Anonymous member


Career development 1d
I’ve been working at a bank for four months. During this time, they’ve sent me to corporate training three times. The problem is that the training lasts two days and takes place on weekends. So I work all week, then spend Saturday and Sunday at training until 4-5 p.m. and on Monday I go back to work again. I’m really tired and don’t get any proper rest. Is it even legal to make employees work on... weekends like this? more
1   

  • Kazeem Tijani

    1h

    You just need to endure the moment because sending you to training is a plus to your career, you are lucky that the company chose you

    1

  • Jonas Nzima

    1h

    Those weekends are they paid for or you're doing for your own good?

Load more...

Jennifer Kissi
Career development 2d
my recent job is offering me a lower salary though i have an experience in the role. calculating my day-today- expenditure means that i can't save. any advise on how to persuade the HR to do something about it?
1   

  • Robert Heazlit

    1
    2h

    Don't get too addicted to comfort. Discomfort is an asset. It can help you innovate, build mental strength and greater awareness. It can show you... that where you are isn't where you need to be. If we are honest with ourselves about expenses we all can find 1 or 2 places where we spend too much on comfort. If we choose little sacrifices now you reduce the risk of making sacrifices later in life. The only thing you can control is your own behavior. Trying to control anything beyond that is energy wasted that can be better used to focus inward. To whoever said being employed is slavery knows nothing of slavery. Its disrespectful to the truly enslaved people in the world. A job is a contract. You accept an offer. You show up and give the employer what they expect for what they offered you. If the terms of that agreement become untenable, then you are free to leave and enter into another contract with someone else. That isn't slavery, that is a choice you make.  more

    1

  • Robert Heazlit

    1
    2h

    Is this a new job and you accepted the salary upon hire, or did they reduce your salary recently? How much experience do you have in the role? How... have you succeeded in that role. Success in a role usually means you get some leverage when negotiating salary. If this is a new job, you may have experience in the role but not experience in the company. In short, they don't know you yet. So you can, get to work, prove your value and approach HR once you have accomplished something you can present to justify the bump. In the meantime, keep your resume out there and maybe something better will turn up. Not being able to save is another discussion. Most people that have decent jobs are able to save something if they live within the means of their income. So that means you need to take a hard look at your expenses. Is your car payment over 400? sell it, trade it...get that down. Make your own coffee. Don't eat out, or eat out less. Cancel some subscriptions. Control what you can more

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Terry Swift


Career development 3d
Hi! Is every job interview this weird now or was I just unlucky? Yesterday I went to an interview at an insurance company and they asked me “What can you do with a regular pencil?” So I started coming up with random ideas.
Then they asked “What’s the difference between a yeti’s ears and a human’s ears?”.
I was shocked. Is this really how they choose candidates now?

1   

  • Nontobeko Sabela

    1d

    I think they were trying to see your level of thinking and that if you’re capable of resolving problems testing your skills

  • Juliet Mitchell

    2d

    Durable drinkware or "legendary monster/creature?"

Load more...

Career development

 15h

Streamline Your Job Search With AI Matching and Tracking for a One-Time Price of $39.99


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We strive to uphold the... highest ethical standards in all of our reporting and coverage. We StartupNews.fyi want to be transparent with our readers about any potential conflicts of interest that may arise in our work. It's possible that some of the investors we feature may have connections to other businesses, including competitors or companies we write about. However, we want to assure our readers that this will not have any impact on the integrity or impartiality of our reporting. We are committed to delivering accurate, unbiased news and information to our audience, and we will continue to uphold our ethics and principles in all of our work. Thank you for your trust and support.

Website Upgradation is going on for any glitch kindly connect at office@startupnews.fyi more

Career development

 19h

DATING FORUM - 5 Towns Jewish Times


I am currently in shidduchim and I came across one of the many WhatsApp groups. I joined and paid a certain amount each month, which I was okay with, but I recently decided to move on after being on it for eight months.

Before a single person joins the group, they fill out a sign-up with their name, info, and preferred payment plan, either monthly or yearly. At the bottom there's a checkbox that... in order to join, you have to agree to pay a minimum shadchanus fee for any shidduch made through the chat.

I know WhatsApp groups can be tough and loaded with problems, but I felt that when I was using it, it was helping me to get out there since I don't have much in the way of social media and events are hard to get into since it's my second time around.

My question is, when I left the group, I was interested in someone whose profile I saw on the app back in September 2025. I still have her résumé from when I first tried to go out with her, but she was busy then and I have no idea if she's busy now.

I know it's hypothetical, but morally and halachically, if something were to come about from a WhatsApp group months later, after you've left and are no longer paying the monthly fee, if you do get married, would you still have to pay a shadchanus fee since you found the résumé on the app?

I plan on asking my rav because I ask him a lot of questions regarding dating, but I also wanted to hear your perspective as a shadchan.

There is an even deeper problem that needs to be confronted. The fact that a single person even fears this question is telling that something is broken. Instead of focusing on emotional readiness, compatibility, growth, and building a bayis ne'eman, they are worrying about future invoices, retroactive ownership, admin enforcement, and most importantly, digital entanglements. That is not healthy. Shidduchim should not feel like navigating subscription contracts. They should feel like navigating destiny.

How did we even get to this point? There was a time, and it wasn't even so long ago, when I would gently (and sometimes not so gently) caution singles not to get swept up in the growing trend of résumé-based dating. I said it publicly. I said it privately. I said it in living rooms and at Shabbos tables. A résumé is a sterile document. It reduces a neshamah to bullet points: address, shul, height, schools, siblings, hashkafic labels and sublabels, etc. As if a human being can be captured in a font size. But people didn't listen, because they felt it was efficient. It was modern, organized. And what happened next, what we have now was inevitable.

Résumés turned into spreadsheets. Spreadsheets turned into databases. Databases turned into WhatsApp groups. WhatsApp groups turned into marketplaces. And with that came something far more troubling than technology: toxicity, because when shidduchim move from living rooms or dining rooms to group chats, something subtle but dangerous happens. The warmth leaves. The achrayus blurs. Accountability becomes murky. Admins become gatekeepers. Singles become "content." And what began as a tool quietly becomes a market that we now have with the hundreds upon hundreds of shidduch WhatsApp groups.

You described something very real: a sign-in form, payment plans, automatic agreements, and at the bottom, a checkbox that says "Shadchanus fee for any shidduch made through this chat," including a minimum fee. That checkbox represents the entire confusion of our era. Who exactly is the admin of the group you reference? Is this a shadchan? Is this a platform? Is this a service? Is this a subscription? Or is it a business model wrapped in communal language? Let's speak honestly and call it what it is.

Another uncomfortable truth is the power imbalance of these groups. They are often controlled by one or two administrators with complete authority. They decide who gets posted, who gets removed, who gets visibility, whose résumé is reshared, and who is quietly sidelined. There is no communal oversight or guidelines, and certainly no standards board. And when authority exists without accountability, toxicity can grow. The fact of the matter is that some admins bully other admins. Some compete over members. Some publicly shame those who "violate their rules." And tragically, some weaponize private information. The real victims of all this hierarchy are the singles. They feel the pressure and the politics. Instead of feeling supported, they often feel like products in a digital marketplace.

You joined that group because you wanted exposure. You don't live on social media. Events are harder the second time around (though I'm not sure why event organizers would exclude you if you fit the age target). Nevertheless, you were looking for a way to widen your dating circle. That is completely understandable. Many sincere singles have turned to these groups not because they love the format, but because they feel they have limited options.

Now to your question. You saw a résumé in September 2025 while you were a paying member. You tried once, but she was unavailable. Months later, after you left the group and stopped paying, you are considering trying again. Hypothetically, if it leads to marriage, do you owe shadchanus? Let's separate this into three layers: halachic, moral, and practical.

From a halachic perspective, shadchanus is not just a "nice tip." It is rooted in minhag Yisrael and in the concept of paying someone for facilitating a match. However, classic shadchanus applies when a shadchanactively introduces, suggests, follows up, mediates, or plays a meaningful role in bringing the couple together whether one-on-one via an event or other mode of introduction. Here, according to what you share, the admin did not redt the shidduch personally. They did not facilitate conversation or advocate for you, nor did they follow up. They provided access to résumés. That is not the same as being a shadchan.

If months later, independently, you pursue someone you once saw listed, and there is no ongoing involvement from the group, many poskim would question whether that constitutes a binding shadchanusobligation, especially if you are no longer a member and no active facilitation occurred. But you are wise to ask your rav, because local custom and the exact wording of what you agreed to can matter.

From a moral perspective, this is where your question becomes more nuanced. If the only reason you knew she existed was that platform, there is a concept of hakaras hatov. However, hakaras hatov does not automatically equal contractual shadchanus. There is a difference between: "I owe you because you made this happen," and "I appreciate that this platform once exposed me to information." Look at it this way: If a couple meets at a wedding and later marries, we don't pay the caterer. If someone sees an ad in a newspaper and later pursues it independently, we don't pay the publisher. Exposure is not the same as matchmaking. However, if you felt genuinely that the group's infrastructure directly caused the relationship to unfold, a voluntary gesture of appreciation could be appropriate. But that is very different from being halachically obligated to a minimum fee months after leaving a group.

Here's a deeper issue from a practical perspective. Many of these WhatsApp structures blur lines intentionally. They operate like businesses but cloak themselves in communal language. A checkbox at the bottom of a form does not automatically override halachic definitions of what constitutes shadchanus. If the agreement was simply, "Any shidduch made through this chat," the phrase "through this chat" is not just vague; it's very unclear. What does that mean, exactly? Through active involvement? Through introduction? Through direct facilitation? Or simply through exposure? This is precisely what has made the WhatsApp shidduch culture so complicated. It removes the relational element and replaces it with terms and conditions. Let me also say this openly. Your integrity in even asking this question speaks volumes about you. Many would simply move forward and say nothing. You are thinking about yashrus and derech eretz. That matters.

Now, from a shadchan's perspective: A real shadchan invests time, intuition, emotional energy, follow-up calls, encouragement, and sometimes hours of quiet mediation between two nervous people. When that results in marriage, the shadchan earned their fee, not as a gift, but as compensation for genuine work. A database does not do that. A group chat does not do that. A résumé warehouse does not do that. A digital bulletin board does not do that.

If this young woman becomes relevant now, and you pursue her independently, and no admin is involved, and no one is facilitating, it is difficult to classify that as classic shadchanus. Still, speak to your rav. Bring him the exact wording. And one more thought. If something beautiful were to come of it, and you felt in your heart that this platform was part of the journey, you could always choose to give tzedakah in that amount. Not because you were cornered. But because you wanted your story to begin with generosity rather than dispute. There is something powerful about starting a bayis with clarity. But do not allow fear-based clauses to control you months after you've left.

The larger lesson here is this: We moved too quickly into résumé culture, trading nuance for convenience. We replaced relationships with lists. And now singles are navigating legal fine print in what used to be a sacred and personal process. Shidduchim were never meant to feel like a subscription service. They were meant to feel like human beings caring about other human beings. I hope this gives you framework as you speak to your rav. And more importantly, I hope that whether through a group, a shadchan, or hashgachah pratis in the most unexpected way, you will soon find someone who sees far beyond a résumé.

Baila Sebrow is president of Neshoma Advocates, communications and recruitment liaison for Sovri-Beth Israel, executive director of Teach Our Children, and a shadchanis and shidduch consultant. Baila also produces and hosts The Definitive Rap podcast for 5townscentral.com, vinnews.com, Israel News Talk Radio, and WNEW FM 102.7 FM HD3, listenline & talklinenetwork.com. She can be reached at [email protected]. more

fred wandwasi
Career development 44m
Hello there
I have been working with a company for close to 15 years. It encourages you to go back to school to elevate your self Academically But when it comes to promotions every one knows you have to be connected politically. i wanna exist but there's that fear roaming around my Exist door. Any Advice related to this is welcome

Jena Yasava


Career development 5d
I’m new and have only worked at the company for 2 weeks, but the rule that everyone has to go to lunch together is really bothering me. I’d like to spend my lunch break alone - eat quietly, relax and think.
But in our team that doesn’t seem okay. One time I went to lunch by myself and five minutes later they called me saying they couldn’t find me.
How can I tell my coworkers that I prefer to... have lunch alone without hurting their feelings?
Thanks

 more
3   

  • Crystal Wizard

    22h

    i'm right with you, i don't like to each lunch with other people every day either. but I'm curious about your statement that it's a rule. is it a... company rule or just something the team you're on expects? more

  • Doris Higgs

    1d

    Don't say anything, go to the bathroom, go to your car. It's easy to kill time. Get on your phone with head phones, or listen to music to drown out... the noise. Lunch isn't a long time. There easy ways to use up time. It's not that bad. You still have a job.  more

    1
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Career development

 22h

Your job application flow can be automated for just $40


FirstResume AI Job Hunting Automator: Lifetime Subscription

Job searching has become a part-time administrative role. Copy a résumé, tweak keywords, adjust bullet points, rewrite a cover letter, track where you applied -- then repeat for the next listing. The actual "job search" often becomes document maintenance.

FirstResume approaches the process as a workflow instead of a writing task. And... lifetime access to this magic is on sale for just $39.99 (reg. $899).

You upload your experience once. After that, each job posting you paste into the system generates a tailored, ATS-friendly résumé and matching cover letter automatically. The software analyzes what the employer emphasizes and reorganizes your background around it, rather than forcing you to rewrite everything manually.

It also acts as an application dashboard. Roles are stored, requirements are summarized, and progress is tracked so you don't have to maintain spreadsheets or dig through email threads later.

For interviews, it builds practice questions and company insights from the same posting -- turning preparation into a continuation of the application rather than a new step. The effect is mostly time: fewer late-night edits, less context switching, and fewer forgotten applications.

Instead of compressing effort into bursts, it spreads it intelligently -- the kind of efficiency that makes a long search feel manageable. Don't miss lifetime access to FirstResume while it's on sale for a one-time $39.99 payment. more

Career development

 1d

Streamline Your Job Search With AI Matching and Tracking for a One-Time Price of $39.99


TL;DR: Score lifetime access to FirstResume Premium for $39.99 (MSRP $899) and automate your entire job hunt with AI.

Job hunting is a full-time job -- and most of it is repetitive, manual work. Editing your resume for every role, rewriting cover letters, tracking applications in spreadsheets, and prepping for interviews can easily eat up hours each week. FirstResume AI Job Hunting Automator is... designed to handle all of it for you. For a one-time payment of $39.99 (MSRP $899), new users get lifetime access to an AI-powered platform that automates the entire application process.

Upload your resume or build one from scratch, paste in a job description, and FirstResume generates an ATS-optimized, tailored resume in seconds. It also creates customized cover letters and outreach emails, analyzes your profile against the role, and highlights strengths and gaps. Built-in company research and AI mock interviews help you prep with confidence, while an automatic job tracker organizes every application in one place.

If you're ready to apply smarter and boost your interview odds, this is your shortcut. FirstResume Premium includes 5,000 monthly credits for the AI resume builder, unlimited job tracking and resume storage, interview prep tools, priority support, and early feature access

For a limited time, get a lifetime subscription to FirstResume AI Job Hunting Automator for $39.99.

Prices subject to change. PCMag editors select and review products independently. If you buy through StackSocial affiliate links, we may earn commissions, which help support our testing. more

Career development

 1d

Employee lands job after a year-long search, then gets flooded with offers -- story sparks valuable lessons


After a year of job searching, a professional finally secured a stable position, only to be inundated with new opportunities. This surge of interest, including a potentially higher-paying role, sparked a Reddit discussion on burnout, timing, and the psychological impact of prolonged job hunting.

After a full year of job searching, one professional finally felt a sense of relief. An offer had come... through. The contract was signed. A start date was set. For the first time in months, there was stability.

And then, almost immediately, the emails started rolling in. The story, shared on Reddit by an anonymous user in a career-focused community, quickly struck a chord. What began as a post about cautious optimism turned into a wider conversation about timing, burnout, and the strange psychology of the job market.

ALSO READ: NYC Snow Day: Will schools reopen tomorrow in New York? Here's what you need to know

The poster explained that the job search had lasted 12 months. For the first half, they were still employed and casually exploring opportunities. But when their contract was not renewed, the search became a full-time effort.

They weren't sending out applications blindly. Only roles that matched at least 80 percent of their skills made the cut. Over the year, they applied to roughly 140-150 positions and interviewed with around 15 to 20 companies. Several processes advanced to final rounds, only to collapse due to budget freezes, last-minute rejections, or complete silence.

It was draining not just emotionally but also mentally. Finally, an offer arrived. The salary matched their previous job, the benefits were slightly better, and the workload appeared lighter. It wasn't the 10-15 percent pay increase they had hoped for, but after six months of unemployment, it felt like solid ground. They accepted.

ALSO READ:Employee almost quit for a startup, boss stepped in, decision turned into a blessing - many call manager 'class'

That's when things got ironic. Companies that had moved slowly suddenly resurfaced. A firm they genuinely liked invited them to a third-round interview, with compensation potentially 30-40 percent higher than the offer they had accepted. Another company requested a final panel interview. Recruiters began reaching out.

After a year of scarcity, opportunity seemed to arrive all at once. The poster admitted feeling conflicted. There was guilt about rejecting interviews after wanting them for so long. There was fear that the new job might not work out. There was also exhaustion -- the kind that only comes after months of uncertainty and repeated rejection.

ALSO READ: Nancy Guthrie's case update: Sheriff Nanos believes the victim was held near home-here's what he meant

The responses were thoughtful and varied. Some encouraged continuing interviews, especially with the higher-paying company, arguing that it's wise to keep options open until a better offer is firmly in hand. Others suggested leveraging the existing offer to speed up processes elsewhere.

Several commenters emphasized energy management. After a year-long search, burnout is real. Protecting mental bandwidth before starting a new role matters.

One theme appeared repeatedly: this surge of interest wasn't necessarily personal. Hiring cycles, budgets, and market shifts often move unpredictably. Timing can change everything.

Others shared congratulations, noting how rare success stories feel in job-search forums that often skew toward frustration and despair.

ALSO READ: Police appear at neighbor's house as Nancy Guthrie search takes a sudden new turn

What made the post resonate wasn't just the twist of timing. It was the vulnerability. The poster reflected on past regret -- once declining interviews because a new job seemed promising, only for that role to unravel months later. That memory fueled their hesitation now. No one wants to restart a year-long search.

The situation highlighted a common truth: when you've faced prolonged rejection, even good news can feel stressful. Opportunity, instead of bringing calm, can create pressure to make the perfect decision.

But as many commenters pointed out, perfection rarely exists in careers. There are only informed choices, adjusted over time.

Landing a job after a year of searching should feel like crossing a finish line. Yet this Reddit story shows that career paths rarely move in straight lines. Sometimes, doors open only after you've already chosen one.

The valuable lesson isn't just about negotiating better pay or keeping options open. It's about balancing ambition with well-being, and remembering that exhaustion can cloud judgment as much as desperation can.

In the end, preserving energy and making the best decision with the information available may be more powerful than chasing every possibility.

ALSO READ: How much snow did New York City get? Deadly travel conditions, power outages, and what to know about the winter storm

Should you keep interviewing after accepting a job offer?

It depends on your situation. If another opportunity offers significantly better pay or growth and you have the capacity to continue, it may be worth exploring. However, burnout and timing should factor into the decision.

Why do more job opportunities sometimes appear after accepting an offer?

Hiring timelines often overlap unpredictably. Companies may move slowly due to internal processes, budget approvals, or scheduling delays. What feels sudden is often the result of earlier efforts finally aligning at the same time. more

Anonymous member


Career development 2w
Hello Everyone!
im an independent contractor for the theatre, tv, movie, fashion and cruise ships as a tailor. I'm looking for a remote job with flexibility when i get called in for work where i can stop and go back to it when i finish my job. Does anyone know of any job like this ? any other ideas ? im already doing food delivery and uber which i dont want to do it anymore been doing it past 7... years more
7   

  • richard pugh

    1w

    Look up a guy on instagram…his name is JR Greatness…with stock level university…

    This is who I. Learned everything from…
    This was like 10 minutes…


  • Demon Enterprise

    2w

    Email me

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Career development

 1d

Judge Pens MAGA-Friendly Dissent That Sure Reads Like A Supreme Court Audition - Above the Law


If judicial opinions were résumés, Judge Lawrence VanDyke just stapled a cover letter to his dissent reading, "Dear Donald Trump, please notice me."

With rumors swirling that Samuel Alito may be eyeing retirement from the Supreme Court, VanDyke's latest performance on the Ninth Circuit reads less like a serious judicial disagreement and more like an audition tape for the potentially open seat.... And not a subtle one. This is full-on pandering, drenched in the kind of belittling rhetoric that reliably delights Donald Trump and the MAGA faithful who view professionalism as a character flaw.

VanDyke turned a recent dissent into a late-night blog comment section rant, complete with mockery, sarcasm, and a sneering tone that would get a first-year associate hauled into HR by lunchtime. The full en banc court was reviewing a denial of a stay of deportation proceedings for a Peruvian family seeking to remain in the United States while their case is heard. In other words, the stakes were extremely real -- whether a family would be deported before the court even finished considering the legality of that deportation.

Naturally, VanDyke responded by inventing a fictional place called the "Circuit of Wackadoo."

Yes. Really.

In his dissent, VanDyke spun a bizarre fairy tale about a mythical circuit where "the attorneys are all wise, the judges are all zealous, and the law clerks are all above average." (Cool joke, everyone, very original.) In Wackadoo, everything is "enlightened and efficient," except for one fatal flaw: the judges are apparently too busy. To cope, they allegedly adopt an "unwritten practice" of granting administrative stays pending review, a practice VanDyke presents as some kind of radical judicial heresy.

The punchline? VanDyke insists that Wackadoo is not the Ninth Circuit. That would be ridiculous. "That would be crazy," he writes. "We only do so in immigration cases."

Ah yes. Immigration cases. Those famously low-stakes matters involving exile, family separation, and irreversible harm. Why wouldn't judges be extra cautious there?

He doubled down, accusing his colleagues of employing what he calls "manifestly unlawful stay procedures." Procedures that, he claims, create so many immigration cases that the court then points to the volume to justify continuing the practice.

And here's where the dissent fully leaves the rails.

According to VanDyke, the Ninth Circuit's internal dialogue resembles "a judicial Oprah Winfrey, confused by her own popularity." He then helpfully scripts it out:

"We are ... ('You get a stay!') ... sincerely shocked ... ('You get a stay!') ... by the ... ('You get a stay!') ... number of ... ('You get a stay!') ... utterly ... ('You get a stay!') ... meritless ... ('You get a stay!') ... immigration petitions ... ('You get a stay! And you get a stay! And you get a stay!') ... that are filed ... ('You get a stay!') ... in our court. ('Everyone gets a stay!')."

This isn't a serious critique; it's performance art aimed squarely at the MAGA audience that has learned to hiss at the words "Ninth Circuit" on command.

And that's really the tell. This dissent isn't about persuading colleagues -- VanDyke already lost that battle. It's about mocking fellow judges as unserious, lazy, or ideologically captured, while casting himself as the lone adult in the room bravely resisting the forces of... procedural fairness. VanDyke didn't need to write like this. He chose to. And he chose a tone and style that just so happens to align perfectly with the man who would get to nominate the next Supreme Court justice.

Of course, VanDyke can afford this blatant pandering. Lifetime tenure means he doesn't answer to voters, clients, or managing partners. He doesn't need collegial goodwill. He doesn't even need to pretend this dissent might change anyone's mind. He just needs to make sure the right people (Donald Trump) notice that he's very angry about immigration cases. more

Career development

 1d

City Life & Digital Romance: Finding Gay Connection in the Age of Modern Technologies


City dating runs on fast thumbs and shorter attention spans. In gay city life, options look endless, but most chats die from vagueness, bad timing, or lazy planning. A better outcome comes from picking a clear lane, writing a profile that signals it, and moving from messages to a simple meet before the feeling expires. The rest is boundaries and basic manners.

City dating on apps moves at subway... speed, and local gay hookup energy can flood the grid, which makes it easy to confuse quick access with good judgment. Pick one clear lane before swiping: quick sex, casual hang, dating, or "open to see where it goes" with actual boundaries attached. Keep the profile tight and readable, current photos, one or two specifics that filter correctly, and no résumé energy.

Messaging works better with pace. Aim for short replies that answer a question and add one new detail. Drop the endless back-and-forth and move to a plan once interest is obvious. Distance matters in cities, so treat "time to meet" like compatibility. A 60‑minute commute isn't a cute "worth it" story. It's a logistics problem: higher flake odds, more rescheduling, less spontaneity, and a date that starts with irritation instead of anticipation.

Apps sort people, rank faces, and reward the kind of behavior that keeps thumbs busy. That's why attention can spike one day and vanish the next. Treat the feed like a machine with moods, not a verdict on attractiveness. Maintain standards, skip the spiraling, and stop "hate-swiping" out of boredom.

Type culture shows up fast in gay spaces. Preferences are normal. Rudeness dressed as honesty is not. A cleaner approach is simple: state what's wanted, avoid body-shaming language, and don't demand a stranger audition for basic respect.

City dating also overlaps with travel and neighborhood hopping. Apps can cue people into local norms and queer spots in a new city, as long as the tone stays polite and people explore new cities without treating locals like concierge staff. Keep ego steady by limiting scrolling sessions and prioritizing replies to people who actually match the stated lane.

Chemistry in chat means nothing if plans never happen. Once interest is mutual, lock a time and place with details. Day, hour, neighborhood, and a short meeting length. That cuts flakes and stops the "talking stage" from turning into a slow ghost.

Keep the first date simple and public. Pick a spot that allows an easy exit and doesn't force a two-hour performance. A quick voice note can save time by confirming tone and basic social skills. People who refuse any real-world step often want attention, not a date.

A clean handoff helps: confirm on the day, show up on time, and keep phone-checking to a minimum. The online-to-first-date shift goes smoother when expectations are stated early, including what happens after the meet if things click.

Privacy is sexy. Full name, workplace, home address, and daily routine do not belong in early chats. Avoid sending identifying photos that can be traced back to social media. If meeting a stranger, share the plan with a friend and keep the first location public.

Consent rules apply on screens too. Ask before sending explicit pics. Accept "no" without pushing. Avoid screenshot wars by keeping chats respectful and not oversharing. If someone pressures, insults, or love-bombs, end it cleanly and move on.

Rejection and ghosting are common in big cities because people treat dating like a hobby. Don't chase silence. A short close-out message is enough, and then the thread gets muted. After a date, do a quick self-check: did behavior match words, was there basic kindness, and did the meet feel calm, not chaotic.

Apps can speed things up or waste weeks. Keep profiles honest, replies short, and first meets simple. Treat time, distance, and boundaries with the same care as bedroom manners. Ghosting is common, so don't chase silence or beg for closure. When someone backs up words with actual plans, the city shrinks fast. Real chemistry happens offline, and that part is always worth showing up for. more

Career development

 1d

Albany Job Fair Returns Wednesday, April 22, 2026 -- Featuring Veterans' Hour 9am-10am and over 50 Recruiters | Weekly Voice


The 2026 Albany Job Fair season kicks off in April and runs monthly through November (no event in August) featuring NYS Agencies, Local & Regional Recruiters

LATHAM, NY, UNITED STATES, February 24, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Albany Job Fair, now in its 15th year, is proud to announce its first 2026 in-person career event on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM at the Holiday Inn... Express & Conference Center at 400 Old Loudon Road in Latham, New York. The Albany Job Fair will open with a dedicated Veterans' Hour from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM, giving military veterans, first responders and transitioning service personell a quiet hour with priority access to employers and career resources before the general public arrives.

"I would like to commend the Albany Job Fair for once again dedicating the first hour of the event exclusively for Veterans. It's a powerful way to show respect for those who have served and to make sure they have access to everything the fair has to offer. It's also a great time of year to look for a job as employers get ready to enter the last quarter of the year and prepare for the holiday season," said Albany County Executive Daniel P. McCoy.

This April 22, 2026 Albany Job Fair brings together more than 50 recruiting companies representing local, regional, and national organizations, spanning sectors including healthcare, public safety, education, finance, government, technology, and more. Job seekers of all backgrounds -- from those entering the workforce to seasoned professionals -- are encouraged to attend. Admission is free, and job seeker registration is not required to participate.

Dedicated Support for Veterans & Early Access: The Albany Job Fair has long championed workforce opportunities for military veterans and their families. By opening the doors an hour early early for Veterans, organizers provide service members and first repsonders with time to engage with recruiters, learn about career pathways tailored to their skill sets, and discuss veteran-friendly employment benefits with less distraction. Veteran resource partners will be on site to support transitioning military personnel interested in career options, small business ownership paths and post-service career development.

Congressman Paul D. Tonko and other local leaders have publicly recognized the fair's commitment to honoring veterans through early access and specialized support -- highlighting the value of their discipline, leadership, and experience within the civilian workforce. "I'm honored to support the Albany Job Fair and its powerful commitment to helping our veterans secure good-paying jobs that allow them to apply their valuable skills and dedication to roles that serve our communities. The men and women who've worn our nation's uniform have served with honor and courage, and we owe it to them to ensure they have access to meaningful career opportunities as they reenter civilian life. By giving veterans early access to this event, the Albany Job Fair is making a clear and powerful statement: your service is appreciated, and your future is important. Connecting veterans with employers who understand their value is one of the smartest investments we can make in both our workforce and our community."

Meet Recruiters & Network With Employers: From 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, the Albany Job Fair opens to the public. Job seekers can network directly with hiring representatives, submit résumés for on-site review, and explore immediate interview opportunities. Bringing multiple copies of a résumé is highly recommended, as many employers schedule interviews during the event. A copy station hosted by eBiz Docs is on site for job seekers to make additional copies at no cost.

Confirmed and expected participating organizations include: Absolute Fire Pro, Albany Broadcasting, Albany Police Dept., Appolo Heating Inc, Arrow Bank, Ballston Spa National Bank, Capital Region BOCES, Commute Air, Conifer Park, Empire Education Corporation - Mildred Elley, Express Employment Professionals, Fusco Personnel, Home Instead, Hudson Valley Community College, Janitronics, Janitronics Clean Techs, KIPP Capital Region Public Schools, MVP, New York Life, Niskayuna CSD, NPA Financial, NYS Comptroller, NYS Dept of Corrections, NYS Dept. of Civil Service, NYS DMV, NYS Information & Technology Services, NYS Office of General Services, NYS Troopers, RedShift Recruiting, RPI, Spectrum (Albany), St Coleman's Home, Sunmark Credit Union, The Mailworks, Tri City Rentals, Trustco Bank, Vanderheyden Hall, and many more employers are expected across government, nonprofit, and private sectors.

In addition to hiring opportunities, organizers offer a résumé distribution service that allows applicants to submit their résumés via email ahead of the event. Early submisson resumes are scanned and shared with all participating recruiters, maximizing visibility for those who cannot attend in person.

The venue offers free parking and is easily accessible via the CTDA bus route #182. Professional attire is encouraged but not required.

The 2026 Job Fair season includes events on May 13, June 17, July 15, September 9, and October 7, at the Latham Holiday Inn Express. The November 14th event will be held at the Empre State Plaza from 9am-1pm.

About the Albany Job Fair: The Albany Job Fair is a trusted employment event that connects job seekers with employers throughout the Capital Region. In addition to in-person fairs, the organization maintains an online job fair where candidates can browse open positions and connect digitally with recruiters. Recruiters can post to the online job fair and sponsors are welcome to participate to support the Albany Job Fair.

"Our veterans will never get back the time they spent missing birthdays and anniversaries, first steps and first ball games. They gave that time to all of us. It's only right that we devote time to making sure they can access the jobs and opportunities that will help them enjoy the same American Dream they defended. I'm grateful for the Albany Job Fair's ongoing commitment to our veterans," said Senator Jacob Ashby.

Through collaboration with local businesses, workforce agencies, and community advocates, the Albany Job Fair continues to expand access to meaningful employment and help strengthen the regional economy while supporting veteran hiring iniatives. For details on participating employers, résumé submission, and future event dates, visit: AlbanyJobFair.com

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability

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Career development

 1d

Careerz Group Acquires DreamJob Discovery Assets, Including Proprietary DreamJob Type Indicator (DJTI) Career Assessment and Acclaimed Book from Author Ken Steven


Strategic acquisition strengthens Careerz Group's mission to eliminate career mis-hires and help millions of professionals find work they love

Detroit, MI, Feb. 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Careerz Group, a leader in assessment-driven hiring, retention, and career development solutions, today announced it has acquired all assets of DreamJob Discovery from author and creator of the DreamJob Type... Indicator, Ken Steven. The acquisition includes Steven's acclaimed book, DreamJob Discovery: How to Find a Job That Fuels Your Passion and Inspires Your Purpose, and the proprietary DreamJob Type Indicator (DJTI), the only career assessment specifically designed to identify the type of work that brings enjoyment and fulfillment to professionals in their careers.

Careerz Group expands its workforce solutions, helping employers reduce costly mis-hires and improve retention by translating validated assessments into practical hiring, onboarding, leadership, and team-development actions, with AI-assisted guidance.

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A Breakthrough Career Assessment Joins a Proven Talent Optimization Platform

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The DJTI assessment, developed over 16 years of research, testing, and refinement by Ken Steven, addresses what he identified as the critical missing piece in conventional career search and talent management: understanding an individual's job passion types; the specific workflow processes that naturally energize, engage, and enthuse them.

"Most career assessments measure what people are good at. The DJTI measures what people love doing. Just because someone excels at something doesn't mean they enjoy it. That's a critical distinction when it comes to job fulfillment," said Ken Steven. "Careerz Group's acquisition means this self-assessment tool can now reach the scale I always envisioned: helping at least one million people escape paycheck purgatory and discover work that fuels their passion and inspires their purpose."

The DJTI identifies 21 distinct DreamJob Types™ organized within a proprietary 4Ts framework, giving individuals, employers, and coaches an unprecedented lens into job role and passion alignment that traditional personality, behavioral, and strengths assessments cannot provide on their own.

Advertisement

Why This Acquisition Matters for Employers, Employees, and Coaches

Research consistently underscores the cost of career misalignment. Gallup's latest State of the Global Workforce report found that only 21 percent of employees worldwide are engaged in their jobs, while 62 percent are psychologically unattached and 17 percent are actively disengaged, costing the global economy approximately $438 billion in lost productivity in 2024. [source: Gallup.com]

Careerz Group's acquisition of DreamJob Discovery directly targets this crisis by integrating passion-alignment data into its existing suite of validated assessment tools and AI-assisted guidance capabilities.

Advertisement

"Careerz Group was built on a simple belief: when people do work that fits, they thrive and so do the teams around them," said Melissa Fisher, Careerz Group CEO. "Ken Steven's DreamJob Type Indicator assessment tool fills a gap that has existed in talent management for decades. Combining DJTI with our existing assessment infrastructure gives us the most complete picture of candidate and employee fit available anywhere-covering aptitudes, personality, behavioral style, natural strengths, personal values, and job passion type."

Key benefits of the integrated platform include:

* Employees: Discover the specific workflow processes that fuel passion and purpose, eliminating years of costly trial-and-error career changes.

* Employers: Reduce mis-hires and improve retention by matching candidates to roles where they will be both high-performing and passionately engaged.

* Coaches and Career Counselors: Deliver faster client breakthroughs using a proven, repeatable four-step 4Ts framework (Truths, Type, Traits, Transition).

About the Dream Job Discovery Book and the 4Ts Framework

Advertisement

Ken Steven's Dream Job Discovery book introduces a revolutionary four-step process that helps professionals identify and safely transition into careers they love:

* Truths - Identify core, sanctioning, and character values to ensure alignment with one's authentic self.

* Type - Discover the workflow processes an individual is naturally energized by, even when passions are unclear.

* Traits - Clarify aptitudes, personality, behavioral style, and natural talents that support performance excellence.

* Transition - Follow a structured (Discover, Prepare, Seek, Land) roadmap to move safely into aligned roles without unnecessary financial risk. Steven developed the framework after spending most of his own career working in jobs he disliked; climbing the corporate ladder as a marketing and advertising executive for Fortune 500 companies, only to discover that the skills driving his promotions had nothing to do with work he was passionate about performing.

"I figured out that my passion wasn't a single thing; it was a workflow process," Steven explained. Once I understood that concept, I couldn't rest until I'd built an assessment tool that could help others discover the same thing about themselves."

Advertisement

About Ken Steven

Ken Steven is the author of Dream Job Discovery and the creator of the DreamJob Type Indicator. His work focuses on helping individuals and organizations align people to roles where engagement, performance, and fulfillment naturally coexist. His mission is to help at least one million people move out of unfulfilling work and into roles that feel inherently meaningful and energizing.

About Careerz Group

Advertisement

Careerz Group helps employers reduce costly Gen Z mis-hires and improve retention by translating validated assessments into practical hiring, onboarding, leadership, and team-development actions-supported by an AI-assisted guidance layer that strengthens human conversations rather than replacing them.

Careerz Group makes "fit" measurable and actionable:

* Employees: Gain direction and confidence

* Employers: Hire and develop for retention and results

* Coaches: Deliver faster breakthroughs with a proven framework

Transaction Details

Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. All DreamJob Discovery intellectual property, including the DJTI assessment technology, book rights, DreamJob DNA Profile system, and associated brand assets, will be fully integrated into the Careerz Group platform. Existing users will experience a seamless transition with uninterrupted access to current tools and resources.

Media Contacts:

Careerz Group

Melissa Fisher, CEO

[email protected]

Office: +1-248-952-9955

www.careerzgroup.com

www.careerzgroup.com/go/media-kit

Ken Steven

Author and creator of the DreamJob Type Indicator (DJTI)

[email protected]

www.kensteven.com

Big milestone. Ken Steven has sold DreamJob Discovery to Careerz Group. We're integrating it to help organizations and coaches turn insight into action. Better hires. Stronger teams. Lower turnover.

Press Inquiries

Melissa Fisher

melissa [at] careerzgroup.com

2489529955

https://careerzgroup.com/

2222 W. Grand River Ave more

Career development

 1d

Careerz Group Acquires DreamJob Discovery Assets, Including Proprietary DreamJob Type Indicator (DJTI) Career Assessment and Acclaimed Book from Author Ken Steven


Detroit, MI, Feb. 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Careerz Group, a leader in assessment-driven hiring, retention, and career development solutions, today announced it has acquired all assets of DreamJob Discovery from author and creator of the DreamJob Type Indicator, Ken Steven. The acquisition includes Steven's acclaimed book, DreamJob Discovery: How to Find a Job That Fuels Your Passion and... Inspires Your Purpose, and the proprietary DreamJob Type Indicator (DJTI), the only career assessment specifically designed to identify the type of work that brings enjoyment and fulfillment to professionals in their careers.

Careerz Group expands its workforce solutions, helping employers reduce costly mis-hires and improve retention by translating validated assessments into practical hiring, onboarding, leadership, and team-development actions, with AI-assisted guidance.

A Breakthrough Career Assessment Joins a Proven Talent Optimization Platform

The DJTI assessment, developed over 16 years of research, testing, and refinement by Ken Steven, addresses what he identified as the critical missing piece in conventional career search and talent management: understanding an individual's job passion types; the specific workflow processes that naturally energize, engage, and enthuse them.

"Most career assessments measure what people are good at. The DJTI measures what people love doing. Just because someone excels at something doesn't mean they enjoy it. That's a critical distinction when it comes to job fulfillment," said Ken Steven. "Careerz Group's acquisition means this self-assessment tool can now reach the scale I always envisioned: helping at least one million people escape paycheck purgatory and discover work that fuels their passion and inspires their purpose."

The DJTI identifies 21 distinct DreamJob Types™ organized within a proprietary 4Ts framework, giving individuals, employers, and coaches an unprecedented lens into job role and passion alignment that traditional personality, behavioral, and strengths assessments cannot provide on their own.

Why This Acquisition Matters for Employers, Employees, and Coaches

Careerz Group's acquisition of DreamJob Discovery directly targets this crisis by integrating passion-alignment data into its existing suite of validated assessment tools and AI-assisted guidance capabilities.

Key benefits of the integrated platform include:

About the Dream Job Discovery Book and the 4Ts Framework

Ken Steven's Dream Job Discovery book introduces a revolutionary four-step process that helps professionals identify and safely transition into careers they love:

Steven developed the framework after spending most of his own career working in jobs he disliked; climbing the corporate ladder as a marketing and advertising executive for Fortune 500 companies, only to discover that the skills driving his promotions had nothing to do with work he was passionate about performing.

"I figured out that my passion wasn't a single thing; it was a workflow process," Steven explained. Once I understood that concept, I couldn't rest until I'd built an assessment tool that could help others discover the same thing about themselves."

About Ken Steven

Ken Steven is the author of Dream Job Discovery and the creator of the DreamJob Type Indicator. His work focuses on helping individuals and organizations align people to roles where engagement, performance, and fulfillment naturally coexist. His mission is to help at least one million people move out of unfulfilling work and into roles that feel inherently meaningful and energizing.

About Careerz Group

Careerz Group helps employers reduce costly Gen Z mis-hires and improve retention by translating validated assessments into practical hiring, onboarding, leadership, and team-development actions -- supported by an AI-assisted guidance layer that strengthens human conversations rather than replacing them.

Careerz Group makes "fit" measurable and actionable:

Transaction Details

Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. All DreamJob Discovery intellectual property, including the DJTI assessment technology, book rights, DreamJob DNA Profile system, and associated brand assets, will be fully integrated into the Careerz Group platform. Existing users will experience a seamless transition with uninterrupted access to current tools and resources.

Media Contacts:

Careerz Group

Melissa Fisher, CEO

[email protected]

Office: +1-248-952-9955

www.careerzgroup.com

www.careerzgroup.com/go/media-kit

Ken Steven

Author and creator of the DreamJob Type Indicator (DJTI)

[email protected]

www.kensteven.com

Big milestone. Ken Steven has sold DreamJob Discovery to Careerz Group. We're integrating it to help organizations and coaches turn insight into action. Better hires. Stronger teams. Lower turnover.

Press Inquiries

Melissa Fisher

melissa [at] careerzgroup.com

2489529955

https://careerzgroup.com/

2222 W. Grand River Ave

Suite A

Okemos, MI 48864

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Career development

 1d

A New AI Job Hunt Tool Gets Your Application Through The Filters


Automate your resume, cover letter, and email outreach with a lifetime subscription to FirstResume for $40.

TL;DR: FirstResume is an AI job hunt automation tool with a lifetime subscription on sale for $40.

Job hunting can start to feel like a full-time job once you factor in resume edits, tailored cover letters, and application tracking. FirstResume aims to cut that busy work by giving you an... AI-driven platform that builds, adapts, and organizes your applications for you, with lifetime access instead of another monthly subscription. Right now, it's only $39.99 (reg. $899).

Get through ATS filters

One of the hardest hurdles to get over are filters hiring managers put in place to sift through the many applications that come in. FirstResume helps by generating tailored, ATS-friendly resumes in a few clicks. You upload an existing resume or build a profile, paste a job description, and let the system highlight the skills and experience that match that role. It actually creates a version of your resume tuned to that posting, along with matching cover letters and outreach emails, so you aren't rewriting the same information over and over.

This platform also helps you understand the roles you're applying to. Job info extraction pulls out key requirements and responsibilities so you can see them at a glance. Profile job match analysis points out strengths, gaps, and areas you may want to grow toward for specific titles. AI company research and interview prep tools give you practice questions, answer feedback, and basic insight into employers before you speak with them.

A built-in tracker organizes every application. It logs where you applied, what version of your resume you used, and what stage you are in, which helps prevent missed follow-ups.

You shouldn't have to put in a full shift just to apply to a few jobs.

Get a FirstResume Job Hunt Automator lifetime subscription on sale for $39.99. more

Career development

 1d

How to use AI for your next job interview


Insights from 30+ tech professionals, and a free AI coach to put them into practice

👋 Hey there, I'm Lenny. Each week, I answer reader questions about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career. For more: Lenny's Podcast | Lennybot | How I AI

P.S. Get a full free year of Lovable, Manus, Replit, Gamma, n8n, Canva, ElevenLabs, Amp, Factory, Devin, Bolt, Wispr Flow, Linear,... PostHog, Framer, Railway, Granola, Warp, Perplexity, Magic Patterns, Mobbin, ChatPRD, and Stripe Atlas by becoming an Insider subscriber.

One of the most frequent questions I've seen bubbling up in this community is how AI is impacting the interview process, both for interviewees and for hiring managers.

To find out, my Community Research Lead, Noam Segal, interviewed dozens of current and recent job seekers as well as hiring managers to learn how AI is transforming both sides of the hiring process.

Part 1 of the results from this research (below) focuses on job seekers -- and the approach Noam took here is quite extraordinary. When he started analyzing what he'd learned, he realized the findings didn't condense into tidy advice or tips. The best candidates had built interconnected systems to arm themselves for every step of the interview process. So Noam did something unique with this post: he encoded the results of his research -- the successful techniques from over 30 participants -- into a Claude Code-based coach you can plug-and-play into your interview process today.

Once you give it a go, if you have any feedback or suggestions to make this even more useful to you, feel free to email Noam at [email protected] (or ping him in our community Slack, @Noam Segal).

Logan hadn't interviewed for a new job in eight years. He'd been at one of the hottest companies in San Francisco, been promoted several times, and never felt the need to look elsewhere. When he decided to pursue a senior architect role at Anthropic, he hit a wall experienced engineers know well: interviewing is its own skill. Day-to-day, Logan solved architecture problems with full context and ample time. Interviews required him to grind LeetCode, whiteboard system designs on the spot, and compress years of expertise into rehearsed stories that fit a rubric.

Normally, preparing for senior engineering loops takes months. Logan had two weeks.

But Logan got the job. When I asked what mattered most, he pointed to his AI workflows as the primary reason he pulled it off.

He's not alone. I interviewed over 30 tech professionals about how they use AI throughout the interview process. What I found went far beyond polishing resumes. People had built entire systems tailor-made for their own situations: ways to get feedback on what they actually said in interviews, methods to predict questions before walking in, workflows to surface stories they didn't know they had. Each person I spoke with had figured out how to use AI for one or two pieces of the interviewing puzzle.

I started pulling together a research report from these conversations, but I quickly realized that most people on the job market are stressed and anxious enough. The best value I could offer wasn't a list of tips but, instead, a way to plug-and-play the hard work these participants have already done. So I changed direction and took every interview AI technique that worked for these participants. Then I added a layer of professional coaching techniques and built a Claude Code-based coach that guides you through how to prepare for job interviews and reach your peak performance.

The Interview Coach I'm offering in this post will give you the critical feedback and real-world reps you need to confidently walk into your next interview room -- and succeed.

But first, let's talk about what's broken about interview prep today, and how AI solves it.

Interview prep hasn't changed much in the past decade. You rehearse your stories, maybe run through a mock interview with a friend, and walk into the real thing, hoping everything clicks. But afterward, we're left with nothing more than a vague sense of how it went, guessing at what to fix. Companies don't tell you why they passed. Your friends and mentors don't know what your interviewers were looking for. You're prepping blind, and the post-interview experience is mostly confusing. There's simply no usable feedback loop in the interview process.

Of the issues that participants raised in my conversations, three stood out (and all stem from a lack of feedback):

Participants who landed roles at top companies all closed the feedback loop themselves by building AI tools.

Greg fed his interview transcripts to Claude, trained it on best practices, and got line-by-line feedback on answers he thought went well but didn't. Ella built a workflow where she'd paste a job description alongside her resume and have ChatGPT surface the exact gaps a hiring manager would flag and then help her close them before the review. Sean stopped guessing which experiences to highlight. He'd simulate the interview beforehand, test which stories landed, and refine them before the real thing.

Some participants' systems overlapped; some didn't. All took real work to build. The problem: assembling those puzzle pieces for yourself would take weeks, and turning them into a successful system is a challenge most people can't or won't take on.

The tool you'll find below pulls all that research together into an AI job interview coach that also leverages best-practice coaching techniques -- self-reflection before feedback, powerful questions over prescriptions, co-creation over telling.

Until now, this level of coaching was reserved for those of us who could afford $300-an-hour career coaches. But even a great coach has limits: they can't analyze a full interview transcript in minutes, track your weak spots across every session, or be there at 11 p.m. when you're anxious about tomorrow. AI has no such limits, and it's essentially free.

An AI job interview coach:

So let's get you set up with an AI interview coach and help you land your next role.

The Interview Coach is a Claude Code project: a set of instruction files that turn Claude into a rigorous interview coach. You run it by opening the project folder, and it takes over from there.

The coach handles everything that the participants I interviewed were doing (and much more):

We'll use the Claude desktop app to run our AI interviewing coach.

Claude walks you through the rest, one question at a time.

The whole setup takes about five minutes, and Claude writes a coaching_state.md file that tracks everything across sessions: your stories, scores, patterns, and progress.

Need help using the coach? Type help and you'll get this:

Once you've run kickoff, everything else works through simple commands. Here's how to use the coach for an upcoming interview.

At this point, you're done with the configuration, and Claude Code will ask to learn about your candidate context. Specifically:

Once you provide these details, Claude Code will write an update to its memory and share a summary:

Interested in a company but don't have an interview yet? Type research [company name]. Claude pulls together a quick brief on the company's culture, interview reputation, and how your background maps to what they typically look for. It's a lighter version of prep, useful when you're still deciding where to apply or when you want a read on fit before investing in full prep.

Claude generates a one-page prep brief with what this company optimizes for (based on the JD and their values), your unique positioning for this specific role, 7 to 10 predicted questions tagged by competency with story mapping (which of your stories to use for each, and where the gaps are), likely concerns about your background with one-sentence counters, a culture read on what this company rewards in interviews, and questions for you to ask them.

During prep, you can optionally share LinkedIn profile URLs for your interviewers. The coach needs actual LinkedIn URLs; names alone aren't reliable enough due to false-match risk. You can include the URLs up front or provide them when the coach asks.

For each interviewer, the coach produces an "Interviewer Intelligence" card covering: their functional lens, career path signals, recent public interests, what you have in common, predicted focus areas, rapport hooks, and watch-for signals (likely interviewing style based on seniority and function). Each card includes a confidence rating so you know how much to rely on it.

If you have a story bank, the coach also maps specific stories to each interviewer -- which story to deploy for which person and why. This interviewer intel then flows into other commands: mock calibrates its persona to match the interviewer, hype references their likely focus area, thankyou personalizes your notes, and questions tailors rapport-building questions.

Record your interviews using a tool like Granola (available as part of Lenny's Product Pass) or built-in transcription within Zoom or Google Meet. Then:

Claude starts by asking how you think it went. Which answers felt strong? Which felt off? Then it scores each answer on five dimensions: substance, structure, relevance, credibility, and differentiation, on a 1-5 scale.

After scoring, it triages: identifies your primary bottleneck, diagnoses the root cause (narrative hoarding? conflict avoidance? status anxiety?), and branches the coaching accordingly. You get a delta sheet with what's working, what to fix, and which stories to sharpen or retire. If you want, it'll also give you a side-by-side rewrite of your weakest answer, bringing it up to a quality rating of 4-5.

Then it asks which growth area feels most within your control to change by the next interview. You pick what to work on. This builds the kind of self-awareness that actually shows up in the room.

Over time, it tracks the gap between your self-ratings and the coach's scores. If you consistently rate your structure higher than it actually is, the coach names that pattern. This calibration -- knowing where your blind spots are -- is often more valuable than any individual score.

The commands above handle one interview at a time. The commands below, which also come with the coach, build a system across your entire job search. more

Career development

 44m

Why are parents negotiating salaries and interviews for Gen Z hires?


Parents in job interviews: Is Gen Z losing career independence?

Job interviews are no longer always a one-on-one exchange between a recruiter and a candidate. Across sectors and geographies, parental involvement is quietly becoming part of how many Gen Z professionals prepare for and sometimes participate in the hiring process, reflecting deeper anxieties around early career stability.

A recent... survey by Zety highlights the scale of this shift. According to its Career Co-Piloting Report, 44 per cent of Gen Z workers said their parents helped write or edit their resumes, while 21 per cent admitted a parent contacted a recruiter on their behalf.

In a smaller but notable number of cases, parents have also attended job interviews or stepped into salary discussions.

Career experts link the trend to a volatile job market marked by layoffs, automation-driven uncertainty, and rising living costs. For many young professionals, the first job is no longer seen as a trial phase but as a decision with long-term consequences.

"Parents increasingly view early career choices as high-stakes," said a career coach.

"With fewer entry-level opportunities and intense competition, families feel compelled to step in to minimise risk," he further added.

This has transformed job hunting into a shared exercise for many households, particularly where parents have prior experience navigating corporate systems and recruitment norms.

While parental involvement is often framed as overreach, hiring professionals argue it reflects heightened anxiety rather than a lack of capability.

Gen Z entered adulthood during years of economic disruption and shifting employment norms, making career pathways feel less predictable.

"Many young candidates are capable and well-prepared," said an HR leader.

But the fear of rejection or making a wrong first move pushes them to seek reassurance and parents become the most accessible support system.

That support most commonly takes the form of behind-the-scenes guidance: resume reviews, interview preparation, and advice on evaluating offers.

Recruiters remain cautious when parental involvement becomes visible. While resume feedback or mock interviews are generally seen as acceptable, akin to professional career coaching, direct contact from parents is often viewed as a red flag.

"Hiring is also an assessment of independence and judgment," an HR professional noted.

When a parent speaks on behalf of a candidate, employers may question their ability to work independently.

Experts warn that excessive intervention can delay the development of essential workplace skills such as self-advocacy, decision-making and resilience.

In India, parental influence on early careers has long been a cultural norm, but it usually plays out differently.

There is no official India-specific data tracking parents' direct involvement in interviews or recruiter communication. However, recruiters and career coaches say family influence is widespread, though largely indirect.

Parents in India often shape career decisions behind the scenes, influencing preferred sectors, job locations, salary expectations and perceptions of stability, especially for first-time jobseekers from middle-class households.

Direct parental contact with recruiters or participation in interviews is considered rare in formal corporate hiring and is often discouraged.

"Parents here guide decisions at home, not in the interview room," said a senior HR leader. When families intervene directly, it can work against the candidate.

Experts attribute this to India's strong campus placement systems, formal corporate hierarchies, and emphasis on professional self-presentation. Still, with rising competition and fewer entry-level opportunities, career coaches note that Indian families are becoming more involved in preparation, even if they stop short of direct participation.

The long-term impact depends on boundaries, experts say. Constructive involvement can boost confidence and preparedness, while over-intervention risks limiting growth.

"Support that equips young professionals to handle conversations themselves is empowering," said a workplace specialist.

But stepping in for them removes critical learning moments.

As hiring norms evolve, so does the definition of professionalism. Employers are increasingly prioritising adaptability, communication and ownership, qualities that cannot be outsourced, even with the best intentions.

The growing presence of parents in Gen Z's job searches is less about entitlement and more about uncertainty.

It reflects a generation entering the workforce under pressure, navigating careers in an economy that feels less forgiving, and doing so with family closer than ever to the hiring table. more

Career development

 1d

How HR Can Support Non-Traditional Family Structures - Research Snipers


Job interview for a business woman at a hiring company talking to the HR manager about the role or .

We have all seen how the concept of 'family' has shifted over the years. The old image of two parents and two kids is still around, of course, but it is sharing the stage with a vibrant mix of other setups. From friends raising children together to multi-generational homes where grandparents take... the lead, our personal lives are incredibly diverse. For HR teams, the real task is making sure company support systems actually fit the people working there, rather than relying on a rulebook from thirty years ago. When staff see their actual lives reflected in policy, they tend to feel much more settled at work.

The first thing to do is admit that the default settings on many HR policies just don't work for everyone. If a handbook is written purely for spouses and biological offspring, it inadvertently shuts out single parents, LGBTQ+ households, or people caring for older relatives.

Because of this, language matters. Swapping out specific terms like "maternity" for broader ones like "parental leave" or "primary caregiver" does a lot of heavy lifting. It sends a clear message that if you are bringing a child into your life, whether through adoption, surrogacy, or birth, the company has your back.

A vital group that frequently gets overlooked in workplace planning is carers working with foster care agencies. These are people who open their doors to children who need safety, often with very little warning, yet they rarely get the same structural backing as biological parents.

Giving paid time off for mandatory training or initial placement meetings can change everything for them. Since the requirements of a foster child can be complicated and sudden, rigid schedules are often impossible to maintain. If you explicitly write foster carers into your leave allowance (e.g., offering a week of special leave for settling in), you aren't just being nice; you are practically enabling them to provide a stable home without risking their job security.

Strict 9-to-5 hours are becoming less relevant, especially for families that don't fit the mould. Non-traditional households often juggle logistics that standard policies don't account for. A grandparent acting as a legal guardian might have different school-run pressures, or someone in a co-parenting arrangement with a friend might need unusual holiday dates.

Implementing outcome-based working allows people to handle their specific life admin without feeling guilty. If the tasks are completed to a high standard, the specific hours worked shouldn't matter as much. This builds a culture where staff feel like adults who are trusted to manage their own lives.

It is also worth digging into the fine print of your perks. You need to check if health cover extends to domestic partners who aren't legally married, or if benefits are strictly for spouses.

Widening what counts as immediate family for compassionate leave is a huge step forward. It accepts that for plenty of us, our closest bond might be with a "chosen family" member, such as a lifelong best friend, rather than a blood relative.

By making these specific, thoughtful tweaks, HR can build a workplace where nobody feels like an outlier. It ensures that the safety net provided by the company is strong enough to hold every type of family. more