and a safe space for women navigating career growth and leadership development.

One of the biggest challenges Dana sees within the HR profession today is that many organizations still underestimate the strategic value human resources can provide. She believes too many companies continue viewing HR primarily as an administrative or compliance-focused department rather than recognizing its role in driving culture, leadership development, employee engagement, retention, and long-term organizational success.

The values most important to Dana revolve around people, growth, authenticity, and community. Professionally, she is deeply motivated by helping individuals thrive, gain confidence, and reach levels of success beyond what they originally envisioned for themselves. Personally, she values connection, balance, and experiences that bring joy and fulfillment.

Outside of work, Dana enjoys Pilates, reading, music, brunch with friends, and spending time with family and community. Having grown up as a competitive dancer, movement has remained an important part of her life, and she describes herself as someone deeply connected to the ocean and water, often joking that she is "actually a mermaid." For Dana, moments of togetherness, celebration, and connection remain among the most meaningful parts of life.

Through her leadership, coaching, and people-first approach, Dana Crumity continues helping organizations grow stronger while empowering individuals to thrive personally, professionally, and confidently within every stage of their careers.

Learn More about Dana Crumity:

Through her Influential Women profile, https://influentialwomen.com/connect/Dana-Crumity, or through her profile on Carey & Co, https://teamcarey.com/staff/dana-crumity/

Influential Women

Influential Women provides a platform where women from all backgrounds can connect, share their perspectives, and create content that empowers themselves and others. Through storytelling, thought leadership, and creative expression, Influential Women amplifies voices that inspire change.

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Influential Women

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