Career development

Monica Hills

8h

Hey everyone! I’m a mom on maternity leave. I’ve been home for a year already. My job was expecting me to come back on March 1, but I’m pregnant again and told them I’m going on maternity leave again, so I won’t be returning yet.
They said I can stay home for 4 more months and then that’s it, otherwise they’ll fire me.
Is that even allowed? Can they fire someone who’s pregnant and on maternity... leave? Thanks!

more

STEPHEN ANGURIA
6m
This is quite funny!!
Baby after baby? Have you ever had of child spacing or Family planning? I politely advice you to choose between working and... child manufacturing!!!! No employer can entertain this!!!!! more
STEPHEN ANGURIA
6m
This is quite funny!!
Baby after baby? Have you ever had of child spacing or Family planning? I politely advice you to choose between working and... child manufacturing!!!! No employer can entertain this!!!!! more

Career development

1d

Top 5 mistakes students make in job interviews and how to fix them

This guide has identified the five most common errors students make in job interviews.

Job interviews remain a critical barrier between students and employment, and employer surveys show that many candidates fail for avoidable reasons.

According to the NACE Job Outlook 2025 survey, which gathers responses from hundreds of US employers hiring new graduates, professionalism, communication and... career self-development are among the most valued competencies.

Yet employers consistently report gaps between what students claim on their resumes and how they perform in interviews.

Recruiter-led research supports these findings. A CareerBuilder survey of more than 2,500 hiring and HR managers shows that behavioural issues, weak answers and lack of preparation often outweigh academic performance.

Together, these studies highlight five recurring interview mistakes that continue to cost students job offers.

1. NOT RESEARCHING THE COMPANY OR ROLE

Failing to research the employer is one of the most frequently cited mistakes.

The student-focused article "Seven Common Mistakes Students Make During Job Interviews" (HR Gazette, 2023) lists lack of company research as the top error, noting it signals low motivation.

The NACE Job Outlook 2025 report also stresses that employers expect candidates to connect their skills to organisational needs, something impossible without preparation.

Do this instead: Read the employer profile, recent news and the job description; prepare brief lines that link your experience to team needs.

2. WEAK, VAGUE ANSWERS AND POOR SKILL COMMUNICATION

Employers rarely reject students due to lack of ability; instead, they struggle to explain it.

Recruiter Michael Frank, in his LinkedIn article "35 Interview Mistakes to Avoid," highlights "surface level answers" and failure to demonstrate problem-solving as common rejection triggers.

The NACE Job Outlook 2025 survey similarly reports gaps between the importance of communication and critical thinking and graduates' demonstrated proficiency.

Do this instead: Use the STAR structure -- Situation, Task, Action, Result -- to shape replies and include outcomes where possible. Short, specific stories showing problem-solving and impact beat abstract claims.

3. POOR PROFESSIONAL ETIQUETTE AND BODY LANGUAGE

Professional behaviour strongly shapes first impressions.

The CareerBuilder hiring manager survey, reported by Jails to Jobs, found that 67 per cent of interviewers flagged lack of eye contact, while 32 per cent cited fidgeting and crossed arms as negative signals.

Dressing inappropriately and appearing arrogant were also listed among the most damaging mistakes.

Do this instead: Small gestures matter. Eye contact, a genuine smile, upright posture and calm hands project confidence. Turn phones off, dress appropriately and arrive punctually -- these signals shape impressions more than many realise.

4. NOT ASKING QUESTIONS OR SHOWING GENUINE INTEREST

Employers expect engagement. HR Gazette and Michael Frank both note that failing to ask questions suggests disinterest.

Employer guidance based on NACE Job Outlook data, shared by PennWest Career Center, shows that initiative and communication are highly valued and often assessed through candidate questions.

Do this instead: Ask about immediate priorities, success metrics and team dynamics. Good questions demonstrate curiosity, preparation and long-term interest.

5. DISHONESTY OR EXAGGERATING SKILLS (AND PHONE USE)

Dishonesty remains one of the fastest ways to fail an interview.

The CareerBuilder survey reports that 66 per cent of hiring managers consider being caught lying a serious mistake, while 64 per cent strongly object to phone use during interviews.

PR Newswire's CareerBuilder release echoes these findings, ranking phone use and dishonesty among the worst behaviours.

Do this instead: Be honest about experience and back claims with examples. Never answer calls or messages during an interview; it undermines trust.

The evidence is clear. Employer surveys consistently show that interview success depends less on grades and more on preparation, clarity, professionalism and honesty.

Students who research employers, practise concrete examples, manage body language, ask thoughtful questions and remain truthful significantly improve their chances.

Interviews reward preparation, and the data proves it. more

7

AHISHAKIYE Jean Marie
57m
Pretty good advice!
Peter Bani
Pro
8h
Very helpful

Maria Irgens

Career development

3d

I work as a hotel cleaner and suddenly lifted a box of bottled water (we put 2 bottles in each guest room). I pinched a nerve in my back and can barely walk, even though I’m getting pain-relief injections. I stayed home for 5 days and yesterday I went back to work, but I can’t lift anything and hardly move.
Management doesn’t believe I’m in that much pain. They say I’m lazy. I really can’t work... and I’m afraid I’ll be fired. The doctor said five days should be enough to feel better. What should I do?

more

1

GLADECAM ENTERPRISES
1h
I would suggest you go back to Dr for more investigation since back pains can have a serious end results
Christopher Marks
4h
Inbox me, I'll tell you what to do...

Career development

7h

When Working for Free Can Actually Pay Off

You want to get paid what you're worth. That makes sense. But sometimes turning down unpaid work can be more detrimental to your career than you'd think -- and sometimes accepting it is a mistake.

The difference comes down to whether the opportunity builds your value and increases your exposure, or simply exploits your time. Here's how to tell the difference.

Unpaid work isn't inherently good or... bad -- it depends entirely on what you get in return. Consider working for free when:

Gary Vaynerchuk -- entrepreneur, author, and founder of VaynerMedia -- has built a career on hustle and strategic thinking. In his book #AskGaryVee: One Entrepreneur's Take on Leadership, Social Media, and Self-Awareness, he addresses when working for free makes sense.

If you've been job searching without success, Vaynerchuk argues that pro bono work beats sitting idle:

For career changers, Vaynerchuk sees free work as a way to gain experience and mentorship:

Before accepting unpaid work, honestly evaluate the opportunity:

Can you name the concrete benefits? Portfolio pieces, industry contacts, specific skills, mentorship, a foot in the door at a target company? Vague promises of "exposure" aren't enough.

A single strategic project is different from an indefinite unpaid arrangement. Set clear boundaries on scope and timeline.

Be honest about your financial situation. Free work only makes sense if you can sustain it without compromising your basic needs.

If the company has the budget to pay for the work but chooses not to, that's a red flag. If they genuinely can't afford it (nonprofits, startups, passion projects), the calculus is different.

Has the company hired from its volunteer or intern pool before? Is this a trial period with a clear evaluation point? Or is "potential for future opportunities" just a way to get free labor?

Define the scope, timeline, and deliverables upfront. "I'll write three blog posts over two weeks" is better than "I'll help with content."

Even informal agreements should be documented. Include what you'll deliver, what you'll receive (credit, portfolio rights, reference), and when the arrangement ends.

If they can't pay cash, ask for:

Agree to evaluate the arrangement after a set period. If it's not delivering value, end it professionally.

Ready to find paid opportunities? Browse jobs on Mediabistro.

It depends on your situation. Strategic unpaid work can make sense early in your career, when changing fields, or when the opportunity offers genuine value (skills, mentorship, connections, portfolio pieces). It rarely makes sense if you're experienced, if the company can afford to pay, or if the "exposure" isn't meaningful.

It depends on the arrangement. Unpaid internships at for-profit companies must meet specific Department of Labor criteria to be legal. Volunteer work for nonprofits is generally allowed. Freelance "spec work" exists in a gray area. When in doubt, research the laws in your jurisdiction.

Set a clear end date before you begin. A single project, a two-week trial, or a semester-long internship are reasonable. Open-ended unpaid arrangements rarely benefit the worker and should be avoided.

It can if you're not strategic. Working for free when you should be paid devalues your skills and sets a precedent. But targeted pro bono work that builds your portfolio or gets you in the door at a dream company can ultimately increase your earning potential.

Be professional and direct: "Thank you for thinking of me, but I'm not able to take on unpaid projects at this time. I'd be happy to discuss a paid arrangement if your budget allows." You don't owe anyone a lengthy explanation.

Sometimes -- but be skeptical. Exposure is valuable when it reaches your target audience, includes proper credit, and comes from a respected source. "Exposure" from a small blog, an uncredited project, or a company outside your industry is rarely worth your time.

Nonprofits are one of the more defensible places to volunteer your professional skills. The cause matters, they often genuinely lack budget, and the work can be meaningful. Just make sure it's truly volunteer work and not a way to avoid paying for positions that should be compensated. more

Career development

2d

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. more

3

Paulie Duguay
1
9h
THAT'S WHY being an Independent Contractor is BETTER than being a W-4 & W-2 hourly rate PAID employee. You own the (JOB) AT LEAST and you work when... you're available or when you want to. more
Albert Kisembo
1d
Tricky sometimes.

Career development

16h

Men's Bubble Watch: Tracking Which Teams Will Make (or Miss) The NCAA Tournament Todayheadline | Today Headline

Neil Paine writes about sports using data and analytics. Previously, he was Sports Editor at FiveThirtyEight.

The 2026 men's NCAA tournament is rapidly approaching, which means it's time to turn our attention to the biggest burning question: Will your team be in or out? It has roughly six weeks until Selection Sunday to answer that query. Until then, we're here to track how each team on the... "bubble" of the bracket is trending.

We'll use a variety of metrics as guides, classifying teams based on how likely they are to make the field of 68 as one of the 37 at-large selections -- conditional on not winning their respective conference tournaments for one of the 31 automatic qualifying bids (AQs). To that end, we'll use Joe Lunardi's Bracketology projections and a combination of data sources -- including my forecast-model consensus and NCAA résumé metrics such as NET rankings that the selection committee will evaluate -- to judge a team's underlying potential. (For a full glossary of terms and sources, click here or scroll to the bottom of this story.)

We'll sort teams in at-large contention into the following categories:

* Locks: Teams that would need a significant change in momentum to miss the cut (which some inevitably still will).

* Should be in: Teams tracking safely above the cutline, if not immune to trouble. Most likely, these teams should hear their names called on March 15, though their fates are not yet assured.

* Work to do: Teams whose upcoming results will meaningfully change their fate (for good or bad). These are the truest "on the bubble" teams, because their chances are closest to a coin flip.

* Long shots: Teams that would need to outperform expectations or benefit from chaos. There is little -- though not zero -- chance these ones will make the Big Dance without winning their conference tournament.

Let's go conference by conference -- in order of which project to have the most NCAA tournament bids -- to rank the teams in each category based on their rough chances to secure an at-large bid.

Note: All times are Eastern. Only expected at-large bids as listed; each conference will receive one additional berth with an AQ.

Jump to a conference:

Big Ten | SEC | ACC

Big 12 | Big East

Mid-majors

BIG TEN

10.0 expected bids (9.0 at-large)

Locks

Michigan Wolverines

Nebraska Cornhuskers

Illinois Fighting Illini

Purdue Boilermakers

Michigan State Spartans

Should be in

Iowa Hawkeyes

Updated: Feb. 2

Iowa's résumé rankings are all over the place, ranging from the high 40s in KPI to the low 20s in NET, averaging out to 30th nationally. That's still on the right side of the bubble, with some room to spare. The Hawkeyes bolstered their case with a Quadrant 1A win at Indiana in mid-January and again with Sunday's 18-point victory at Oregon. They're even better than their résumé ranking gives them credit for, checking in at 22nd in our average of performance ratings, which raises their potential going forward. But their schedule does get more difficult looking ahead, jumping from 70th to 17th nationally from here on out, according to the BPI.

Next game: at Washington (Wednesday)

Wisconsin Badgers

Updated: Feb. 1

The Badgers boosted their case with a 10-point home win over fellow bubble-dweller Ohio State on Saturday; it was their seventh victory in eight games. They still sit around 40th in the national consensus résumé ranking, which is prime bubble territory. But they also sit eighth in a Big Ten tracking for 10 bids. The schedule does not let up anytime soon, either, with four straight Quadrant 1A contests coming up next that could provide signature wins (they've beaten only one Quadrant 1 opponent thus far) or knock their odds into shakier territory.

Next game: at Indiana (Saturday)

Indiana Hoosiers

Updated: Feb. 1

Indiana is here as the darling of the forecast models, which average out to a 91% conditional at-large probability despite a relatively similar top-line résumé ranking (No. 42) to other Big Ten bubble candidates below. What the Hoosiers have going for them are more signature wins -- two versus Quadrant 1A -- and plenty of talent, as they are in the top 30 in every power rating we're tracking. The latter factor leads them to be projected for more wins by season's end (20.2) than any of the conference's other non-locks aside from Iowa.

Next game: at USC (Tuesday)

Work to do

UCLA Bruins

Updated: Feb. 1

The Bruins are coming off a heartbreaking loss in a double-overtime classic to Indiana on Saturday that snapped their 14-game home win streak. But in the big picture, their résumé still ranks mid-40s nationally and 10th in the Big Ten, and that might even be underselling their chances. The forecast model composite thinks they're more likely to get a bid than not (75%), on the basis of two Quadrant 1 wins and a more manageable rest-of-season schedule (No. 36 nationally in the BPI) than their bubble rivals, which ought to get them to 20 wins. That said, many high-leverage games remain.

Next game: vs. Rutgers (Tuesday)

Ohio State Buckeyes

Updated: Feb. 1

The Buckeyes are right on the bubble at No. 45 in the national résumé rankings, but a 10-point loss at Wisconsin did them no favors; they now rank 11th in what is looking like a 10-bid Big Ten. They have a single Quadrant 1 win (at Northwestern in early December) and are projected by the BPI to fall just short of 19 wins on the season -- meaning they're projected to be sub-.500 from here on, which explains why they're not as sure of a tournament-bound team as they seemed earlier in the season.

Next game: at Maryland (Thursday)

USC Trojans

Updated: Feb. 1

If the season ended today, USC would likely secure one of the Big Ten's last entries comfortably, as they are a top-40 team in the résumé rankings and sit seventh in the conference in that regard. The models are less bullish (45% at-large), however, because the Trojans are only a borderline top-50 team in the predictive ratings and have just a single win against the BPI top 50 (Wisconsin). With five losses in their past nine outings, they can't let what was once a 12-1 start unravel more.

Next game: vs. Indiana (Tuesday)

Washington Huskies

Updated: Feb. 1

The Huskies might be downgraded to the Long shots category soon, but we'll slot them here for now on the basis of a 23% chance in the forecast model consensus. They are just 4-7 in Big Ten play and rank 12th in the conference on résumé (66th nationally). But they also have a pair of Quadrant 1 wins, most recently adding what might have been their most impressive of the season with a 14-point road victory over Northwestern on Saturday. There's a ton of work left to do, but Washington could run up wins against the easiest remaining Big Ten schedule.

Next game: vs. Iowa (Wednesday)

Long shots

None

SEC

9.5 expected bids (8.5 at-large)

Locks

Vanderbilt Commodores

Florida Gators

Alabama Crimson Tide

Arkansas Razorbacks

Tennessee Volunteers

Auburn Tigers

Updated: Feb. 1

Auburn has a number of good wins against a tough schedule and would be in solid shape if the season ended today, but its fate is complicated by one of the nation's toughest remaining schedules (11th hardest, per the BPI). Despite losing to Tennessee on Saturday, there's still plenty of cushion to work with -- the model consensus actually gives the Tigers 95% at-large odds -- but the BPI is projecting the Tigers to fall short of 20 wins. Minimizing losses in a brutal stretch over the next three weeks -- with games against Alabama, Vanderbilt and Arkansas -- will be crucial to Auburn maintaining its position.

Next game: vs. Alabama (Saturday)

Kentucky Wildcats

Updated: Feb. 1

Just as a 25-point loss at Vanderbilt seemed to dampen Kentucky's recent hot streak, Saturday's victory over Arkansas in Fayetteville elevated coach Mark Pope's team back into Should be in status. The Wildcats' résumé (three Quadrant 1A wins) is on par with the rest of the SEC's candidates in this category, and they have a 94% at-large chance in the model consensus. But only two teams in the country are projected for a tougher schedule over the rest of the season, which could make for an interesting ride.

Next game: vs. Oklahoma (Wednesday)

Texas A&M Aggies

Updated: Feb. 1

Most of the models in the forecast consensus consider the Aggies to be in outstanding shape (95% or higher) for an at-large bid, particularly after beating Georgia by 15 in Athens on Saturday. They are projected by the BPI to eclipse 22 wins, which ought to be enough to make the tournament when the smoke clears. They're still tied for eighth out of what could be nine tournament-bound teams from the SEC in the résumé ranking average, though there's a big gap between them and 10th-ranked Texas.

Next game: at Alabama (Wednesday)

Georgia Bulldogs

Updated: Feb. 1

The Bulldogs seemed to have risen above the bubble fray for a time, but recent losses to Ole Miss, Texas, Tennessee and Texas A&M dropped their odds. At No. 35 in the résumé rankings overall (tied for eighth in the SEC) and with a trio of wins against the BPI top 50, they might not need to worry too much. But the Dawgs' schedule-strength leap (from No. 70 to this point to No. 13 from here on) is among the biggest of any high-major team, and they're projected to lose more remaining games than they win.

Next game: at LSU (Saturday)

Work to do

Texas Longhorns

Updated: Feb. 1

Despite ranking in the mid-30s nationally in the predictive metrics, Sean Miller's team is staring at a tough numbers game already after a handful of early defeats in SEC play (including Wednesday's loss at Auburn). The Longhorns are 10th in the conference in the résumé rankings (52nd nationally), and their schedule strength jumps from 61st hardest looking back to 32nd hardest going forward. Four Quadrant 1 wins (including two for Quadrant 1A) are helpful, but they'll have to compile even more while hoping the NCAA accommodates 10 SEC teams for the Dance.

Next game: vs. South Carolina (Tuesday)

Missouri Tigers

Updated: Feb. 1

The Tigers recently went cold, losing four of six to drop to 11th in the league in the résumé average, though they did beat Mississippi State on Saturday. They are projected to finish with 18.5 wins, though they do have a pair of Quadrant 1A wins (Florida and Kentucky) and four against the BPI top 50. But even if their résumé is on par with that of Texas, Missouri is much lower in the predictive metrics, so outdueling the Longhorns with more wins might be easier said than done.

Next game: at South Carolina (Saturday)

Long shots

LSU Tigers

ACC

8.0 expected bids (7.0 at-large)

Locks

Duke Blue Devils

Virginia Cavaliers

North Carolina Tar Heels

Clemson Tigers

Louisville Cardinals

Should be in

NC State Wolfpack

Updated: Feb. 1

The Wolfpack have won six of the past seven games -- including their sole Quadrant 1A victory in overtime at Clemson -- and are a top-25 team nationally in the predictive ratings, which bodes well for their momentum. They are closer to the bubble than their 34th rank nationally in résumé average (seventh in the ACC) indicates, but the models expect them to keep winning.

Next game: at SMU (Tuesday)

SMU Mustangs

Updated: Feb. 1

The Mustangs entered Saturday's game at Louisville in fairly similar shape as the Cardinals and the Wolfpack, but the road loss dropped SMU back some. The Mustangs still rank sixth best in the conference (28th nationally) on their résumé, which is a great foundation. And while they are seventh in the ACC (36th nationally) in the predictive ranking, they have the nation's 72nd-hardest remaining schedule, which is good for managing their status quo above the bubble.

Next game: vs. NC State (Tuesday)

Work to do

Miami Hurricanes

Updated: Feb. 1

The Hurricanes had bounced back from back-to-back defeats against Clemson (excusable) and FSU (less so) with wins over Syracuse and Stanford to stabilize their at-large odds in most of the models. But Saturday's one-point home loss to Cal put another dent in those numbers. The Hurricanes are the 38th-best résumé team nationally, and they face the 70th-hardest remaining schedule. But they are directly on the bubble at No. 8 in the ACC in résumé ranking, so their at-large chances remain around a coin flip.

Next game: at Boston College (Saturday)

Virginia Tech Hokies

Updated: Feb. 1

The Hokies' conditional at-large odds are fairly consistent, but that could be a negative, as every system has them pegged between 18% and 33%, meaning they are tracking to miss the field if their season continues at the same pace. While their record is similar to that of Miami -- which has a much easier schedule (100th nationally versus 51st) -- the difference is in future projection for a Virginia Tech team that ranks borderline top 60 in the predictive metrics. The BPI also projects the Hokies will go 3-5 over their remaining regular-season schedule.

Next game: at NC State (Saturday)

California Golden Bears

Updated: Feb. 1

The Golden Bears were not exactly tracking for a strong tournament bid when they lost four of five to open ACC play, but wins over North Carolina and Miami have vaulted them into consideration. At No. 50 on the résumé list with a 31% consensus at-large probability, they would likely be on the outside looking in if it were already Selection Sunday. However, they do have three Quadrant 1 wins (including one Quadrant 1A victory) to their name. They Bears have the ACC's easiest remaining schedule, which could see them end up with a surprisingly intriguing case by season's end.

Next game: vs. Georgia Tech (Wednesday)

Long shots

Stanford Cardinal

BIG 12

7.3 expected bids (6.3 at-large)

Locks

Arizona Wildcats

Houston Cougars

Iowa State Cyclones

Kansas Jayhawks

Texas Tech Red Raiders

BYU Cougars

Should be in

UCF Knights

Updated: Feb. 1

With so many of the conference's expected bids being effective locks -- the six teams listed above each have 100% conditional at-large odds in the model consensus -- the Big 12 bubble picture really comes down to which team could be the seventh in. The Knights are in the driver's seat for that slot, especially after grabbing a signature win over visiting Texas Tech on Saturday. They rank 25th in the résumé average, while no other non-lock Big 12 team is even in the top 55. Pulling off a road upset at either Houston or Cincinnati in the next week-plus would go a long way in further solidifying UCF's standing.

Next game: at Houston (Wednesday)

Work to do

Oklahoma State Cowboys

Updated: Feb. 1

Despite low tournament chances for much of early conference play, the Cowboys sneak in here on the basis of their No. 53 placement in the résumé ranking, which does rank eighth best in the conference (slightly ahead of TCU). The models are low on Oklahoma State because its predictive ranking (No. 63) is so much worse than TCU's, and the Cowboys face the Big 12's second-toughest remaining schedule. But Steve Lutz's team could make noise with some upsets.

Next game: vs. BYU (Wednesday)

TCU Horned Frogs

Updated: Feb. 2

After a recent losing skid in Big 12 play, the Horned Frogs are facing a deficit in both the record and résumé departments relative to UCF and Oklahoma State -- and the rest of the tournament bubble, for that matter. Their case isn't without merits, which include three Quadrant 1 wins (including a Quadrant 1A victory over Florida), and they face the Big 12's easiest remaining schedule (59th hardest nationally). But in Sunday's visit to Colorado, the Frogs came out flat and let the game spiral into an ugly 87-61 loss, putting a major dent in their at-large chances and risking a drop to Long shots territory.

Next game: vs. Kansas State (Saturday)

Long shots

West Virginia Mountaineers

Baylor Bears

Cincinnati Bearcats

BIG EAST

3.4 expected bids (2.4 at-large)

Locks

UConn Huskies

St. John's Red Storm

Should be in

Villanova Wildcats

Updated: Jan. 31

The Wildcats are right on the border of being a lock, with a 96% at-large chance in the model consensus, but there are enough meaningful differences between them and UConn and St. John's to give at least some pause. While the other two are both within the top 20 in predictive ranking, Villanova is outside the top 30, which eats into its future projection some. The Wildcats are only 2-4 against the BPI top 50, as well. That being said, they play the Big East's third-easiest remaining schedule and should clear 22 wins by regular season's end, a projection that improved with Saturday's 87-73 home win over Providence. It would take a lot for the Wildcats to not hear their names called on Selection Sunday.

Next game: vs. Seton Hall (Wednesday)

Work to do

Seton Hall Pirates

Updated: Feb. 1

Shaheen Holloway's team pulled out of its recent four-game losing streak with much-needed wins at home over Xavier and Marquette, but the Pirates need a lot more where that came from. At No. 49 nationally in résumé average and with only a single Quadrant 1 win against NC State back in late November, they would likely be on the outs if the selection were made today. (Case in point: Only 22 of the 101 entries at BracketMatrix had Seton Hall making the tournament.) The Pirates should pick up some wins facing the 54th-ranked remaining schedule, but those will need to include signature ones.

Next game: at Villanova (Wednesday)

Long shots

Creighton Bluejays

Butler Bulldogs

MID-MAJORS

Locks

Gonzaga Bulldogs (West Coast Conference)

Should be in

Saint Louis Billikens (Atlantic 10)

Updated: Jan. 31

The Billikens have a great story in their second season with Josh Schertz at the helm and a cast of characters that includes bespectacled big man Robbie Avila. They are 21-1 after beating Dayton by 31 points on Friday, tracking for Sports-Reference's best SRS rating in program history. They rank 20th nationally in the résumé rankings and 23rd in the predictive ratings, with an 89% consensus chance that is arguably underselling their résumé. (Don't be surprised if they are upgraded to Lock status soon.) It's very hard to see the Billikens not making the field as an at-large team, if necessary.

Next game: at Davidson (Tuesday)

Utah State Aggies (Mountain West)

Updated: Feb. 1

Per the BPI, the Aggies are big favorites to get in as the Mountain West's AQ with a 43% chance; no other team is above 17%. But if that doesn't happen, Utah State should still be in good shape as the second team called from the conference. They rank 31st in the résumé rankings and have a Quadrant 1 win over Boise State, plus they came back from a double-digit deficit at home to beat bubble rival San Diego State on Saturday. The Aggies also are the third-best mid-major in the predictive ratings, trailing only Gonzaga and Saint Louis. Even during a season in which the Mountain West could secure only three bids, Utah State should be one.

Next game: at New Mexico (Wednesday)

Saint Mary's Gaels (WCC)

Updated: Feb. 1

Saint Mary's hasn't missed the NCAA tournament in five seasons, so it's tough to imagine that streak coming to an end with the Gaels sitting 33rd in the résumé rankings. Yet they're here because they carry only a consensus 70% at-large probability, likely driven by the perennial question of how many WCC teams the NCAA can accommodate for the Dance after Gonzaga. One possible trouble spot: While their résumé is better than Santa Clara's, the Gaels lost the first of the teams' two head-to-head matchups. They also don't have any Quadrant 1 wins -- and likely won't, unless they get revenge for Saturday's loss at Gonzaga when the teams meet again on Feb. 28 at Saint Mary's.

Next game: vs. San Diego (Wednesday)

New Mexico Lobos (MW)

Updated: Feb. 1

Seeking a third straight NCAA tournament trip for the first time in more than a decade, the Lobos have the inside track to being the Mountain West's second-most-likely team. They have a better résumé ranking than San Diego State (38th versus 46th) and a slightly better predictive rating (44th versus 46th), and they face a fairly equivalent schedule from here on out. The primary blemish is their head-to-head loss at San Diego State on Jan. 17, which the Lobos won't have a chance to avenge until they play host on Feb. 28.

Next game: vs. Utah State (Wednesday)

Work to do

Miami (Ohio) RedHawks (Mid-American Conference)

Updated: Feb. 1

The MAC hasn't received multiple bids since 1998-99. Fittingly, that was the season Wally Szczerbiak led the RedHawks to the Sweet 16 after knocking off Washington and Utah in the first two rounds. Could history repeat itself? Along with Arizona, Miami is one of only two remaining unbeatens in Division I and ranks 40th on résumé as a result. The forecast models don't quite know how to handle the RedHawks. It is true that they are a borderline top-90 team in the predictive ratings (Akron actually ranks higher in the MAC) that has run up an undefeated record against the 355th-hardest schedule in the nation. But wins are wins, and the BPI gives Miami an 8% chance to win out from here.

Next game: at Buffalo (Tuesday)

Santa Clara Broncos (WCC)

Updated: Feb. 1

The Santa Clara and Saint Mary's comparisons will be constant down the stretch as we debate whether the WCC could get three bids -- which has happened only once in the past 13 seasons -- and how much the committee should value head-to-head wins versus overall résumé quality. The Broncos' chances are roughly a coin flip at this point -- at No. 48 in the résumé rankings with 61% consensus at-large odds -- but they will get another crack at Saint Mary's and Gonzaga later this month.

Next game: at Pacific (Wednesday)

San Diego State Aztecs (MW)

Updated: Feb. 1

Even if the bulk of the comparison points between San Diego State and New Mexico favor the Lobos, it is a close comparison nonetheless. The Aztecs are one of the bubbliest of bubble teams. They sit 46th nationally in résumé ranking, but their consensus at-large chance fell from 63% to 49% after Saturday's loss at Utah State. That being said, the Mountain West could send at least three teams to the tournament; the conference hasn't missed that threshold in five seasons. With a fairly large gap in résumé quality over the next-best league team (Nevada, at 58th), the Aztecs would figure to be in decent enough shape if they keep winning.

Next game: vs. Wyoming (Tuesday)

George Mason Patriots (A-10)

Updated: Feb. 1

The Patriots perennially flirt with a tournament entry but haven't been back to the Dance since reaching the round of 32 in 2011. They're 20-2 and rank 47th on the résumé list, which is prime mid-major bubble territory, but their consensus at-large probability is just 14%. If Saint Louis is effectively a lock, other A-10 teams such as George Mason and VCU must make their cases for the league to get a second bid (which has happened three times in the five years since the pandemic) if they don't win the conference tournament.

Next game: vs. Duquesne (Wednesday)

VCU Rams (A-10)

Updated: Jan. 31

VCU hasn't made back-to-back NCAA tournaments since the Will Wade era nearly a decade ago. The forecast models (13% consensus at-large) aren't exactly bullish on that streak ending this season, in part because the Rams are 0-5 against Quadrant 1 opponents with only one remaining shot at changing that (at Saint Louis on Feb. 20). However, the Rams are squarely in bubble territory on overall résumé -- they rank 50th nationally -- and their remaining schedule is set up for plenty more wins, so they can certainly add to their case.

Next game: at Fordham (Tuesday)

Long shots

Nevada Wolf Pack (MW)

Tulsa Golden Hurricane (American)

Belmont Bruins (Missouri Valley Conference)

Boise State Broncos (MW)

Grand Canyon Lopes (MW)

Liberty Flames (Conference USA)

McNeese Cowboys (Southland)

Yale Bulldogs (Ivy League)

Akron Zips (MAC) more

Career development

17h

Report reveals IT job postings are designed to favor foreign visa holders over U.S. workers

This system suppresses wages, displaces American talent, weakens domestic skill development and introduces national-security risks via opaque subcontracting chains.

For most job seekers, an online posting suggests a fair hiring process: An employer advertises a position, applicants submit résumés and the most qualified candidate gets hired. But a detailed investigation reveals a parallel hiring... system embedded within the U.S. information-technology staffing industry - one that operates largely outside public awareness and relies on coded language that effectively excludes American workers.

The report, based on an extensive review of recruitment practices among IT staffing firms affiliated with the ITServe Alliance, describes uniform hiring patterns across hundreds of companies. While job postings appear open, many operate as closed labor pipelines, favoring foreign visa holders over U.S. workers.

At the heart of this system is visa-targeted language - phrases like "Only H-1B," "OPT/CPT candidates welcome," "H-4 EAD accepted" and "Corp-to-Corp only." To most Americans, this terminology resembles bureaucratic shorthand. In reality, it functions as a filtering mechanism, prioritizing immigration status over skill.

Employment-based visas are legally intended for use only when employers cannot find qualified U.S. workers. Yet by designing job postings around specific visas, staffing firms reverse this logic, starting with visa holders and working backward, effectively sidelining Americans before competition begins.

Workers on visas such as H-1B are legally tied to their sponsoring employer, giving staffing firms leverage over wages, hours, relocation and contract terms. As explained by BrightU.AI's Enoch, the H-1B visa is a U.S. non-immigrant work visa that allows employers to hire foreign professionals with specialized skills, typically requiring a bachelor's degree or higher, for temporary employment in fields like technology, engineering and finance. This dependency makes visa holders more controllable and less likely to negotiate than U.S. workers.

Another key tactic is recruiting from student visa programs (CPT, OPT, STEM OPT), overseen by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). These programs are intended to provide limited training experience related to academic study. However, the investigation found they are frequently used as labor pipelines, allowing firms to hire workers with fewer regulatory obligations, lower costs and limited bargaining power.

Job ads specifying "OPT" or "STEM OPT preferred" signal that positions are effectively pre-filled through university recruiting networks and internal placement programs. Public postings may still appear online, but the real selection process has already occurred. The STEM OPT extension allows employers to retain the same workers for years without reopening positions to U.S. applicants, further entrenching closed pipelines.

A critical component of this system is the "corp-to-corp" (C2C) model, where workers are routed through intermediary companies rather than being hired directly. The investigation found that this structure allows staffing firms to:

The widespread use of C2C contradicts claims that workers are uniquely skilled, since truly scarce experts are typically hired directly.

Closely tied to C2C is "benching," where visa workers are kept idle between contracts while remaining tied to a staffing firm. This practice demonstrates that workers are being warehoused as inventory rather than hired for immediate, specific skill needs, undermining the premise that these jobs could not be filled by Americans.

Many IT staffing firms advertise "training and placement" programs, which the investigation found are not about developing rare expertise but rather pre-hiring filters that prepare visa workers to match anticipated job descriptions. Workers are recruited first, trained afterward and then slotted into client roles - allowing firms to claim specialized needs without competing in the open labor market.

Job postings often become procedural formalities rather than genuine recruitment efforts. Americans may apply, but decisions are frequently predetermined.

The cumulative effect is a labor-arbitrage ecosystem that prioritizes speed, cost control and compliance convenience over open competition. The report argues these practices reshape the broader labor market by:

Once understood, the coded language embedded in thousands of job postings reveals a pattern that raises fundamental questions about how long such a system will be allowed to operate within the U.S. labor market.

The investigation exposes a hiring model that operates in reverse: workers are recruited first, jobs are matched afterward. This flips hiring from competition to allocation, systematically excluding qualified Americans before they can compete.

As domestic expertise is displaced, the U.S. becomes increasingly reliant on foreign labor pipelines - creating long-term risks for innovation, competitiveness and national security. The question is no longer whether this system exists, but how long it will be allowed to continue.

For American workers, cracking this code means recognizing that many tech jobs advertised as "open" are anything but - and demanding accountability from regulators and policymakers to restore fairness in hiring.

Watch the video below that talks about how the H-1B visa program was designed to replace U.S. tech workers. more

Career development

18h

Men's Bubble Watch: Tracking which teams will make (or miss) the NCAA tournament

Career development

19h

Would anyone name their son Jeffrey in 2026?

This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? Log in.

Times have been tough lately -- and when I say "lately," I mean roughly the past 35 years -- for me and my fellow Jeffreys of the world.

From the early 1990s infamy of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer to the deplorable actions of Jeffrey Epstein, my first name has... been dragged through enough mud to induce cringes from most people upon its mere mention.

Now, as we enter the second month of 2026, a year in which the story of the still-not-fully-released Epstein files refuses to go away, thousands of men like me continue to be faced with an existential choice every time we introduce ourselves: Jeffrey or Jeff?

Or, put another way: To -rey, or not to -rey? That is the question.

Those who know me know that I go by Jeff in my day-to-day life. As a college journalist at Rutgers University, I used the shortened name as my byline for The Daily Targum, the student newspaper.

After I graduated, "Jeff" started to feel too informal as a way to present myself in the working world. So from that point forward, on résumés and job applications, on magazine mastheads and business cards, I've steadfastly stood behind "Jeffrey."

As someone currently in the middle of a job search, however, I have started to wonder whether being so Jeffrey-forward could, in fact, be setting me back.

I asked Joel Lalgee, a recruiter and headhunter who runs RealGTMTalent, if he or any of his clients had ever judged a book by its cover, as it were, and formed a negative first impression of a candidate based on the name at the top of the résumé.

It's not something he has encountered, he said, adding, "If someone is making a judgment like that, why would you want to work for that person? That, to me, is a huge red flag."

Still, this is no small matter, as the name you put forth can have a huge impact on your career trajectory. An analysis of all LinkedIn users once found that the most common names of male CEOs were shortened nicknames like Bob, Fred, or Bill -- likely used to seem more friendly or open -- while women in leadership tended to use their full names, perhaps to be taken more seriously.

Which is exactly what I was after, as it happens. And I am hardly alone in struggling with "name shame" -- women named Karen, not to mention anyone named Adolf who lived through postwar Germany, could surely relate to this dilemma.

It's only grown for us, Jeffreys, in recent years, as a new deluge of unwanted notoriety has befallen our name.

The initial flurry of negative coverage when Jeffrey Epstein was arrested for sex trafficking of minors in 2019 seemed, at the time, as if it would be the nadir for Jeffreys. However, even that chapter pales in comparison to the fever pitch of Epstein news that has engulfed Washington over the past year.

And yet, the trend lines on "Jeffrey" were apparent even earlier.

Take Jeffrey Jones, who, after a run as a beloved comedic actor in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and "Beetlejuice," was arrested in 2002 on charges of possessing child-sexual-abuse images and soliciting a minor. Prosecutors dropped the first charge, and he pleaded no contest to the latter. He was required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

Or Jeffrey Tambor, who, after his run as a beloved comedic actor on "The Larry Sanders Show" and "Arrested Development," was accused of sexual misconduct on the set of "Transparent" in 2017. Though the actor denies the allegations, they led to the end of his Emmy-winning role.

But "Jeff"? Cool, breezy "Jeff"? There are countless examples of those who have eschewed the "-rey" in their professional lives and been better off for it.

In Hollywood, you'll find Goldblum, Bridges, and Daniels -- not a law firm but rather a trio of proud Jeffs who have enjoyed long careers of universal acclaim.

The musical genius of Jeff Lynne, Jeff Tweedy, and the late, great Jeff Buckley and Jeff Beck is undeniable; add DJ Jazzy Jeff, and you'd have quite the supergroup.

Other successful Jeffs include Probst, Koons, Foxworthy -- even a seemingly narcoleptic Wiggle.

Lastly, we must not forget Jeff Bezos, whom the comedian Bo Burnham memorably taunted in song in his landmark 2021 special "Inside" by referring to him as "Jeffrey" throughout, as if the name itself were tantamount to a schoolyard insult.

If you're looking for positives on the "Jeffrey" side of the ledger, you'll find the Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jeffrey Eugenides, the Academy Award-nominated actor Jeffrey Wright, and the actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan -- none of them a slouch, to be sure.

However, their combined talents would not be quite enough to outshine their nicknamed brethren or to overcome today's maelstrom of negative attention.

So for those keeping score at home, it's a rather lopsided victory for "Jeff."

What do all of these Jeffs and Jeffreys have in common?

They were all born over a roughly 20-year period, from the mid-1940s through the mid-1960s, when the name's popularity was steadily climbing before reaching its peak as a top 10 name in the US in 1966, according to the Social Security Administration.

By the time I came along, some years later, it was already on the wane -- my parents still liked it, though -- and its decline in popularity has continued precipitously ever since, especially since the turn of the last century.

For the year 2024, the last for which full data is available, "Jeffrey" ranked 520th among boys' names. (Adding in Geoffrey with a "G" doesn't help matters; that spelling fell out of the top 1,000 names in 2006 and has not returned.)

As for 2026? Despite long-standing traditions of naming children after a living or deceased relative, it's hard to imagine expectant parents this year choosing "Jeffrey" as their son's name right now.

I predict it will be avoided for some time, especially as the potential release of more Epstein files and the Department of Justice's report to Congress continues to loom.

With that in mind, I'm choosing to plant a flag and stand up for all Jeffrey-kind; there's something that feels honorable about being among the last of a dying breed.

I'll continue to use the name professionally, as I'd rather have the courage of my own convictions than worry about being coincidentally associated with someone else's.

Notably, there is one other reason for my choice. If my name sounds vaguely familiar to you, you may be remembering another Jeff Bauman, who lost both of his legs in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. (His story was later made into the movie "Stronger," starring Jake Gyllenhaal.)

He and I are not related, but there is a kinship in the name nonetheless, and ceding "Jeff" to him, someone who has endured true hardship in his life, feels like quite literally the least I can do.

So I'll stick with "Jeffrey" from here on out -- I can surely take any slings and arrows that may come my way as a result. more

Career development

22h

5 Tips To Land Yourself The Dream Job

In order to find yourself the dream job, you need to invest time and effort effectively. Mere rolling out your resume and cover letters won't get you the job you've dreamed of. There is no doubt in the fact that persistence is the key to success. However, many people get frustrated with this process. Therefore, we have compiled a list of five useful tips, which can simplify the dream job searching... process for you. In addition to this, these tips can show you the right path that will lead you to your dream job.

Instead of wandering around making pointless efforts, follow these five steps to get yourself a direction:

Although creating an effective resume is a very basic step, it holds great importance. A resume that clearly presents your experience, skills, projects, and ambitions altogether, acts like a key to get you selected for the screening process. However, a creative cover letter plays an even more vital role in getting your resume accepted by the employer. But how? Well, your resume provides limited value to the employer. This is where the cover letter comes in to save your day. It helps inform the employer about your preferences and what type of job actually suits you, what do you want to achieve in the future and what exactly are you looking for.

Most of the organizations don't even look at a resume without a cover letter. For instance, if you're a telecom engineer and want to get hired in Cox communications or Comcast Xfinity, you need to build a strong profile which looks good on paper and a cover letter which clearly indicates your expectations and preferences.

In this digital era, surfing on the internet has become an absolute necessity. Several online platforms are facilitating professionals to link with employers. These platforms are exposing professionals to a variety of jobs from around the world. Several opportunities are not being advertised and are only updated on online portals. That is why you should stay active on the referral networks. You can join lectures, events, and conferences, etc. in order to build a wide network, which keeps you constantly informed about the potential opportunities available out there.

Defining certain criteria for your job search is of great importance. Once you have defined the criteria, utilize it to find yourself a desirable job. Create a list of 50 companies for whom you'd like to work. If you're too busy to probe the internet to find yourself the best fifty companies, you can always hire a freelancer for $30 to get the job done for you.

The second major step would be finding the contact information of the relevant people of the company to get in touch with. You may have to use your instincts to find the most suitable person to contact. It is possible to find the right person while looking for companies and job opportunities. After accumulating the list of current openings in the market, start sending resumes and prepare yourself for interviews.

Once done with creating a list of strangers who can help you get your dream job, get yourself acquainted with them via emails. It's a great way to start a conversation in the corporate world.

Job descriptions give you a fair idea about the future of the offered position. You certainly don't want to work for a huge company in a position which clearly has no future. Digging deep into the job description may seem like a time-consuming task, but is actually an important one. Knowing what sort of jobs you qualify for gives you more room to probe such relevant jobs.

Getting a dream job requires the art of selling your skills in the best possible way. Get specific with the details while selling your skills to the employer. Explain what sort of impact you have in your current organization or made previously. How you helped the previous organization decrease its average spend rate. How did you manage to enhance their sales revenue? How can you help the employer with his strategy? How soon can you deliver results? How many international or local clients have you dealt with?

Tip: Specific numbers to the accomplishments always impart a great impression on the employer and motivate him to investigate your skill set.

Finding a job that satisfies and refines your skill set requires patience and consistency. Not everyone can start with a great organization. We strongly suggest that instead of waiting and wasting your time for the perfect opportunity, take the first thing that presents itself and makes it perfect. Work and polish your skills to demonstrate better knowledge on the subject you claim to be the best at. Along the way, you will experience several things that will prepare you for a bigger opportunity. With a little effort in the right direction, landing the dream job is not a big deal. more

Career development

1d

Mat-Su students can find 'free' money for school, but must act soon

There's still time for students to get their hands on thousands of dollars in free money for college.

But not much.

Spring is crunch time for scholarship deadlines, with most applications due in the next two months. For high school seniors juggling everything from graduation announcements and senior pictures to prom, the deadlines can seem daunting.

The good news for Mat-Su students and... families navigating the vast landscape of postsecondary education funding is that help is available.

"Education equals opportunity, and helping families afford it is one of the most important things we do," said Rebecca Piatt, a counselor at Mat-Su Middle College School in Palmer.

School counselors are often the first line of help for high school students and their families. MSMCS Principal Greg Giauque said the school begins the financial aid education process during students' junior year. Getting started early is critical because things tend to speed up in a student's final semester.

"Life never slows down during senior year," Giauque said. "Waiting for the 'right time' to apply for scholarships usually means it won't happen."

Piatt said that aside from starting early, students and their families should prepare for the basics.

"Scholarship applications vary, but there are common elements. If students understand those components ahead of time and prepare them early, then when it's time to apply, the hard work is already done."

A handful of items are necessary for virtually all scholarship applications, including the government's Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA.

"Aside from the application itself, students can expect at least one letter of recommendation, a résumé or activities list, information about financial need, a personal statement -- who they are, what they want to do, and why -- and a transcript."

According to the Education Data Initiative, about $100 billion in grant and scholarship money is awarded nationwide each year, divided between federal financial aid and 1.8 million private scholarships -- funding that local financial advisers say many students don't realize they're eligible for.

Darla Haddeland, a financial aid adviser at Mat-Su College in Palmer, said students are often surprised by the variety of scholarships available.

"There's a ton of funding out there. There are scholarships for people with naturally red hair, Star Trek fans -- we had a student who won $1,500 for writing about her favorite flavor of ice cream."

Piatt and Giauque said keeping students up to date on what's available to Mat-Su students is a critical mission for local educators. The school's database lists scholarships and their deadlines that are specific to Mat-Su students. Both also advise students and their families to check out similar scholarship listings at other area high schools.

"Start with your school's counseling website," Piatt said. "Don't limit yourself to one school; look at multiple high school sites."

Piatt once received an email from a mother whose child had just won multiple scholarships. She said the family was "thrilled and relieved," and it reminded her why helping students with funding is so important.

Haddeland said it's crucial that students cast a wide net when it comes to funding sources.

"The main thing is to get started and reach out for help. A lot of people think financial aid is only student loans, and there's a lot more out there. If someone doesn't want loans, we'll do it with free money. But you have to go out and ask for it."

She also recommended checking online resources beyond local high schools, such as national scholarship search tools and community foundations, to maximize opportunities.

One major source of scholarships for Mat-Su students is the Mat-Su Health Foundation, which has given out more than $2.5 million in scholarships to local students pursuing careers in health care, human services or early childhood education. (The Sentinel receives some financial support from the Mat-Su Health Foundation.)

Foundation scholarship coordinator Adelina Rodriguez said students who haven't decided exactly what career path to follow should still apply.

"Even if you're unsure about applying or going to school in the fall semester, submitting that application is important. It serves as a backup plan," she said. "Once the application closes, we can't open it again. For students who are unsure -- maybe considering military school, staying local or going out of state -- setting yourself financially and having a scholarship to support you is critical to reducing the stress of going to school."

The foundation's deadline for fall academic scholarships is March 5. Of the 537 scholarship applications the foundation received last year, 489 were awarded.

To be eligible, students must be Mat-Su residents, meet the requirements for their field of study and demonstrate financial need. While a federal Student Aid Index is required to show need, Rodriguez said the foundation understands that tax returns and federal need determinations don't always paint a complete picture.

"FAFSA isn't always fully telling of their financial situation at home," she said. "We take that into consideration when reviewing applications."

Rodriguez also emphasized that students don't have to meet every federal guideline to be considered.

"Even if students don't meet all federal guidelines, we still encourage them to apply, because we look at the full context of their situation," she said.

Mat-Su College and the Mat-Su Health Foundation are hosting events in the coming weeks to help students and families seeking financial aid and scholarships.

On Feb. 7, the college will host a Fund Your Future Financial Aid Resource Fair from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

"We'll have a FAFSA completion room with a financial aid adviser on hand," Haddeland said. "I'll be doing Financial Aid 101 presentations throughout the day, and I follow those up with emails that include links, dates, screenshots -- very detailed information. We'll also be doing campus tours."

Rodriguez said the Mat-Su Health Foundation has already held two scholarship information sessions, with two more planned for Feb. 5 and 19 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the foundation's scholarship office. In addition to scholarship information, she said participants will be served a meal.

Haddeland emphasized that the events are free and open to all students and families, even those who haven't applied for college yet.

Funding can be one of the biggest barriers to an education, so helping students get set up for college can be one of the most rewarding parts of an educator's career. Giauque said he recently heard from the mother of two former students who are now on the verge of college graduation.

"It's always exciting to see students succeed and know that the funding we helped them secure is going to make a real difference in their lives. Every scholarship awarded feels like a win not just for them, but for everyone who supported them along the way." more

Career development

1d

Gen Z job seekers are bringing their parents to interviews. A career coach explains the new trend.

77 percent of Gen Z job applicants surveyed admit to bringing a parent to the interview.

The stress of job hunting crosses generational lines, but Gen Z is doing things a bit differently. Most of Gen Z is either just entering adulthood or has been there for some time. They are the first generation not to grow up with many analog developmental milestones, such as answering a house phone or asking... strangers for help reading a map. These are all things that help develop social skills that can be used in other settings.

A recent survey from Resumetemplates.com reveals a shocking trend. According to the resume-building website, of the 1,000 job seekers aged 18-23 surveyed, "77% say they have brought a parent to a job interview when they were job searching. About 13% say they always did, and 24% say they often did."

The idea of bringing a parent to an interview may seem laughably outrageous to older generations, but there are a few things to consider before the giggling sets in. Young adults have long relied on their parents for guidance as they enter the adult world, and this is true of every generation. Parents are often called on for help with locating first apartments, learning how to turn on utilities, figuring out health insurance plans, and more.

Expecting parents or a trusted adult to help with new life milestones isn't unheard of, but having a parent attend a job interview seems to baffle experts.

Julia Toothacre, chief career strategist at Resumetemplates.com, tells CBS Miami, "I can't imagine that most employers are happy about it. I think that it really shows a lack of maturity in the kids, in the Gen Zers that are doing this." Toothacre added that while some smaller organizations may not see an issue with it, she does not believe it is the norm.

In response to the survey, Bryan Golod, an award-winning job search coach, sees the results differently. Rather than piling on or dunking on a generation still trying to figure out adulthood, he offers a logical explanation for the phenomenon.

In a LinkedIn post, Golod shares:

"The internet is roasting this generation for lacking independence. But here's what everyone's missing: This isn't a Gen Z problem. It's a symptom of a broken system that never taught anyone how interviews actually work. Most professionals (regardless of age) have no idea how to interview effectively. I've worked with 50-year-olds who couldn't land a single offer after 30 interviews. I've coached VPs of HR who could help others but couldn't help themselves. Interview skills aren't taught in school, at work, or by parents. They're learned through trial, error, and usually a lot of rejection. The real issue isn't Gen Z bringing parents to interviews."

The job search coach explains that employers often no longer train managers on how to conduct interviews or what to look for when interviewing candidates. He also notes that many job seekers expect their experience and competence to speak for themselves, but that does not always translate well in an interview setting. Golod encourages people to ask themselves if they know how to predictably turn interviews into job offers before mocking Gen Z adults.

"Most don't. And that's not their fault... Nobody taught them. Interview skills are learnable. The professionals landing multiple offers with significant salary increases? They learned the rules of the game," Golod explains.

He adds that what truly matters in interviews is "not your credentials. Not your resume. Not even your qualifications. It's your ability to connect on a personal level and create a memorable experience. People bring you in based on data. They hire you based on emotion."

Maybe some Gen Zers are doing it wrong by traditional standards, but just like riding a bike, unless someone takes the time to teach you, you will never truly learn. Otherwise, you are left with scraped knees and bruises while you try to teach yourself. more

Career development

1d

Two-Page Executive Finance CV

I'm looking to transform my existing background into a concise, compelling two-page résumé that positions me for COO / CFO opportunities in the finance sector. The document must project a balanced, professional tone -- authoritative without sounding stiff -- while showcasing strategic leadership, P&L ownership, capital-raising success, and operational optimisation achievements. You will: * Distil... my experience into a two-page CV optimised for both human readers and ATS parsing (Word & PDF). * Highlight quantifiable results, board-level collaboration, and cross-functional leadership relevant to modern finance organisations. * Use clear, high-impact language that matches senior executive expectations and current hiring trends. I'll supply my current résumé, key metrics, and any additional context you need. In return, I expect a polished draft for review, one revision cycle, and final delivery of the approved version in editable and print-ready formats. more

Career development

2d

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.

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.

"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. more

Nura Aminu
1d
WHICH TYPE OF TEST

Career development

1d

I'm an AI résumé builder who's helped hundreds of recently laid-off workers. Here's my advice for people looking for work in 2026.

Wright says targeting one job title at a time for up to 15 days can improve interview chances.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Sam Wright, a 31-year-old head of growth at Huntr, based in Seattle. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I start my day with at least two, sometimes up to 10, free 15-minute one-on-one job search support sessions.

I get on these... calls with people coming from layoffs at big companies like Amazon and Google, and they've never struggled in the job market before. They don't know what to do.

Job seeking is one of the most vulnerable moments in someone's life, so I started offering these free support sessions last July as an extra way to support those struggling in this job market, and I've now done around 500 calls.

I work at Huntr, an AI-powered résumé builder and job search tracker. Most of our clients are from the tech world: software developers and engineers, UI and UX designers, and product and project managers. We use anonymized data collected from our job search tracker and résumé builder to track the job market and train and develop our AI tools. We've analyzed over 1.2 million applications across over 225,000 résumés.

At the beginning of the year, there's this pent-up energy and renewed optimism in the job market following the end-of-year slowdown. Here are five pieces of advice I tell every job seeker to put their best foot forward.

Did you get hired using a unique hack, strategy, or tactic? If you're comfortable discussing it with a reporter, please fill out this quick form. Business Insider wants to hear from people who've cracked the job market with a bold or unconventional approach: sending personalized slide decks in place of cover letters, Venmoing your boss to get their attention, or a step-by-step process, etc. If you've snagged a job semi-recently (last few weeks, months, or years), we'd love to hear how you did it!

During the early days of COVID, especially in the tech sector, it was a job seeker market. An entry-level software engineer was basically getting handed a job once they finished school. Now, that's not the case.

Many job seekers have applied to hundreds of jobs and still don't hear back. In an employer-favored market, your North Star should be the application-to-interview conversion rate.

Make sure you're metrics-driven in your search approach, because it's ultimately a sales process. You're selling your services and skills, and how often your applications result in job interviews is a measurable way to see how well you're doing this.

Apply to one target job title at a time. You can pivot as needed, but our best practice is to apply to 10 to 15 jobs with a well-tailored résumé that matches the job description, and to do so for the next two to three weeks.

If you aren't getting an interview within 20 applications, and definitely within 50, you need to think about getting feedback on the résumé and taking a second look at where and what you're applying for.

Different job boards also have different application-to-interview conversion rates, so try applying to different jobs using different websites such as LinkedIn, Indeed, ZipRecruiter, and more to help increase your conversion rate.

Everybody who posts a job online wants it to be searchable on Google.

Doing a Boolean search on Google should be a routine part of your job search process. Boolean searches are basically just sophisticated searches, with a few different parameters that let you combine keywords and narrow your search.

Simply doing a Google search for jobs aggregates all of the jobs across all of the job boards and can be the best way to start your search. If you search for something like "Data Analyst Jobs" on Google, it will realize the intent is to look for a job posting and show you postings under the dedicated jobs tab at the top of the search.

The jobs are sourced from all over the web because sites want their job postings to be indexed and searchable by Google for SEO purposes.

The page length of your résumé is one of the biggest things that people struggle with. I've seen that across the board, entry-level, mid-range, and senior-level, it doesn't matter. We see a slight increase in responses with two-page résumés.

At the end of the day, it's not about the length of the résumé; it's the quality of the content as it matches the job description to which you're applying.

For example, having a bit more about you in your education section has ultimately been helpful. Awards, accomplishments, and key achievements from school are also helpful, as long as they're relevant to the job description.

Your achievements section of your résumé should look something like, "I did X, which had Y result and Z impact." A lot of people miss the last part, or the 'why it matters,' which is connecting the ultimate impact your achievement had.

Remember that even a hospital janitor is helping save lives in some way. That's an extreme example, but it's all about the framing and how you see yourself in the greater picture.

Do you have a story or advice to share about landing a job in the current job market? If so, please reach out to the reporter at [email protected].

Read the original article on Business Insider more

Ben Weatherford

Career development

1w

I think I blew the interview yesterday because of how I answered one question “What would you do if you were the only survivor of a plane crash?”
I said that if I was fine and no one else needed help, I’d look through the passengers’ stuff to find a phone and call the police or rescue services. That seems pretty logical to me. But the HR immediately asked if that counts as stealing.
That really... made me stop and think, mainly about whether I even want to work there. If they already annoy me during the interview, it’ll probably be way worse once I’m actually working there. What do you think?

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Mutoni Janviere
1d
I think there is no problem as long as I use it properly and make profitable things .
Eliud Mwangi
1d
When given such a situation, the first step is to THINK, for a brief moment, on how you'll tie your answer into the required skills and abilities of... the specific position/ role.
This question is meant to evaluate problem-solving under pressure, adaptability, and composure. Focus on immediate prioritization: assess for danger (ensuring your personal safety), check for other survivors, provide first aid if possible, and then find ways to signal for rescue.
In short, YOU WERE SPOT ON WITH YOUR RESPONSE!! more
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