Career development

Meredith Mayo

1d

There are five women in our department, but I always get all the difficult tasks. The others quickly tell the boss: “I don’t know how to do this” or “I’ve never done this before.” I usually can do it and figure it out.
But now I’m tired of it. If I start saying the same things, the boss probably won’t believe me. Can you give me advice on how to avoid difficult tasks sometimes and let others do... them too?
Thanks for any advice more

1

Sandra Tarkenton
3h
Is it interfering with your normal work? Does it require you to work longer hours? I’d it making you less effective in your normal work? These all... deserve a conversation with your boss. Taking on the responsibility of harder tasks can be good for a career growth, so a conversation about your career path desires might also be appropriate. I have always been of the opinion that you make your own career. Companies and bosses are not going to do it for you. more
Melody Penney
4h
You are a Lead. Now document all the "I can't do's" and all the
"can-do's" that you do! Now use those to negotiate a new title
as the lead in the... department along with a raise commensurate with your value to your team, your boss, and your company! more

Lauren Davis

Career development

5d

Hi! Things are getting weird in our department - our boss is acting crazy. Yesterday she said we can’t spend more than 5 minutes on coffee, even though we make it in the kitchen and then go back to our desks. Sometimes I only finish my cold coffee at the end of the day.
She also won’t let two people go to lunch together anymore - only one at a time. She says we’ll get back faster that way. Now... she’s even checking who is friends with whom.
And I heard her say “That’s all” like in that movie with Meryl Streep. Maybe she finally watched it?🤭

more

Melody Penney
4h
Sit back and watch the show. She is obviously grasping to validate her own authority and to give legitimacy to her job. Which suggests that she has... her own insecurities. I think you should have a private meeting with her and tell her you are concerned for her because people in your department are perceiving her as stressed. Of course, ask if there is anything you can do to help her get the department under control. more
Ranisha Pate
22h
It's great you caught the craziness in time to adjust your schedule. A lot of changes come from inconveniences to the company. Im sorry your... supervisor is not communicating the problem or her logic. I personally do find it better to enjoy my lunches on my own time. Sometimes we build a personal life at work that may be distracting for the work environment. I would ensure I'm energized and don't have to interrupt work process schedules because they cost. Hope you next workday goes better. more

Thomas Hastings

Career development

22h

Hello everyone in the group! My trip to a construction site in Limassol (Cyprus), where I will work as a site supervisor, has been planned for a few months. Now it’s time for me to go.
To be honest, I’m a bit worried, even though it seems calm there now. Is anyone here from Limassol or nearby cities? Is everything okay there?
Thanks for your answers

3

Zakayo Nderui
6h
Wish you well.The embassy will guide you further.
Kasuubo Esther
7h
since it had been planned for a long time and its now due, just be calm and pray to God for the best

William Robinson

Career development

3d

I had a job interview at a small company. The director said he was going to lunch and asked me to go with him. He bought me a coffee, we talked calmly and then he said I got the job and could start on Monday. I still don’t understand what the catch is. Or did I really just get lucky and find a job that easily?

6

Kasuubo Esther
7h
congratulations! lucky you
Henry Komakech
15h
Congratulations. The director needed to have a one on one with you and check your lineability with your CV. Prepare and start immediately.

Career development

11h

I Trusted My Friend to Help With My CV and Application -- But She Was At My Interview When I Walked In

The fluorescent lights in the waiting room hummed with a clinical, predatory energy that made the sweat behind my neck turn cold. I clutched my leather folder, my knuckles white, staring at the woman sitting directly across from me in the plush charcoal armchair. It was Leah.

She was wearing the power suit she'd bought last month, her hair lay in a sharp, professional bob, looking every bit the... corporate conqueror. My heart didn't just throb; it felt like it was trying to exit my chest through my throat.

"Leah?" I whispered, the name catching on the dry roof of my mouth. "What are you doing here?"

She didn't flinch. She didn't look guilty. Instead, she offered a thin, practised smile that didn't reach her eyes and adjusted the identical navy-blue company folder resting on her lap.

"Oh, Naomi! You applied for this, too?" she asked, her voice airy and casual, as if we were bumping into each other at a grocery store rather than at the one job interview that was supposed to save my life. "That's so funny. Small world, isn't it?"

"Funny?" I choked out, the air in the room suddenly feeling too thin to breathe. "You told me the role wasn't really your 'vibe' when I showed you the listing. You spent three days 'fixing' my CV for this exact position."

She leaned forward, the scent of her expensive, musky perfume hitting me like a physical blow -- a sharp contrast to the antiseptic smell of the office. "I just thought I'd throw my hat in the ring at the last minute, babes," she said, her tone hardening just a fraction. "May the best woman win, right?"

We had been inseparable since our first year at university.

Leah was the fire to my water. While I spent my nights in the library perfecting my syntax, she was out networking, building a bridge to the career she wanted. She landed a solid role at a marketing firm straight after graduation.

I, on the other hand, had spent the last eight months staring at the peeling paint on my apartment ceiling. The bills had started to feel like physical weights pressing down on my shoulders.

Every time my mother called from the village to ask how the job hunt was going, I felt a fresh wave of shame. "Don't worry, Naomi," Leah had told me over a plate of steaming tilapia last month.

"I'm going to see you win. Your brilliance just needs the right packaging." She held my hand across the table, her grip firm and reassuring.

"I've got the connections, and I know exactly what these HR managers are looking for," she'd insisted. "Just send me your drafts. I'll polish them until they shine." I felt a surge of genuine gratitude that brought tears to my eyes. "You'd really do that for me?" I asked, my voice trembling.

"Of course," she laughed, waving away my thanks. "What are friends for if not to pull each other up?" I sent her my CV that night, feeling like a massive burden had been lifted.

I told her everything about the mid-sized firm I'd found. I told her about the salary, a figure that was significantly higher than what she was currently earning.

"It's a bit of a jump for you, isn't it?" she'd remarked, her eyes flickering over the job description on my phone. "But hey, if you think you can handle the pressure, go for it."

I trusted her completely because she was the one who already had her foot in the door of the world I was trying to enter. She was my mentor, my sister, and my safety net. Or so I thought.

The first red flag appeared a week before the application deadline. Leah had been "working" on my CV for five days, claiming she was too swamped at her own job to finish the edits.

"I need to submit it by Friday, Leah," I told her over the phone, pacing the narrow hallway of my flat. "The portal closes at midnight."

"Relax, Naomi," she snapped, her voice uncharacteristically sharp. "I'm making sure it's perfect. Do you want the job or not?" I went quiet, swallowed by the fear of offending the only person helping me.

When the document finally landed in my inbox on Thursday evening, I opened it with trembling fingers. As I scrolled through the pages, a cold knot began to form in the pit of my stomach.

She had removed my two-year stint at the regional consultancy -- the very place where I'd managed a team of six. "Why did you take out the consultancy lead role?" I texted her immediately.

"It makes you look overqualified and expensive," she messaged back seconds later. "Trust the process. I've rephrased your skills to make you seem more 'trainable'."

I looked at the laptop screen, bewildered. She had replaced my active, leadership-focused bullet points with passive, administrative language.

"It doesn't sound like me, Leah," I whispered to the empty room. I called her, hoping for clarity, but she didn't pick up.

A few minutes later, a voice note arrived. "Naomi, you're overthinking. I know these recruiters. They want someone who won't clash with the current manager."

I looked at my original draft -- full of achievements and high-level strategy. Then I looked at her version -- muted, simplified, and almost invisible.

The pressure of the deadline felt like a physical hand squeezing my throat. If I didn't submit this now, I'd lose the chance entirely.

If I ignored her advice and failed, I'd have no one to blame but myself. "She knows better," I whispered, trying to convince my pounding heart.

I uploaded her version of my life and hit 'submit'. The confirmation email felt less like a victory and more like a surrender.

Two days later, the invitation for an interview arrived. I was ecstatic, screaming into my pillow before calling Leah to share the news.

"That's great, bestie," she said, though her voice sounded strangely flat. "I told you my edits would work."

"I'm so nervous," I admitted. "Do you think I should brush up on the project management software they mentioned?" "Don't bother," she replied quickly. "They told me -- I mean, I heard -- they're moving away from that system."

I paused, the air suddenly still. "How did you hear that?"

"Just industry chatter, Naomi. Focus on being 'personable'. That's your strength." I sat on my bed after we hung up, the silence of the apartment feeling heavy and suspicious.

The light outside was fading into a bruised purple, casting long, distorted shadows across the floor. I felt like I was walking through a fog, unable to see the cliff edge until my foot was already hovering over the drop.

I decided to do a quick search on the company's recent LinkedIn posts. There, featured in a "Meet the Team" video from that morning, was the exact software she told me to ignore.

My heart gave a sickening thud. Why would she lie about something so small?

I shook it off, telling myself she was just misinformed. Friends don't sabotage friends.

I spent the next forty-eight hours rehearsing the "personable" answers she had coached me on. I wore the modest navy dress she suggested, even though I felt more powerful in my tailored blazer.

"You don't want to intimidate them," she'd warned. I walked into that office building feeling small, prepared to be the "trainable" girl she had created on paper.

Then the elevator doors opened. And there she was.

The receptionist called Leah's name first. She stood up with a grace that felt like a calculated insult, smoothing her skirt without looking back at me.

I sat in that chair for twenty minutes, the silence of the lobby ringing in my ears like a physical siren. Every time the heavy oak door opened, I expected to see her walk out with a look of shame.

Instead, when she finally emerged, she looked radiant. She caught my eye and gave a small, triumphant nod that made my stomach do a slow, sick flip.

"Good luck, Naomi," she whispered as she passed, her voice dripping with a pity that felt sharper than any blade. "They're looking for someone very... specific today."

When I finally walked into the boardroom, three panellists sat behind a glass table. I sat down, my hands trembling as I laid out my "diluted" CV in front of them.

"So, Naomi," the lead interviewer began, flipping through the pages with a bored expression. "Your profile seems a bit... entry-level for a role with this much responsibility."

I felt the blood drain from my face. "I've actually managed teams before," I said, my voice sounding thin and desperate in the large room.

"It's not listed here," he replied, pointing to the gap where Leah had deleted my consultancy experience. "We're looking for a leader, not someone we have to hand-hold through basic operations."

I looked down at the paper -- the paper Leah had "polished" for me. It was a map leading me directly into a dead end.

"I can explain those gaps," I started, but I could see their interest fading like a dying ember. They began asking technical questions about the very software Leah told me to ignore.

I tried to pivot, to show my personality as she'd coached me, but they weren't looking for a "friend." They were looking for the expert I had been before I let her touch my career.

The air in the room felt heavy, smelling of stale coffee and the ozone of high-end air conditioning. I realised then that I wasn't just fighting for a job; I was fighting the version of myself Leah had invented to ensure I'd fail.

The floor beneath my feet felt as though it had turned to water. I stumbled out of the interview room, the heavy oak door clicking shut behind me like a gavel.

Leah was still there, leaning against the glass windows of the lift lobby. She was silhouetted against the harsh afternoon sun, watching the city traffic crawl below.

"How did it go?" she asked, her back still turned. Her voice was steady, devoid of the nervous energy I was currently drowning in.

"They thought I was a junior, Leah," I said, my voice cracking as the humiliation finally broke through. "They literally laughed when I mentioned strategy. The edits you made -- they erased everything that made me a contender."

She turned around slowly. For the first time in ten years, the mask slipped completely. The warm, supportive sister-friend was gone. In her place stood a woman with eyes as cold and calculating as a high-frequency trader. There was no sympathy there; only a hard, metallic ambition.

"Maybe you just aren't ready for this level yet, Naomi," she said. Her tone was clinical. "I did you a favour, really. I kept you from overpromising and crashing out in the first month. You would have been out of your depth."

"You applied for it yourself," I whispered, the realisation hitting me with the force of a physical blow. I looked at the identical folder in her hand.

"You didn't just 'fix' my CV. You harvested it. You took the leadership highlights you deleted from mine and pasted them into yours, didn't you?"

She didn't even have the grace to flinch. She simply adjusted the strap of her designer handbag and looked at me as if I were a piece of outdated software.

"I saw the salary range on that listing, Naomi. It is double what I make now," she said flatly. "Why should I let you leapfrog over me? I've spent years networking while you were just... waiting. You haven't paid your dues."

The betrayal felt like a thick, oily slick in my throat. The soundscape of the office -- the ringing phones, the rhythmic tapping of keyboards -- suddenly muffled, as if I had been plunged underwater.

"You knew I was desperate," I gritted out, my eyes stinging. "You knew my landlord was calling every day. You used my vulnerability to scout a better deal for yourself."

"It's just business, babes," she said, her voice dropping to a low, cold hum as the lift doors chimed and slid open.

"Don't take it so personally. In this city, you're either the one holding the ladder or the one being stepped on." She stepped into the mirrored carriage, the doors closing on her calm, unbothered reflection.

I didn't cry on the bus ride home. The betrayal was too deep for tears; it felt more like a cold, clarifying frost.

I reached my apartment and sat in the dark for a long time, listening to the distant hum of traffic. My phone buzzed with a notification from her on social media.

"So proud of us for putting ourselves out there today! Lunch soon? x" I stared at the screen until the light dimmed and went black.

I didn't reply. I didn't demand an explanation; I already had. Instead, I went to my settings and clicked 'Block' on every platform we shared.

The silence that followed was the first bit of peace I'd felt in months. The next morning, I opened my laptop and pulled up my original, "overqualified" CV.

I restored every achievement, every leadership role, and every technical skill she had tried to bury. I realised that by trying to make myself "palatable" for her, I had made myself invisible to everyone else.

A week later, I saw a LinkedIn update from the company. The role was being re-advertised; neither of us had been "the right fit."

I felt a grim sense of satisfaction knowing her sabotage hadn't even bought her the prize she'd sold her soul for. I hit 'apply' again -- this time with the real version of me.

I haven't heard back yet, and the bills are still piling up on my kitchen counter. But the air in my apartment feels lighter, stripped of the toxic expectations of a "friend" who wanted me to stay small.

I used to think that loyalty was a debt you paid to people just because you'd known them a long time. I thought that a friend's success was my success, and I assumed they felt the same.

But I've learned that some people only want to see you do well as long as you aren't doing better than them. They will offer you a hand to help you up, only to ensure they can control how high you climb.

True friendship doesn't require you to shrink so the other person can feel tall. It doesn't ask you to hide your strengths to protect their fragile ego.

I am still looking for work, and the uncertainty is terrifying. But I would rather be unemployed and standing on my own two feet than successful and leaning on a snake.

I've reclaimed my voice and my history. And I've learned the hardest lesson of all: trust is a gift, but discernment is a survival skill.

If the person closest to you is the one holding the scissors, how can you ever expect to grow? more

Career development

11h

Protecting Yourself From Recruitment Scams

Job hunting can be an exciting yet vulnerable time. Unfortunately, cybercriminals and fraudsters know this, and they exploit it. Across the globe, we are witnessing a sharp and alarming rise in recruitment scams: sophisticated schemes in which fraudsters impersonate legitimate recruitment companies, create fake job postings, and deceive unsuspecting candidates into handing over money or personal... data.

At Worldwide Recruitment Solutions, your safety and trust are our top priority. We are committed to raising awareness about the tactics used by these criminals so that job seekers, hiring managers, and organisations can stay one step ahead. This guide outlines the key warning signs to look out for and the steps you can take to protect yourself.

The digital era has transformed the way we search for jobs and hire talent. While this brings huge benefits, it has also opened new doors for fraudsters. They take advantage of well-known recruitment brand names, professional platforms like LinkedIn, and the urgency that job seekers often feel. Scammers have become increasingly convincing, using professional-looking websites, corporate email formats, and polished social media profiles to build false legitimacy.

The consequences of falling victim to a recruitment scam can be devastating: financial loss, identity theft, and emotional distress. That is why awareness and vigilance are your best defences.

Here are the most common red flags that may indicate you are being contacted by a scammer posing as a recruitment consultant or company:

A legitimate recruitment company will never ask you to:

If any representative from a recruitment company makes these requests, treat it as an immediate red flag and cease contact.

Scammers frequently reach out through platforms such as LinkedIn, WhatsApp, and Telegram. Watch for these warning signs on a recruiter's profile:

One of the most common tactics used by scammers is spoofing or mimicking the email addresses of legitimate recruitment companies. Always scrutinise the sender's full email address, not just the display name. Look for subtle misspellings, extra characters, or unusual domain names (e.g., " worldwide-rss.com" instead of "worldwide-rs.com").

Always verify that any communication from a recruitment company comes from an official, recognised domain. If you are unsure, contact us directly at info@worldwide-rs.com.

Fraudsters have become skilled at cloning the websites of legitimate recruitment agencies to steal personal information and money from both job seekers and hiring organisations. Here is how you can verify a recruitment website's authenticity:

If you believe you have been contacted by a fraudster impersonating a recruitment company, take the following steps immediately:

At Worldwide Recruitment Solutions, we will never ask you for personal financial details, payment to apply for a role, or request that you transfer money on behalf of anyone. We communicate exclusively through verified, official channels.

If you ever receive a message claiming to be from us that raises any of the red flags outlined in this guide, please contact us directly through our official website to verify its authenticity. Together, we can stay one step ahead of the fraudsters. more

Career development

12h

Internal Promotions: Matt and Callum - Winder Power

Latest news: A major milestone achieved in our 33kV transformer manufacturing journey! See here

Winder Power is proud to announce the internal promotion of two long standing team members, Callum Kitson and Matt Jones, into Production Manager roles. As the business continues to expand, including the development of the new 132 kV grid transformer product line, strengthening leadership within... production is essential. These promotions reflect Winder Power's commitment to investing in its people and supporting career development at every stage.

Callum first joined Winder Power as a Core Erector and Mechanical Fitter, a role that gave him a practical entry into the engineering world and the chance to work hands on with the equipment he had always wanted to be involved with. Over the years, he has developed strong problem solving abilities, improved organisation, and a mindset focused on continual improvement. These skills have supported his progression and strengthened his decision making as he moved into more senior responsibilities.

Training and mentorship have played an important role in Callum's journey. He completed his HNC in Electrical Engineering and undertook high voltage switching training, both of which enhanced his technical knowledge. He also credits several supervisors and managers with helping him develop, exposing him to different leadership styles and approaches. The company's support has been instrumental too, from funding external training to providing opportunities to step up long before any formal role change. Preparing for the Production Manager position involved spending more time learning the wider business and adjusting to a leadership focused working style. Although he jokes about building resilience to email notifications, the reality is that he has taken time to understand how production decisions influence the full operation.

Callum values Winder Power's culture of promoting from within, believing it ensures key roles are filled by people with a solid, practical understanding of products and processes. For him, seeing the business invest internally makes progression feel achievable. Looking ahead, he is excited to play a part in the expansion of the 132 kV product line and hopes to continue developing his understanding of what it takes to support a growing company from both a technical and wider business perspective.

Matt's journey at Winder Power began in 2020 when he joined as a Coil Erector, working within a team of four mainly focused on small distribution units. His engineering background from the Army helped him settle in quickly, and he soon demonstrated strong initiative and leadership potential. Over time, Matt developed key skills in problem solving, leadership, and management, often being thrown in at the deep end and required to make decisions that kept workflow smooth and projects on track.

He credits the more experienced members of the erecting team with supporting his development, helping him build technical depth and confidence in his role. After only two years, Matt was given the opportunity to run his department, a challenge he embraced fully. Learning on the job gave him exposure to the bigger picture, teaching him how processes fit together and how decisions affect the full production flow. This early leadership experience helped prepare him for his step into Production Manager, a role that now involves overseeing multiple departments and working more closely with training, staff development, planning, and operational problem solving. Alongside this, he has spent time learning more about the wider business to understand how different teams contribute to Winder Power's growth.

Matt believes strongly in the value of promoting from within, explaining that it helps maintain strong working relationships and places responsibility in the hands of people who genuinely understand the company's culture, products, and processes. He appreciates the opportunities the business has given him and sees internal development as essential to building a motivated and knowledgeable workforce. In his new role, he is most excited about the challenge it offers, particularly the chance to make decisions that impact not just one department, but the wider business. Over the coming years, he hopes to continue developing his knowledge of both the product and the organisation, learning from colleagues across the business and the senior management team. more

Career development

16h

POV: Is career growth becoming the new job security?

For decades, job security meant staying with the same employer for most of one's career. Stability was closely tied to tenure -- long years in a single organisation signalled predictability and financial assurance.

But that definition has been steadily changing.

Economic shifts, technological disruption and evolving workforce expectations have reshaped how both employees and organisations think... about stability. In the private sector especially, the promise of permanent employment has largely disappeared. Yet the need for security has not.

Today, many employees derive confidence not from tenure but from opportunity -- the ability to learn, build new skills and grow within or beyond their current role.

Across industries, organisations are increasingly positioning career development, skill building and internal mobility as the new pillars of stability. Continuous learning and transferable capabilities are emerging as a modern form of job security -- one that prepares employees for the future rather than simply protecting the present.

Sanjeeb Lahiri, chief human resources officer, GRP Group

Yes -- when roles evolve continuously, growth becomes the anchor for stability.

Historically in India, job security was largely associated with government jobs or public sector undertakings. Over time, even those environments have evolved. With disinvestment, economic shifts and market pressures, the idea of guaranteed employment has weakened there as well.

In the private sector, organisations rarely promise permanent employment. What they can offer instead is the opportunity for people to learn, grow and evolve.

My own experience reflects this. My first job lasted 14 years, not because of stability alone but because every two-and-a-half to three years my role changed in some way. Sometimes responsibilities expanded; at other times I learned new capabilities within the same role. That constant evolution kept the work meaningful.

Organisations today also try to create environments where employees can pursue interests alongside work. Growth becomes mutually beneficial -- companies retain talent while employees build confidence about their future.

If I feel I am learning and evolving where I am, the natural question becomes: why should I leave?

Takeaway: When roles keep expanding, growth itself becomes a powerful anchor for stability.

Sujiv Nair, chief human resources officer, MSN Laboratories

Yes -- career security increasingly depends on skill liquidity and adaptability.

In the future, career growth will increasingly be measured through what I call skill liquidity -- the depth and diversity of a person's skill stack and how easily those skills can transfer across industries.

In other words, career security may depend less on how long someone stays in one organisation and more on how adaptable their capabilities are.

Professional reputation will also become more important -- the value people create, the impact they have and the credibility they build over time.

At the same time, I am seeing two strong trends among younger employees, particularly in the pharmaceutical sector. Financial stability remains a non-negotiable baseline, but employees are also prioritising environments that support their mental well-being.

This means organisations need to focus on three things: meaning, money and well-being. Managers play a crucial role in aligning individual motivations with organisational goals.

Looking ahead, organisations will invest more in continuous learning and on-the-job capability building. As technologies such as agentic AI begin to automate routine work, employees will need to upgrade their skills constantly. Those who continue to build new capabilities will naturally feel more secure about their careers.

Takeaway: Career security will increasingly come from adaptable skills rather than long tenure.

Ramesh Shankar, senior HR leader

Yes -- job security today is really about employability.

The conversation around job security today is fundamentally about employability. Earlier, people believed that staying with the same organisation for decades guaranteed stability. But the workplace today is far more dynamic.

Employees now derive confidence from their ability to remain relevant.

When organisations invest in learning, development and career mobility, they strengthen that sense of relevance. Employees feel secure because they know they are becoming more capable over time.

Career growth today also extends beyond promotions. It includes exposure -- the opportunity to work on new projects, learn emerging technologies or take on cross-functional roles. These experiences expand perspective and prepare employees for future challenges.

Transparency is equally important. Employees need clarity on how they can grow within the organisation. When companies clearly communicate career pathways and required skills, employees gain confidence about their future.

In many ways, growth has become the new safety net. When employees believe their organisation is helping them become more capable and relevant, they feel secure -- even in an uncertain world.

Takeaway: Job security today is built through employability and continuous capability building. more

Career development

16h

The Human Voice - The Berkshire Edge

Editor's note: This column is the third of a three-part perspective on AI by Michael Saltz, multi-award winning Senior Producer for the PBS NewsHour, now retired. This series of articles was originally published by Saltz on his Substack platform. Click on the titles to read for first two, "Inside the Outside" and "Inside the Outside -- Coda."

When I was producing the essay segment for what is now... the PBS News Hour, part of my job was to find writers who embodied what the program stood for journalistically. Over time -- twenty‑five years -- fifty‑seven writers ended up on the air, but that number reflects a deeper process of selection. Early on I discovered that people who wrote op‑eds or essays for newspapers and magazines tended to fall into two broad camps. There were the ideologues -- people who wanted to be players in politics, whose writing was less about observing the world than influencing it. And there were those whose roots were in reporting, in the ethics of journalism: observers of fact who let the world instruct them. They weren't unbiased -- no one is -- but they were willing to look at facts that contradicted their assumptions and adjust their views accordingly. They were learning rather than telling. Inevitably, I rejected the ideologues, because they simply didn't belong on the NewsHour.

My NewsHour experience taught me something essential about how people sound when they're learning -- and how different that is from the sound of certainty. That distinction, between learning and telling, is the essence of journalism and its ethics. And it lies at the core of what I'm only now beginning to understand about AI -- and just how truly artificial it is beneath the surface.

That distinction came back to me when I read a February 13, 2026, story in The Washington Post about how ChatGPT describes different states and cities. The researchers had asked the system to characterize places across the country, and what emerged were confident, fluent summaries built on patterns the model had absorbed -- patterns that often reflected stereotypes rather than facts. The system wasn't reporting; it was aggregating. But it spoke in the voice of someone who had done the reporting.

What was unsettling about the Post article -- and about the current wave of artificial intelligence -- is not that it gets things wrong; people get things wrong all the time. It is that it gets things wrong with the confident assertion of someone who sounds as if they've done the reporting. Unlike a human being, AI has no awareness of error. It cannot feel the friction of being contradicted by the world, cannot sense the gap between what it believes and what is true. In that way, it resembles the ideological essayist: moving confidently from premise to conclusion without ever questioning the premise itself. The difference is that a human ideologue, somewhere deep down, may still feel the tremor of doubt. A machine cannot feel even the slightest tremor. It simply continues the pattern it has learned, unaware that the pattern may be distorted.

The COMPAS criminal‑risk algorithm, used in American courts, didn't simply mislabel Black defendants as high risk; it did so because it relied on historical arrest data as a proxy for criminal behavior. In effect, it treated the past behavior of the system as evidence about the person standing before it. Decades of unequal policing were baked into a score that appeared neutral and objective. The algorithm wasn't "biased" in the emotional sense -- it was biased in the structural sense, because the data it learned from carried the imprint of the world that produced it.

A healthcare algorithm used for millions of patients made a different but equally revealing mistake. A 2019 Science study found that the system used healthcare spending as a stand‑in for illness. Because Black patients historically spend less -- due to unequal access, structural barriers, and different patterns of care -- the algorithm concluded they were healthier and assigned them lower risk scores. The flaw wasn't in the math; it was in the assumption that spending reflects need. The system reproduced a longstanding inequity with the confidence of a neutral observer.

Amazon's hiring tool failed for yet another reason. It learned from ten years of résumés submitted to a male‑dominated tech workforce. Seeing mostly men in the training data, it inferred that "male" was the pattern of success and quietly downgraded résumés that included the word "women's." No one programmed it to discriminate. It simply absorbed the world as it was -- a world in which men had been -- and continued to be -- hired more often -- and extended that pattern as if it were a fact about merit.

What ties these examples together is not malice or intention, but the quiet authority of a system that has never encountered the world it describes. It does not know what it does not know. It cannot feel the resistance of reality pushing back against a mistaken assumption. It cannot experience the moment when a fact forces a change of mind. It only extends the pattern it has been given, and because the pattern comes wrapped in fluency, we mistake fluency for understanding.

The danger is not only that these systems can mislead us, but that they can do so without any awareness of what they are doing. A human being who pushes a narrative knows, at some level, that they are pushing it. A machine does not. It has no interior life, no sense of motive, no sense of consequence -- no awareness that its errors fall on human beings, not on itself. Yet the effect can be similar: a confident assertion delivered with the authority of someone who sounds as if they have done the work. The difference is that with a machine, there is no one to hold accountable, no mind to interrogate, no intention to uncover. There is only the pattern, repeating itself.

The challenge, then, is not simply to correct the errors these systems make, but to recognize the authority we grant to a voice that sounds as if it has done the work. We are accustomed to trusting fluency, to hearing confidence as a sign of competence. But fluency is cheap for a machine. It is not the product of experience, or doubt, or the slow accumulation of understanding. It is the by‑product of scale. And when scale produces the sound of knowledge without the substance of it, we are left with a world in which the appearance of understanding can outpace the thing itself.

We are entering a moment in which the boundary between knowledge and the appearance of knowledge is becoming harder to hear. The systems we are building can generate the sound of understanding at a scale no human being could match, and they can do it without ever encountering the world that gives understanding its shape. That is not their fault. It is simply their nature. But it means the burden shifts to us: to remember what learning actually feels like, to recognize the difference between a mind that has been changed -- that can be changed -- by experience and a pattern that has been extended by computation.

When we speak, we draw on a lifetime of experience -- on memory, on doubt, on the felt sense that something is right or wrong, coherent or incoherent, honest or evasive. We speak from a history that has shaped us, from mistakes that have taught us, from questions that have unsettled us. A machine has none of this. It has no past to remember, no future to imagine, no inner thread connecting one moment of awareness to the next. It extends patterns; it does not inhabit them.

But the human voice matters: it carries the trace of a life behind it. When we speak, we reveal not just what we think but how we came to think it -- the doubts we wrestled with, the experiences that shaped us, the mistakes that taught us something we did not know. A machine has no such history. It offers conclusions without context, confidence without experience.

And this is why we cannot outsource our judgment to a system that has none. A machine can extend a pattern, but it cannot question it. It can generate an answer, but it cannot ask whether the answer makes sense. It can sound authoritative, but it cannot tell when its own authority is misplaced. Only we can supply the doubt, the hesitation, the awareness that something might be off. The responsibility is ours because the capacity is solely ours.

This does not mean we should reject these systems or fear them. It means we should understand what they are and what they are not. They can help us see patterns we might have missed, surface connections we might not have noticed, offer possibilities we had not considered. But they cannot tell us which of those possibilities is true, or which of those patterns is meaningful, or what "true" would even mean to a system with no capacity for understanding. They cannot tell us what matters.

To use these systems well is not to grant them authority, but to place them in their proper context. They are tools, not arbiters. They can widen our field of view, but they cannot tell us where to look. They can offer possibilities, but they cannot tell us which ones deserve our trust. They can produce something that sounds like an answer, but they cannot stand behind it. That requires a mind that knows what it means to stand behind anything at all.

What these systems can offer us, at their best, is a kind of provocation -- a way of shaking loose ideas we might not have reached on our own. But the meaning of those ideas, the weight they carry, the truth they point toward or away from, is something only we can determine. A machine can generate a sentence, but it cannot inhabit it. It cannot feel the cost of being wrong or the responsibility of being right. It cannot care. And caring, in the end, is what makes knowledge more than pattern.

In the end, these systems will reflect whatever we bring to them. They will mirror our questions, our assumptions, our blind spots, our hopes. They will extend our patterns, but they cannot choose among them. That choosing is still ours. The meaning is ours. The judgment is ours. The responsibility is ours. And if we forget that -- if we mistake fluency for understanding, or pattern for truth -- the failure will not be the machine's. It will be ours. more

Career development

23h

Building an Extensive Background for Career Success

Building an extensive background for career success requires a strategic approach that combines skill development, networking, and experience. By comprehending your skills and interests, you can set SMART goals that guide your career path. Engaging in continuous learning and gaining relevant experience through internships or volunteering can improve your professional profile. Furthermore, seeking... mentorship can open doors to new opportunities. As you navigate these steps, consider how each element contributes to your overall career trajectory.

Career development plays a critical role in steering today's ever-changing job market. By actively pursuing growth, you not merely improve your skills but likewise position yourself for higher salaries and promotions.

Comprehending the importance of building an extensive background is essential, especially when considering federal employment. Certain federal employment background check disqualifiers can hinder your chances, such as felony convictions or unresolved financial issues. Knowing what disqualifies you from a federal background check can guide your career decisions and personal development efforts.

Establishing a strong personal brand and a professional network can greatly impact your opportunities. By setting clear, achievable career goals using the SMART framework, you maintain focus and motivation.

Engaging in career counseling and utilizing tools like the Career Resources Questionnaire (CRQ) helps you identify areas for improvement, ensuring you're well-prepared for the demands of the job market and boosting your competitiveness.

Identifying your skills and interests is essential for shaping your career path. Start by recognizing your transferable skills, exploring personal interests, and evaluating your strengths and weaknesses, as these factors can greatly influence your professional choices.

Comprehending your transferable skills is vital for maneuvering today's diverse job market. These abilities, such as communication, problem-solving, and leadership, can be applied across various jobs and industries.

To identify these skills, engage in self-reflection and use online resources or aptitude tests, like those on 123test.com and Truity. Participating in activities outside of work, such as volunteering or pursuing hobbies, can likewise uncover hidden talents that translate into valuable skills.

Networking with professionals across different fields helps you gain insights into necessary skills, aligning your capabilities with potential career opportunities.

Regularly updating and reassessing your skill set guarantees you stay aware of your evolving interests and competencies, which is fundamental for navigating a dynamic job market.

How can you effectively explore your personal interests to guide your career choices? Start by evaluating your strengths, motivations, and areas of expertise.

Online resources like aptitude tests on 123test.com and Truity can provide valuable insights into your personality traits, helping you align them with potential career options.

Reflect on past experiences and accomplishments to identify skills you enjoy using and want to develop further. Engaging in self-assessment activities, such as journaling or seeking feedback from peers, can clarify your interests and improve your comprehension of what drives you professionally.

Finally, set clear career goals based on your identified skills and interests. This focused roadmap will help you maintain motivation throughout your career expedition.

Though evaluating your strengths and weaknesses might seem intimidating, it's a crucial step in aligning your career path with your skills and interests.

Begin by appraising your skills, qualifications, and interests to identify potential career paths that resonate with your abilities. Online resources, like aptitude tests from platforms such as 123test.com and Truity, can help pinpoint your core competencies and areas needing improvement.

Reflecting on past experiences and gathering feedback from peers will provide insight into both technical and soft skills necessary for growth. Setting aside time for self-reflection clarifies your professional aspirations, ensuring your chosen career path aligns with your values.

Regularly re-evaluating these strengths and weaknesses allows you to adapt to the job market and pursue continuous learning opportunities.

Setting SMART career goals can greatly improve your career planning and success. The SMART framework focuses on creating objectives that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Research indicates that individuals with clear, actionable goals are 10 times more likely to succeed. By defining what success looks like, you can regularly assess and adjust your strategies. Furthermore, writing down your goals boosts your likelihood of achieving them by 42%, making documentation essential.

Regularly reviewing and updating your SMART goals can improve motivation and provide a clearer direction in your professional path.

Achieving your career goals requires more than just setting them; it also involves actively investing in continuous learning. In today's dynamic job market, 70% of employers stress the importance of ongoing education and skill development.

Engaging in professional development activities, like workshops and online courses, can improve your job satisfaction by 20% as well as opening up career advancement opportunities. Those who commit to continuous learning are 15% more likely to receive promotions and 25% more likely to experience salary increases compared to their peers who don't pursue further education.

A 2022 study revealed that 94% of employees would remain with a company longer if it invested in their career development.

Furthermore, lifelong learning boosts adaptability, with individuals who embrace continuous education showing a 30% higher chance of successfully managing career changes and job market shifts. Investing in yourself today prepares you for the challenges of tomorrow.

A strong personal brand is essential for maneuvering the intricacies of today's professional environment. It defines your reputation and greatly influences how others perceive your capabilities. This perception leads to increased trust and buy-in for your ideas.

For instance, repositioning a brand from a technical focus to a strategic leadership image can improve career advancement opportunities, as seen in the case of Chris, a VP of finance.

To build a strong personal brand, engage with senior leaders to understand their perspectives on strategy, ensuring your brand aligns with organizational goals. Continuous improvement in how others perceive your brand can lead to quicker buy-in for your ideas and a higher likelihood of promotions.

In the end, developing a clear personal brand involves defining what you want to be known for as you consistently showcase strategic insights and leadership qualities to those around you.

Networking plays a critical role in career success, as relationships with superiors, peers, and subordinates can lead to project approvals and collaboration opportunities.

To maximize your networking efforts, consider the following:

Research shows that a robust professional network correlates with improved job satisfaction and career progression.

Even though your resume serves as a critical marketing document, it's essential to craft it in a way that effectively highlights your skills and achievements. Start with a compelling summary or objective statement that provides a snapshot of your professional identity customized to the specific role.

Next, detail your professional experience using bullet points that quantify your achievements, including your job title, company name, location, and employment dates. This format allows potential employers to understand your impact clearly.

Additionally, include a dedicated section for key skills that mixes hard and soft skills relevant to the job. This helps recruiters quickly identify your strengths and align them with industry standards.

Finally, make sure your contact information is clear and accessible at the top of your resume, including your full name, phone number, email address, and LinkedIn profile. This way, recruiters can easily reach out to you for potential opportunities.

When you approach writing a cover letter, keep in mind that customizing it to the specific job and company is crucial for making a strong impression.

A well-crafted cover letter can set you apart from other candidates. Focus on these key elements:

Gaining relevant experience is crucial for enhancing your employability and developing practical skills that align with your career goals.

Internships, volunteer work, and part-time jobs not just provide hands-on experience but additionally help you build a network of professional connections.

Internships and volunteer work play a crucial role in building a successful career by providing hands-on experience that employers highly value. Engaging in these opportunities can greatly improve your resume and increase your chances of securing employment.

Here are three key benefits:

To build a successful career, it's critical to actively seek out skill development opportunities that provide relevant experience. Gaining experience through internships and volunteer work can greatly improve your resume, as 70% of employers prioritize practical experience over academic qualifications.

Participate in industry-specific workshops and seminars to build skills and expand your professional network, both fundamental for career advancement. Engaging in online courses or certifications helps you develop in-demand skills; 54% of workers identify continuous learning as imperative in today's job market.

Furthermore, seeking mentorship from seasoned professionals offers valuable insights and guidance.

Finally, contributing to projects in your current role or through side projects showcases your initiative and ability to apply your skills, making you a more attractive candidate.

Even though many professionals overlook the value of mentorship, seeking guidance from experienced individuals can be vital for your career development.

Mentorship offers invaluable insights and networking opportunities that can greatly improve your professional growth. Studies show that individuals with mentors are more likely to receive promotions and develop important skills.

To make the most of mentorship, consider the following:

Building a diverse network of mentors can provide various perspectives and broaden your comprehension of different career paths, further improving your professional expedition.

Platforms like LinkedIn allow you to network with professionals and access valuable insights, whereas career development websites can guide you in identifying suitable paths based on your skills.

Furthermore, skill-building resources and courses help you stay competitive and relevant in your industry, making them crucial for your growth.

As you navigate the terrain of modern career development, utilizing online networking platforms can greatly improve your professional path.

With over 900 million users on platforms like LinkedIn, these resources are crucial for connecting with others in your field. Engaging actively in professional groups can elevate your visibility and credibility, leading to a 70% increase in networking effectiveness.

Here are three key ways to leverage these platforms:

Free aptitude and personality tests available on sites like 123test.com and Truity help you assess your skills and interests, guiding you toward suitable career paths.

Many career sites likewise feature job application tracking tools to help you organize and monitor your job search.

Furthermore, industry-specific forums and networking sites like Meetup facilitate connections with peers and access to mentorship, essential for a strong professional network.

Even though you may feel overwhelmed by the vast array of online resources available for skill-building, leveraging these tools can significantly improve your professional development.

Here are three effective ways to utilize online resources:

Preparing for job interviews can greatly impact your chances of landing the position you desire, so it's vital to approach this process with careful consideration. Start by researching the company's mission, values, and recent developments. This knowledge helps you tailor your responses and shows genuine interest in the organization.

Next, prepare for common interview questions by crafting specific examples from your past experiences that demonstrate relevant skills and achievements. Dressing appropriately is equally important; align your attire with the company culture to convey professionalism.

After the interview, follow up with a thank-you note within 24 hours to express appreciation and reiterate your enthusiasm, which can leave a lasting positive impression.

Finally, take some time to reflect on your performance. Identifying areas for improvement can boost your preparation for future opportunities, ensuring you're better equipped for success next time.

Purpose involves identifying your career goals and aligning them with your values.

Passion focuses on engaging in work that excites you and utilizes your strengths.

Plan is about creating a structured roadmap with SMART goals to guide your path.

People emphasizes building a professional network and seeking mentorship.

Finally, Performance measures your progress and success in achieving your career objectives.

The 3 Month Rule suggests you should aim to stay in a job for at least three months. This timeframe allows you to gain meaningful experience, understand your role, and build relationships within the organization.

Leaving before the three-month mark can raise concerns for recruiters, as it may indicate difficulty adapting or a lack of commitment.

Adhering to this rule can improve your resume and strengthen your professional network, showcasing your reliability.

When you're asked to share your background, focus on a brief overview of your professional path.

Highlight relevant experiences, such as key roles or projects, and include quantifiable achievements, like improving sales by a certain percentage.

Mention your education and certifications that augment your qualifications.

Tailor your response to the position, emphasizing how your experiences align with the company's goals, showcasing your strengths and making a clear case for your fit within the team.

The seven steps in career path development are crucial for structuring your professional expedition.

First, conduct a self-assessment to identify your skills and values.

Next, explore various careers to understand different roles and industries.

Set SMART goals to create a clear direction.

Develop the necessary skills through education or training.

In summary, building an extensive background for career success requires a strategic approach that encompasses skill identification, goal setting, continuous learning, and networking. By actively seeking relevant experiences and mentorship, you improve your professional profile and open doors to new opportunities. Utilizing online resources can further support your development. By following these steps, you'll position yourself effectively in your chosen field, increasing your chances for advancement and job satisfaction, ultimately leading to a successful career trajectory. more

Career development

1d

Resume & LinkedIn Revamp

I need a fresh, professionally-worded CV and a stronger LinkedIn presence that work seamlessly together. My current résumé feels dated, and my profile doesn't capture my achievements or skills in a way that attracts the right recruiters. Here's what I'm aiming for: * An ATS-friendly CV delivered in both editable DOCX and print-ready PDF, with concise bullet points, clear formatting, and strong... action verbs. * A rewritten LinkedIn profile -- headline, About section, experience entries, and skill list -- optimised for search keywords and recruiter skimming. Once you review my existing documents, please suggest where content can be tightened, what additional data you might need from me (metrics, project results, certifications, etc.), and how best to align résumé wording with the updated profile. I'd also welcome quick tips on leveraging LinkedIn features such as featured media, skills endorsements, and networking posts if you see fit. Final deliverables should be ready for copy-paste into LinkedIn and for direct CV submission, with a short note outlining any future tweaks I can carry out myself. more

Career development

1d

Why I Built CrewFinder: A Tree Guy's Take on the Labor Shortage

Every summer, I'd end up in the same conversation.

A climber would call out sick the night before a big removal job. Or I'd land a contract that needed three guys and I only had two. Or I'd be trying to scale for a busy week and have nowhere to turn -- job boards full of résumés from people who'd never held a chainsaw, staffing agencies that didn't understand what an ISA certification even... was.

I'm Michael Rabasco. I own Mass Tree Pros LLC, a tree care company based in Medway, Massachusetts. I've been doing this work for years. And that hiring problem -- the one every tree company owner knows intimately -- is what eventually became CrewFinder.

The problem nobody was solving

The outdoor trades have a labor matching problem that is genuinely unlike any other industry. When you need a lead climber for tomorrow morning, you need someone with specific skills, the right equipment, verifiable experience, and the availability to show up at 7AM. You don't need a résumé. You don't need a cover letter. You need to know they've done this before, they're insured, and they're not going to freeze at 60 feet.

No existing platform understood that. Indeed doesn't speak tree service. Craigslist is a gamble. Word of mouth only goes so far. And the big staffing agencies? They send you warehouse workers in steel-toed boots and call it a match.

I spent years working around this problem -- keeping a mental roster of reliable guys, calling in favors, occasionally paying a premium to pull someone from another crew. It worked, mostly. But it was friction I didn't need, on top of every other thing a small business owner has to manage.

Building the solution

I'm not a computer scientist. I didn't go to school for software development. What I had was a clear picture of the problem, a stubborn belief that the solution should be simple, and enough technical curiosity to figure out how to build it.

CrewFinder is a marketplace platform -- a dedicated hiring tool for outdoor trade businesses. Tree companies, landscaping contractors, excavation crews. On one side, employers post jobs in under a minute: what they need, when they need it, what it pays. On the other side, workers build profiles with their actual skills, credentials, and availability -- not a résumé, but a real picture of what they can do.

The match happens fast. No phone tag with a recruiter. No application process that takes a week. Just direct, clear connections between people who need the work done and people who can do it.

What building a tech company taught me

Running Mass Tree Pros taught me how to manage risk, read a job site, and earn a customer's trust. Building CrewFinder taught me something different: how to think in systems. How to design a product that works for someone who's tired and muddy at the end of a long day and doesn't have time to figure out your interface.

The best insight I had while building it came from my own experience as a user. I thought about every time I'd needed to make a quick hire and how much I wanted it to feel like texting a reliable guy -- fast, direct, no bureaucracy. That's what I tried to build.

Where it stands

CrewFinder is live now at crewfinder.pages.dev. It's free to use during early access. If you own an outdoor trade business and you've had the same conversation I used to have -- scrambling the night before a big job -- I'd like you to try it.

And if you're a skilled worker in the trades looking for more consistent work and the ability to set your own terms, CrewFinder was built for you too.

The labor shortage in the outdoor trades is real. The mismatch between where workers are and where the work is doesn't have to be.

-- Michael Rabasco Founder, CrewFinder | Owner, Mass Tree Pros LLC Medway, Massachusetts michaelrabasco.com | crewfinder.pages.dev | masstreepros.com more

Career development

1d

75% of resumes never reach a human: the new rules of job searching in the AI era - NewsBreak

More than 1.17 million U.S. jobs were cut in 2025 -- the most since the pandemic hit. Now, AI is rebuilding what was torn down, and it's not building the same thing.

To navigate the dust and noise of this rebuild, it helps to study the blueprint taking shape: Automated job applications, AI-powered digital twins, lifelong career copilots - and, critically, how to wield powerful AI systems without... surrendering the cognitive advantages that make human work indispensable.

Living near an active construction site often feels like an embodiment of chaos. It's loud, dusty, disorienting, and permanently in flux. And that's the most precise metaphor of what's happening now to the global labor market.

The pre-Covid structures were torn down by a tide of mass layoffs. In 2025, the U.S. alone had 1.17 million jobs cut. Now, new AI-powered frameworks are rising in their place. This transformation is happening fast, and we all are trying to adapt to it on the go.

How AI Crashed the Old Labor Model

HRs remember Covid-19 for its aggressive recruitment. The tech surge, caused by the sharp need for digital services, seemed limitless, and companies staffed up like never before to outrun competitors. Within two years, this human resources bubble burst, with thousands of those newly hired being laid off.

Analysts painted a gloomy picture of the future of work, that promised hiring freezes and cost-cutting strategies. But almost as quickly as the contraction began, AI entered the enterprise mainstream. The foundations of the previous labor model were already weakened, so instead of reinforcing old systems, AI simply crashed them and began building new ones

So here we are, in the midst of a global work construction site, with no hard hats on. Many job seekers today feel stuck in limbo, with previous playbooks outdated and new rules being written in real time through trial and error and experimentation with AI automation. To break through this vicious circle, we all need to learn to make use of best practices without hurting ourselves in the process.

The Real Level of AI Integration

Strip away the headlines, and the real story of AI in the workplace appears less about transformation and more about expectation. While some bold optimistic slogans encourage "stop hiring humans", measurable impact of AI inside organizations remains limited - according to Gartner, only one in 50 AI investments delivers transformational value.

This AI optimism is one of the main drivers of the job-market transformations. Corporate leaders are restructuring teams and redesigning hiring workflows based on what AI is expected to do. For job-seekers, that distinction matters as organizational commitment to AI is already reshaping skill demand. McKinsey reports a sevenfold rise in the AI fluency requirements among applicants in the last two years.

Career strategy today must include the ongoing building of this AI fluency: Familiarity with AI services, stronger prompting skills, active implementation of AI in everyday work processes and the ability to showcase both qualitative and quantitative gains. All of this should already be part of an applicant's professional story, transmitted through social networks, résumés, cover letters and real-world use cases.

Your AI Twin Will Apply Before You Do

Hiring is already shifting toward an environment where AI personas of applicants and employers "meet" before humans do. And this is not hypothetical. Engineer Charlie Cheng has already created a digital twin open for recruiters to talk to.

Besides AI doppelgangers, recruiters will make their own "AI portraits" of potential employees. Here's how it works: Automated tools scan digital profiles, LinkedIn histories, portfolios and broader web traces to evaluate candidates long before a recruiter reads a résumé. This is why highlighting certifications, AI literacy and use cases should already be actively highlighted.

But visibility cuts both ways. The same systems mapping professional strengths also surface negative digital traces, like hateful comments to a biting social media post, reputational risks, negative reviews at job-search platforms, which will be considered by recruiters and their personal algorithms.

AI tools may be making workers less capable of the thinking that AI can't replicate

By 2027, most hiring processes are expected to include certifications or assessments measuring workplace AI proficiency - not just the ability to use generative tools, but also critical thinking, creativity, communication and subject-matter expertise. While not yet mandatory, there already exist certification programs that would strengthen a CV, like AWS Certified AI Practitioner or MIT's Professional Certificate Program in Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence.

This necessity surged from the latest findings on Gen AI influence on workers' cognitive offloading. As people actively rely on algorithms to write, analyze, summarize and ideate, they risk outsourcing core thinking processes. Over time, this can erode memory, problem-solving endurance and creative synthesis - the very cognitive advantages that differentiate humans from machines.

While organizations are focused on AI integration and predicting performance advancements, there's far less effort into understanding how people themselves will change as they integrate these tools into daily workflows. Yearly professional AI upskilling will become part of the human resource corporate education. Until then - it's the responsibility of workers to keep the cognitive load balanced.

Your Career Copilot is Coming

The next shift is how workers navigate their own careers. The near future points to hyper-personalized AI career assistants - always-on agents that understand not just your résumé and certifications, but your goals, struggles, ambitions and growth trajectory.

These copilots will track skills, recommend learning paths, flag market opportunities and guide decisions from job searches to career pivots. This is all in addition to basic AI opportunities like tailoring applications and interview prep. Feeling afraid to negotiate a salary rise? A personal career coach will help build a data-based scenario, offering realistic rise expectations and what objections there may arise.

AI companies are already developing such deeply personalized career agents designed to align individual potential with market needs. This way, career management is shifting from reactive guesswork to continuous, AI-guided strategy.

How Humans Stay Afloat

In this environment, open-mindedness and careful observation are the major survival skills. The old job-search routines may lead to recruiters' silence. Not because of people but Applicant Tracking Systems, declining 75% of resumes. This transition is still unfolding, and its final shape is far from fixed.

There is, however, a more-or-less visible direction. Those who learn to balance automation with human judgment, efficiency with authenticity, and speed with depth will remain valuable regardless of how the tools evolve.

Because even as AI redraws workflows and entire professions, the core of work remains human. Meaning, responsibility, trust - these are not lines of code. And for those willing to keep learning, observing, and adjusting, the construction site of today is not just a place of disruption, but of opportunity.

The opinions expressed in Fortune.com commentary pieces are solely the views of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of Fortune.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com more

Alex Lendel

Career development

2d

I’m an interior designer and work at a small agency. I like my job but about two weeks ago our schedule changed from 9:00-6:00 to 7:30-4:30. Management said it would give us more time in the evening with our families.
But it’s been terrible for me. I’m always sleepy, I can’t focus on my work, no ideas come to my head and I keep yawning all day. I even go to bed at 8 p.m.
Do you have any advice... on how I can convince management to bring back the old work schedule?
Thanks more

1

Kahutia Hernandez
1d
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
Nurse Onyewotu Confidence
2d
Firstly, kudos to you for recognizing how the new schedule's affecting your productivity and well-being. Now, let's craft a plan to convince... management 😉.
Approach the conversation focusing on how the old schedule worked better for your productivity and creativity, rather than just saying you prefer it. Here's a possible script:
"Hi management, I've noticed the new 7:30-4:30 schedule has been challenging for me. As a creative professional, I find I work best between 9:00-6:00. The extra morning sleep allows me to be more focused and productive. I'd love to discuss possibly reverting to the old schedule or exploring flexible options that work for everyone."
Emphasize how the change impacts your work quality and suggest alternatives if needed 🤝. Good luck, and hope you get your groove back! 😊 more

Career development

1d

Interview tips for the savvy job seeker

The job-hunting arena is full of well-qualified and keen applicants. Make sure you stand out from the pack with both your résumé and interview skills.

Michele Aubert, managing director and founding principal of Affinity Recruitment, shares some tips to take your first impression to the next level:

Professional appearance. Choose business attire well in advance and ensure it's properly ironed... and ready. Polish your shoes, check that clothes fit correctly, and keep accessories subtle. Personal grooming is essential, but avoid overpowering fragrances that might distract from your qualifications.

Research the company. Before your interview, thoroughly investigate the organisation

through its website, social media channels, press releases, and recent articles. Familiarise yourself with current industry developments to demonstrate your engagement and ability to contribute meaningfully to conversations about the sector.

Know your value. Review the job description carefully to anticipate questions about your personality, skills, experience and qualifications. Other candidates likely possess similar credentials, so identify what distinguishes you from the competition. Highlight your unique strengths confidently without appearing arrogant or aggressive.

Create a strong first impression. Arrive at least 10 minutes early to relax and gather your thoughts. Upon arrival, clearly state your name, appointment time, and interviewer's name in a friendly manner. Bring relevant documentation including your interview invitation, résumé, and cover letter. Turn off your mobile phone before entering the interview room.

During the interview. Listen carefully to each question and provide concise answers supported by relevant examples. Ask for clarification when needed and speak clearly at a moderate pace. Stay relaxed by using techniques like deep breathing or silent mantras to manage nervousness.

Effective body language. Give each interviewer a firm handshake at the beginning and end. Maintain a relaxed but alert posture with a friendly expression and consistent eye contact throughout the conversation. Your nonverbal communication reinforces the impression you're creating.

Master the STAR technique. When answering competency-based questions, structure responses using the STAR method: describe the situation, outline the task, explain your action, and highlight the result. Develop multiple examples from various aspects of your life and keep them updated throughout your career.

Handle challenging questions. Prepare for difficult topics like employment gaps, poor academic results, or previous terminations. Answer honestly without defensiveness or blame. Transform these questions into positive statements showing how you overcame difficulties and what you learned.

Ask thoughtful questions. Prepare questions about progression opportunities, professional development support, or company expansion plans. Demonstrate genuine enthusiasm and interest, but avoid asking basic questions you should already know, or questions simply for the sake of asking.

End positively. If not mentioned, ask when to expect a selection decision and what the next steps involve. Thank the interviewer and reiterate your enthusiasm for the position. A strong closing reinforces your interest and professionalism.

Following these strategies will significantly improve your interview performance and increase your chances of securing the position.

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

1

Kahutia Hernandez
1d
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

2d

11 Best Job Hunting Apps for iPhone in 2026

Efficiency is key. Use these top-rated apps to automate your search and get hired faster

Job hunting can feel overwhelming because it's a whole process happening at once. You have to start by finding new openings before they go stale, applying quickly without sending sloppy materials, keeping track of who you contacted, and showing up to interviews prepared.

The good news is that we have... technology on our side. As it turns out, your iPhone can carry a lot of the job-seeking load for you -- not by doing the work for you, but by making the workflow smoother.

You can use your iPhone for alerts that catch the right roles early, saved resumes that cut application time in half, tools that help you research companies quickly, and apps that keep your job applications from turning into a chaotic mess. more

Mia Ember

Career development

1w

At a job interview the very first question they asked me after introductions was whether I have children. I said “yes, two” and the interview ended right away. The HR person immediately told me that I wasn’t suitable for them.
I’m shocked, because my kids go to kindergarten and my mom helps take care of them when they’re sick. But I didn’t even get the chance to explain that.
Is it normal to... treat parents this way? Or are they promoting a child-free policy?

more

2

Kalyn A
2d
Oh wow I’m a nurse that’s discrimination I would report immediately
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