Career development

Jamie Bowen

1d

I hired a new team member, he’s about 40. At the interview he seemed polite and easy to talk to, and for the first two weeks he worked well with clients. But lately he’s been getting more and more irritable, and even started snapping at customers. I understand he might be tired from a new job, but I’m not sure, will he settle down soon? Or will it get worse, and should I start looking for someone... who handles people better?
What do you think?

more

1

Nelly Zuma
1h
Schedule a meeting with your Employee and let him debrief, he might be going through something that is affecting his mental health.
Emmanuel MBONIMPAYE
4h
Don’t replace him yet—but don’t “hope it fixes itself” either. Have the conversation now, set clear expectations, and give him a short period to... improve (e.g., 1–2 weeks). His response will tell you whether to invest in him or start looking for someone else. more
1

Anonymous member

Career development

1w

I had a job interview yesterday and most of the questions weren’t about my experience or skills, but about my personal life. They asked about my boyfriend, our plans and even our intimate relationship. I’m shocked. Is it normal to ask things like that?
I feel really uncomfortable and gross after they basically dug into my private life

3

Abdul-Salaam Sulemana
2d
Next time just let the interviewer know his or her limits. Remind or inform him for this was a disrespect and unprofessional.
Kahutia Hernandez
3d
Hi there. How are you doing today. I just need a lil’ help connecting me to your school colleagues 🔴. I wanna assist them to crush their assignments... and get top grades ‘cause I’m solid in:

Marketing
Psychology
Econometrics
Social work
Nursing/Health Sciences
Engineering
Business/Management
English/Literature/Creative Writing

You wanna hook me up with them so I can help ‘em soar with my assignment writing skills.

Regards more

Career development

11h

Is your teen struggling to find a job? Here's how you can help

It's a question I've heard from my kids more than once after they've experienced the disappointment of unsuccessful job applications: "Dad, can you help me with my résumé?"

Rejection is tough, especially when you're doing all the right things and employment prospects don't turn out despite repeated attempts. It happens in the publishing industry I work in, too: A writer can send a publisher a... great query letter that checks all the boxes - great hook, it's personalized, articulates the genre and word count, lists comparable titles - and not get published; often, they never even hear back. That's the reality many youth face, with summer fast approaching and employment scarce. It's tough to explain why they're not getting hired when they have done everything well - written a cover letter, tailored the résumé to the job, and followed up with the right person.

I know this is not an isolated concern. It's a struggle that's showing up in many households. In March, the unemployment rate among youth aged 15-24 was 13.8 per cent, about double the national average (across all age groups) of 6.7 per cent, according to Statistics Canada.

There are several contributing factors, from labour shifts following the COVID-19 pandemic to higher employer expectations and fewer entry-level openings. I remember my first job at a community centre canteen in Winnipeg. It was a straightforward role, and it gave me a little extra spending money. Now, those kinds of starter positions often require prior experience. But how can a teen who has not previously had a job have experience? The first step into work is no longer built for beginners.

What should you say to teens feeling pressured to fit in?

I don't think it's an issue of motivation. From what I see, for the most part, teenagers are trying. And just like for new writers trying to break into publishing, it's hard for young job seekers not to take silence or rejection personally. Of course, as parents, we have to temper expectations, and rejection is a reality of life. But rejection hits different when there hasn't been a first yes, and repeated failure without feedback can erode confidence.

What can you do when your child is doing everything they can to land some kind of entry-level job, but keeps running into a brick wall? Maybe the answer is to simply encourage persistence while having empathy as they navigate rejection.

You can also step in and offer practical support where appropriate. When your kid asks for help with a résumé, it's easy to look it over and do some editing. You could suggest places that might be hiring or put them in touch with people in your own network willing to share career advice.

In a tight job market where the rules have changed, how we support youth on the path to employment may have to change, too. Here are a few other ways to do that.

Have a conversation with your teen about how there is more competition and are fewer roles available. In that chat, try to separate the effort they are putting into their job search from the outcome of rejection or silence. In this way, they can maintain realistic expectations while reducing difficult emotions such as self-blame.

Make the process visible

Get involved with the job search without taking away a teen's agency or independence. Look through postings of potential jobs together, and in so doing, see if you can help them identify requirements they might be missing and need to work on. This is also an opportunity to point out that if they are not successful, it's more about fit or timing than anything to do with them as a person. This turns discouragement into encouragement, and they're more likely to keep searching.

Adjust the strategy, not the effort

With publishing, it never really works to send a query and sample writing to a bunch of different publishers, hoping that something will hit. The same is true for a job search. Encourage your teen to target applications to job postings that are a good match for their education, experience and interests; it's not about volume. You can also suggest little shifts in approach, such as how and when to follow up, or how to prepare for an interview.

Protect confidence during silence

As an overthinker myself, I read into almost everything. I'm hardwired to do it, even though I've learned to manage the tendency. For young applicants, not getting a response can be difficult, and acknowledging that difficulty is important so they can avoid over-interpreting rejection. It's very likely not about them, and you can help by focusing feedback on controllable factors: tweaking the résumé, finding more suitable targets for searches, or working on a cover letter.

Acknowledge small wins

Any sort of progress is a step in the right direction, and sometimes the small things are what you can build on. Nurture a sense of accomplishment in your teen for applying to a job or getting a response (even if it's not the kind they were looking for), or celebrate the fact they got an interview, whether it led to them getting a job offer or not. Spend time breaking down what went well in the interview and what they might do differently next time. Emphasizing exposure instead of immediate success can go a long way.

Searching for a job, for a teen, may not look the way it used to. The path isn't as clear, the barriers are a little higher, and the first step isn't as simple. But they're still trying to take it. So, maybe our role isn't only to help them get there, but to make sure they keep going when the road gets rocky. more

Charity Koech
3h
This has been very helpfull.Thanks.

Ronan Lenoble

Career development

11h

Can you give me some advice? My boss comes to me many times a day and keeps asking if I’ll finish my tasks on time. I always say yes as I’ve never missed a deadline. But his questions distract me and make me stressed.
I tried telling him he doesn’t need to check on me so much, but it didn’t help. How can I politely ask him to stop?

Naomi Davidson
4h
Why dont you suggest to him when you're finished with your tasks you will report to him or offer to make a check off list that will reflect the tasks... are done . more
1
Patricia Wideman
5h
Distract

Career development

9h

Is a 2.1 GPA Good Enough for Your Future Success?

When it comes to academic performance, many students wonder, "Is a 2.1 GPA good?" The answer can vary depending on several factors, such as individual goals, the specific requirements of future career paths, and the expectations within your field of interest. Understanding how a 2.1 GPA might affect your future success can provide clarity as you plan your next steps in education or career... development.

Is a 2.1 GPA Good?

A 2.1 GPA may appear modest, especially in a competitive academic landscape. However, it represents a foundation that can be built upon with determination and strategic planning. It's essential to look at the broader picture when assessing the impact of a 2.1 GPA on your future. Factors such as extracurricular activities, work experience, and personal achievements play a crucial role in complementing your GPA.

Implications for Higher Education

For students planning to further their education, a 2.1 GPA could present challenges in meeting the admission criteria of some universities, particularly more selective institutions. Nonetheless, some colleges may offer opportunities with a 2.1 GPA, especially if other aspects of your application are strong. To strengthen your application, consider seeking guidance for improving your studies and enhancing your application.

Career Considerations

When entering the workforce, employers often look beyond GPA, focusing on skills, experiences, and personal qualities. A 2.1 GPA might not limit opportunities if you can showcase strengths in problem-solving, teamwork, and communication. Developing a robust resume and gaining practical experience through internships or volunteering can significantly impact career prospects.

Strategies for Improvement

If you're concerned about your academic performance, consider strategies for improvement. Seek academic support, engage more actively with your coursework, and employ time management techniques to enhance your study habits. These efforts can lead to a more robust GPA and better opportunities.

Building a Strong Profile

Your GPA is just a part of your overall educational profile. Highlighting strengths in other areas can create a well-rounded application. Examples include leadership roles, community service, and special projects. Balancing academics with these activities demonstrates versatility and commitment.

Understanding the Big Picture

While GPA is a vital metric, it's not the sole determinant of success. Focusing on personal development, lifelong learning, and embracing challenges can lead to a fulfilling career. Remember that education is a journey; setbacks can provide valuable learning experiences.

Future Success and a 2.1 GPA

Ending with the question, "Is a 2.1 GPA good for future success?" it's clear that while a 2.1 GPA might not meet criteria for some educational paths or jobs directly, it is not a barrier to success if leveraged wisely. Continual growth, resilience, and a keen focus on personal goals can transform a modest GPA into the first step toward a promising future.

For additional insights, you can refer to this Wikipedia article on education for broader context on academic pathways.

* A 2.1 GPA is a starting point, not an endpoint.

* GPA is one of several factors in education and career planning.

* Enhancing other aspects of your profile can open new opportunities.

* Employers value skills and experience alongside academic performance.

* Continuous improvement and adaptability are key to future success.

FAQ

What is a 2.1 GPA equivalent to in letter grades?

A 2.1 GPA typically corresponds to a C or C- average, depending on your institution's grading scale.

Can you get into college with a 2.1 GPA?

Yes, some colleges accept students with a 2.1 GPA, particularly if other elements of the application, like extracurriculars or letters of recommendation, are strong.

How can a student improve their GPA?

Students can improve their GPA by seeking academic support, employing better study techniques, and focusing on time management.

Does a GPA of 2.1 affect job prospects?

While a GPA is considered, many employers prioritize skills and relevant experience. Building a strong skill set can offset a lower GPA.

Is a 2.1 GPA the end of the road academically?

No, a 2.1 GPA is not the end. With determination and a focus on continual improvement, students can elevate their academic standing and open new opportunities. more

Career development

11h

Modern Combination Resume Rebuild

I'm ready to refresh my professional image and need a resume expert who can merge the content in my current résumé with the details published at [login to view URL] The finished document must follow a COMBINATION format that blends a concise work history with a strong skills-focused section, all presented in a modern, sleek layout that meets today's industry standards. Here's what I need from you:... * Extract every relevant metric, achievement, and project reference from the website above and my existing résumé. * Reorganize that information into a clear combination structure -- top-loaded summary and key skills, followed by reverse-chronological experience. * Design a clean, contemporary template that balances white space, typographic hierarchy, and subtle color accents (no flashy graphics). * Deliver both a ready-to-send PDF and an editable file (Word or Google Docs -- whichever you prefer) so I can tweak it later. I will share my current résumé once we start. When you respond, briefly highlight your experience crafting modern combination résumés; samples or a short explanation of similar projects is enough. more

Career development

12h

Apex Innovations and Marketing, Inc. Expands Business Growth With North Carolina Office

Career development

12h

Making the Shift from Individual Contributor to Leader

ALISON BEARD: Welcome to HBR On Leadership. I'm HBR Executive Editor Alison Beard. On this show, we share case studies and conversations with the world's top business and management experts, hand-selected to help you unlock the best in those around you. We carefully curate this feed from across the HBR portfolio, aiming to help you unlock your next level of leadership.

NICOLE TORRES: And I'm... Nicole Torres. Making the transition from being one of many on a team, an individual contributor, a follower, however you like to think of that role, to being a leader, is a process. It's a process of not just convincing other people to see us as leaders, but also of convincing ourselves that we can and should lead. This episode, we are going to be exploring this process of becoming a leader, including the soul searching that women in particular often have to do to get there.

AMY GALLO: Our guests are experts on leadership development and friends of the show. You might remember Muriel Wilkins from our episode on visibility and Amy Su from our episode on claiming credit. They founded the executive coaching firm Paravis Partners and wrote a book together called Own The Room. And Amy Su just came out with a new book, The Leader You Want to Be. Amy and Muriel. Thank you so much for joining us.

AMY GALLO: Do you remember the first time that you were being seen as a leader? But like the moment you realized, oh, actually other people see me as a leader.

MURIEL WILKINS: It was my first supervisory job, which looking back now, I was thrusted into this role and having to supervise individuals who are far more experienced than I was. And while I knew that I was there as a supervisor and as a manager, I certainly didn't see myself as a leader, but everybody else did. And it took a couple of, a couple of big fails for me to step into the leadership role and recognize that it was much more than just making sure that people were doing what they were supposed to be doing. So I do remember it. And now in hindsight, probably a little bit more painfully than I'd like to.

AMY GALLO: How about you, Amy Su?

AMY GALLO: There was a day when I had really lost it on somebody who worked with me. And, you know, later when I debriefed with that person and you realized how much you were able to cause a bad day for somebody else. There's just this moment that wow, you know, perhaps I'm a leader now and my temperament and mood and state of being is actually going to impact the way others feel.

AMY GALLO: Right. That ripple effect. It sounds like for both of you, it was not very positive. And as we've been discussing this topic, we've talked about how it's a bit like an awkward growth spurt to go from someone who's an individual contributor focused on learning, absorbing, to someone who is now seen as a leader. I'm curious if that's how you think of it in your writing and your work with coaching clients. Is this sort of an awkward phase? An exciting phase? How do you characterize it?

MURIEL WILKINS: Yeah, I, you know, I never quite thought of it as awkward, but certainly an uncomfortable phase, which as we all know, that's where most of the growth happens. And it's hard because on the one hand, you want to go back to what you were comfortable with and what, what has made you successful up until now. And on the other hand, you know, that you can step into the role that you're currently in the potential that you have. So certainly uncomfortable can definitely be awkward. And at the same time, I think one of the inflection points that is really great for growth for anyone.

NICOLE TORRES: So, I see two challenges or two things that make this such an uncomfortable phase. And the first thing is like, do you see yourself as a leader? But then the other challenge is if you see yourself as a leader, but other people do not. So maybe you've stepped into a managerial role or maybe you're leading a project and you see yourself as being the one making decisions, but you don't necessarily feel like other people perceive you as that leader. Do you see those two challenges play out?

AMY SU: Nicole, I think, both sides of that equation Muriel and I have definitely seen. Where there's both your own shift internally around realizing that you are a leader and that you are bringing a different business judgment and a different set of decision-making skills to the table. And at the same time, as you mentioned, it's also interesting to see how perception follows along with that. And I think in our coaching work, we've always seen that the internal shift often happens sooner, quicker, with a greater pronouncement than perhaps how others view you.

AMY GALLO: Let's take each of those in turn. Cause I think the internal one, while it may happen quicker, it seems really for many people, especially women, hard to make that leap. And I'm curious when you coach clients who are making that leap, what are the major obstacles and how do you help them get there?

MURIEL WILKINS: In anything, right? The internal pieces, the harder part. And I think with clients, one of the big things they really need to embrace is that being a leader or acting as a leader doesn't necessarily require the hierarchical position. And so a lot of them wait until they get the promotion, right? Till they're the vice-president ,until they're managing a team, assuming that that's when they need to be quote unquote leaderly, as though it's like, okay, it's a rites of passage. We've promoted. Now you can wear your leadership hat. Whereas in reality, you should be preparing for this from day one. So a lot of what we have to work with them on is not just the mindset in terms of seeing themselves as a leader. What does that mean? How do they want to lead? How do they want to be known, but also starting to understand that there are some specific skills that help in terms of establishing your leadership, asserting your leadership, primarily around your communication skills, your ability to speak up, your ability to listen, your ability to ask good questions, how you lead your work and drive your work as well as even your physical presence, right? How you hold yourself in a room, in a conversation and can you do it in a way that again makes you feel like you're a leader and makes others feel like they're in the presence of a leader as well. So the minute I have a client who says with real conviction that they do want to lead, that's actually the biggest breakthrough because they have to own it. Once we understand that, then we can work backwards to say, all right. So how do you do this in a way that supports who you are while at the same time being relevant and resonates with those who you need to lead?

NICOLE TORRES: Are there specific examples of things that you tell clients who come to you and they say, I want to lead and you know, you want to send them out and have them practice different styles of leadership. What are some things you tell them to do to establish themselves as leaders? If they don't have the title that denotes certain responsibility, but they want to start embodying a leader. What do you tell them to do?

AMY SU: I think Nicole, the word embodiments really important that we could tell somebody all we want, that we're a leader, we're a leader. Let me tell you I'm a leader. And it's really about the felt experience of the other person. So for example, you might be somebody who historically asked a lot of questions or asked for advice from others. And so, for example, Nicole, maybe in the past, I would say to you, Hey Nicole, how do you think I should price this proposal? And instead I think in a more leader stance, I might come to you now with what I call the comment and the question where I'm sharing with you, my business judgment first, and then asking a question. So instead I might say, Nicole, I'm thinking we should price this proposal this way. I think it inherently keeps the value of our firm and at the same time mitigates risks on renewals, but I really value your perspective. Do you think I'm missing anything here? So there's a big difference in when our stance is historically, wow, I don't have the answers. So I'm going to go ask others and follow versus I'm a leader I'm going to share with you my judgment, but then hold openness to other perspectives.

NICOLE TORRES: I love that.

MURIEL WILKINS: And then if I can add to that, I think if a client is working in a specific organization that has their own model of what it looks like to be an effective leader in that organization at a very practical level, I asked them, do you even know what it means to be an effective leader in this organization? If the answer is no, then they have to go on a little field trip to HR and ask, right? What does the leadership model look like here? Is there one? And usually it's made up of, you know, eight to 12 skills and we start working on those skills.

AMY GALLO: We probably have people who are listening and saying, I've nailed the internal. I know I want to be a leader. I've looked at the competencies. I've started exhibiting the behavior, but people around me still don't see me as a leader. Do you have any advice for women in that situation where they feel like they're pushing to be a leader, but yet they're not getting the response they want?

AMY GALLO: The word you use there, pushing, really says a lot. I think when we are coming from a place of trying to prove ourself, people can smell that and there's actually a tremendous amount of insecurity that sits underneath of that. So there's a distinction for me between I really own my expertise and I understand the business knowledge and skills and experience that I bring to the table. I think that feels very different than when you come to the table with, I need to prove that I'm an expert and I hope they see me as an expert. Somehow folks can smell the difference. And so I think we need to really push ourselves to say is the pressure to prove we're being an expert, actually getting in the way.

MURIEL WILKINS: I think it's important to also bring people along, right? Many times individuals are not pushing back on you trying to grow your leadership wings, spread your wings, if you will. It's that they're in, they're not used to it. They're used to operating with you and experiencing you in the way that you have been. I think that it's actually really helpful to have a couple of advocates, champions, sponsors, who are excited for you to spread your wings and who you rely on in terms of getting advice and counsel and mentoring, however you want to call it, as you're going through this passage, that way they are coming along with you.

NICOLE TORRES: Yeah. But how hard is it to get a manager or someone who's mentoring you and trying to give you advice for how to grow and be a better employee? How do you get them to stop thinking of you as someone who needs a lot of direction and guidance? How do you get them to start seeing you as someone who can give direction to others?

MURIEL WILKINS: I think if there's been a trusting relationship up until now, you acknowledge and show gratitude for the support that that person has given you and you make the request that they let you try it out on your own, right? So, it's a both. You don't want to shun them because they're supportive and that's an asset and you don't want to let go of that asset. So, I don't think it's so much demonstrating, I think it's actually having that explicit conversation with that individual.

AMY GALLO: That's making me think too, that you also have to be specific. Because if you say to your manager, mentor, sponsor, I want to be seen as a leader, that could mean a zillion different things. So you need to say, I want to be able to make the decision on X. I want to be someone who people seek out for expertise on Y. I want to, you know, people to value my opinion when I speak up in a meeting. I think be more specific. And as you say, Muriel, making a request of here's how you can help me do that. It's really powerful.

MURIEL WILKINS: Right. And you can also ask in a specific way, right? Seek counsel and say "manager, I really want to work on my ability to be seen as a leader." You know, six months from now, what would be some of the hallmarks that you'd want to see that you'd expect from me if that's my goal?

AMY GALLO: You're also making me think of when you mentioned the trip to HR earlier about figuring out what the competencies are. I also have seen people and have done myself, a lot of observing of other people. And I noticed once that someone I, that many people thought of as a leader often said at the end of the meeting, let me know if you want me to weigh in on that. And I was like, oh, I should use that. That's a good line because it, it demonstrates I have expertise. I'm willing to help if you want my opinion, but it's not necessary, you know, if it's helpful, I will weigh in. And I thought that was like such a nice way to establish this person had expertise. This was someone people typically sought their opinion from. And it sort of said, I'm a leader without having to be like I'm in charge. Right?

AMY SU: Yeah. I think Amy, you're mentioning something here that does distinguish a leader where you begin to see at more senior levels. People are just more comfortable batting ideas around with each other in a much more peer to peer stance. And oftentimes you see somebody who's still trying to make that turn because they're still walking in with the over-packaged document or the over-packaged presentation and they feel like, they can only speak when it's about their area. And I think part of being seen as a leader is the willingness to bring your judgment, bring your acumen, bat things around in a much more informal way.

AMY GALLO: When I know you both talk about in your book own the room, about as you get a broader view of the organization, you're trying to make connections between departments or units or different initiatives. So sometimes it's even about asking questions, like, how does this impact so-and-so's project? Or how are these two things connected?

AMY SU: And in fact, one of the exercises that I really like to give clients is as you are stepping into a bigger role or a new role, or you're thinking of showing up as a stronger leader, what is the percentage of lead and percentage of learn that you need to have as an equation? And so there's some part of our work that is, yes, we are leading, we are bringing our skills, we are bringing our decision-making, we are bringing our clarity, but there's as much a percentage that's about learning from other parts of the organization and holding a more open stance and actually being planful about that. Who are the other people or functions I could get more information from? What networks might I want to build in this next role? So it's important to think about what's my lead learn in any given situation.

AMY GALLO: I love that. Not only does that help you transition to doing more leading, but it also prevents the risk that you just become so focused on leading that you stop learning.

NICOLE TORRES: And that you think you have all the answers. But does that balance change over the course of your career? Like something that my friends and I talk about a lot is if you have, you know, kind of come of age in one organization, you know, maybe you started as an intern or you started at another entry level position and you stayed there long enough and you've kind of grown a lot, at least on paper in your role, but also in how you see yourself and how you understand the company. I think a big challenge is still like, how do you get people to stop seeing you as that intern? You know, who started like five years ago and start seeing you as someone who has a pretty good understanding of what the company needs right now and how this organization operates and can make good decisions to help lead it forward. I'm wondering if you have worked with clients who faced that similar challenge and how you help them overcome it.

AMY SU: It is a challenge. I think when you're home grown, right? Where you've the organization has seen you at many stages of your development. And so I think many of the things we've already discussed here, number one, you, yourself staying updated to who you are and where you've been and where you are now is very important. Some of the things that Muriel shared earlier around making sure that you're keeping others under the tent and being clear on your intentions of growth. And I think really trying to make the advantage of. That you have institutional knowledge, you have a loyalty to the organization, you have a history of relationships. And so as you continue to talk about your career development within that organization, how do you keep bringing those strengths and those benefits to bear in terms of the next difference you want to make? And I think you have to be careful to keep your eyes out for cues. So, if your organization keeps hiring external folks into roles that you want, or if you find that folks continue to treat you as if you are a version of yourself from 10 years ago, those are cues that you want to pay attention to and make sure you're not stagnating.

NICOLE TORRES: And if you are seeing those cues, if you feel like you are stagnating, what do you do?

AMY SU: I think first you try to have conversations with folks about your career development, that you do have a loyalty in history. You do feel like you add value. Be clear on the difference you hope to make next. And if still nothing happens that I think all of us and women especially need to understand that you have market value outside of your organization, and it might be worth having some conversations outside to see what might be possible.

MURIEL WILKINS: You know, this is where I think, and I don't want to speak in general terms that all women are like this, but this is just my anecdotal experience in having worked with clients and as you said, like talking to friends. One of the areas that I don't think women tend to look out for as much as I see their male counterparts do is when they are assigned a new position or role or project, do they make the assessment of, have they been set up for success? And so to this point around when your home grown, using that actually is an advantage. If you are offered a new role, a new position to really take a step back before accepting and negotiating what you can to make sure that you're set up for success. And so what does that mean? In practical terms, for example, if you have a concern that the people who used to be your peers are now going to be reporting to you and how how's that going to play out? Being able to get your boss or your manager to explicitly show your support and have that person help get buy-in from those peers, now direct reports. Sort of smoothing the stage before you get on is a way of setting up conditions to help you be more successful. We tend to have this mindset that when we're offered these roles, you know, the mindset tends to be, oh my God, we're so thankful. We're great, you know, we're grateful. Oh, lucky me that I made it this far versus what I tell my clients, I tell myself, I tell my kids like, no, like you're lucky to have me, right? You're lucky to have me, right? I'm bringing value. I'm bringing it on. I am excited to be here. You are excited to have me here. You offered me the role. So let's, you know, let's kick this thing off and really make sure it works for everybody. And I think that's a mindset that really helps in terms of being able to get that support and getting people to see that you are also excited. You're not stepping into it, hesitantly. You're stepping into it because basically, you know, it's almost like I've been ready for this, right? The time is now, let me go for it. And at the same time, as Amy said, use all the social capital and institutional knowledge that you have as a benefit rather than as a crutch.

NICOLE TORRES: So, I really like your advice on having explicit conversations with managers or whoever that, you know, lets them know that you want to lead and here are all of the things that you're willing to do. And here are ways that you could use their support to get better. But I've also gotten the advice from people to like, just start leading. If you're given the task to be in charge of something, then like, really assert yourself in leading that. So schedule meetings, start sending emails about those things, you know, like really attach yourself as the person who's responsible for a given project. And I'm wondering, are there certain moments when you should just do that?

AMY SU: Nicole, I think that moment exists every day and I would encourage people to just do that, right? When you take any project that you're working on, I think the push to ourselves to say, am I thinking about this project simply as a set of activities that I need to execute well? Or am I pausing to think about it differently? If I looked at the same business problem, but now I put it on a three-year horizon or if I thought about the risks involved, or if I thought about the competitive benchmarks, I think there's so much more that we can each do every day to bring a different level of strategic thinking to the work we do, to the way we communicate. Are we framing up in a more senior level way? So I think the world of possibilities to demonstrate a higher order of leadership is available to all of us at every moment, whether somebody gives us permission or not.

NICOLE TORRES: Yeah. How do you stay, I know we all have those moments of doubt. We talk about imposter syndrome on this show. But if you are a leader, if you start seeing yourself as a leader and you sense that other people doubt you, you know, people think that you have progressed too fast, they kind of still see you as someone who needs training wheels. How do you just preserve your own sense of confidence so that, you know, you can lead and it's some people are just wrong about you?

MURIEL WILKINS: I mean, one of the things that I think is really helpful, particularly when you take on a management role for the first time and you start leading a team really upfront, very, very early on getting on the table, what people's hopes and aspirations are in terms of you being the leader, but also understanding what their concerns might be, right? And that ability to listen upfront around the concerns gives you an added advantage in terms of being able to not get defensive, but address them and also hearing what the expectations are because the more that you can start being in tune to those expectations and potentially meet some of those expectations and get some quick wins that starts building your credibility. The biggest watch out is to get defensive because if you get defensive, it's just going to alienate everyone, right? And you don't want to be in that position.

AMY GALLO: What if you're not sure if you want to lead? What if you're on the fence about taking on more responsibility? How do you decide whether this is actually something you want to do?

MURIEL WILKINS: This is where you really need to think through what do the next couple of years look like for you? I don't think it's a lifetime decision, right? Some people look at it as, what do I want to do with my life? And I, for one really think, just look at things in a three to five year horizon. Five-year seems like a very long time to me, so, so really focus on the next couple of years, rather than this is for the rest of my life. And from that standpoint, one of the best ways that you can do that is to look ahead, right? What could be the possibility five years from now? What are the different scenarios? And which one sits better in terms of being more aligned with what you want? What you don't want to have happen is, I don't want to follow that particular scenario out of fear and that's a very different way of opting out. I remember early on in my career, I recognized that I was getting very close to really being in a position to gun for partner at a consulting firm. And while I did believe that I could do it, the question was, did I want to do it? And those are two very different things. So I think the first question is, do you think you can do it? The second is, do you want to do it? And while I believe that I could do it, I recognized after a lot of just my own self-searching and talking to others and looking at those who are ahead of me, even those that I greatly admired that that was not what I wanted and the reason I didn't want it is that that wasn't the way that I wanted to make an impact, right? And so having the ability to sit back and think about those two questions, do I believe I can do it? and do I want it? Are very critical.

AMY SU: And I think there's, you know, people out there, similarly who in the question of do I want to do it end up being guided by a "should". That career success looks like being a leader and having this many direct reports. And as long as that universe keeps growing, then somehow I'm successful. So I think Muriel's point around, do I want to do it? Does this make sense for this next phase of my life? I had a colleague recently who went from leading a team of 50 people, an organization of 50. And she, and I talked about how at this stage of her life, as she looked at the next four years, both of her kids are in high school. And she realized that she went to her boss and said, over the next four years, I want to be home more. I'm finding that I miss some of the work I got to do day to day because now I'm really managing other people. So she's moved back to an individual contributor role. And that's what works for her at this time. So is she any less leaderly? No. I think this was a woman who was very in touch with what this next phase of life meant to her. And what was the work that was going to feed her as well as feed her family?

AMY GALLO: I like that because I think we often have this idea that leadership is just a straight incline and you just acquire more things, more initiatives, more people, and that's the only way to grow. And I love that. She's not any less a leader. She's just stepping back from those particular responsibilities.

NICOLE TORRES: Amy, Muriel, thank you so much for joining us. This has been super helpful.

AMHY SU: Thanks so much for having us.

MURIEL WILKINS: Thank you. This was great. Thanks for having us.

AMY GALLO: Muriel and Amy Su, here we are in 2021 and so much about work has changed since we had that last conversation. Muriel, you started a podcast coaching real leaders where you advise leaders on how to get to the next level of their career. And then for Paravis Partners, the leadership development from you two run together, I understand the coaching sessions are mostly virtual for people who are also mostly working virtual. What new challenges have the recent shifts and how many of us are working presented to women who are aspiring to leadership?

AMY SU: Amy Gallo, I think the word shift is the key. There has been big shifts. We've had to, re-imagine what trust building and relationship building looks like remotely. And I think some of the challenges are that for some of the women leaders we work with, I've seen erosion in confidence and even erosion of trust, which is like, a core value. So I think all those things when shifts happen, you know, how do we shift along with them?

MURIEL WILKINS: Yeah. I mean, I think additionally, some of the regular leadership experiences that people have continue, regardless of whether you're working virtually or not virtually. So what's become critical, in my opinion, with my female clients, is that they take a step back and really start with what would I be doing if I was in the office? And recognizing that there's really not that much difference in what you should be doing. The difference might be in how you do it. For example, if they need to be really accelerating their learning curve in the role that they're in. When they're in the office, it might be a little easier in terms of just walking into somebody's office or by somebody's cubicle and asking the question, but the power in that action is asking the question. So, it becomes, okay, so you're now virtual, but the questions haven't changed, who do you need to ask the questions of and how are you going to do that? Do you need to set up a regular cadence? Do you need to make it part of your weekly meetings? Do you need to just, you know, have something like a messaging system where you can just message questions? So, the challenge becomes more in the how rather than the what.

AMY GALLO: Right. You know, one of the challenges is actually getting others to accept you as a leader or to perceive you as a leader. Any advice about how to do that virtually? Amy Su, you described, being seen as a leader, hinges on the felt experience of the other person. How do you do that when you're not in person?

AMY SU: I think the felt experience piece is so important. It's the, how have I left the other person or audience feeling? And to Muriel's point that's as important a question, whether you're in person or virtual. And so one of the ways to plan that out and to think about that is with clients, I will work with them to say, okay, one-on-one, one-to-one, one-to-group, one-to-many, what's the feeling you want to leave each of those categories with, the felt experience, the impact? and then in a virtual environment, how do you do that? So for example, the one-to-group, which is really important, how do I build team? How do I build a esprit de corps amongst my direct reports who now don't get to be together? You start to see leaders making decisions around, Hey, I'm going to do a daily, standup or a weekly standup and really the key is how do I create awareness amongst my team? How do I create empathy around the work we're all doing? And how do I create a sense of a esprit de corps amongst us? So you're not bringing people together to police their work. You're with greater intentionality saying, if the felt experience is teaming, what are creative ways? I do think it demands a greater flex and creativity than perhaps before.

MURIEL WILKINS: But the, you know, the levers really haven't changed, right? Like in terms of how do you know when you're in the presence of a leader? What is that felt experience? You know, that felt experience is really based on two levers. Are they credible? And are they relatable? And so with my clients, I say, okay, like, yeah, you're on zoom now. How do you come off as credible? And how do you come off as relatable? And when we slice that onion, they realize it's actually not that different, right? Credible is how I deliver my message. Do I know what I'm talking about? Do I deliver it in a structured, concise way, in a way that's relevant for my audience? And relatable is, you know, am I listening? As Amy said, am I demonstrating empathy? Do I seek to understand? Do I give verbal cues that, that demonstrate that relate-ability? Do I meet people where they are? And so when they start breaking it down into smaller chunks, they realize, oh yeah, it's, it's actually not that different. It's just the mode in which I'm delivering that now.

AMY GALLO: Let's talk about visibility. We did a survey of new hires, people who started their jobs remotely, and one of the biggest concerns that many of them raised was about being seen by senior leaders or other people in the organization. You know, as someone who's trying to make that transition from either individual contributor to a leader, how do you think about visibility in this virtual environment? And how do you think about it in a way that doesn't involve eight zoom calls a day and so you're so burnt out at the end of the day?

AMY GALLO: I do think, Amy Gallo, it involves right up front, as you think about onboarding, as Muriel said, the same disciplines of what you would do on-boarding in terms of who are the key stakeholders, who should know you, understand your role, the connection points with those folks. And now thinking about that, every email you send is a point of visibility. And how are you showing up credible and relatable even in that platform or in the meetings where you do have the chance to show up? Those same principles of presence and thinking about the space where we're in and awareness and almost imagining we're in a room with others helps our presence to be more visible, even when we're virtual.

AMY GALLO: Yeah.

MURIEL WILKINS: I mean, I think you definitely have to be more intentional and strategic around cultivating relationships then you probably would have to, you know, when you're in the office, that that for sure has been a major impact, but in terms of thinking about how do I make myself visible within the organization or with my team, it takes a lot of planning to do that and prioritizing. So with my clients, it says, as Amy said, like being clear around who do I need to be visible with? How? In what mode? and why? And if they can answer those three questions, then we can solve for, okay, how do you go about doing it? The danger is when you don't go through that thought process, and then you either become invisible or quite frankly, too visible you're on everybody's calendar too much. So being kind of strategic around it is, is really important.

AMY GALLO: The other thing that a few women brought up in the survey that we did was the idea of building trust as a leader in a virtual environment, any advice around how to either be patient with that process or to accelerate it?

AMY SU: Trust has been one of the big challenges, Amy Gallo. You asked us at the start of this, that, you know, how do we do that in a virtual world? And just the awareness of in the way that used to be able to walk down the hall and inform somebody or close the loop. Now I do think it just takes a little more intentionality, you know, who needs to know? Who needs to be involved? Who do I need to close the loop with so they're not blindsided? I think that extra step of organizational awareness becomes more critical in terms of trust building.

AMY GALLO: Yeah. Well, and I think about trust also is so much as about follow-through, following through on your commitments. And I think that maybe becomes more critical to do because you're not having those informal interactions where you sort of give someone the benefit of the doubt if they forget to send that email they promised. You're not seeing what's happening.

MURIEL WILKINS: That's right. One of the things that can really deteriorate trust in a virtual environment is lack of responsiveness, right? You send that email because that's the way you communicate, right? And it's like, what's happening? Is it in a black hole? Did they even receive it? You know, when you're in person, you can see what the person is doing. So you could say, oh, they're really busy, or I see their door has been closed all day or, oh, they've been in that meeting all day. That's why they haven't responded. But in a virtual environment, you don't know what they're doing. How you can mitigate that is by being responsive and communicating on what's happening and kind of leaning more into over informing then you probably had to do in the past.

AMY GALLO: Yeah. Well, and even setting up expectations of like, I'm on back-to-back zooms today. If you send me an email, I'm not going to get back to it until tomorrow or whatever timeframe feels reasonable. I think that can probably go a long way for that, for that trust-building.

AMY SU: I think as well, making time and space to be intentional is really a challenge. And so with a lot of our leaders, we've had to advise, make sure that the first half an hour of the day, now that you aren't commuting sit down and have that time and space for yourself. Don't just assume you can start meetings right away. Grab that half an hour to look ahead at your calendar or look at your email to say, who might just need a one-liner that says confirming receipt of this. I want to be thoughtful. I'll get back to you in a couple of days or tomorrow or whatever.

AMY GALLO: Yeah. You know, one of the things that we've seen happen in organizations over the last 18 plus months is that we've gone into this all hands on deck mode where people have to step up to help out. And if you're someone who's also at the same time, trying to be seen as a leader, step into a leadership role, how can you raise your hand to help volunteer for those extra activities without being seen as someone who's more junior than you want to be perceived as?

MURIEL WILKINS: Yeah. I mean, I think that as long as you're truly leaning in to being seen as a leader, then, you know, the one or two times we volunteer for something like, I'll go grab the coffee or I'll send out the holiday cards or whatever it might be, won't be a detriment to you, right? So, you've got to lean into the leadership piece and the other stuff should enhance it as making you more relatable rather than have the impact of reinforcing that you're not a leader.

AMY GALLO: I think too, you have to ask yourself, is the raising your hand a knee jerk reaction? I'm your gal every time. Or is it coming from a true leadership place, which is driven by principles and values? Which is, hey, I really see what's happening. I want to rise to the occasion, be a part of this. So the source from which you are deciding to do that is a critical piece of if a leadership move or a default reaction to always saying yes or being the junior one.

AMY GALLO: Yep. I like that. Is this part of being seen as a leader or is this just like what I'm used to doing because people expect it of me or I expected of myself?

ALISON BEARD: HBR On Leadership will be back next Wednesday with another hand-picked conversation from Harvard Business Review.

This episode was produced by Mary Dooe. On Leadership's team includes Maureen Hoch, Rob Eckhardt, Erica Truxler, and Ian Fox.

If this episode helped you, please share it with your friends and colleagues, and follow the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. While you're there, consider leaving us a review.

When you're ready for more podcasts, articles, case studies, books, and videos with the world's top business and management experts, find it all at HBR.org. more

Career development

16h

Collect Remote CSA Resumes

We are building an online job board and acquiring résumés in bulk. Post a "Customer Service Agent - Remote (US-based)" vacancy on LinkedIn -- posting is free everywhere -- and funnel every applicant résumé my way. I pay $0.10 for each résumé I accept. What the résumé must contain * Candidate contact details (phone and/or email) * Work experience section File format Please forward each résumé... exactly as the applicant submitted it. How I'll use them All accepted PDFs will feed directly into a private candidate database; they are not resold or used for analytics. Deliverable & payment flow 1. Compressed folder (or shared drive link) with all PDF résumés. 2. Quick spot-check from me to remove duplicates or files missing the two required sections. 3. Count of accepted résumés × $0.10 released immediately via Freelancer milestones. Simple task, no cap on volume -- the more qualified remote-ready U.S. applicants you attract, the more you earn. more

Anonymous member

Career development

2d

Please how do you cope with non-chalant staffs as a senior colleague. Staffs that are so complacent when you give them task to do and are always full of excuses but they are good at their skills, i mean they are very good at what they do.

2

Nafisa Hamed
17h
I suggest that to cope with non-chalant staffs, I would be motivating by some quote and over some training to them that will encourage them.
Renata Fester
22h
First off let me say that non-chalants is very subjective. That said lets deal with the issue as you have suggested it exists. There may be two issues... playing out here. One may be that your staff are unmotivated to do the job. This is a management issue and needs to be resolved at this level. Staff may not feel invested in their work or may feel undervalued. Secondly, if these staff are very good at what they do, they may just be plain bored and unstimulated by their current work. Highly competent people need highly stimulating work, or they will appear disinterested and complacent. If these people are not involved in stimulating work that challenges their skill sets, they will eventually underperform or leave for more exciting roles. It might be time to evaluate the type of work they are being tasked to do and determine if this is meeting their stimulation levels. If it's not, they are bored out of their minds and require significantly more stimulating work. more

Career development

17h

A Winning Approach to Job Interviews

Get the free Loss Prevention Magazine Newsletter

News, tactics, career guidance, and technological developments for retail loss prevention professionals.

Countless elements go into building a successful loss prevention career. We evolve through a series of self discoveries as the many features that make up who we are unfold through foresight and occasionally blind ambition as we forge the pieces... into the image of leadership that we share with the professional world.

As our journey progresses, we learn the depths of our skills and abilities, developing our talents through experience and education, and balancing the lessons of ego and humility. Through perseverance and hard work, we create opportunities along the way, highlighting the attributes and the potential that compels others to take notice. This is the objective of job interview preparation.

Job Interview Preparation for LP Professionals

The job interview should help identify the best possible candidate for a position. Talents, abilities, experience, expertise, leadership -- all of these attributes can be misunderstood, underestimated, or even overlooked altogether if we fail to send essential messages during the course of the job interview. In order to secure the best loss prevention jobs to build exceptional loss prevention careers, it's critical that we undergo an appropriate amount of job interview preparation and learn how to present ourselves.

The interview provides a forum to open a window into who we are -- as a professional, a leader, a partner, and a person. We are given precious minutes to summarize our value and our character and make a positive and lasting impression on those who offered us the opportunity to spotlight our loss prevention career.

A job interview is also a search for a match. Both company and candidate look to balance their contributions with the offerings of the other. In a traditional interview, the interviewer will ask questions focused on whether the candidate has the skills, knowledge, and expertise necessary to do the job.

In today's competitive market, however, interviews typically go much further. Additional questions are asked regarding character and other attributes that can help better determine whether a candidate fits the organization's needs and company culture.

By the same respect, candidates have also learned to ask better and more revealing questions about the company, the position, those individuals they will be working with, and the prospects that will be available to them moving forward.

It is a dynamic but delicate balance of questions and answers that helps lead to better-informed decisions for everyone involved. All of this makes the job interview process a complicated quest that demands focused effort to ensure the best results.

Why Job Interviews Are Tough for LP Pros

Unfortunately, all of this can be especially challenging for the loss prevention professional. Generally speaking, LP professionals are not very good interviewees. This is a difficult concept for LP people to accept ("We're professional interviewers! How can this possibly be the case?") and an issue that is often minimized or overlooked during our job interview preparation. Often, we think that we're much better than the results tell us, and are surprised when the feedback that we receive is less than stellar. However, when we are willing to step back and look at the subject objectively, it's not so difficult to see where this can present a concern.

By the nature of who we are and what we do, we're suspicious. We're guarded. We're careful with what we say and how we say things. We have a natural tendency to try to take control of a conversation. Many of our professional interactions take place in adversarial situations. Our experience and training lead us to instinctively look for signs that something is wrong or out of the ordinary during a conversation.

For example, during the job interview, the person that we're interviewing with isn't under the same stress that we're used to seeing during an interview with a dishonest employee -- and the verbal and nonverbal cues that we look for might not necessarily reveal the same message in this type of setting. These tendencies become embedded in our habits, which are typically pointed out to us by our spouses, friends, and family on a regular basis.

This isn't necessarily a flaw that we have to bury or overcome, but rather a tendency that we have to recognize as we do our job interview preparation.

But while there is clear merit to this aspect of our abilities, they're not competencies that should dominate every aspect of our personal or professional conduct. There is a self-awareness that we must be willing to accept and manage. Especially as we look to climb the ladder of success there must be depth to our capabilities, and a maturity that showcases our appeal as a respected, respectful, and valued business partner.

The job interview is a process through which we actively progress, not an event that we experience. It requires skills that we must develop in order to be proficient. What's most important is how the interviewer feels about us as a candidate at the end of the conversation, and not necessarily how we feel about ourselves at the conclusion of the job interview that will matter.

This is an opportunity to market ourselves -- to show who we are, what we've done, and what we're capable of accomplishing. This requires that we step into every interview situation with the right attitude and a winning approach. First steps are often the most important. When it comes to building your loss prevention career, always make sure that you start out on the right foot. Make the most of it, and knock their socks off. more

Career development

18h

Tap into your network to humanize the hiring process

AI tweaks your résumé and cover letter. You submit them via a portal. An Application Tracking System scanner strips it for keywords. The algorithm decides if you're worth a human's time. And then, more often than not -- silence.

We've normalized a hiring process that is, at its core, profoundly dehumanizing. And somewhere along the way, we convinced an entire generation that the path to... meaningful work ran straight through a job board.

It doesn't. It never really did.

I've been working closely with Gen Z professionals navigating one of the most disorienting job markets in modern history -- young people doing everything right by the current rulebook and still coming up empty. Apply to everything. Optimize your résumé. Use AI to tailor your cover letter. Play the numbers game. And then wait and wait. Only to be ghosted after doing a project and three rounds of interviews by a company that posted a role it may never have intended to fill. more

Career development

1d

Fridge lockbox guide: How to stop your lunch disappearing at work

You place your lunch in the shared fridge with optimism.

You return a few hours later...

...and it appears to have been rehomed.

No forwarding address provided.

It's a familiar experience -- and, for us, a founding one. The idea for a simple fridge lockbox started after our founder's own lunch went missing at uni.

The lightbulb moment

The idea for the fridge lockbox began with Peter, our... CEO, during his time at university.

Faced with a shared fridge and housemates who took a fairly relaxed view of ownership, his food had a habit of disappearing. It quickly became clear that relying on goodwill alone had its limitations. A more reliable solution was needed, and soon after, the first Lockabox was born.

👉 Learn more about the Lockabox journey

Is your food going missing at work?

You're in good company. CareerBuilder research suggests office fridge theft is more common than most would admit.

Around 1 in 5 workers (18%) say they've helped themselves to someone else's lunch!

The office fridge, it seems, still operates on a rather loose interpretation of ownership. And it's not always as simple as someone taking an entire lunch.

More often, it shows up in a few familiar forms:

* The sampler - never takes the whole thing, just a "small" bite here or a yoghurt there. Technically not theft, apparently. Just... amending your lunch

* The optimistic mistaken - convinced it was theirs, or at least similar enough to proceed without asking too many questions

* The committed repeat offender - approaches the fridge with gusto and leaves with someone else's lunch. Not for the first time!

Do you have a fridge theft problem at your workplace?

We can help. Lockabox offers organisations a simple, secure storage solution that fits easily into existing spaces and routines - bringing structure without unnecessary complexity.

👉 Get in touch with the team and we will help

What is a fridge lockbox?

A fridge lockbox is a secure, lockable container designed specifically for shared environments like office kitchens. In practical terms, it ensures your food remains yours.

A secure lockable fridge box:

* Prevents unauthorised access

* Reduces food theft

* Keeps food hygienic and separate

👉 Ideal for offices, hospitals, warehouses, and shared living spaces

Why food theft happens in workplace fridges

Food theft at work is rarely dramatic. More often that not, it's:

* A misunderstanding

* A lack of labelling

* Or quiet optimism that no one will notice

Shared fridges tend to encourage this because:

* Everything looks similar

* Nothing is clearly defined

* Access is, unfortunately, very easy

Over time, this leads to mild but persistent frustration, and a noticeable decline in trust over leftover pasta.

A fridge lockbox introduces a clear boundary - without requiring anyone to have an awkward conversation.

Why a fridge lockbox works better than other solutions

Workplaces often try to address the issue indirectly:

* Labelling food can be helpful, but in reality it's not preventative

* Policies are well-intentioned, yet frequently ignored

* Reminders are briefly effective, then forgotten

A fridge lockbox works because it circumnavigates all of this. A physical box, physically prevents access, requires no monitoring and leaves very little room for interpretation. No reminders necessary.

Do you have a business enquiry?

For larger orders, organisations can save up to 25%, making Lockabox a practical choice for scaling secure storage across teams and sites.

Request a quote

How to choose the best fridge lockbox

1. Size & fit

A well-designed fridge lockbox should fit standard fridge shelves, stack neatly with others, and hold a complete meal -- rather than just a yoghurt and a compromise

2. Lock type

For workplaces, a combination lock is ideal as there are no keys to keep track of, whereas a key lock can be workable but is more likely to be misplaced.

3. Durability

Shared kitchens are not especially forgiving environments. Look for strong, impact-resistant plastic, BPA-free materials and a lock that withstands daily use.

4. Hygiene & food safety

Shared kitchens are recognised hygiene risk areas in workplaces (NHS guidance). Workplace fridges see a great deal of traffic, so a good fridge lockbox helps prevent cross-contamination, contains spills, and keeps contents enclosed and separate.

5. Visibility

Transparent designs offer a quiet advantage by reducing confusion, improving organisation, and discouraging creative interpretations of ownership.

The best fridge lockbox options for the workplace

Lockabox One

Durable, stackable, combination lock, designed specifically for shared environments

Lockabox Mini

Compact and space-efficient, suitable for smaller fridge spaces

👉 Explore the full Lockabox fridge solutions for workplaces

Consumer alternatives

* SafeDelux → less durable over time

* Sistema → no locking mechanism

* OXO → also not lockable

The above consumer alternatives are perfectly adequate at home, however they are less convincing in a shared fridge with competing interests.

How to implement fridge lockboxes at work

There's no need for a complex rollout;

Provide each employee with a fridge lockbox, place them in the shared fridge, and explain their use. This roll out method has proven sufficient, and best of all, no policy documents are required.

A fridge lockbox is a really straightforward solution to a very common problem. It prevents food theft, improves hygiene and reduces unnecessary workplace friction -- all without requiring anyone to send another carefully worded email about missing lunches. more

Career development

5d

I've applied to 1,000 jobs since earning my master's and am still unemployed. I'm frustrated because I thought I did everything right.

I'm frustrated because I thought I did everything right, but I'm now focusing on freelancing.

For most of my life, I believed in a very specific formula: work hard in school, build a strong résumé, study abroad, learn languages, get a master's degree, and be globally aware.

I studied journalism and media, and I leaned into storytelling early on. I spent time abroad multiple times in Rome,... Florence, Kuwait, and Scotland. I learned how to navigate new cultures, new systems, and new expectations. I became fluent in spaces that were not designed for a first-generation student like me.

After graduating, I went on to earn my master's degree in international affairs as part of the inaugural cohort at John Cabot University in Rome (again). I focused on global justice, human rights, and representation. I contributed to research on the gig economy, attended UN conferences both in Italy and Azerbaijan, and built what I thought was a strong, competitive profile.

I completed my MA degree early, believing I had done everything right. But I still can't find a job.

Since graduating, I've applied to over 1,000 jobs.

That includes roles in Rome with UN agencies, NGOs, and humanitarian organizations. It also includes jobs across the US -- in-person, hybrid, and remote roles. I applied to communications positions, research roles, media jobs, and anything that aligned with my background in storytelling and global affairs.

I tailored résumés. I wrote cover letters that took hours. I researched organizations, memorized their missions, reached out to every connection, and prepared for interviews like they were exams.

Out of all those applications, I've gotten 15 interviews. Only two of those moved me to a second round. Less than five of the roles I interviewed for were actually filled.

For the rest, I watched the same job postings reappear weeks or months later. Were those even real positions?

It started to feel like I wasn't competing for jobs. I was competing for the possibility of a job.

Rejection is one thing. Uncertainty is another.

When you don't get a job, you can usually point to something. Maybe someone had more experience. Maybe you didn't interview well. Maybe the role just wasn't the right fit.

But what do you do when there's no outcome at all? When positions stay open indefinitely. When companies repost roles without hiring. When you make it through multiple steps and still hear nothing back.

It creates this constant loop in your mind. You start questioning everything: your degree, your experience, and the choices you made.

I did everything I was told would make me employable. Yet, I've never felt more unsure about where I stand.

At some point, I had to shift my focus from waiting to building.

During undergrad, I spent four years working in publicity and creative marketing. That became the one thing I could return to when the job market kept shutting me out.

Now, I freelance as a creative director and marketing professional. I design campaigns, create visual content, and work with clients to build cohesive brand identities. I've worked on everything from social media strategy to email marketing to photoshoots to editorial visuals.

It's not stable or the full-time role I desire for myself. But it's something I built myself.

Freelancing has taught me how to trust my skills in a different way. It's shown me that I don't need permission to create meaningful work.

Still, there's a difference between surviving and feeling secure. I'm still trying to figure out how to bridge that gap.

For a long time, I was chasing stability as it was defined for me: a full time job, steady paycheck, and clear title. But not having that has pushed me to ask a different question. What kind of work do I actually want to be doing?

The answer keeps bringing me back to storytelling.

I want to be a creative director who focuses on telling BIPOC stories with care and accuracy. I want to create media that doesn't flatten people into stereotypes or reduce cultures into trends. I want to build projects that feel honest, layered, and intentional.

That's the work I've been drawn to for years. It's also the work I kept putting off because I thought I needed something more "stable" first.

Now, I'm starting to see that maybe the path I was following was never designed to lead me there.

I don't have a clean ending to this story.

I'm still applying for jobs while freelancing, and trying to make sense of a system that feels unpredictable and, at times, impossible to navigate.

But I also know this: the effort I've put in hasn't been wasted. It just didn't lead me where I expected. Maybe that means I have to build something different instead. more

5

R R
1d
What’s your master’s in?
Blessing Ogah
1d
I can relate with what you are going through. I stopped applying for awhile now. Maybe is a sign you should be an employer of labor and not... employee....keep building yours while you volunteer with any firm that may have what you are aspiring..... best of luck to you. more

Career development

1d

10 Best Applicant Tracking System (ATS) 2026 - CoinCodeCap

It's difficult to choose which applicant tracking system (ATS) is best for you when there are so many options accessible. You want tools to help you source, track, and organize candidates, as well as automation to help you recruit faster, but you must first determine which product is ideal for you. In this article, I'll simplify your decision by giving my opinions on the 10 best applicant tracking... system!

What is an Applicant Tracking System?

An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is a software tool that allows businesses to manage and streamline their recruitment processes. It acts as a consolidated location for managing the entire hiring process, from advertising job positions to managing resumes and communicating with candidates.

Key features of an Applicant Tracking System

* Job Posting: Recruiters can generate and post job vacancies straight from the ATS to multiple job boards, career websites, and social media channels.

* Resume Parsing: Automatically extracts key information from resumes, including contact information, work experience, education, and abilities, making it easier to organize and search candidate data.

* Candidate Management: Offers a database for storing and managing candidate information. Recruiters can follow candidates' progress, take notes, and engage with team members.

* Application Workflow: Defines and automates the recruitment process workflow, ensuring that each candidate completes all required phases, from application submission to final hiring decision.

* Communication: Facilitates communication among recruiters, hiring managers, and candidates. Many ATS platforms feature email templates and communication tool integration to help with interaction efficiency.

List of Applicant Tracking Systems

1. Greenhouse

Greenhouse is a recruiting management program that assists you in identifying, categorizing, and nurturing talent. You can use it to create a strong candidate pipeline and identify the best prospects for each open position.

One noteworthy aspect that truly distinguishes Greenhouse is its organized hiring capabilities. Their systematic hiring workflow is intended to provide a consistent and equitable interviewing experience by identifying the qualifications, experience, and characteristics that a successful candidate must possess for an open position before the job is advertised.

* Easy tracking with the help of candidate scorecards.

* Developing tailored assessment strategies for interviewers to determine the appropriate skill set and capabilities.

* Customization of career pages, job boards, and email templates.

* Simplified report configuration.

* Best for mid-sized organizations growing quickly.

Also, you may read 10 Best Small Business HR Software

2. Jobvite

Jobvite ATS is a cloud-based, candidate-focused software that allows for social recruiting, the creation and management of mobile-optimized career portals, and onboarding functions. They also provide a mobile application for the tool. The software has features designed specifically for interviews, requisitions, and personnel referrals. This solution is best suited to medium and large-sized businesses.

* Easy employee referrals

* Automated screening and interview-based candidate ranking

* Mobile-friendly application methods for candidates.

* The Smart Scheduler tool looks at the schedules of many interviewers and selects the optimal time to arrange a new interview.

* A single record is kept for all talks with a certain candidate across channels.

* Use this powerful search engine to find candidates by name, keywords, workflow, location, or date of application.

3. TalentReef

TalentReef's ATS and recruiting tools are designed exclusively for firms that hire hourly workers. In addition to staffing tools, it provides talent management capabilities such as performance, pay, and job management.

Further, the software allows you to follow applicants throughout the hiring process and manage the candidate experience. As potential new hires apply for your open positions, you'll be able to review their resumes and conduct assessments to improve screening.

Also, you may also create flexible processes to advance candidates through the phases in a way that works best for your company, and you can simply schedule interviews using the platform.

* Recruiting and talent management in one location

* Designed specifically for the needs of hourly employees.

* Customizable workflows and templates

4. MightyRecruiter

MightyRecruiter is a free application tracking system that can assist recruiting managers find both active and passive prospects.

MightRecruiter offers job vacancies to over 29 job boards, including LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and CareerBuilder. It also scans your social media networks for potential prospects, allowing you to maximize your network.

When applications begin to arrive, AI is used to identify the most qualified job seekers and guide them through the recruiting process.

* Source active and passive applicants from various platforms.

* Extract information about candidates directly from their social profiles.

* Integrate MightyRecruiter with your existing ATS.

* Send personalized, automated messages to prospects from within the system, keeping everything in one place.

Also, you may read 8 Best HR Software for Startups

5. Bullhorn

Bullhorn prioritizes the applicant experience and cultivates high-touch interactions. This is combined with cutting-edge automated technologies to assist place the appropriate individuals in the right roles.

This application tracking software, designed for staffing organizations, helps recruiters manage the entire recruitment process, from candidate sourcing to client billing. Its purpose is to streamline your operations and help you place more applicants, hence increasing sales.

With a centralized system for managing jobs, candidates, and tasks, you can always see where you stand in the process. You may also create reminders to perform activities at specific times, ensuring that you stay on schedule to meet your recruitment goals.

* The cloud-based technology is secure and available anywhere you are.

* The integrated CRM tool helps you remain on top of your clients' changing needs.

* There is an emphasis on customer assistance and helping clients get the most out of the system.

6. Recruitee

Recruitee begins by assisting you in creating a careers site featuring your company brand utilizing an easy-to-use editor. It then leverages a variety of sourcing tools, such as job sites, shareable social media links, and employee referrals, to find appropriate individuals.

The scheduler eliminates the trouble of interview scheduling, while interview formats and notes in the system maintain consistency and clarity. This also maintains everything in one place for quick access and encourages collaboration among the hiring team.

* Automation and templates simplify your workflow and save you time.

* You may personalize your reports and dashboards to track the process and easily see where optimization may be necessary.

* This applicant tracking software interfaces with a variety of services, including Google, Teams, Indeed, and Zapier.

Also, you may read 10 Best Employee Monitoring Softwares

7. Breezy HR

This applicant tracking system is ideal for small to midsize businesses that hire all year, such as recruiters, brick-and-mortar stores, and franchises.

Breezy creates a careers page for you and promotes your job opportunities on over 50 of the world's top job sites.

Each pricing tier of this ATS software provides additional functionality. While they all provide automated job posting and resume processing, the paid plans include automate candidate prescreening, interview scheduling via video meetings, and other repetitive chores.

The Business plan includes more advanced capabilities such as candidate comparison, job approvals, and offer administration.

* It's simple to use and personalize the system.

* The dashboard and analytics together provide plenty of information.

* The technology supports collaborative hiring, allowing all members of the recruiting team to participate.

8. BambooHR

BambooHR is a comprehensive human resource management solution that incorporates applicant tracking software. It works from a single, secure data source within the system to support hiring and onboarding, as well as employee performance, payroll, and benefits.

Throughout the employment process, this application tracking system manages all candidate data, including contact information. It also keeps track of the role's details, such as job title and description.

Status updates provide information on where the candidate is in the process as well as their current rating for the position. And, as an additional reminder of the status of their application, they can easily refer back to their most recent correspondence with that candidate.

* Automates tracking and managing candidate information to save you time.

* Allows you to communicate with the candidate at each level of the process, resulting in a positive experience for them.

* Allows for bespoke permissions, facilitating collaboration with stakeholders.

Also, you may read Top 15 Team Management Software in 2023

9. Rippling

Rippling enables you to recruit talent from numerous platforms and then set up hiring processes and workflows to manage the entire process effortlessly from start to finish.

This applicant tracking software simplifies every step, from designing interview stages based on seniority to scheduling interviews in calendars such as Outlook, Google, and iCal.

When you're ready to hire, it makes it easier to send offer letters and other necessary documents, such as job titles and descriptions, to your new employee. It also registers the new hire in all relevant systems, such as payroll and health insurance.

* It automatically uploads job posts to platforms like LinkedIn and Indeed.

* You can design reports to offer you the facts you desire, such as the time available to fill a position or feedback from candidates.

* Applicant tracking systems include learning management, allowing you to swiftly get your new hires up to speed.

10. JazzHR

JazzHR, aimed at midsize and enterprise-level enterprises, allows you to source from several job sites with a single click. Then it uses evaluations and interviews to help you rate the prospects based on your specific criteria.

You may also utilize the platform to gather feedback on candidates from everyone on the hiring team, resulting in a genuinely collaborative approach.

A digital offer management function automates and speeds up onboarding, while clear employer branding ensures that candidates have consistent and favorable experiences at all touchpoints.

* All pricing tiers support unlimited users.

* The technology enables you to design bespoke solutions to meet your hiring requirements.

* JazzHR interacts with various other comparable systems, including JobTarget, Criteria, and Recruiting.com.

Also, you may read 10 Best Knowledge Management Systems

Conclusion

When you are constantly recruiting new employees, it makes sense to identify the most efficient and effective method. An applicant tracking system allows you to manage your employment process from beginning to end.

It centralizes all of your candidate information, allowing you to sort through their profiles and collaborate with other stakeholders. An ATS also automates activities, streamlines your workflow, and enables you to make great hiring decisions for your organization. more

Career development

1d

What Do You Actually Know When You Know a Domain?

Domain expertise is not primarily factual knowledge about an industry -- that's the small, acquirable part. The larger part is structural: a map of how a domain tends to fail, which problems that look simple are actually hard, which architectural decisions will cause pain as the business evolves, and which invisible technical micro-domains will produce spectacular failures that nobody else in the... room even knew to worry about. This map is what makes the slow, ambiguous product feedback loop interpretable -- without it, signal arrives but there's nothing for it to attach to, so the developer either ignores it or mistranslates it into the nearest technical problem they can solve. Organizations systematically undervalue this because the knowledge is invisible on a résumé, its absence costs arrive through the slow feedback loop, and generic developers look cheaper on a spreadsheet until the diffuse, delayed damage becomes undeniable. Users are essential but cannot substitute for this expertise, because they describe problems in their world while developers must translate those descriptions into a system -- a translation that requires holding both worlds simultaneously. The failure runs in both directions: a developer without domain expertise can't hear what users are actually saying, while one with too much unexamined confidence stops checking their map against the territory and mistakes accumulated narrative for current truth.

We say developers need domain expertise. Everyone nods. Of course they do. But when I try to pin down what that actually means -- what you have when you have it, how you get it, why it's so hard to transfer -- the obvious answer starts to feel insufficient. So let me try to think through it from the beginning.

Start with a simple question: what is domain knowledge, exactly?

The first answer that comes to mind is factual. You know things about the industry -- the terminology, the regulations, the business processes, the workflows users follow. This is real and it matters. A developer building healthcare software who doesn't know what a care pathway is will write software that models the world incorrectly. But this kind of knowledge you can acquire from books, from documentation, from talking to stakeholders. It's not mysterious. And yet experienced developers will tell you that a developer who has only this kind of knowledge -- who knows the facts but hasn't built systems in the domain -- is still missing something important. So the facts aren't the whole story.

What's the rest?

Let me try a different angle. Think about what changes in how you work after you've spent three years building software in a specific domain versus being new to it.

The new developer asks a lot of questions. This is good. But the questions are often about facts -- what does this term mean, how does this process work, what does the user do next. The experienced developer asks different questions. They ask about edge cases that don't exist yet. They ask what happens when two systems that currently work independently need to talk to each other. They ask about the thing that was built five years ago that nobody maintains but everything depends on. They seem to know where the bodies are buried before they've found any bodies.

How? They've seen the category of problem before, even if not this specific instance. They have a map of how this kind of domain tends to fail.

This is different from factual knowledge in an important way. It's structural. It's knowledge about the shape of the problem space -- where complexity tends to accumulate, which requirements that sound simple are actually hard, which architectural decisions will feel fine for two years and then become painful as the business evolves in predictable ways. You can't get this from documentation because nobody writes it down. It lives in the developer, accumulated from exposure to slow feedback over time.

And now something clicks. This is exactly the slow feedback loop we've been thinking about. Domain expertise, at its core, is what you accumulate when you've been exposed to the product feedback loop long enough, and with enough prior structure, to actually learn from it. The facts are the easy part. The hard part is developing calibrated intuitions about which signals mean what -- and that only happens through repeated exposure to outcomes, which takes time and cannot be compressed.

But I want to examine this more carefully, because there is a more specific claim: that domain expertise isn't one thing but several. The business domain, the domains the business depends on, and a constellation of technical micro-domains the business doesn't even know exist.

Let me think about whether that decomposition actually holds up.

The business domain is the most visible layer. Healthcare, logistics, financial trading -- each has its own logic, its own constraints, its own vocabulary. Developers need this to build software that correctly models what the business actually does. Clear enough.

The dependent domains are less obvious but real. A logistics platform depends on geography, on regulatory frameworks around shipping, on the economics of route optimization, on how warehouses actually operate physically. These aren't the business's core domain but they shape it. Get them wrong and you build something that's technically correct about logistics in the abstract but wrong about logistics as it actually exists in the world. This knowledge is harder to acquire because nobody thinks to teach it -- it's assumed background that domain insiders don't notice they have.

The technical micro-domains are the strangest category and I think the most interesting. These are the invisible domains -- distributed systems behavior, database consistency under concurrent load, security attack surfaces, the failure modes of specific infrastructure components. The business has no visibility into these. Users have no visibility. They don't appear in requirements. They only appear when something goes wrong in a way that's slow to diagnose and expensive to fix.

What makes these genuinely different from the first two categories is the direction of the knowledge dependency. For business domain and dependent domain knowledge, the developer is learning things about a world that exists independently of the software. For technical micro-domain knowledge, the developer is the only one who can see the relevant world at all. It's not that the business hasn't thought carefully enough about distributed transaction consistency. It's that this problem space is entirely invisible from where they stand. Nobody can brief the developer on it. Nobody can tell them which micro-domains are relevant to the system being built. The developer has to bring that recognition themselves.

This means technical micro-domain expertise isn't just knowledge -- it's the capacity to ask questions that nobody else in the room knows need asking.

Now here's something worth sitting with. These three types of knowledge accumulate at completely different rates and through completely different mechanisms.

Business domain knowledge accumulates moderately fast through deliberate learning -- you can read, interview stakeholders, shadow users. Dependent domain knowledge accumulates more slowly because you often don't know you need it until you've already made a mistake that required it. Technical micro-domain knowledge accumulates slowest of all, because you only encounter the relevant failure modes when a system grows complex enough or scales large enough to produce them -- and by then you're already in trouble.

The different accumulation rates create a specific kind of trap for organizations. The most visible knowledge -- business domain facts -- is also the easiest to acquire and the least differentiating. The least visible knowledge -- calibrated intuition about failure modes across all three layers -- is the most valuable and the hardest to see on a résumé or assess in an interview. So organizations systematically overvalue the visible knowledge and undervalue the invisible, which makes developers look more interchangeable than they are. The costs of this mistake arrive slowly and ambiguously, which means by the time they're legible enough to force a correction, a lot of damage has already been done.

The interchangeability question deserves its own examination because I think there's something more going on than just confusion about how knowledge works.

Suppose you're a manager responsible for staffing a project. You have a developer with deep domain expertise and a developer without. The expert is more expensive, harder to replace, and creates organizational dependency -- if they leave, knowledge walks out with them. The generic developer is cheaper, more available, easier to swap if circumstances change. In the short term, on a spreadsheet, the generalist looks better.

The problem is that the costs of choosing the generic developer are paid through the slow feedback loop, not the fast one. The software ships, it mostly works, the obvious problems get fixed. But the subtle wrongness -- the models that are slightly off, the edge cases that weren't anticipated, the architectural decisions that will create pain as the business evolves -- those costs are diffuse and delayed. They appear as general slowness, as mysterious bugs, as features that keep being harder to build than they should be. They're almost never correctly attributed to the original decision to staff with generalists, because the signal is too far from the cause.

Meanwhile the costs of the expert -- the salary, the dependency -- are immediate and precise. They show up on this quarter's budget. The slow feedback loop gets ignored again, in exactly the pattern we keep finding.

Let me turn to the user question, because I think this is where the argument gets most interesting and most easily misread.

The claim is that users can't substitute for developer domain expertise. This is correct. But I want to understand precisely why, because "developers know better than users" is a conclusion that has historically been reached for very bad reasons and produced very bad software.

Users are not trying to describe a system. They're trying to describe a problem they have in the world. These are different things and the translation between them requires exactly the kind of domain expertise we've been discussing. A user who says "the reporting is too slow" is giving you a real signal about a real problem. But what they cannot tell you is whether the solution is a better query, a different data model, a caching layer, a rethinking of what the report is actually computing, or a fundamental architectural change that's been accumulating technical debt for three years. That translation requires knowing both the user's world and the system's world -- which is precisely the combination of business domain and technical micro-domain knowledge that only the developer can hold.

Where domain expertise is absent, this translation fails in a specific way. The developer takes user descriptions too literally, building exactly what was asked for rather than what would solve the problem. Or they take them too abstractly, disappearing into architectural elegance that doesn't connect to the actual workflow. The feedback from users doesn't improve matters much because the developer isn't equipped to interpret it -- they receive the signal but have no map to locate it in.

So the users aren't wrong to want what they ask for. They're describing their problem as best they can. The expertise is what allows the developer to hear something more specific than what was said -- to translate a complaint about slowness into a diagnosis, and a diagnosis into the right intervention.

But here's the part the original argument leaves out, and it matters. Domain expertise can also go wrong in a specific way: it can harden into a prior so strong that user feedback stops being heard at all. The experienced developer who thinks they know the domain well enough that they no longer need to check their assumptions with users is running the same failure pattern as the business strategist who stops testing hypotheses because experience feels sufficient. The slow feedback loop stops working not because it delivers no signal but because the receiver has stopped listening.

Domain expertise is what allows you to ask the right questions of users. It's not a reason to stop asking.

So what do you actually know when you know a domain?

You know the facts, which is the small part. You know the shape of how the domain tends to fail, which is larger and harder. You know which technical problems are lurking in the architecture that nobody else can see, which is perhaps the most important and the most invisible from outside. And underneath all of it, you have a structured map that makes the slow, ambiguous feedback from the product loop actually interpretable -- you can locate the signal because you have a theory of where things tend to go wrong.

What you don't have, and can't have from domain expertise alone, is certainty. The map is not the territory. The failure modes you've seen are not exhaustive. The intuitions calibrated in one business will transfer partially to another in the same domain and not at all to some edge cases you haven't encountered. Domain expertise is the accumulated output of many cycles of the slow feedback loop -- but it's still a hypothesis about how the domain works, not a fact about it. Keeping that distinction clear is what separates domain expertise that continues to learn from domain expertise that calcifies into dogma.

The interchangeable developer has no map and so can't learn from the signal. The overconfident expert has a map so detailed they've stopped checking it against the territory. The useful configuration is somewhere between: enough accumulated theory to make the signal interpretable, enough honesty about that theory's limits to keep updating it.

That's what domain expertise actually is. Not knowledge as a possession, but knowledge as an ongoing process of structured exposure to feedback -- which means it can never really be finished, only more or less current. more

Career development

1d

Essential Skills to Highlight on Your Resume for Career Success

In today's competitive job market, effectively showcasing essential abilities on your resume can make a significant difference in your career trajectory. When considering the key skills on resume for career development, it's important to reflect on the blend of technical abilities, soft skills, and domain-specific knowledge that make you an attractive candidate.

Key Skills on Resume: What... Employers Want to See

Employers are keenly interested in candidates who not only meet the job qualifications but also bring added value through diverse capabilities. Here's an overview of skill categories you should highlight:

Technical Skills

Technical skills are abilities acquired through practice and education and often pertain to specific tasks. For instance, industries such as technology, engineering, and healthcare highly value proficiency in software, data analysis, or specific machinery. Including certifications and courses related to these skills can bolster your resume. To understand how these skills translate into lucrative opportunities, you might explore the top jobs that pay you to master new skills.

Communication Skills

Effective communication is crucial across all job roles. Highlight both verbal and written communication proficiency, which can encompass skills like active listening, public speaking, and professional writing. Employers look for candidates who can articulate ideas clearly and work collaboratively.

Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking

Showcasing your ability to tackle complex challenges and deliver creative solutions can elevate your resume significantly. Mention specific instances where you have improved processes, resolved conflicts, or implemented innovative ideas in your past roles.

Leadership and Management

For those aspiring to management roles, leadership skills are a must. Highlight any experience in leading projects, managing teams, or decision-making. Employers are impressed by individuals who demonstrate leadership qualities, regardless of their position.

Adaptability and Flexibility

The modern workplace is ever-evolving, and adaptability is key to thriving. Being open to change and capable of adjusting to new environments or responsibilities can set you apart as a resilient and resourceful candidate.

Attention to Detail

Whether ensuring the accuracy of reports or meticulously organizing project elements, detail-oriented professionals are highly sought after. Demonstrating your ability to minimize errors and enhance quality can significantly enhance your resume appeal.

Human Resource Skills

For roles in HR, emphasize skills in recruitment, employee relations, and performance management. Having a strong grasp of labor laws and proficiency with HR software can also be beneficial.

Crafting Your Unique Skills Section

To ensure your resume stands out, take the time to tailor the skills section to the specific job you're applying for. Each role may highlight different key skills that are more relevant than others. Additionally, using bullet points for clarity can make it easier for employers to recognize your qualifications.

Integrating Keywords

Incorporate industry-specific keywords from the job description within your resume. This strategy can improve your chances of passing through Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) that scan resumes for relevant skills.

For more insights on how education impacts your employability and career advancement, you may find this resource helpful: Education.

Highlighting the key skills on your resume not only presents the breadth of your capabilities but also aligns your profile with the expectations of potential employers. Thoughtful consideration and presentation of your skills can greatly enhance your career prospects.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are key skills to include on a resume?

Important skills to feature include technical abilities, communication skills, leadership, problem-solving, adaptability, and attention to detail.

How can I decide which skills are relevant for a job?

Review the job description to identify the skills that are emphasized. Customize your resume by highlighting these skills with your relevant experience.

Should I list my skills at the top or bottom of my resume?

It depends on your unique circumstances. Skills should be prominently featured and can be positioned either at the beginning or after your work experience, depending on which one is the stronger selling point.

How many skills should I list on my resume?

Aim for about 5-10 key skills that are most relevant to the job you're applying for.

What is the best way to demonstrate my skills on my resume?

Use specific examples and achievements in your work history to demonstrate how you've applied your skills successfully in past roles. more

Career development

1d

Rosie DiManno: In sexual assault cases, few women get the justice they seek

Rosie DiManno is a Toronto-based columnist covering sports and current affairs for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @rdimanno.

A former senior civil servant in France was accused and charged in 2019 with drugging and sadistically humiliating 248 women during fake job interviews over nearly a decade.

Now in his 60s, Christian Negre -- he'd been human resources director in the Ministry of Culture... -- allegedly plied the women with powerful diuretics mixed into coffee and tea, then took them on lengthy strolls as they squirmed in discomfort and pain, ultimately wetting themselves. Sometimes he covertly took photos.

Police have said Negre charted his observations of the victims' descent into humiliation on an Excel spreadsheet entitled "experiments," documenting details that he purportedly relished, even the colour of their underwear and the flow strength of urine streams.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

Negre is charged with administering a harmful substance, sexual assault by a person abusing their authority and invasion of privacy. The investigation has dragged on for more than six years. And still no trial date has been set. Outraged over the inexplicable delay, seven of the women gave interviews recounting their ordeal and shame to Britain's Daily Telegraph in February. Some allowed their names to be used.

I don't know if those women were emboldened to set aside embarrassment and publicly identify themselves because Gisele Pelicot had shown and led the way. But the Frenchwoman who famously waived her right to anonymity in a ghastly 2024 drugging and rape trial that put her husband of half a century and 50 other men behind bars -- a four-month trial where the term "chemical submission" became prominent -- has hopefully shifted the balance of shame for all women. Her just-published memoir is titled: "A Hymn to Life: Shame Has to Change Sides."

Pelicot was 68 and in what she believed was a happy marriage when police broke to her the horrific news that she'd been drugged and raped by her husband, Dominique, and a multitude of men as she lay unconscious. Rejected what she was told until investigators showed her photographs of Pelicot, like a "ragdoll," being penetrated by a stranger. In a state of shock, she went home and did the laundry.

The betrayal, the cruelty, was beyond comprehension and, as the trial approached, Pelicot wanted it kept beyond the public's eyes, in a closed courtroom, her identity protected. But she had a radical change of heart -- identifying herself, opening up the trial, would also publicly identify all the defendants.

Pelicot writes: "I no longer feared the stares; I wasn't afraid of people finding out." Those words -- the shame must change sides -- "lodged in my mind like a refrain, as if suddenly tiny blades were sharpening my thoughts. Everyone had to see the 51 rapists. They were the ones who had to hang their heads. Not me."

On the stand, Pelicot was dignified and resolute. She emerged from the nightmare whole and magnificent, reclaiming agency, looking forward to a life where she might yet find joy and even love. (She has.)

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

But Pelicot is an exceptional woman of fortitude. Also, the guilt of her rapists was beyond question.

Such is not the case for a great many woman who report rape, put themselves through the agony of intrusive medical examination, of police investigation, and then are traumatized again by often brutal cross-examination at trial.

A few years back I covered the trial of two medical doctors charged with sexually assaulting (the Criminal Code in Canada no longer uses the term "rape") a 23-year-old colleague. The woman testified during a gruelling week in the witness stand that she'd had drinks with the men at a downtown Toronto bar -- to celebrate completing her medical degree exams; one of the doctors had been mentoring her -- then a nightclub, then returned with them to a hotel room.

At some point, she believed that something had been put in her drink, a substance that incapacitated her. She felt stupefied, unable to control events. That's when, she said, the men raped her.

The cross-examination was merciless, but the witness withstood it. From where I sat, the woman was totally credible. In the judge-alone trial, however, the defendants were acquitted. An absence of consent couldn't be proven. And "honest but mistaken belief in consent" by a defendant is even harder to disprove.

It was one of the worst miscarriages of justice I've ever witnessed.

Three years later, the woman refused to obey a summons to appear at a disciplinary hearing for one of the doctors before the College of Physicians and Surgeons. She was not going to put herself through another battering. No witness, no case.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

I don't support the mantra that "women should be believed." Presumption of innocence is at the core of our judicial system. But why are so many victims disbelieved?

Honestly, I would not recommend coming forward. Few have the fortitude to withstand the experience; fewer will receive the justice they seek.

In France, prosecutors have suddenly told the alleged victims of Christian Negre that they have one month to provide fresh testimonies before they officially close the investigation phase. Tell us again.

Negre remains free, working in the private sector, while awaiting trial ... if there ever is a trial.

Opinion Headlines Newsletter Take a stand with this regular roundup of the best from our columnists.

Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request.

There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again.

Please enter a valid email address. Sign Up This newsletter is only available for subscribers. If you are already a subscriber, please login now. If you want to become subscriber, please click here Yes, I'd also like to receive customized content suggestions and promotional messages from the Star.

You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply.

Opinion Headlines Newsletter You're signed up! You'll start getting Opinion Headlines in your inbox soon.

Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page. more

Ethan Cole

Career development

3d

I’m finishing college and going to lots of job interviews right now. I want to find a place where I’ll actually enjoy working. But my parents are trying to get me a job through their friends. I don’t want that, because I’ll feel like I owe them and their friends too. I want to achieve things on my own. Some people say I’m just being young and should accept the help. But I don’t feel comfortable... with that.
What would you do in my situation? Thanks

more

6

TriComTechnologies Kimani
1d
If the job is within your career passion, dive in. A career occupation should be one which you would enjoy doing even without a salary. Getting into a... life long career should not be via obligation. Listen to how you FEEL about the JOB, and if not contented, wait.
Getting into a career just because of money causes many problems many years later when you have bills and loans to pay and not able to change your career. You become unhappy and easily depressed. more
Stephen Sarfo
1d
In much as I respect your opinion and views, I will advice you to take the your parents are offering you. You know, life is dynamic. As you grow you... will begin to appreciate how nature works. You seems not a lot experience in life yet. Give yourself some few years you will understand my point. My dear , please listen to the advice of your parents and try to ignore the youthful feelings in you. Thank you. more

Career development

1d

A Year After U.S.A.I.D.'s Death, Fired Workers Find Few Jobs and Much Loss

She was fired by email while on maternity leave, given 24 hours to clear out her desk and left with three days of health insurance and no severance pay. She had worked for the U.S. Agency for International Development or related groups for more than two decades. She made $175,000 a year.

That was Jan. 28, 2025. Today Amy Uccello and her husband, who also lost his job when U.S.A.I.D. funding for... his nonprofit dried up, rely on food stamps, Medicaid and a supplemental nutrition program for women and children that helps with their now 19-month-old daughter.

The mortgage on their home in Washington was until recently in forbearance, meaning they negotiated to pay less than they owed each month. But the bank has now cut them off and suggested they apply for a low-income mortgage program. "We don't know if we'll qualify," Ms. Uccello said. She and her husband have applied for more than 100 jobs with no luck. Most of their friends don't have jobs either.

Nights are the hardest.

"I can't sleep because of our own situation," Ms. Uccello, 49, said over coffee on a recent afternoon. "I can't sleep because of what I know what's happening around the world. I can't sleep because my former colleagues and friends are also suffering."

When the Trump administration dismantled the sprawling global aid agency last year, it wiped out virtually an entire industry -- international development -- that had been based in Washington since U.S.A.I.D.'s creation in 1961 under President John F. Kennedy. Nearly all of the agency's 16,000 employees were laid off. An estimated 280,000 contractors, partners and local hires worldwide lost their jobs as well.

A year later, people have plowed through savings, cashed out retirement funds and moved in with friends and relatives. Former U.S.A.I.D. workers who have done informal surveys estimate that less than half have found full-time work, with many making less than before. An estimated third are unemployed. Others are in part-time work. The District of Columbia currently has the highest unemployment rate in the nation, at 6.7 percent, in large part because of major reductions in the federal work force, including U.S.A.I.D., and cuts to government grants and contracts.

The few former U.S.A.I.D. workers who have landed similar or better jobs don't like to talk about it in front of unemployed friends.

"I feel guilty, honestly, that of all my colleagues who I know are still unemployed, I'm the one who found something," said Sara Miner, 42, who was a senior adviser in the agency's H.I.V.-AIDS office and previously ran health programs in Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Now she helps manage health and human service programs for Fairfax County, Va.

Jobs are also gone at the many nonprofits and partner agencies once funded by U.S.A.I.D. "Everyone I know is also up the creek, all my bosses, my mentors, the people you would normally go to, the people providing me references," said Catherine Baker, 36, who, as a contractor, made $127,000 a year recruiting staff and helping to start up U.S.A.I.D. projects. Ms. Baker now volunteers as a manager for OneAid, which helps former U.S.A.I.D. workers, and works nine hours a week as a companion for two elderly women.

The New York Times interviewed 30 former U.S.A.I.D. employees, contractors and partners in Washington, around the country and overseas to see how they were faring in the year since Elon Musk, the world's richest man, proudly announced that he had fed the agency "into the wood chipper." Unlike in early 2025, when many who lost jobs thought they might be reinstated and declined to speak on the record for fear of antagonizing Trump officials, this time almost all gave their names and spoke emotionally and at length.

Many said they were still dealing with mental trauma and a loss of confidence in their professional abilities after brutal job hunts. All mourned the loss of a mission in working for an agency that has contributed billions of dollars every year for decades to global humanitarian assistance. Some cited studies estimating that cuts to the agency's H.I.V.-AIDS programs could lead to millions of deaths, including young children.

Others acknowledged that there was bloat and waste in the agency and a need for reform. Much of the $35 billion it managed in 2024 went to Washington-based contractors, not directly to people in need overseas. The success of many projects was hard to measure.

But all of those interviewed said they were still incredulous that an agency that amounted to less than 1 percent of the federal budget had been so quickly obliterated and reduced to a skeletal operation within the State Department. U.S.A.I.D. workers who once thought of themselves as ambassadors for American "soft power" said they worried about the trust in the United States that was lost overseas. They said they were still burning from President Trump's characterization of them as "radical-left lunatics."

"I'm a queer, brown immigrant," said Adrian Mathura, 55, a Navy veteran and a former senior U.S.A.I.D. adviser in global health who was involuntarily retired last July and is still fighting for the retirement pay he is due. "I got to do all of this incredible stuff in my life and my career, and I spent all of my adult life touting how great the city on the hill was."

In the end, he said, "I never even once imagined I would be so betrayed by my government."

Many of the hardest hit are those with years of experience.

Sheryl Cowan, 57, was making $272,000 a year as a senior vice president at a U.S.A.I.D.-funded nonprofit when she was let go at the end of March 2025. Last month she had an online interview for a $19-an-hour job managing a Penzeys Spices store near her home in Falls Church, Va.

Her take-home pay would not cover her mortgage, but said she was eager to do something other than spending down her savings and has applied for 60 jobs. She has since been called back for an in-person interview. "Aside from the salary, it would be fun," she said. "I could do it for a little while."

She has learned from online webinars on job hunting that her three decades of work in international development, including as the Peace Corps country director for Benin, need to be papered over on her résumé.

"Somehow, after 20 years of experience, you're suddenly trying to hide the number because it makes you sound old," Ms. Cowan said over lunch in her Falls Church townhouse. "I was writing in the blurb at the top of my résumé, 'I have over 30 years of experience.' No, no. And don't put in the year you graduated from Bucknell."

The long months without work, she added, have made her doubt herself. "Did I really do all those great things?" she said. "Was I really good once?"

Alysha Beyer, 53, who had a 25-year career as a U.S.A.I.D. contractor and ran reproductive health programs in Africa, is a single mother of two teenagers who moved in with a neighbor last year so she could rent out her home in Rockville, Md., to cover the mortgage. She has since moved back but said because of complications with Medicaid she has delayed getting a biopsy for what her doctor thinks is non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

"We were running these large programs looking for vulnerable populations, trying to help support them, and then you find yourself a user of the system," Ms. Beyer said. She said she feels a stigma relying on social welfare programs, "having to tell people you're unemployed all the time and going to the doctors and saying Medicaid. It's a humbling experience to have to ask all the time for help."

Courtney Blake, 47, was working last year in Geneva in U.S.A.I.D.'s bureau of humanitarian assistance. Today, she is staying with her sister and her sister's family in New Paltz, N.Y.

"I'm living with family all over again like I'm 22 and just out of college," she said. She has applied for more than 40 jobs, and remains angry about losing a calling that since 2012 has taken her to war zones in Iraq and Ebola outbreaks in Liberia.

"I spent the last 13 years of my career and also personal life turning up to work every day in service to my country," she said. "Doing work that, at the core, I believed in. But suddenly, and on a whim, all of that is forgotten."

Don Niss, 56, spent 21 years at U.S.A.I.D., including three years managing the agency's billion-dollar budgets for Afghanistan and Pakistan. Last year he was making $195,000 annually as a U.S.A.I.D. development adviser at the Pentagon.

He has 12-year-old twin sons and the tension over his impending job loss was particularly tough last year.

"There was a period of time, like between February and March, where every other day my son would get home from school and say, 'Daddy, have you gotten fired today?'" Mr. Niss said. "It's kind of a gut punch."

His wife works as a schoolteacher but as of last month he had depleted his savings and dipped into his 401(k). "I pulled out enough money to cover expenses for the next six months, just not knowing what to expect," he said.

Jacqueline Devine was one of the very few to talk to The Times on the record a year ago about losing her job as a contractor in the agency's office of HIV-AIDS. Ms. Devine, 66, is a behavioral scientist who worked largely in sub-Saharan Africa on H.I.V. treatment. She spoke out, she said at the time, because "I have nothing to lose."

A year later, her $200,000 income as an agency contractor has been replaced by $9,000 for teaching two courses in public health at Towson University in Maryland. She has made ends meet with some income from investments and an annuity from a previous job at the World Bank. But she said what amounted to a sudden, forced retirement had left her at a loss.

"I feel invisible professionally," she said. She was not ready to stop working full time and had not thought about what she would do next. "I feel paralyzed in some way."

Guy Martorana, 44, was a U.S.A.I.D. foreign service officer in Ivory Coast and is now back home in Birmingham, Ala., with his wife and infant daughter. He spends half of each day applying for jobs -- he is up to 100 -- and at other times volunteers for a nonprofit that is continuing some of U.S.A.I.D.'s work in peace promotion in northern Ivory Coast.

He stays in touch with former colleagues, but it's difficult. "We're all applying for similar jobs," he said.

Samuel Port, 32, an Army veteran who worked at a nonprofit helping manage U.S.A.I.D. projects in South Sudan and Indonesia, has applied for more than 60 jobs. He said he was so discouraged at one point last year that he went alone to Great Falls Park in Virginia. "I sat down by the river and I cried a bit," he said.

There are some success stories.

Jackie Ndebeka, 39, who worked as a contractor on the administrative team that arranged travel for top agency officials, including Samantha Power, the U.S.A.I.D. administrator under President Joseph R. Biden Jr., now has a job as a contractor arranging travel to Antarctica for the National Science Foundation's Antarctic Program. "I got very lucky," she said. In her spare time she volunteers for OneAid.

Alicia Contreras-Donello, who was working for U.S.A.I.D. as a foreign service officer when she was laid off while in Tunisia with her two young children, is now running for Maryland's House of Delegates.

Then there is Michael Nicholson, 51, who was working for U.S.A.I.D. as a foreign service economist in Mozambique when he and his wife, also a foreign service officer, were laid off. They have a 4-year-old daughter and have since moved to Nairobi, where Mr. Nicholson is running his own start-up, AfriqueU, that connects talented African student basketball players with American universities.

His business is still in the "pre-revenue" stage, he said, but he is optimistic.

He does not feel that way about America. He said he preferred living overseas, with other former American diplomats.

"I feel that the United States is not a welcome place for my family right now," he said. "We wanted to be around a group of people, Americans and others, that understand what happened to us."

The pain, he said, still hasn't gone away.

"It's been over a year, and it still is as bad," he said. "I'm just able to talk about it now. I'm going to carry this the rest of my life."

Kitty Bennett contributed research.

Elisabeth Bumiller writes about the people, politics and culture of the nation's capital, and how decisions made there affect lives across the country and the world. more

Career development

Jamie Bowen

Nelly Zuma

Emmanuel MBONIMPAYE

Anonymous member

Abdul-Salaam Sulemana

Kahutia Hernandez

Career development

Is your teen struggling to find a job? Here's how you can help

Charity Koech

Ronan Lenoble

Naomi Davidson

Patricia Wideman

Career development

Is a 2.1 GPA Good Enough for Your Future Success?

Career development

Modern Combination Resume Rebuild

Career development

Apex Innovations and Marketing, Inc. Expands Business Growth With North Carolina Office

Career development

Making the Shift from Individual Contributor to Leader

Career development

Collect Remote CSA Resumes

Anonymous member

Nafisa Hamed

Renata Fester

Career development

A Winning Approach to Job Interviews

Career development

Tap into your network to humanize the hiring process

Career development

Fridge lockbox guide: How to stop your lunch disappearing at work

Career development

I've applied to 1,000 jobs since earning my master's and am still unemployed. I'm frustrated because I thought I did everything right.

R R

Blessing Ogah

Career development

10 Best Applicant Tracking System (ATS) 2026 - CoinCodeCap

Career development

What Do You Actually Know When You Know a Domain?

Career development

Essential Skills to Highlight on Your Resume for Career Success

Career development

Rosie DiManno: In sexual assault cases, few women get the justice they seek

Ethan Cole

TriComTechnologies Kimani

Stephen Sarfo

Career development

A Year After U.S.A.I.D.'s Death, Fired Workers Find Few Jobs and Much Loss