Career development

 5h

'10 years ago, people laughed': Jobseeker calls landing job at McDonald's today 'miracle'


UNDATED (WKRC) - Jobseekers claim landing a job with fast food chains is getting harder, despite having experience on their résumés.

According to Benzinga, a jobseeker sparked a trending conversation on Reddit after writing about the difficulties of obtaining an entry-level job despite their experience.

"10 years ago, people laughed at McDonald's workers. Now, even landing a job there is a... miracle," the title of the post reads. "I'm making this post for people who are struggling just trying to find a 'regular' job that pays bills, not even a full career. Just a job."

The Redditor said they were able to get five interview or position offers after putting in 20 applications at the age of 16, but said today they receive "absolutely nothing," adding, "Even applying to entry-level 'wage slave' jobs feels like a waste of time."

"My applications for grocery stores, Walmart, Target, and even McDonald's came back with automatic rejection letters," the jobseeker wrote. "Those jobs are what a high school teenager used to be able to land with ease."

The post, which received thousands of upvotes, was replied to by hundreds of others who chimed in with their own experiences obtaining a job.

"The best part is no one believes you," one commenter responded. "I can't tell you how many times I've said that I have no standards anymore and just need money. I literally mean I can't hear back from fast food or retail, despite having a bachelor's degree and previous experience -- and in some cases a freaking referral from someone working there."

One commenter wrote that they had two master's degrees but were only contacted four times after putting in over 600 job applications.

"It's a horrible market, and I'm going to have to consider a job like McDonald's just to keep up on loan payments," the commenter wrote.

"Good luck getting a job at McDonald's. (Expletive) feels like applying to Harvard now," another individual wrote.

Several commenters said they believed automated systems were responsible for the difficulty in obtaining an entry-level job, writing that the systems are designed to instantaneously reject "overqualified" applicants. To work around the systems, some wrote that they removed their degrees from their résumés, past managerial roles, and added only jobs they worked while in high school and college. Some even wrote that they had asked friends to pretend to be references for non-existent fast food jobs.

Many commenters wrote that entry-level fast food jobs are more competitive today due to both adults applying for jobs that were once historically held by teenagers and young adults still working to launch their own businesses or careers. Others complained of the growing trend of companies "ghosting" applicants during the hiring process instead of sending a traditional "Dear John" notice.

"Doesn't matter what the résumé says -- it joins the rest of the slop stuck in the AI filters. I just want to scream. This is the worst job market by far in the last 50 years," the original poster wrote. "Rant over." more

Career development

 9h

Mid-Level Tech Resume Overhaul


I'm ready to move forward in my technology career and need a fresh, compelling résumé that positions me squarely at the mid-level tier. You'll take my existing work history, projects, and skills and shape them into a concise, achievement-focused document that speaks the language of modern tech recruiters and Applicant Tracking Systems. What I expect from you * A single-page (or tight two-page if... absolutely necessary) résumé in both editable Word and PDF formats. * Content tailored to typical mid-level job descriptions in pharmaceutical manufacturing roles -- using industry-specific keywords without sounding forced. * Clean, professional layout that looks great on screen and in print. * Brief guidance on how I might tweak the résumé for niche positions as they arise. If you're experienced in tech recruiting or résumé writing -- and you know how to quantify impact, highlight skills, and pass ATS filters -- let's get started.

Project ID: 40178785

About the project

2 proposals

Open for bidding

Remote project

Active 35 secs ago

Place your bid

Benefits of bidding on Freelancer more

Career development

 17h

Where Nebraska Must Stand for a Top Seed in the NCAA Tournament


The Huskers are in a prime position to be seeded highly and have a favorable NCAA Tournament first-round location. But how do the metrics look for top-four seeds over the past several tournaments?

Nebraska men's basketball is off to the best start in program history.

The Huskers are 20-0 and ranked in the top 10. Currently at No. 7 in the AP Poll, the Big Red are likely to move up even higher in... Monday's release.

But where does Nebraska need to be when Selection Sunday rolls around in exactly seven weeks?

Current Metrics

While Nebraska is ranked highly in the AP and Coaches polls, those don't factor into the Selection Committee's decision. What goes into the process are a pair of metrics that we'll look at today: the NET and KenPom.

As of Sunday morning, Nebraska is No. 5 in the NET, behind Arizona, Michigan, Duke, and Gonzaga. In the KenPom, the Huskers are at 12, behind Arizona, Michigan, Duke, Illinois, Iowa State, Michigan State, Houston, Purdue, Gonzaga, UConn, and Florida.

5 and 12. Remember those numbers as we look at the top four seeds over the last four tournaments to see what territory Nebraska is in and where the Huskers need to be when discussing potential seeding between now and then.

Let's also preface this with the fact that these numbers are determined comparatively to the opponents of the same season, meaning that one season could have had a stronger résumé needed for a one or a two seed compared to another.

4 Seeds

The average record for a 4-seed has been 23.5-8.9, with an average NET of 15.5 and KenPom of 17.3. Nebraska is ahead of pace for all of those numbers.

The strongest résumé to earn a 4-seed was Auburn in 2024. The Tigers went 27-7 and won the SEC, earning the only automatic bid for the seed line over the last four tournaments. They were also fifth in the NET and fourth in the KenPom. The Tigers lost in the first round to Yale.

There are a trio of weaker résumés to have earned a four.

Providence in 2022 went 25-5 but was 32nd in the NET and 49th in the KenPom. They made the Sweet 16 and fell to the 3-seed Kansas.

In 2023, Indiana went 22-11 and was 30th in the NET and the KenPom. Virginia went 25-7 and was 27th in the NET and 34th in the KenPom. Neither team made it to the second weekend.

3 Seeds

The average record for a 3-seed has been 24.5-8.5, with an average NET of 13.9 and KenPom of 14.1. Nebraska is ahead of pace for all of those numbers.

The strongest résumé to earn a 3-seed was Gonzaga in 2023. The Bulldogs went 28-5 and won the West Coast Conference. They were sixth in the NET and eighth in the KenPom. Gonzaga fell to UConn in the Elite Eight.

The weakest résumé to earn a 3-seed came in that same year. Kansas State went 23-9 but was 24th in both the NET and the KenPom. Nobody over the last four tournaments has been worse in either metric and earned a top-three seed. The Wildcats lost to the 9-seed Florida Atlantic in the Elite Eight.

2 Seeds

The average record for a 2-seed has been 26.8-6.6, with an average NET of 8.4 and KenPom of 8. Now we're in the territory of Nebraska's résumé from a metrics standpoint, though with a current NET of five, only three of the last 16 teams to be a 2-seed were fifth or better.

The strongest résumé to earn a 2-seed was UCLA in 2023, the second-to-last year of the old Pac-12 Conference. The Bruins went 29-5 and were sitting third in the NET and second in the KenPom. They would lose in the Sweet 16 to the 3-seed Gonzaga.

The weakest résumé to garner a 2-seed was Marquette in 2024. The Golden Eagles were 25-9 and 14th in the NET with 12th in the KenPom. Marquette was upset in the Sweet 16 by 11-seed NC State.

1 Seeds

The average record for a 1-seed has been 28.7-4.7, with an average NET of 3.4 and KenPom of 3.5. This is where Nebraska is still striving to get to. No top seed in the last four tournaments has been outside of the top-9 for KenPom.

Multiple 1-seeds over the last four years have been the top team in both metrics, with Duke having a 31-3 record last year, Houston at 31-3 in 2023, and Gonzaga sitting at 26-3 in 2022. Each of those teams made at least the Sweet 16, with Duke getting to the Final Four.

The weakest 1-seed résumés come from a pair of the sport's Blue Bloods. North Carolina went 27-7 in 2024 and was eighth in the NET and ninth in the KenPom. The year before, Kansas was 27-7 and ninth in both. The Tar Heels fell in the Sweet 16 while the Jayhawks failed to make the second weekend.

Big Ten Top Four Seeds

As for how the Selection Committee has treated Big Ten Conference teams over the last four tournaments, only Purdue has earned a 1-seed. In both 2024 and 2023, the Boilermakers had 29 wins and were top-five in both the NET and the KenPom.

Michigan State's 2025 team is the only 2-seed for the league in our exercise. The Spartans went 27-6 last year, rankings 11th in the NET and eighth in the KenPom.

On the 3-seed line, four Big Ten teams have been in this spot. Their résumés were better than the average for this seed, at 25.8-7.8. They were all in double-digits for both metrics, with Wisconsin's 2022 group as low as 24th in the NET and 34th in the KenPom.

The opposite is true for the Big Ten with 4-seeds. The average record is worse than that of the rest of the line, at 22.8-9.8. Maryland and Purdue in 2025, as well as Illinois in 2022, were top-20 in both metrics. Indiana's 2023 squad is the outlier, being back at 30th in both the NET and the KenPom.

Reminder: Nebraska is currently 20-0 with 11 games left in the regular season and at least one game to be played in the Big Ten Tournament. The Big Red are fifth in the NET and 12th in the KenPom. From a win-loss standpoint, that has Nebraska as a 1-seed, but the current metrics lean towards a 2-seed.

Why a Top Four Seed Matters

As Cole Stukenholtz pointed out earlier this month, earning a top-four seed means a better (closer) location for your team in the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament.

The top four seeds are gifted the nearest venue or natural location in descending order, from the No. 1 overall seed to the No. 16 overall seed. That means the lowest 4-seed still has *some* preference when it comes to location.

From the NCAA Division 1 Men's Basketball Championship Principles and Procedures for Establishing the Bracket document: "Teams will remain in or as close to their areas of natural interest as possible. A team that is moved out of its natural area will be placed in the next closest region to the extent possible. If two teams from the same natural region are in contention for the same bracket position, the team ranked higher in the seed list shall remain in its natural region."

First and second round locations are listed below.

* Buffalo, NY

* Greenville, SC

* Oklahoma City, OK

* Portland, OR

* Philadelphia, PA

* San Diego, CA

* St. Louis, MO

* Tampa, FL

The two closest sites are Oklahoma City and St. Louis. A top-four seed would put Nebraska in contention for a pair of extremely drivable locations. With seven weeks to go until Selection Sunday, and a minimum of 12 games to be played, the Huskers are in prime territory to be taking the Sea of Red on a short drive to a pair of extremely winnable games.

Upcoming Schedule

While there are at least 12 games left to be played before the Huskers have locked in their résumé for the committee, the next four games will play a big part in what the ceiling could be for this team.

Nebraska is on the road on Tuesday to take on Michigan, currently second in both the NET and KenPom. On Sunday, NU hosts Illinois, which is sixth in the NET and fourth in the KenPom.

After a road trip to Rutgers (167th & 158th), Nebraska returns home to take on Purdue, currently at ninth in the NET and eighth in the KenPom.

There is plenty of résumé to be built, but this four-game stretch could be what ultimately bolsters Nebraska into a 1-seed or sees the team settle into one of the lines after that.

Thanks to Husker Hoops Central for help with past metrics that were used in this story.

Have a question or comment for Kaleb? Send an email to kalebhenry.huskermax@gmail.com.

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Career development

 17h

Jeff Bezos Says Your Answer To This One Question Determines Just How Successful You'll Be, & Psychology Agrees


According to a former Amazon executive, Jeff Bezos believed the way someone answers his "favorite" interview question reveals just how successful they'll be. And, it turns out, psychology backs him up.

Imagine just how overwhelming it would be to be in a job interview with Jeff Bezos, one of the richest and most powerful men in the world. To make matters even worse, it turns out that Bezos... doesn't always stick to the traditional interview questions. I'm sure he asks about candidates' work experience and skills, but there's also one unexpected question that he throws in. It's a little unconventional, but he insists that it can determine how successful someone will be.

A former Amazon executive shared Jeff Bezos' "favorite" job interview question.

Dan Rose, who worked as an executive at Amazon for almost a decade and is now an investor, revealed the interesting question Bezos would always bring up in interviews in a post on X. "When I worked at Amazon [from] 1999-2006, Jeff Bezos' favorite interview question was 'are you a lucky person?'" he said.

At first, it may seem strange to ask someone if they consider themselves lucky in a job interview. After all, job performance is usually measured by concrete deliverables and metrics, not your luck. But Rose argued it was brilliant. "What a great way to filter for optimists and people who manifest success," he added.

There's actually evidence that suggests asking someone about their luck really does tell you a lot.

Business journalist Jessica Stillman reported on Bezos' propensity for luck and shared that it is meaningful. When we hear the word "luck," we tend to think of superstitions, but that's not what Bezos was after.

Venture investor Patrick Mayr addressed the interview question in a blog post, in which he called it a "great question." He continued, "For someone to acknowledge that they have benefitted from luck is a sign of modesty and confidence." Basically, if you're willing to admit that you're lucky, it means that you aren't taking credit for all of your accomplishments yourself.

sturti | Getty Images Signature

Furthermore, Stillman noted that lucky people tend to have a more open mindset that leads to "initiative." This was illustrated by an experiment conducted by researcher Richard Wiseman. He said he gave newspapers to people and asked them to count how many pictures were in them.

Unlucky participants completed the task in about two minutes, while lucky ones only took a few seconds. It was all because they were the ones who noticed a message on the second page that read, "Stop counting. There are 43 photographs in this newspaper." As Wiseman concluded, "Unlucky people miss chance opportunities because they are too focused on looking for something else."

Despite the evidence that seems to support the use of the question, people are still skeptical.

One Reddit user took to the site's r/AskHR forum to describe their own experience. "They asked me how lucky I am on a scale from 0 to 10 as the last question in the interview," they recounted. "What just happened? What were they asking?"

Tima Miroshnichenko | Pexels

One commenter noted it was "very hard to tell what they wanted." Another suggested it was "a sign that the interviewer has no idea what they're doing." Still, others tried to make sense of the question. "I think this is actually a question about optimism," someone said. "If you perceive yourself as lucky, you will tend to view events favorably. It may also reflect wise life decisions leading to a pattern of successes."

The question is admittedly a bit strange, and it makes sense that it would throw someone off during a job interview. But Bezos understands that people who think they are lucky have quiet confidence and a sense of competence. That sounds like something every leader would want in a team member.

Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor's degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics. more

Loren Davies


Career development 1w
I’m interviewing for a kindergarten teacher position. Yesterday I had an interview with the director and he asked only one question “How would you explain the color yellow to a blind person?”
I’m still in shock! Is this how he treats children? Does he think they’re blind or stupid? Or was he just messing with me?

6   

  • Tye Ouellette-Tolles

    1d

    What if the yellow I see is the pink you see? Perception is everything, everyone sees the world differently, but we all have to thrive within the... parameters we are given. Whether blind, d/Deaf, or colorblind relevence to individualized education is also important. My opinion is that is an interesting disability question, but a question out of left field for sure. more

    1

  • ANDREW KINENE

    1d

    You ought to use examples.
    1.Yellow is what a banana looks like
    2. For a blind child you endeavor to explain that yellow is how warm sunshine feels

Load more...

Livert Mudzingenyama
Career development 2d

The questions that you need to constantly ask yourself

  • Last First

    19
    20h

    Simple, have convictions and always have solidarity for the working class

Career development

 1d

The "Standard Life Path" Every Japanese Student Is Expected to Follow


The "Standard Life Path" Every Japanese Student Is Expected to Follow

In Japan, most students are expected to follow a very specific life path.

It is not written anywhere, but everyone knows it.

It starts from childhood.

Children are told to study hard so they can enter a good high school.

From there, they aim for a "good" university.

Not always because of interest or passion, but because... the ranking of the school matters.

By the time we enter university, the next goal is already decided: job hunting.

During university life, we are expected to prepare ourselves for that moment.

We collect things that look good on paper:

* A leadership position

* A club activity

* Volunteer experience

* A part-time job story

What matters is not who we really are.

What matters is how well we can explain ourselves in a short interview.

Our identity becomes something to be "presented."

Job hunting usually starts in the third year of university.

Suddenly, everything is about:

* Academic background

* "What you worked hard on"

* Communication skills

* Basic English ability

Right now, because of Japan's population decline, most students will find some job.

There are positions available.

But getting into a "good company" is still very competitive.

So students prepare:

* English tests

* Internships

* Certifications

* Interview practice

Not because they love it.

But because they are afraid of being left behind.

Once a student gets a job, the expected path becomes simple:

Enter the company.

Work hard.

Stay.

Build stability.

Retire there.

For many people, this path is not bad.

It brings security.

It brings peace of mind.

It allows people to plan their lives.

I don't think this life is wrong.

But I do think it is very narrow.

There is little space for uncertainty.

Little space for curiosity.

Little space for choosing something that does not look "safe."

In Japan, choosing a different path is not always seen as brave.

It is often seen as irresponsible or risky.

This "standard life path" is powerful.

It protects people.

But it also quietly limits imagination.

In Japan, safety is success.

And that is both our greatest strength

and one of our biggest limitations. more

Anonymous member


Career development 1w
I previously left my job due to an unhealthy work environment. Despite offering my skills and working diligently, I was not treated fairly. My age was not respected, and my salary was paid in bits while other employees were paid on time. I raised the issue with my employer, but the situation did not improve, which left me with no choice but to resign.

I believe in professionalism, ethical work... practices, and a healthy work environment. If anyone knows of available opportunities or can guide me on where I can apply, I would truly appreciate your help. more
25   

  • Mbaraka Ewangu

    1d

    There is something I like telling everyone, before you write a resignation letter, do it when u have appointment letter of a new job. It's so hard to... get a job when your jobless  more

    1

  • Nuwasasira Justus

    6d

    What if that was a test to a bigger opportunity? What if?

Load more...

Morie Mustapha
Career development 1d

I recently went through the interview process for a MERL Manager position. It was a rigorous four-stage process, and I was incredibly encouraged to make it all the way to the final round. Reaching that point gave me a real sense of hope and confidence that the role was within my grasp.

The final interview was held online via Google Meet. I’ll admit, I felt quite tense, but I focused on... presenting my answers as clearly and accurately as I could, supporting each point with relevant examples from past experiences.

Unfortunately, I was not selected for the role. When I asked for feedback, I was told that my responses came across as scripted, as if I were reading directly from notes prepared by an AI tool.

The news was disappointing, and to be honest, it left me feeling quite disheartened. The experience has made me reconsider ever applying to that organization again. more

  • timoth wafula

    1
    1d

    You don't know how to trick the AI. ? I had a similar experience UpTo the last minute and I was told consider doing research using AI tools. So never... avoid the AI but jumble the information in your own language. Use descriptive words rather than AI proposals.  more

  • Antonio Contreras

    4
    1d

    Frankly, this post feels scripted as if written by AI...

    3
Load more...

Career development

 1d

This interview move could land you a higher salary -- or lose you a job offer


At a recent job interview, Ceraliza couldn't help but let out a gasp when she heard the impressive salary on offer.

However, while her reaction was one of pleasant surprise - understandable given the state of wages in many industries right now - the hiring manager read it differently.

And the misunderstanding ended up paying off, with an even higher amount being placed on the table as a... result.

Sharing her experience on X, Ceraliza revealed how she used the confusion to her advantage, responding with an immediate 'yes' when she was asked if the pay was below her expectations.

The Nigerian creator was praised for her quick thinking, with some commenters going so far as to call it a 'legendary' move and a 'masterclass in negotiation' (however accidental) people should mirror in their own careers.

But as others point out, it's a 'risky' tactic that won't always have such a positive outcome -- and could actually end up going a whole lot worse.

According to Will Steward, founder of recruitment firm The SaaS Jobs, it's 'definitely not a reliable strategy'.

'On one hand, a subtle display of surprise like that could signal to the hiring manager that the offer is below expectations and potentially prompt them to reconsider, but realistically, the chances of that are so low,'he tells Metro.

'Body language and facial expressions are subjective. What one person interprets as genuine excitement, another might read as shock, disdain, or incredulity. In the worst-case scenario, it could actually create tension or just make the candidate appear unprofessional.'

Ian Nicholas, global managing director at employment agency Reed, is equally split, nothing that while it may work in theory, in practice its success would be rare, 'and only under very specific conditions.'

Not only would the candidate have to already be a top choice, the interviewer would need to have pay discretion, and the market would need to be weighted in a jobseeker's favour -- even if the stars do align though, he tells Metro, 'it's more luck than strategy'.

If your attempt at feigning disappointment doesn't land, it can come across 'manipulative' and 'entitled', which makes it an especially big gamble given 'many companies won't significantly adjust offers due to rigid salary bands.'

How to negotiate a higher salary in job interviews

If a Ceraliza-style gasp sounds far too dicey for your liking, Ian advises taking a more measured approach: the 'calibrated surprise'.

Instead of reacting emotionally, tell them outright that their offer is lower than expected, 'based on the scope [you] discussed'. This 'signals a mismatch without disrespect, invites correction and keeps the conversation professional.'

Don't forget to take some time before answering either; according to Will, this is 'a bit simpler, and much safer than a gasp', despite potentially having the same effect of prompting the employer to reassess.

Alternatively, both experts highlight the 'future-value reframe' technique, where you shift the focus to your potential by asking, 'If I were exceeding expectations six months in, what would compensation progression look like?'.

Will recommends the importance of outlining the value you could bring to the company as part of this strategy, which Ian says can 'encourage the employer to envision your success and may prompt them to offer more upfront to avoid renegotiation later.'

And if you're feeling really ballsy, he adds: 'You can also use the 'competing realities' approach 'to signal market awareness, without bluffing, by saying, "I'm seeing materially different compensation ranges for similar roles at this level, how flexible is this band?".'

And if they won't budge...

Unfortunately, even with the best will in the world, you may not always be offered the salary you expect or feel you deserve.

Before you decide to walk away from negotiations however, Will says it's worth considering total compensation, not just base salary -- for example, bonuses, equity, pension scheme, flexible working arrangements, and future development opportunities.

'You should also assess this particular role's alignment with your long-term career goals,' he continues. 'A slightly lower salary than expected might still be worthwhile if the role is providing you with skills, experience, or a stepping stone to future opportunities.'

Ian adds that although an employer may be capped when it comes to, they 'often have more flexibility' with the likes of sign-on bonuses or pay reviews. All you can do is ask, right?

Do you have a story to share? more
1   

  • timoth wafula

    1
    1d

    I think I missed Salary negotiation classes.. the article is eye opening

Career development

 1d

'I was probably just as lost as my callers': my six months as a telephone psychic


I sat there in my pyjamas, headset against my ear, and knew I was not doing the right thing

I'm not psychic. During the six months I spent working as a telephone psychic, my only supernatural gift was the ability to sound fascinated by a stranger's love life at 2.17am. Yet for hundreds of billable hours, I sat on my living room floor wearing plaid pyjamas and a telemarketing headset, charging... callers by the minute for insights into their lives. Perhaps this made me a con artist, but I wasn't a dangerous one.

When it started, I'd recently quit my job as an editor at a publishing company to write a novel while doing telemarketing shifts from my kitchen table. Instead of knocking off a bestseller, I found myself cold-calling strangers about energy bills while gripped by writer's block and an inconvenient yearning to have a baby.

"Work from home!" an ad popped up one day among remote data entry and content moderation jobs. "Use your intuition to help others find clarity!" The phone psychic description claimed there was a rigorous application process and demonstration of skill was required. I lay awake that night wondering how a psychic job interview would play out. Did candidates need to commune with the interviewer's dead relatives? When I sent in the application, I was probably looking for meaning just like the people who called the hotlines.

My psychic interview the next day was a two-minute conversation with a man in accounts who asked if I had fast wifi, then sent me a contract to sign. There was no trial call, certainly no verification of skill or communion with the dead. Almost as an afterthought, he did ask which method of clairvoyance I would be using. It was not entirely a lie when I claimed a decade of experience reading tarot: but I bought the tarot cards age 12 at Waterstones on Hampstead High Street.

I logged on the next morning, nervous about any confusion that may arise from selling magical prophecies and economical energy packages simultaneously. I needn't have worried. With no testimonials and a stock photo of the moon as my psychic profile photo, for a fortnight nobody called and I continued telemarketing. I can only imagine that the first caller did so by mistake, probably because I was the only psychic stupid enough to be working at 9am on a Monday - I later learned that psychics mostly log in after dark.

This first call lasted less than a minute, routed through their system to my headset so I never saw a phone number and nobody saw mine. A man on the other end apologised for calling, said he didn't know why he was, then mumbled that he hated his job but didn't know if he should quit or not. "I'm sensing that you're not ... completely satisfied where you are?" I said, insightfully.

He rang off before I even finished the sentence. Far from feeling bad that I had pretended to be a psychic, I felt bad that I hadn't pretended better. This might have been a budget telephone psychic company with a small-print disclaimer that said "for entertainment purposes only", but this poor man obviously deserved better than being the first psychic outing of a depressed literary editor with writer's block and baby fever.

I got my second caller a week later, this time in the evening. A woman wanted to know whether she ought to give her ex another chance. My teenage years, spent hogging the family landline doing magazine quizzes with school friends while analysing the microexpressions of each other's crushes, were all the training I needed for that conversation.

She just wanted to chat. She lived in a small northern town and couldn't talk to her friends because they all hated her ex. She couldn't talk to her mum because her mum went to the same church as her ex's mum. The obvious choice was a stranger on the internet and there I was, anonymous and eager. In person she would maybe have been disappointed by my pyjamas, but all she had to go on was my voice and I barely got a word in between her outpouring of grievances. She was only nominally interested in actual divination, but approved when the "cards" told me that she needed to focus on "nurturing and self-care". She gave me my first five-star review and called me six more times over the next few months.

The pay was 20p a minute, 25p if you kept people on the line for more than 14 minutes. If you worked more than 10 hours in a week, the pay went up slightly, but if you were "online" and didn't pick up the call, £1.50 was docked from your pay. It was difficult, if not impossible, to make minimum wage, so it wasn't a con with a great return on time invested - although the accounts department claimed the site's star employee, Luna, made excellent money. She could astrally project.

I started getting one or two calls every evening shift, increasing in number each week as my testimonials grew. More than half of the calls opened with, "I don't know why I'm calling" or something similarly hesitant, frayed and embarrassed. Most people didn't seem to be looking for magic at all. Most just needed to talk, and I tried to give basic, sensible advice: Maybe don't quit your job until you have a new one lined up, don't sleep with your boss, be nice to your ageing parents even if it's inconvenient.

One woman called me every day for a week to discuss the renovation of her flat, twice in one day to analyse the exact placement of a pot plant her ex-husband gave her. She even asked me to look on the Dunelm website and give my psychic opinion on two different patterns of self-adhesive wallpaper.

The most common questions were "Is my ex thinking about me?" and "Is my boyfriend/husband cheating?" The callers tended to know the answers on some level. I'd expected to feel guilty about pretending to have supernatural powers but the reality was these people had very little interest in me. They wanted someone to listen to them. Cheap help, basically, untangling the mess of their own thoughts. Callers often apologised for talking too much, then kept going anyway, relieved by the absence of impatience on the other end of the line. As one of the least reviewed psychics on a budget-looking telephone psychic hotline, maybe they knew not to expect Nostradamus on speed dial.

So I read between the lines, helped them get their feelings out. Sometimes I made high-probability statements feel personal, but mostly I just made appreciative noises and asked leading questions. And for a few months I didn't feel guilty about it at all.

The telephone psychic industry is more regulated than it used to be when the Miss Cleo ads caused controversy in the early 2000s, leading to the Psychic Readers Network being shut down for deceptive advertising and billing practices. At my company the pricing was clear and the "for entertainment purposes only" disclaimer was blatant. I also wasn't out there searching for vulnerable people on social media.

If future employers weren't likely to get entirely the wrong impression, I'd happily put my six months as a telephone psychic on my CV: strong interpersonal and communication skills! Highly skilled at managing emotionally sensitive conversations! The ability to build rapport quickly, adjust to the caller's emotional state, and entertain. I learned to be calm under pressure, gentle with distress, and more self-aware. When private therapy is out of most people's budgets, I offered strangers a few relatively inexpensive minutes of undivided attention, gentle validation and a sense of guidance.

But slowly the darkness of my new job began to creep in. A few months after I started, a caller asked if her dead mother was disappointed in her. I took a breath and suggested she release herself from her mother's expectations. She spoke about her for an hour and later wrote in a review that I had known countless impossible details about her mother's character, none of which I'd mentioned. She said I had given her huge comfort at a difficult time in her life, when all I'd done was listen.

Now I felt guilt, and found it difficult to shake off the call. Her pain lingered. After that review people started to expect more of me. One caller relied on psychic advice to soothe her anxiety and make decisions. She was a former veterinary assistant who for a fortnight called me twice a day and got upset if I wasn't online. She was agoraphobic and clearly needed so much more than I could offer. I tried my best gently to persuade her to refer herself to NHS therapy or tell her GP that she was experiencing anxiety. She didn't want to hear it, though; she just wanted to spend £10 for someone to talk kindly about beautiful things the future may have in store for her, the tall dark strangers, the exciting travel.

She was vulnerable and would have been easy pickings for someone more manipulative. She stopped calling one day and although I like to think it was because she finally contacted mental health services, my intuition tells me she more likely found a mystic who didn't constantly read her the number of her community mental health team.

Twice, I had to tell a client to end the call and contact Samaritans. If anyone mentioned self-harm, suicide, conspiratorial beliefs or paranoia, we were meant to refer them to a professional service and end the call - similarly if anyone was verbally abusive or sexually explicit, although this never happened to me.

I was probably as lost and depressed as my clients. I'd published my first novel at 19, Isabel and Rocco. By the time I got the psychic job I had four successful novels under my belt, and lots of journalism, but suddenly I could barely muster the enthusiasm to read a shampoo bottle, let alone to write a book. I was broody and sad.

The guilt and exhaustion of the job escalated: the melancholy and loneliness that poured out of the phone and into me. The hope and the loss. I started to feel these people's pain too acutely. Someone would call and I would get a rush of grief, alienation or anger before they'd even spoken. It wasn't supernatural or telepathic; I'd tapped into an extremely dark wavelength of human need. The more calls I took, the more I really could read between the lines of what they said, feel what they might be unable to articulate. I didn't stop being a telephone psychic just out of guilt for pretending to be psychic, but because I started to become too attuned to the people who called me. I'm not saying I became psychic, but I began to see how someone might believe they were.

The call that made me stop wasn't dramatic. There were no curses, threats or credit cards maxed out in a single gulp. A woman called from her car, engine idling, and asked if she would get pregnant this month. Her voice had a careful steadiness. I followed the routine, trying to get her talking, listening for the pause, letting silence stretch until she filled it, thinking which choice of words might help her. I said I sensed a baby on the horizon but was having difficulty pinning down the time. She laughed, relieved. She said she didn't have money for IVF but had been trying for five years now and it was all she wanted in the world.

A baby was all I wanted, too, then. I felt her energy so strongly. I could sense her gripping the steering wheel, hear the way her breath kept snagging on itself. Every instinct told me to reassure her - to tell her it would happen, to have hope. I knew how easy it would be to keep her there. To sell her another 10 minutes. Another week. Another month of believing. Instead I told her something vague and kind, and she thanked me. She hung up sounding lighter, which should have made me feel better. But it didn't.

What stayed with me was the certainty that she would call again and that next time I would remember her voice. I would recognise the sound of someone pausing their life because I'd given them a reason to. I sat there in my pyjamas, headset warm against my ear, and knew that I was not doing the right thing.

In the ancient world, the Oracle of Delphi advised Greek city-states on war and law; Roman augurs read the will of the gods in bird flight; Mesopotamian priests interpreted dreams and entrails. These days we've gone past the telephone to TikTok, Instagram and other social networks launching a new breed of influencer psychics, reaching even bigger and more mainstream audiences.

I was a telephone psychic 10 years ago and as my testimonials grew the accounts department started badgering me that the best psychics were moving on to webcam. I told them the main perk of the job was that I didn't need to put real clothes on. The day after the fertility call, though, I told them I was going to log off.

I got a free call with another psychic on the site just before I left. Obviously I chose Luna, the site's star psychic. Unfortunately, when I called it turned out she could only astrally project during a full moon at certain moments in her menstrual cycle, but she could tell, presumably having had a little help from the accounts department, that I was sitting in my pyjamas and at a crossroads in my life. We chatted for a bit about being a telephone psychic, and her life, and she got a strong sense that "the subject of clairvoyance" would be important to me at some point in the future. I remember the phrase exactly; I wrote it down because it was weird. Not the skill of clairvoyance, but the subject.

I never finished the novel I was writing then, but I did go on to have three children. Ten years later I am back to writing and about to publish a novel about a toxic friendship between a webcam psychic and a client. It is, I guess, about "the subject of clairvoyance", exploring the fine lines between charisma, empathy and fraud.

Before I stopped signing into the psychic platform altogether, I waited for my first reviewer to call me again so that I could say goodbye. She was in a good place by this point. She'd moved away from the small town where she grew up, had gone back to school to finish her A-levels and just wanted to chat about her new boyfriend. She thanked me for all the advice over the last six months but said that although I'd helped her, she didn't think I was particularly clairvoyant.

That night, saying goodbye to her, I could almost imagine my time as a telephone psychic wasn't a grift but a small, morally complex act of service. Almost. more

Career development

 1d

Recruiter Avoids Hiring Job Candidates Who Think They Can Outsmart This Common Interview Question


Most candidates assume that job interview questions will focus on their past experience and skills. But sometimes recruiters are listening for something else entirely.

That seems to be the case for a global assurance talent leader named Sandra Oliver, who spoke to CNBC Make It about the qualities that she looks for when hiring a potential employee. Oliver admitted that it sometimes boils down to... a single, important question she asks during the interview process.

A recruiter avoids hiring job candidates who try to outsmart questions discussing past failures.

Miljan Zivkovic | Shutterstock

Oliver explained that she'll ask job candidates to give an example of a goal they set for themselves and how they achieved it, as well as one goal they didn't achieve. It can be difficult to talk about failures in a job interview because you want to appear infallible, but that's pretty much why Oliver asks them this question.

"That's the way I like to start the interviews, to see how people think about themselves," she said. "People don't like to ever talk about those things."

Candidates should be willing to talk about their past mistakes.

Rather than candidates trying to skirt around the question, Oliver is instead looking for complete honesty. She wants candidates to take accountability for the things they might've messed up on during past job experiences and share what they've learned from those things. Oliver, who often interviews recent grads, said many were high-performing students who struggle talking about challenges rather than successes.

"They're used to being the best and being successful, and I think it's really important to learn that when you get into the workforce, success is measured differently," she told CNBC Make It. "It's not the exam question, it's not tests, it's working as a team, and sometimes you're not going to know things, and that's okay. Sometimes you may try something or set a goal, and you fail at it, or it doesn't come out how you think."

Oliver continued, "They're so programmed to do everything great that it's hard to really pause and say, okay, how can I learn from the failure?" Accountability in and of itself is already a quality many people look for in someone. Research has shown that initial team accountability is often linked to trust, commitment, efficacy, and emotional identification with the group.

Confronting mistakes helps you grow.

Miljan Zivkovic | Shutterstock

"We can't erase our fear of mistakes -- it's too deeply ingrained in our biology. However, we can choose how we interpret and respond to them. When we begin treating errors as data points rather than disasters, we open the door to personal and collective growth," explained psychologist Sam Goldstein.

The key to overcoming mistakes is not running from them. It shows where your real skills and talents lie, which is what recruiters look for when interviewing candidates. Oliver stressed that "failure kind of is learning."

"It's really important to have that mindset when you're working that you're going to work as a team," she said. "You're going to maybe not have the best idea, or the way to think about it. Somebody's going to have a different idea, and that's going to be good, and you're going to learn from that and take that forward."

It might seem scary at first, but especially when you're in a setting that's purely to judge you based on what you're good at, but it shouldn't be a question that makes you panic. Instead, lean into it.

Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor's degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience. more

Career development

 1d

‎IUO Matriculates Over 1,300 New Students For The 2025-2026 Academic Session - ITV


Career development through diversity and inclusion took centre stage at the twenty-seventh matriculation ceremony of Nigeria's premier private institution, Igbinedion University, Okada.

The ceremony, held at the university's main auditorium for the 2025/2026 academic session, formally admitted over one thousand three hundred new students into the institution.

Donald Ehimiyein completes the... report. more

Career development

 1d

Professional Resume Proofreading & Polish


I have an existing résumé that needs a meticulous language and clarity check. My priority is to make sure every section meets current professional standards -- tone, grammar, consistency, and overall flow -- rather than rewriting it from scratch or redesigning the layout. Here is what I need from you: * Line-by-line proofreading for grammar, spelling, and punctuation * Tightening of wording so... each achievement reads clearly and concisely * Consistency checks on tenses, dates, and formatting cues (bullets, headings, fonts) * Brief margin comments or tracked-change notes explaining any major edits or suggested re-ordering I will supply the résumé in Word; please return the final file with Track Changes enabled plus a clean copy ready to send out. Familiarity with ATS-friendly phrasing and keywords is a bonus, but the main goal is polished, professional language that presents me confidently across any industry.

Project ID: 40175995

About the project

2 proposals

Open for bidding

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Active 2 mins ago

Place your bid

Benefits of bidding on Freelancer more

Career development

 1d

Should you fake your résumé and lie in an interview? This laid off employee's experience has the Internet talking


Hiring bias against resume gaps is driving a surge in "strategic deception." Job seekers now use "ghost companies" and stretched dates to bypass picky recruiters. While some bypass shallow background checks, the risk of "at-will" termination remains high. As AI-driven verification evolves, these shortcuts face a narrowing window. For many, lying is a desperate response to a broken, unforgiving job... market.

For millions of white-collar workers, the post-layoff job market has become less forgiving and far more selective. Since 2023, U.S. employers have cut hundreds of thousands of corporate roles across technology, media, consulting, finance, and professional services. According to data from Layoffs.fyi and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, professional and business services alone have seen repeated waves of reductions, while hiring standards quietly tightened.

At the same time, recruiters increasingly treat résumé gaps as red flags. Even short periods of unemployment can trigger automatic rejections. That reality has pushed some job seekers into uncomfortable territory. One recently laid-off employee says they falsified parts of their résumé, passed a background check without issue, landed a solid job, and now has no regrets.

The story, shared widely online, has ignited a fierce debate. Is résumé embellishment a survival tactic in a broken hiring system, or a dangerous gamble that could backfire later? The experience offers a rare look at how modern background checks actually work, what employers prioritize, and why job gaps have become such a career liability in 2026.

The employee described nearly two years of unstable work after multiple layoffs. Contract roles. Underemployment. Long stretches without steady income. Each gap made job searching harder, not easier. Recruiters asked fewer questions. Interview callbacks slowed. Rejections came faster.

Faced with dwindling options, the worker altered employment dates at a real company and listed a second company that sounded legitimate but did not formally exist. The listed projects and skills were real, drawn from previous roles. A basic website backed up the listing. The goal was simple. Close résumé gaps. Get past automated filters. Reach a human interviewer.

It worked.

A job offer followed. Then came the background check. The employee expected problems. None came.

Hiring data shows that résumé gaps now matter more than ever. Applicant tracking systems often flag unexplained gaps longer than six months. Recruiters, overwhelmed by high application volume, rely on shortcuts. Continuous employment has become a proxy for reliability, even in industries rocked by layoffs.

In practice, this creates a contradiction. Companies conduct mass layoffs. Then penalize workers for being laid off.

Economists note that unemployment stigma rises during uneven recoveries. While overall job numbers may stabilize, white-collar hiring remains cautious. Employers prefer candidates who appear "currently employed," assuming they are lower risk and already vetted by another company.

This bias has consequences. Qualified candidates get screened out before interviews. Long job searches become self-perpetuating. And some workers begin to believe that honesty costs them opportunities they cannot afford to lose.

The most surprising part of the story was the background check result. Despite the altered résumé, the check came back clean. No calls were made to verify employment dates or job titles. No one contacted the listed references. Even the fake company phone number never rang.

This aligns with how many background checks actually work.

For non-executive, white-collar roles, checks typically focus on criminal history and identity verification. Employers want to reduce legal and safety risk. They want to know if a candidate poses a threat to coworkers or the workplace. Employment verification, when done, is often limited to confirming that a company recognizes the individual as a former employee. Dates and titles may not be deeply scrutinized.

Credit checks are also less common than many believe. They are usually reserved for roles with direct access to company funds, sensitive financial systems, or fiduciary responsibility. Most office jobs do not meet that threshold.

Industry insiders say many background check firms rely heavily on automated databases and employer self-reporting. Manual verification costs time and money. In a high-volume hiring environment, depth is often sacrificed for speed.

That does not mean all checks are superficial. Some companies do conduct thorough verifications. Smaller firms and regulated industries may dig deeper. But the process is far less uniform than job seekers assume.

The story has divided opinion online. Supporters argue that companies misrepresent job stability, growth opportunities, and even role responsibilities. They see résumé manipulation as a defensive response to an unfair system.

Critics warn that falsification carries long-term risk. If discovered later, it can lead to termination for cause. It can damage professional reputation. It may create stress for employees trying to maintain a fabricated work history.

Employment lawyers note that consequences depend heavily on company policy and intent. Minor date adjustments are often treated differently than fabricating credentials or licenses. Still, the risk is real.

What the story ultimately highlights is not just individual behavior, but structural pressure. A hiring market that punishes unemployment, relies on automated screening, and values optics over context encourages distortion.

For many workers, the takeaway is uncomfortable. In today's white-collar job market, being honest is not always rewarded. Being continuously employed often matters more than being truthful about how hard the last few years have been.

(You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) more

Career development

 1d

Exploring the Benefits of Attending Tier 2 Schools for Your Career Development


When considering where to pursue higher education, many students and their families often focus on prestigious institutions, commonly known as tier 1 schools. However, tier 2 schools offer numerous benefits that are worth exploring. Choosing the right college or university is a personal decision, and understanding what tier 2 schools offer can guide you in your career development journey.

Why... Tier 2 Schools Deserve Your Consideration

The notion that only top-tier institutions provide quality education is increasingly outdated. Tier 2 schools can provide a robust academic experience, often with comparable faculty, resources, and opportunities to their higher-ranked counterparts. They frequently have strong connections to local industries and communities, which can be a tremendous advantage for job placement and internships.

Quality Education Without the Stress

One significant advantage of attending tier 2 schools is the opportunity to receive a quality education in a less stressful environment. Class sizes are often smaller, which allows for more personalized attention and interaction with professors. This can foster a deeper understanding of the subject matter and build important relationships that benefit academic and career development.

Affordability and Scholarships

Tier 2 schools are often more affordable than their tier 1 counterparts, which is an essential factor for many students. They frequently offer competitive financial aid packages and scholarships. Students interested in fields like art can discover available options by exploring scholarships for art students and similar resources.

Career-Focused Programs and Opportunities

Many tier 2 institutions emphasize career-oriented education and provide practical training that directly feeds into industry needs. This could range from specialized career services to co-op programs where students combine study with practical work experience. Such experiences are invaluable for building a resume and gaining insights into industry demands.

Networking and Community Connections

Due to strong ties with local sectors, tier 2 schools often have excellent career services that include networking opportunities with local businesses and alumni. These connections can lead to internships, job placements, and career mentoring, providing tangible benefits that may not be as accessible at larger institutions.

Accessibility and Flexibility

Tier 2 schools are often more flexible in their admission policies and provide diverse pathways for students of varying backgrounds. This inclusivity fosters a diverse learning environment rich in perspectives, enhances the educational experience, and prepares students for working in global and multicultural settings.

Personal Development Opportunities

Beyond academics, tier 2 schools frequently offer a range of extracurricular activities such as clubs, sports, and volunteer opportunities that enrich the student experience. These activities not only build skills and personal interests but also foster soft skills like leadership, teamwork, and communication, which are highly valued by employers.

Success Beyond Rankings

While the prestige of a college can open doors, what you do with your education matters significantly more for long-term career success. Many graduates from tier 2 schools go on to successful careers, proving that ambition, hard work, and strategic use of resources can surpass the limitations of school rankings.

For more information on the topic of education and how different institutions compare, you may find valuable insights on Wikipedia's education page.

In conclusion, tier 2 schools provide a wide array of benefits that support personal and career development. They offer quality education, affordability, career-focused programs, and rich environments for personal growth. By exploring these institutions, you might find an opportunity perfectly aligned with your goals and aspirations.

* Tier 2 schools often offer a comparable education to higher-ranked institutions.

* They provide affordable education with competitive scholarship options.

* Career-focused programs and industry connections enhance practical experience.

* Smaller class sizes often mean more personalized attention from faculty.

* Extracurricular activities at tier 2 schools support personal skill development.

What are tier 2 schools?

Tier 2 schools are institutions ranked below tier 1 schools but still offer quality education and resources. They often provide a beneficial alternative for students interested in less competitive environments with strong local industry connections.

Are tier 2 schools less reputable?

Reputation varies depending on programs and local industry perception. Many tier 2 schools are highly respected in specific fields or regions, offering quality education and career opportunities.

Do tier 2 schools offer scholarships?

Yes, tier 2 schools often provide scholarships and financial aid similar to higher-ranked institutions. Exploring each school's offerings is crucial to understanding the financial support available.

How can attending a tier 2 school benefit my career?

Tier 2 schools can offer unique career benefits, including strong local industry connections, personalized career services, and practical co-op programs that build relevant skills and experience.

Is attending a tier 2 school a good choice for international students?

For international students, tier 2 schools can provide an inclusive and diverse educational environment with opportunities to study and work in various fields, along with a potentially more affordable education. more

Career development

 1d

Hiring in an era of fake candidates, real scams and AI slop - The Markup


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My name is Andrew Losowsky, and I'm Product Director & Editor at The Markup and CalMatters. A few months ago, we wanted to hire a new engineer. Hiring is always a lengthy process, but this time I had to wade through what felt like an ocean of generative AI slop. Fake and exaggerated resumes... have always existed, but now, thanks to the rise of AI tools, it's incredibly hard to know who is even real.

I get why people use AI tools to find work. Job hunting is exhausting. Every employer wants to feel special, but applying takes so long that, according to a recent report, 65% of jobseekers use AI automation tools to find work, including some that promise to "tailor your resume for each role." And why not, if employers are using AI to screen resumes anyway? (We don't do this.) However, there's also been a lot of reporting over the past year about fake candidates for technical roles.

Within 12 hours of posting the role, we received more than 400 applications. At first, most of these candidates seemed to be genuine. However, as the person who had to read them all, I quickly saw some red flags, which were all clear indicators of inauthenticity:

* Contact information, such as email addresses and phone numbers, was repeated across multiple applicants, although their names didn't always match the names in the email addresses. In at least one case, two totally different resumes were submitted under the same name, mailing address, and phone number.

* Some email addresses were formatted in a particular way, with a full name and a seemingly random number, often followed by .

* Mailing addresses were located in commercial-only areas but weren't post office boxes.

* Resumes had identical design patterns, including bolding certain phrases connected to skills and experiences.

* LinkedIn addresses were either broken, led to near-empty profiles, or contained profiles listing different employers from the resume.

These suspicions were reinforced by the answers that these inauthentic candidates gave to questions on our application form. As part of our hiring process, we asked applicants why they wanted to work with us and which projects they were most proud of. We didn't prohibit using AI to help write applications, but what we received went a lot further than using it for guidance around phrasing or language.

* Responses to "Why do you want to work with us?" followed a near-identical four-sentence pattern with minor variations:"I want to work with you because..." with a summary of the first section of our About page "As an engineer, I enjoy..." with a summary of the top of the job posting"I'm particularly interested in..." with a summary of the second section of our About page "While I haven't worked in journalism before..." with a summary of the rest of the job posting

* A few applications even included "ChatGPT says" in their answers, without acknowledging why or how they'd used ChatGPT.

* Most obviously suspect: In several resumes, the work didn't correspond with that of the stated employer but almost perfectly matched our job description. One applicant reported working for a trucking company, and, as part of their job, they "often worked closely with journalists to create data dashboards and visualizations." In the most extreme case, one person claimed they had built our website and Blacklight tool (they hadn't).

After less than a day, we removed our ad from ZipRecruiter, Glassdoor and Indeed.com, and relied on our own outreach to get applicants. Following this, the flood of probable inauthenticity slowed to a trickle.

I was curious about our probably fake applicants, so I followed up with some of them.

Several candidates said they had worked for PixelFyre Code Labs, "an information business helping all businesses succeed," whose web address goes nowhere and seems only to exist on LinkedIn. One of them said he couldn't discuss his past journalism work because "most of the work was under NDAs or white-label partnerships." I tried to set up a phone call anyway, but he never responded to multiple emails. "Due to NDA" was a common refrain from suspect candidates when questioned about their experience.

One person's resume showed relevant experience but contained several of the red flags I mentioned earlier. By chance, I happened to have a professional contact at a company listed on his application - and, to my surprise, my contact not only confirmed the candidate's past employment but also highly recommended him, so I set up a video interview.

During the interview, the candidate's answers were evasive and generic. When asked why he wanted to work for us, he said, "I want to work for you because you're doing cutting-edge technologies... You're a fast company growing 'fastly', and I'm looking for new experiences." He said he lived in Morrisville, N.C., and when I asked what he liked about the town, he said "The temperature -- the weather is amazing." Any specific places or things to see there? "No, just the weather." What's the weather like today? "It's cold all the time, it feels freezing today, yes." The temperature in Morrisville that day was 82 degrees.

I later shared a screenshot I had taken of the candidate with my contact at the publication. "That is definitely not the same [person] we'd hired," he said.

Our job ad also got picked up and shared by scammers. Someone made a fake email address similar to ours, then sent generic technical "tests" containing our logo to jobseekers, while linking to our job ad. Completing these tests led to a fake contract signed by someone claiming to be our CEO - it was at this point that the scammers requested financial information, saying they needed it to issue payments. I shudder to think what would have happened to anyone who handed over their banking details. Based on what I know about AI, creating these scams at scale is probably pretty easy.

Despite our travails, we got lucky. We had a stellar shortlist of actual people whose experiences matched their applications. We landed a fantastic new team member (welcome, Matt!), and learned a lesson: if you're hiring a remote engineer, be prepared to wade through a lot of slop.

Sincerely,

Andrew Losowsky

Product Director & Editor

The Markup and CalMatters more

Career development

 2d

I was laid off from CrowdStrike and used AI to send 800 applications in a month to land my ideal role


* Dray Jankowski, a laid-off CrowdStrike employee, turned to AI in the face of a brutal job market.

* Jankowski used an AI platform to send over 800 job applications in a month.

* He landed five interviews and eventually found his ideal role.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Dray Jankowski, former employee at CrowdStrike and current senior director of product operations and... program management at Wunderkind. Business Insider verified his identity. This essay has been edited for length and clarity.

I still remember the morning I found out I was getting laid off from CrowdStrike.

I went to bed thinking everything was fine, and when I woke up, there was a mysterious meeting on my calendar for later that afternoon.

That's when I saw the email that said the company was doing a reduction in force as it adjusted to changes driven by AI. It wasn't about financial trouble. It was sudden, impersonal, and final. At 30, it was my first layoff.

I was shaken. I worked hard to get where I was. At CrowdStrike, I was a program manager working closely with the team that makes motion sensors. I also worked at Amazon and Raytheon and consulted with companies such as Microsoft and Johnson & Johnson. I had what people would consider a "great résumé."

Little did I know how brutal the job market would become and how hard it would be to find the right fit.

The job hunt begins

In the first three months after my layoff, I applied to 52 jobs on my own, and I hated every second of it.

At first, I wasn't even looking. I had savings, and it was summer. I traveled to Yellowstone, spent time with my mom and my two dogs, and casually applied to roles I actually liked.

Instead of being quiet about my layoff, I also decided to be vocal. I started making YouTube videos and launched a podcast called "The Reboot Era," where I talked openly about layoffs and invited others to share their experiences.

Even with my background, the job-search process was frustrating. I'd turn to ChatGPT with basic questions like, "Should I update my résumé for this role?" and I started noticing how many people were stuck for months because they didn't know how to optimize it for applicant tracking systems. When I looked for help online, most of it was locked behind paywalls.

LinkedIn "Easy Apply" felt like a black hole. Company websites made me create a new Workday account every time. The process was tedious, slow, and draining. So when an AI-powered application platform reached out to me after seeing my posts about layoffs, I invited them onto my podcast with a catch: I wouldn't promote anything unless I tested it myself and believed it worked.

How AI helped me land my role

At first, the results didn't seem promising. The very first call I got was from a car wash near my house.

A week later, something changed. I started getting legitimate interview requests for corporate roles that matched my experience and salary range. One message on LinkedIn asked if I wanted to interview with a company I'd never even heard of. That's when I knew the AI had applied for me.

Over the course of about a month, the platform sent out 812 applications on my behalf. It also shows you which keywords to hit in your cover letters, and you can set your own parameters.

With AI handling the repetitive work, I could focus on preparing for interviews, refining my résumé, networking, and continuing my podcast.

In total, I received five serious interview requests that were aligned with what I wanted. I moved forward with two. One didn't pan out, but the other moved fast. Within two weeks, I had an offer.

That's how I landed my current role as senior director of product operations and program management at Wunderkind, a marketing technology company that helps brands re-engage customers who leave their websites without making a purchase.

AI didn't get me the job. It got me the interview. From there, it was on me to show up, connect, and prove I was the right person.

The takeaway

I think the job market is going in the wrong direction.

First, companies decide they can automate many standard workflows and lay off workers. Those employees are then pushed back into the open job market, forced to apply for new roles. Now, they face AI screening systems that evaluate them against opaque criteria they can't see or understand.

If the applicant is using AI as well, they get rejected by the screener AI if they sound too robotic. Then, even when you do get the interview, many offers ask you to meet with a digital recruiter who's not a real person and will ask automated questions.

None of that seems fair, and it often feels like AI is working against job seekers in this brutal market. It took me more than 800 applications to get one great offer, so it is reasonable if you need help. When used correctly, AI can be the tool that gives you your time and momentum back.

Read the original article on Business Insider more

Career development

 2d

I was laid off from CrowdStrike and used AI to send 800 applications in a month to land my ideal role


He landed five interviews and eventually found his ideal role.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Dray Jankowski, former employee at CrowdStrike and current senior director of product operations and program management at Wunderkind. Business Insider verified his identity. This essay has been edited for length and clarity.

I still remember the morning I found out I was getting... laid off from CrowdStrike.

I went to bed thinking everything was fine, and when I woke up, there was a mysterious meeting on my calendar for later that afternoon.

That's when I saw the email that said the company was doing a reduction in force as it adjusted to changes driven by AI. It wasn't about financial trouble. It was sudden, impersonal, and final. At 30, it was my first layoff.

I was shaken. I worked hard to get where I was. At CrowdStrike, I was a program manager working closely with the team that makes motion sensors. I also worked at Amazon and Raytheon and consulted with companies such as Microsoft and Johnson & Johnson. I had what people would consider a "great résumé."

Little did I know how brutal the job market would become and how hard it would be to find the right fit.

The job hunt begins

In the first three months after my layoff, I applied to 52 jobs on my own, and I hated every second of it.

At first, I wasn't even looking. I had savings, and it was summer. I traveled to Yellowstone, spent time with my mom and my two dogs, and casually applied to roles I actually liked.

Instead of being quiet about my layoff, I also decided to be vocal. I started making YouTube videos and launched a podcast called "The Reboot Era," where I talked openly about layoffs and invited others to share their experiences.

Even with my background, the job-search process was frustrating. I'd turn to ChatGPT with basic questions like, "Should I update my résumé for this role?" and I started noticing how many people were stuck for months because they didn't know how to optimize it for applicant tracking systems. When I looked for help online, most of it was locked behind paywalls.

LinkedIn "Easy Apply" felt like a black hole. Company websites made me create a new Workday account every time. The process was tedious, slow, and draining. So when an AI-powered application platform reached out to me after seeing my posts about layoffs, I invited them onto my podcast with a catch: I wouldn't promote anything unless I tested it myself and believed it worked.

How AI helped me land my role

At first, the results didn't seem promising. The very first call I got was from a car wash near my house.

A week later, something changed. I started getting legitimate interview requests for corporate roles that matched my experience and salary range. One message on LinkedIn asked if I wanted to interview with a company I'd never even heard of. That's when I knew the AI had applied for me.

Over the course of about a month, the platform sent out 812 applications on my behalf. It also shows you which keywords to hit in your cover letters, and you can set your own parameters.

With AI handling the repetitive work, I could focus on preparing for interviews, refining my résumé, networking, and continuing my podcast.

In total, I received five serious interview requests that were aligned with what I wanted. I moved forward with two. One didn't pan out, but the other moved fast. Within two weeks, I had an offer.

That's how I landed my current role as senior director of product operations and program management at Wunderkind, a marketing technology company that helps brands re-engage customers who leave their websites without making a purchase.

AI didn't get me the job. It got me the interview. From there, it was on me to show up, connect, and prove I was the right person.

The takeaway

I think the job market is going in the wrong direction.

First, companies decide they can automate many standard workflows and lay off workers. Those employees are then pushed back into the open job market, forced to apply for new roles. Now, they face AI screening systems that evaluate them against opaque criteria they can't see or understand.

If the applicant is using AI as well, they get rejected by the screener AI if they sound too robotic. Then, even when you do get the interview, many offers ask you to meet with a digital recruiter who's not a real person and will ask automated questions.

None of that seems fair, and it often feels like AI is working against job seekers in this brutal market. It took me more than 800 applications to get one great offer, so it is reasonable if you need help. When used correctly, AI can be the tool that gives you your time and momentum back. more

Career development

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Dubai-based founder flags concern after Gen Z candidate questions basic company details: 'Being young isn't an excuse'


Candidates are often asked tricky questions in job interviews, but one recent Gen Z candidate left a founder completely stunned with a simple query.

Mahima Jalan, Dubai-based founder of Sorted Brand, shared the incident on X (formerly Twitter), highlighting what she sees as a worrying trend among younger professionals.

"Gen Z has a different way of working," the caption of the post reads.

The... question left her surprised, as not knowing basic company details during a job interview is considered poor work etiquette, regardless of age.

"The job description, hiring message, and emails were already shared. Not knowing basic details is poor work etiquette. Being young isn't an excuse." Jalan adds.

Jalan emphasised that serious businesses cannot run on vibes alone. They rely on preparation and ownership. Knowing key information about a company is part of showing professionalism and respect for the interviewer.

"Even for a 15-minute call, I research the client. Serious businesses don't run on vibes. They run on ownership and preparation," she adds.

HT.com has reached out to the user for more details. This report will be updated when she responds. more