Ian Montgomery


Career development 3w
Hey! I had an interview yesterday and realized that if I lied and said I fit all the job requirements, they would hired me. But I don’t have all the skills, so how would I do the job?
I decided to be honest and they didn’t take me. Now I’m thinking, maybe I should just lied and dealt with it later?

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Career development

 17h

Simple Techniques for Overcoming Interview Nerves


While your CV, experience, abilities, and education are all crucial in getting a job, the interview is often the company's first true impression of you. In a job interview, it's critical to present oneself effectively, but interview jitters may make this difficult. In this post, we'll show you how to overcome interview anxiety.

What does it mean to be nervous during an interview?

Nerves are the... body's natural reaction to being in an unfamiliar environment. Interview nerves occur when your body's stress reaction is triggered, and your body prepares to fight or escape in response to the perceived threat of a job interview. Physical responses such as fast heartbeat, quick breathing, pale or flushed skin, dilated pupils, or shaking may occur throughout this procedure.

These are automatic responses, and while they might be useful in a threatening situation, it's better to keep your cool before heading to an interview. Fortunately, you may attempt a variety of activities and strategies to help you overcome your interview anxiety.

There are numerous things you may do during a job interview to help you relax. Try these strategies the next time you're worried before an interview:

Keeping your hands busy might aid in the channeling of anxious energy. If you're sat in front of a computer and can't see your hands, try twiddling your thumbs to relax. Keep a tiny object in your hands, such as a pencil, but be mindful that toying with it may draw attention to your hands. You will be less likely to fidget throughout the interview if your hands are engaged.

The S.T.O.P. approach is a mental strategy for dealing with stressful situations. This technique's steps are as follows:

The S.T.O.P. technique encourages you to slow down and be aware of what you're doing and feeling at any given time. It helps you recall that your actions and ideas are under your control.

Focus on your breathing while you're not answering questions. You'll be less worried if you don't let your mind wander. Pause for a moment and take a deep breath before speaking. It's easier to stay cool if you pay attention to your breathing, and stopping before speaking gives you more time to think of the ideal answer.

While anxiousness is normal, changing your perspective on an interview might help you relax. Remind yourself that a job interview is nothing more than a dialogue between you and another person about yourself. All you have to do is respond to the interviewer's questions and be true to yourself. In an interview, you are not obligated to do anything else.

Sit or stand confidently during your interview. Your physical posture can have a soothing impact on your thoughts. Smiling can also fool your mind into thinking you're pleased, allowing you to unwind a bit more.

Here are a few more suggestions to help you relax before a job interview:

Exercise releases happy neurochemicals, and being outside is excellent for your mental health. To help clear your mind, go for a 15-minute stroll before your job interview or take five minutes to wander about before entering the building.

Anxiety can be reduced by feeling prepared. Prepare for the interview by researching the firm, practicing with a buddy, and having your resume and notes available. There are several resources available on the internet to help you prepare.Especially, if you're being interviewed for a developer job, you may want to check out react js interview questions.

If you know the name of the person who will be interviewing you, find out all you can about them. Make a list of any questions you have, as well as any details about yourself that you'd like the firm to know, and any other notes that will help you stay focused. Knowing what to expect will make you feel more relaxed and at ease.

If you keep to your schedule and whatever plans you may have, your day will be more productive. If at all feasible, schedule your job interview during the morning to avoid being anxious and waiting all day. Make sure you get enough sleep the night before so you can function and be attentive. Make a plan to do something enjoyable or interesting following the interview, and you'll have something to look forward to.

Talking to a positive friend or family member may considerably increase your self-assurance. It's simpler to listen to someone else's good words than it is to speak your own, and receiving praise from a loved one may help you relax.

Before your interview, have a healthy breakfast to ensure you have the energy you require. Worry and stress can be exacerbated by hunger. To improve your mood, choose one of your favorite dishes. more
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  • TOPA Uganda

    12m

    In every steps we have to have experience

Career development

 1d

Six mistakes that could lead to you being ghosted after a job interview


Successfully navigating a job interview can be difficult, even for the most well-prepared candidates.

Job interviews are never easy, and the anticipation of receiving feedback from the potential employer can drive almost any job seeker to the verge of insanity.

In most instances, candidates are unsuccessful because they're simply not the right fit for the job, and this can happen even if... they did all their homework and delivered the perfect presentation to the interviewer.

However, there are many interview mistakes that applicants commonly make without realising it, says Patrick Dillon from marketing agency WISE Digital Partners.

"Candidates often don't realise how certain behaviours signal disengagement or create red flags for hiring managers," Dillon said. "Understanding these missteps gives job seekers the power to keep the process moving forward."

Interviewee ghosting isn't always about the hiring company being rude or dismissive. In many cases, time constraints play a significant role as recruiters are managing dozens of open positions at the same time and providing feedback to every candidate simply isn't feasible.

However, those who put their best foot forward and avoid the common interview pitfalls stand a far greater chance of getting to the next level of the hiring process.

According to Dillon, these are the six most common and significant mistakes that job applicants make:

Showing up unprepared or unenthusiastic

Walking into an interview without having researched the company or the specific role sends a clear message: this opportunity isn't a priority for you. Dillon emphasises that recruiters are acutely aware of candidates' levels of engagement.

If a candidate struggles to answer basic questions about the organisation or seems disinterested, it often leads to missed opportunities.

"Preparation shows respect for the recruiter's time and a genuine interest in the position," Dillon states. Candidates must articulate their reasons for wanting the role to stand out positively.

Failing to respond promptly to communications

In today's fast-paced hiring landscape, timing can be everything. Dillon points out that delays in responses, whether to emails or missed calls without explanation, can signal unreliability to recruiters.

"When someone doesn't respond within 24 hours, it's often interpreted as a lack of interest," he says, adding that recruiters manage multiple candidates and adhere to tight deadlines. Prompt and professional communication is essential to remain in contention.

Providing inconsistent information

Inconsistencies between what is written on a CV and what is stated in an interview can raise immediate red flags regarding a candidate's honesty and accuracy. For instance, if your resume claims you led a team of ten, but you mention three in the interview, doubts arise.

Dillon stresses the importance of trust, explaining that recruiters need to trust the information they're presenting to hiring managers. Consistent information reassures recruiters of a candidate's credibility.

Discussing salary or flexibility too early

Initiating conversations about salary or remote work requirements before establishing your value can undermine your candidacy.

Timing plays a pivotal role in these discussions. Dillon notes that when candidates lead with compensation demands before showcasing their fit for the role, it may come across as transactional rather than collaborative.

Candidates should aim to demonstrate their contributions first before negotiating terms.

Demonstrating poor communication etiquette post-interview

Post-interview communication significantly influences how a recruiter perceives your professionalism. Following up too aggressively, using overly casual language, or failing to acknowledge communications can work against you.

Dillon advises candidates on the importance of maintaining a professional tone: "One thoughtful follow-up within 24 hours strikes the right tone."

Such communication showcases respect and professionalism, setting candidates apart

Missing red flags in your own presentation

Candidates can unintentionally signal concerns about their presentation. Poor punctuality, negative remarks about former employers, or displaying unprofessional behaviour during virtual interviews can severely impact perceptions.

As Dillon adds: "Small details matter more than people realise." Background noise, distractions, or speaking badly of past colleagues can contribute to an overall impression that may dissuade potential employers.

Dillon said the best way to prevent ghosting is to maintain consistent professionalism through every stage of the hiring process.

It is highly recommended that you send a brief thank-you email within 24 hours of your interview, one which reiterates your interest and highlights one or two key points from your conversation. The trick is to remain top of mind without appearing pushy.

"If you haven't heard back within the timeframe the recruiter mentioned, one polite follow-up is appropriate. Keep it brief and professional, simply expressing continued interest and asking if there are any updates. Avoid sending multiple messages or appearing demanding," Dillon says.

"Remember that staying engaged doesn't mean being aggressive. Respect the recruiter's timeline while demonstrating that you're organised, reliable, and genuinely interested in the opportunity. Small actions like these can make the difference between being remembered positively or getting lost in the shuffle." more
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Mila Penrose


Career development 5d
We’re a small company, and in the kitchen there’s always tea, coffee, sugar, and creamer. If you need office supplies, you can go to the storage room and take what you need.

But I’ve noticed that a coworker often leaves with a jar of coffee, a pack of sugar, or even a pack of printer paper in his backpack. Should I tell my boss about it, or is it none of my business?

Thanks for the... advice.

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  • Gloria Ngoma

    4h

    Do not be a whistle browser, it's important to approach them couscously.

  • Gloria Ngoma

    4h

    Do not be a whistle browser, it's important to approach them couscously.

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David Cabot


Career development 6d
I wanted to ask your advice, is this normal practice or am I missing something? A couple of days ago I had an interview for a sales manager position. When we said goodbye, the HR manager told me they would get in touch with me.

Today they called and asked why I didn’t show up to work, because they had sent me a text message yesterday evening. I didn’t see it, of course. Now I’m wondering... whether I should even consider working for a company that handles things this way.

What do you think? Thanks.

 more
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  • DORCAS FRIMPONG

    4h

    It's not late until you decide. Thank you

  • Aquilia Ringwood

    18h

    Spare your Mental Health and Emotional Well Being before anything! No compromise on those. They're already setting you up for a TOXIC work... environment. All money is not good money. The cost of your peace is worthless!!! more

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Usherette Nomeh
Career development 1w
Hello, I am applying for a Scholarship, I wrote a motivation letter. Can someone who is a writer help review it? Please I will appreciate.
2   

  • Timothy Butts

    1w

    Happy to help!
    I’m a CEO at a tech consultancy and have over 40 years of tech and industry lleadership experience and achievements.
    Send to... info@TEBTECH.biz

    Attn Timothy Butts Sr     more

  • ONYONKA J.M ONDERI

    1w

    Let me see the copy...

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Career development

 5h

Best Ai tools for the job hunt


Losing a job hits hard. The bills don't stop, and neither does life.

Thousands of Black professionals have faced layoffs across the nation. Government job cuts, rising tariffs, stubborn inflation, and the accelerating wave of Artificial Intelligence (AI) are widening employment gaps. Structural barriers mean workers are often "last hired, first fired," leaving entire families vulnerable when the... economy tightens.

But this story doesn't have to end in loss. The same AI technology that's reshaping the job market can also help workers bounce back. AI isn't just for techies anymore. New AI tools are giving job seekers a competitive edge to advance their careers, pivot, or even start anew.

Those who learn to use these tools will move faster, smarter, and more strategically in the search for what's next. Here are five of the best AI tools to help you get back on your feet.

JobCopilot automates the entire job application process. It scans multiple job boards, applies on your behalf, and tailors each application to match the job description. For anyone juggling bills and stress, JobCopilot saves time and alleviates the emotional drain associated with repetitive job hunting. The tool utilizes AI to match your skills with openings across various industries, helping you discover roles you might not have found otherwise. It's especially useful for displaced workers looking to pivot careers without having to learn the nuances of every company's hiring platform.

Hiring.cafe is a newer AI-powered assistant that helps you research employers and prepare for interviews. It digs up recent news, company reviews, and recruiter details to give you an edge when applying. Think of it as your personal career strategist; it can even generate interview questions specific to your field. For job seekers facing systemic barriers or trying to re-enter competitive industries, Hiring.cafe helps level the playing field with information that's typically hard to find.

Sonara acts like a job-hunting autopilot. It allows you to upload your resume, set career goals, and then utilizes AI to apply for jobs that match your preferences, while tracking your progress across multiple platforms. It's perfect for people managing multiple responsibilities after a layoff, from side hustles to family care. Sonara's data-driven dashboard helps you understand which types of roles are gaining traction, enabling you to adapt your approach quickly and strategically.

Resume.io combines AI with sleek, recruiter-tested templates to help you build a resume that gets noticed. It offers automatic formatting, keyword optimization, and even tone suggestions to pass applicant tracking systems that often filter out candidates prematurely. For workers who may have been in the same role for years, Resume.io can transform old experience into fresh language that aligns with today's job market. In an environment where first impressions matter, this tool makes sure yours stands out.

Wobo AI is a personal upskilling and learning assistant. It analyzes your resume and career goals, then recommends courses, certifications, and training paths to make you more competitive in your next role. It's especially valuable for workers in industries heavily impacted by automation who need to transition into emerging fields like technology, digital marketing, or data analysis. By using Wobo AI, you're not just looking for the next job; you're building a foundation for the next chapter.

Huntr turns job searching into an organized mission. It's a visual dashboard where you can track applications, save postings, store recruiter notes, and manage follow-ups, all powered by AI reminders and insights. It helps reduce stress and chaos during what's often an emotionally draining process. For communities disproportionately affected by layoffs, organization can mean confidence, and confidence leads to better outcomes. more

Career development

 5h

A software engineer who landed roles at Amazon, Microsoft, and Salesforce shares his 5 tips for getting hired


He emphasizes the importance of internships, tailored résumés, and job search timing for career success.

Shubham Malhotra's Big Tech journey began during his fifth semester at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), where he was juggling coursework with a co-op at a real estate-focused tech firm.

While gaining experience and refining his résumé, Malhotra -- who grew up in New Delhi, moved... to the US to study software engineering, and is now a software engineer at Amazon -- applied to roles at top tech companies.

He landed internships at Salesforce in the summer of 2021 and at Amazon AWS in the fall of 2021. During his second internship, he applied for a full-time position at Microsoft through a job portal and ultimately secured an offer for 2022.

Malhotra stayed at Microsoft for two and a half years before leaving the company in November 2024, when he relocated to the Seattle area to join Amazon.

Here are five job-search strategies he employed to secure multiple offers from Big Tech companies.

Malhotra believes that completing purposeful internships on systems-focused teams was a significant factor in his success. "Breaking into Big Tech is hardest at the beginning," he said. "For me, that breakthrough came via internships at Amazon and Salesforce, which gave me enough credibility to land my Microsoft offer."

Treating his internships like "engineering labs," Malhotra said he used these experiences to intentionally build up infrastructure, performance, and systems expertise far beyond surface-level coding.

"I wasn't just doing 'intern tasks' -- I was already solving latency and error-tolerance issues that directly affected customers and operational SLAs," he said. "This was mostly driven by my own initiative, with support from my managers."

During his internships at Salesforce and Amazon, Malhotra would ask his manager and senior engineers, "What's a real reliability or latency problem on the critical path that no one has had time to fix yet?" From there, he'd volunteer to own a slice of it, then they'd scope it out together.

"Doing this complex problem-solving also helped give me great visibility within my teams," he said.

These early experiences enabled him to craft a résumé that showcased both internships and technical depth, which he believes was key to landing his Microsoft interview. Then, the work he did to secure his internship offers meant he'd already practiced for the big leagues.

"Because I'd already been preparing through prior internship interviews, I was technically and behaviorally ready to interview for full-time positions at top tech companies."

Malhotra avoided generic buzzwords and focused on scale, reliability, and research contributions in his résumé. He also reverse-engineered company job descriptions to match his résumé with ATS filters.

"I used LaTeX via Overleaf to create a clean, technical résumé optimized for parsing and readability," he said.

Another one of his strategies was tailoring keywords for each role, emphasizing "cloud computing," "distributed systems," and "backend engineering" throughout the document. Malhotra also ensured that his résumé bullets focused on measurable outcomes, rather than just effort.

"Every bullet emphasized not just tasks but quantifiable impact -- like "reduced data latency by 40%" and "streamlined workflow to cut API response time by 25%."

Malhotra wanted to ensure that he applied for Big Tech roles at the right time. "As a fresh graduate, I learned that timing your job search is just as critical as skills," he said.

He began his application process early, around August, when most tech companies kick off full-time recruitment.

"From August to mid-November, companies fill the bulk of their head count for the next year," Malhotra said. "After a brief halt, a second hiring window opens between February and April of the following year."

Malhotra signed his Microsoft offer in October 2021. For his most recent move to Amazon as an experienced hire, his offer was also finalized in October with a November start date.

Malhotra prepped for coding interviews using LeetCode, CodeChef, and HackerRank, identifying weak areas and tracking performance.

For behavioral rounds, he followed the STAR method and mapped his stories to leadership principles. He also ramped up his preparation for interviews using white papers, books, and real-world architecture case studies to help him discuss company-specific challenges.

Malhotra said he chose his college specifically for its co-op structure, helping him gain early real-world experience and build a strong US-based engineering track record.

Feeling confident in this background, he decided to try an out-of-the-box approach to his job search. Instead of relying on referrals, Malhotra cold-applied and followed up via LinkedIn with tailored pitches.

His cold outreach strategy centered on emailing recruiters with short, personalized pitches that included how he found their contact information, a brief introduction of himself, a clear ask to review his résumé for specific roles, and a note on why he was excited about the company.

His "short, personalized pitch" strategy played the biggest role in his Amazon transition.

"I leaned heavily on concise, personalized emails and LinkedIn messages to recruiters, plus a few warm intros," Malhotra said. "Most of my serious interview loops, including the one that led to my current offer, started from that outreach rather than just submitting an application and hoping."

He also developed personal projects, such as a handwriting recognition tool utilizing AWS Textract, which he hosted on the cloud with authentication and shared functionality.

"I treated job hunting like system design -- mapping companies, targeting roles, cold emailing with personalized subject lines and value propositions," Malhotra said. "I always kept a ready-to-send project repo or research paper link handy to prove my value."

He's working on deep-seated infrastructure problems that he believes have a real impact. "It's exactly the kind of work I wanted when I first set my sights on Big Tech," he said.

If he had to look for another job in today's market, he says he'd use the same five strategies, but with one additional point.

"I'd run the same system again -- just with a bit more compounding from public work and relationships," Malhotra said. "I'd add an even stronger emphasis on building signal in public while things are going well -- open-source contributions, writing, small talks, and a tighter network of engineers and hiring managers. Those make your résumé, outreach, and timing work even harder for you when the market tightens." more

Career development

 6h

Custom Web Dev Resume Writer


I'll be sending you two to three job descriptions every day, each paired with a short "missing-keyword" sheet. Your task is to turn my existing résumé material into a senior-level, web-development-focused document that feels tailor-made for the posting while keeping a strictly professional, formal tone. You'll have access to a large library of my past custom résumés, so most of the language and... evidence of achievement is already written. What I need is a writer who understands modern web development well enough to slot the right projects, tech stacks, and metrics into place and weave the supplied keywords in naturally -- no awkward stuffing, no shift in voice, and absolutely no generative-AI shortcuts. I already have a platform where my resume is hosted. You just have to edit the resume on that platform. The missing keywords will be highlighted there. Keep adding the keywords until the score becomes green. more

Janis Hawthorne


Career development 4d
Hi! During my lunch break I was talking with a coworker and kind of daydreaming about how nice it would be to move to a big city and rent a decent apartment there. The boss’s secretary overheard us and 2 hours later my boss called me in and asked why I’d decided to quit and move to the district center.

Of course, I explained everything to him, but now I’m not sure how to work normally knowing... that his secretary reports everything she hears to him.

 more
1   

  • Captain bulemu Ezra

    6h

    It is a lesson that you just not talk without considering who is around you secondly do things within the means of your take home

  • Sheila Milburn

    4d

    Do your work as normal. Don't retaliate. Act as if you don't know what she did. Now you know, if/ when needed, how to get something to the boss... indirectly. And remember, the secretary has always been the 2nd pair of ears and eyes for the boss. But because she didn't get the facts straight, I would label this one, "messy." Take this as a warning to limit breakroom chatter to minor chit chat. "Coworkers" don't need to know your dreams and aspirations. Save that discussion for true friends or family outside of the workplace. The less you share: the less that can be shared. Goodluck.  more

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Gabriel Moses
Career development 3d
please i need an advice, i need a remote job on customer service and data entry, how do i go about it

Career development

 7h

French HR director allegedly drugged 240 women during job interviews to make them urinate with no toilet nearby


A former senior civil servant in France is being investigated for the drugging of over 240 women during job interviews he conducted.

According to French media, Christian Nègre was indicted on charges including sexual assault and drugging in 2019.

Negre was working at the French Cultural Ministry, where he was reportedly the deputy director of human resources.

Spiked their drinks

He offered the... women a cup of coffee or tea before allegedly spiking their drinks with an illegal diuretic.

The diuretic would make the woman feel like urinating.

As Nègre would continue the interviews outdoors, some women were unable to reach a toilet in time and wet themselves in public.

According to The Guardian, his actions were revealed when he was being investigated for another case where he allegedly tried to take photos of a senior official's legs.

The police uncovered a spreadsheet titled "experiments".

In it, Nègre allegedly kept detailed accounts of the incidents, apparently including even photographs.

One of the accusers, Sylvie Delezenne, told The Guardian how Nègre allegedly carried out his assaults.

Delezenne accepted Negre's offer of coffee in the meeting room.

She said that while she had pressed the button for coffee at a vending machine, Negre picked up her cup and turned to greet a colleague.

He moved across the corridor to approach the colleague before returning to Delezenne and handing over the drink.

At this point, he suggested taking a walk outside because of the "marvellous" weather.

They then walked around the gardens outside, with the entire process taking several hours.

Delezenne felt an increasing need to urinate:

"My hands were trembling, my heart was palpitating, beads of sweat ran down my forehead and I was turning red. I said: 'I'm going to need a technical break.' But he kept on walking."

She eventually couldn't hold it in any longer, having to crouch down in a tunnel. Negre allegedly approached her, took off his jacket and said, "I'll shield you".

Another case allegedly saw Negre asking another woman, in a similar situation, "do you need a wee?"

A lawyer for the women told The Guardian of the alleged druggings that this was about "power and domination" over women's bodies through "humiliation and control".

Image from Google Maps and Canva more

Career development

 9h

As the job market tightens, workers without degrees could hit a 'paper ceiling'


On a bus headed downtown, Cherri McKinney opened a compact mirror and -- even as the vehicle rattled and blinding morning sun filled the window -- skillfully applied eyeliner.

McKinney is a licensed aesthetician. She went into bookkeeping after graduating from high school in 1992, then ran a waxing salon for years. Later she shifted into human resources at a homeless shelter. But stepping off... the bus, she started her work day as a benefits and leave administrator for Colorado's Department of Labor and Employment.

She wouldn't have made it past some hiring managers.

"My background is kind of all over the place," McKinney said. "You might have looked at my résumé and thought, 'Wow, this girl doesn't have a college education.'"

In fact, Colorado's state government was looking for workers just like her. In 2022, Gov. Jared Polis signed an executive order directing state agencies to embrace "skills-based hiring" -- evaluating job seekers based on abilities rather than education level -- and to open more positions to applicants without college diplomas. When McKinney interviewed with the state in the summer of 2024, she said, she was asked practical questions about topics like the Family Medical Leave Act, not about her academic background.

For a decade, workforce organizations, researchers and public officials have pushed employers to stop requiring bachelor's degrees for jobs that don't need them. That's a response to a hiring trend that began during the Great Recession, when job seekers vastly outnumbered open positions and employers increased their use of bachelor's degree requirements for many jobs -- like administrative assistants, construction supervisors and insurance claims clerks -- that people without college diplomas had capably handled. The so-called "paper ceiling," advocates say, locks skilled workers without degrees out of good-paying jobs. Degree requirements hurt employers, too, advocates argue, by screening out valuable talent.

In recent years, at least 26 states, along with private companies like IBM and Accenture, began stripping degree requirements and focusing hiring practices on applicants' skills. A job seeker's market after Covid, plus labor shortages in the public sector, boosted momentum. Seven states showed double-digit percentage increases in job listings without a degree requirement between 2019 and 2024, according to the National Governors Association. A 2022 report from labor analytics firm Burning Glass (recently renamed Lightcast) found degree requirements disappearing from private sector listings too.

But less evidence has emerged of employers actually hiring nondegreed job seekers in substantial numbers, and a crumbling economic outlook could stall momentum. Last year, Burning Glass and Harvard Business School found that less than 1 in 700 hires in 2023 benefited from the shift to skills-based hiring. Federal layoffs and other cuts pushing more workers with degrees into the job hunt could tempt employers to return to using the bachelor's as a filtering mechanism.

"I think it's a sort of do-or-die moment" for skills-based hiring, said Amanda Winters, who advises state governments on skills-based hiring at the nonprofit National Governors Association.

Winters said the shift to hiring for skills requires time-consuming structural changes. Human resource departments must rewrite job descriptions, and hiring managers must be trained to change their approach to interviewing to assess candidates for skills, among other steps. And even then, said Winters, there's no reason for managers not to prefer applicants with college degrees if they indeed have the skills.

Colorado is trying to push employers, both public and private, to make this shift. Polis' 2022 order devoted $700,000 and three staffers to institutionalizing skills-based hiring in state government. According to a case study by the National Governors Association and the nonprofit Opportunity@Work, the state is working with human resources departments at individual agencies, training them to rewrite job descriptions to spell out skills (for example, "active listening and interpersonal skills"). When posting a job, hiring managers are encouraged to click a box that reads: "I have considered removing the degree requirement for this role."

Polis' team also built a dashboard to track progress toward "Wildly Important Goals" related to skills-based hiring -- like boosting the share of job applicants without a bachelor's degree by 5 percent by summer 2026. State officials say about 80 percent of job classifications (categories of jobs with specific pay scales and responsibilities -- for example, Human Resources Specialist III or Accountant I) now emphasize skills over degrees.

All told, the state says, 25 percent of hires within those job classifications in 2024 -- 1,588 in total -- were people without degrees, roughly the same share as in 2023, when the state began collecting this information. Similar data from other states on their success in hiring skilled, nondegreed workers is scarce. State officials from Maryland and Pennsylvania, two of the first states with executive orders dropping degree requirements, said they track education levels of applicants but not of new hires.

To spark skills-based hiring in the private sector, the Colorado Workforce Development Council, a quasi-governmental group appointed by the governor, encourages local workforce boards to help assess employers' needs and job seekers' skills.

One of those boards -- Pikes Peak Workforce Center in Colorado Springs -- conducts workshops for local businesses on skills-based hiring and helps them write job descriptions that emphasize skills. When a company registers for a job fair, said CEO Traci Marques, the center asks both what positions are open and which skills are needed for them.

The center also teaches job seekers to identify their skills and show employers how they apply in different fields. A recent high school graduate who served on student council, Marques said, might discuss what that role taught them about time management, conflict resolution and event planning.

The goal is for skills to become the lingua franca between employers and job seekers. "It's really that matchmaking where we fit in," Marques said.

One new matchmaking tool is learning and employment records, or LERs. These digital records allow job seekers to verify their degrees, credentials and skills with former schools and workplaces and then share them with potential employers. Two years ago, a philanthropic coalition granted the Colorado Workforce Development Council $1.4 million to create LER systems.

LERs are still in the early stages of development, but advocates say they could eventually allow more precise matching of employers' needs with job seekers' skills.

Once nondegreed workers get in the door, employers can also see payoffs, said Cole Napper, vice president of research, innovation and talent insights at Lightcast. His research shows that workers hired for skills get promoted at almost the same rate as education-based hires and stay at their jobs longer.

But as the labor market cools, the question now is whether people without four-year degrees will get in the door in the first place. Nationally, job growth has slowed. Maryland and Colorado froze hiring this summer for state positions.

At a recent job fair at Pikes Peak, single mother Yvette Stanton made her way around the tables, some featuring placards that read "Skills-Based Hiring." After a few months at a sober living facility, Stanton had lined up day care and was ready to work. She clutched a green folder with a résumé documenting certifications vouching for her skills in phlebotomy and medication administration. "When you have more certifications, there are better job opportunities," said Stanton.

She approached a table for the Colorado Department of Corrections. Human resources specialist Jack Zeller told her that prisons do need workers with medical certifications, and he said she could also apply to be a corrections officer. But, he said -- holding out his phone to show her the job application site -- she should wait until Jan. 1.

"If the hiring freeze ends like it's supposed to," he said, "there's gonna be a billion jobs going up on the website."

Colorado works not just on the demand side, pushing employers to seek out workers based on their skills, but also on the supply side, to arm people who might not choose college with marketable skills and help them find jobs in in-demand industries.

The Polis administration encourages high schools and community colleges to make available industry-recognized credentials -- including certified nursing assistant, certified associate in project management and the CompTIA cybersecurity certification -- that can earn students credits while giving them skills for better-paying jobs. The governor is also making a big bet on work-based learning opportunities in high school and community college, especially apprenticeships.

If employers meet talented workers who lack degrees, they'll grow more comfortable hiring for skills, said Sarah Heath, who directs career and technical education for the Colorado Community College System. "You've got to prove it to people to get them to buy into it," she said.

At Red Rocks Community College in Lakewood, a suburb of Denver, President Landon Pirius has set a goal of eventually providing a work-based learning experience to every graduate. Earlier this year, the college hired a work-based learning coordinator and an apprenticeship coordinator, and it partners with Northrop Grumman on a registered apprenticeship that lets cybersecurity students earn money while getting technical instruction and on-the-job learning.

In his frequent discussions with regional employers, Pirius said, "the message is consistently skill-based hiring." He added: "Our manufacturers are like, 'I don't even care about a degree. I just want to know that they can do X, Y, Z skills. So when you're teaching our students, make sure you teach them these things.'"

Colorado community colleges also see opportunities to equip students with skills in fields like aerospace, quantum computing, behavioral addiction treatment and mental health counseling, where there's a growing demand for workers and some jobs can be handled without a four-year degree. In 2022, Colorado gave its community college system $15 million to create pathways to behavioral health careers that don't require a Master of Social Work degree or even a B.A.

Colorado's skill-based talent pipeline extends to high school. In a "Computer Science and Cybersecurity" class at Warren Tech, a high school in Lakewood, Zachary Flower teaches in-demand "soft skills" like problem solving, teamwork and communication.

"The people who get hired are more often the ones who are better communicators," said Flower, a software developer who was a director of software engineering and hiring manager for a travel company before he started teaching. Communication skills are half of the grade in Flower's capstone project: Students communicate independently throughout the year with local industry sponsors, and at the end they present to a panel of engineers and developers.

Despite the emphasis on skills-based hiring, a 2023 study projected that more than 4 in 10 job openings in Colorado from 2021 through 2031 would require at least a bachelor's degree -- the second-highest proportion of any state in the country -- because many industries there, like engineering, health care and business services, require higher education, according to Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce."But there's still a significant amount of opportunity for people with less than a bachelor's degree," said Nicole Smith, chief economist at the center.

People, in other words, like Cherri McKinney, who couldn't afford college and didn't want to spend four years finding her path. McKinney plans to stay in state government, where she believes she can develop more skills and advance without a college degree. Indeed, a 2023 executive order demanded that every state agency develop at least two work-based learning programs by the end of this year.

Gov. Polis, who championed workers like McKinney, ends his second term in January 2027 and cannot run for reelection. State budgets are fragile in the Trump era. McKinney's colleagues call often, nervous about their benefits in a time of hiring freezes and government shutdowns.

McKinney isn't worried.

"When I made my first career switch from bookkeeping to aesthetics, what I realized was I am the eye of this storm," she said. "Things swirl around me, and if I bring myself in my way that I do to my jobs, that's what is going to create the stability for me." more

Career development

 10h

19 People Reveal The Red Flags That Made Them Say "I'm Outta Here" During A Job Interview, And The Toxicity Is Palpable


Typically, while interviewing potential employees, a company attempts to put its best foot forward. However, some workplaces are so toxic that their "red flags" even permeate initial interviews...

That's why when I recently asked the BuzzFeed Community to share the job interview "red flags" that sent them running for the hills, I received dozens of responses, and I have no words. From asking for... social media info to a "family" atmosphere -- here are 19 of their most enlightening responses:

Feel free to share job interview "red flags" you've encountered in the comments or answer anonymously using this form!

1. "Asking for your social media information or any inappropriate or intrusive questions about your personal life outside of work is becoming a huge red flag. Sorry, but I don't need my coworkers getting involved in my personal life."

"It doesn't matter if I never post anything or if I post 10 times a day, I have learned the hard way that bringing your personal life into the workplace is not a good idea. They are looking to find out how much you will work for free, or they want to find things they can gossip about."

-- u/AccidentalAgitator

2. "The hiring manager emailing late at night is always a red flag for me."

-- u/Whodeytim

"Once I had a hiring manager email me at 8 p.m. about a second interview and then call me at 8 o'clock the next morning because I hadn't answered the email.

I told her I wasn't interested because if she's doing that during the interview process, it was going to be much worse if I took the job."

-- u/roses269

3. "When the company says they're looking for a 'ROCK STAR,' they just want someone they can overwork and underpay you and expect them to hit unrealistic goals with little to no help or support."

-- danizarr1

4. "Once an interviewer asked me how I handled men making dirty jokes and rude comments, and wanted to know if I could let jokes roll off my back because they had some 'feisty' guys working there. The hint was that, as a woman, I would receive inappropriate comments and feel like I needed to quit on day one."

"There was another woman on the panel who gave me a look when I walked in. I am almost positive sure she was who I was replacing, and she was trying to warn me because her eyes widened whenever they mentioned the jokes."

-- u/Pomegranate_1328

5. "When they describe the workplace as 'a family.' Most families have dysfunction, and some have unhealthy boundaries that are not acceptable in the workplace."

"If a company says they treat each other like family, it's usually an indicator of boundary-less behaviors and intrusive (and sometimes overbearing) expectations."

-- Anonymous

6. "I recently got interview feedback from a recruiter stating, 'We think he's really arrogant because he kept smiling when we were trying to put pressure on him to see how he'd react.' Wow, thanks."

-- u/DefiantTelephone6095

"I once had a team interview -- six engineers and their manager -- grilling me on technical questions, etc. I did fine.

Their stated reason for not hiring me? I was 'too relaxed.' Apparently, they expected me to quiver or something, but at the time, I had about 40 years of experience and had worked at 20 of those types of places. I had simply developed thick skin.

I wasn't the least bit disappointed in not working there."

-- u/drebinf

7. "I interviewed for an office position with a daycare company. When I was asked if I could work with difficult people, I said I could. Turns out the 'difficult' person was my immediate supervisor."

"She later went on to call me dumb because I wasn't familiar with spreadsheets (something never mentioned during the interview), insisted I misspelled a word in a document I typed for her (I actually corrected her misspelling), had a hissy fit because I went outside for my only 15 minute break to smoke (she declared I had to be IN the building in case I was needed).

I could go on, but you get the gist. I lasted a week."

-- Anonymous, 68, MN

8. "The question 'Are you coachable?' translates to 'I'm a micromanager who has no concept that people approach things differently, and I will hound you until you bend to exactly what I want.'"

-- u/eliota1

9. "When I was interviewing with a private ambulance company, I asked the interviewer about the employee turnover rate. She asked me, 'Am I interviewing you or are you interviewing me?'"

"The next day, she offered me a job to start the day after that. I politely declined."

-- Anonymous, 59, Las Vegas, NV

10. "When they refer to the work environment as 'work hard, play hard.'"

"Here's what 'work hard, play hard' actually means:

Work hard: We expect you to be at your desk an hour early, and leave for home at least an hour late every day. Lunch is to be eaten at your desk, so you can read/reply to emails while you eat. Your work phone will be with you at all times, even during your time off. No, you will not be compensated if you receive a call during your personal time. If you don't answer that call, it will be noted in your performance review.

Play hard: We have a foosball table in the break room. If you ever use it, it will be mentioned in your performance review. Once a month, the company will host a drink session at the bar located next to the office. There will be a two-drink maximum, with domestic beer and wine only, and no snacks are allowed. Attendance isn't mandatory, but management will be present and will take note of any absences. Despite the drinks limit, management will be downing $12 cocktails, all charged to the company credit card, but we can't afford raises this year because we all have to make sacrifices."

-- u/ConstableBlimeyChips

11. "As a safety guy: 'We're kind of old school here' means 'we didn't do anything about safety and regulatory authorities are nagging us and/or our workers comp provider jacked up our rates or is threatening to drop us, and we need YOU to be our fairy godparent who is going to make all of this magically disappear.'"

-- u/wishforagreatmistake

12. "In my experience, the CEO invited me to lunch to discuss the position, and didn't discuss work during the entire hour and a half interview -- he only discussed his boat and how he envisioned retirement."

"I declined the position and later learned that he had retired and left abruptly within a year.

He was just looking for someone to dump work on so he could go sailing more often."

-- Anonymous, 60, Pittsburgh, PA

13. "Not being asked anything by the interviewer that goes beyond 'yes and no' questions."

"In my last year of college, I had a job interview for a full-time position that would start the week after finals. During the interview, I was not asked any questions about my education or background, nor was I asked any questions that required thought.

I kept asking them questions in the hopes they would ask me more challenging ones, but it didn't happen. Asking serious questions speaks volumes about how seriously they take the position, and what you can expect from the employers.

If they don't ask questions, that means they don't care about the job or who gets hired."

-- Anonymous

14. "Disorganization, especially if you show up and no one knows who you are, why you're there, or who you're supposed to be talking to. I understand that miscommunications can occur, but when they involve multiple levels, it's essential to be cautious."

"I had a job interview like that, and it went from bad to worse (long story). The interviewer offered me the job at the end of the interview and asked when I could start. I politely declined and gracefully exited!"

-- u/LovelyLilac73

15. "I'm sure this is common knowledge, but it's a bad sign when the company won't give you firm answers about your compensation, benefits, and time off -- or if those numbers keep changing depending on who you talk to."

-- Anonymous, 24, NC

16. "I applied for a store management position for a large chain retailer, and got a call back the next day. The person who called me said they wanted to schedule a virtual interview, which was fine, but seemed irritated that I didn't have immediate availability, as I was still employed at the time. I set it up during my lunch break a few days later, but the interview time was changed to 30 minutes prior to the original agreed-upon time without even emailing me or calling me to verify first."

"When I joined the call, they scolded me about being late because I should have checked with them to confirm first, apparently, and that I would have to reschedule because this job was an 'opportunity of a lifetime.' I did end up taking the second interview, but I'm glad I didn't accept the job because the whole time they just told me how lucky I was to get the chance to speak to them.

With 15 years of experience in retail management, I was well-qualified for the position. It was a truly bizarre interaction from start to finish."

-- Anonymous, 35, CO

17. "If you have to pay for uniforms or tools needed to do the job out of your own pocket, that's a red flag. This includes using your personal cell phone for work purposes."

-- u/AN0NY_MOU5E

18. "If you're interviewing with the manager, ask them for an example where they made a mistake and see if they give an empathetic or human response."

"If not, they may be a narcissist and run for the hills. Narcissists can never admit fault or take accountability, which means you will be their scapegoat."

-- u/MongooseProXC

19. Lastly, "Just go with your gut. If something seems off, it likely is. I once interviewed with a well-known international company, and from the get-go, something seemed 'off' about the interviewer. The interview began with a few generic questions after she reviewed my resume. Then she started asking me about the town where l lived because she was considering moving there. I might get asked a question or two like that in an interview, but she spent half an hour asking me questions about where I lived -- it was very strange. I tried to redirect the interview to no avail. So, I just tied things up as quickly as I could and ended the interview."

"She called me three days later and offered me the job, at a decent salary too, but it just didn't feel right. At the time, I had a job I liked well enough, so I was in a position to be selective. I thanked her for her time and declined the position. She started yelling at me for 'wasting her time' and 'making her start all over again.' She then hung up on me! The whole thing was bizarre and just confirmed the 'off' feeling I had about her. I moved forward and left that company behind.

About two months later, I attended a party and met a woman who had been working at that company for two years. I mentioned I'd interviewed there, but declined the offer. She asked who I'd interviewed with, and when I told her, she just shook her head and said, 'Man, you dodged a bullet there. She is AWFUL and can't hold on to a staff member for more than six months. You definitely were right to decline the offer.'"

-- u/LovelyLilac73

Did any of these surprise you? What's a job interview "red flag" you've encountered? Tell us in the comments or answer anonymously using the form below!

Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity. more

Career development

 12h

A giant has gone. The lessons remain. | MARKETING Magazine Asia


By Tham Khai Meng, Former Co-Chairman and Worldwide Chief Creative Officer of Ogilvy & Mather

Neil was a true great friend and I'll miss him terribly. He was a lovely person, forged from a singular mould. He was not only a remarkable talent, but also had the most extraordinary of résumés: manager of heavy-metal band Judas Priest, promoter, rent collector, matador, raconteur, singer, bon vivant,... art director, typographer, gourmand, cook, storyteller.

When I first met Neil, he was already irascible, but he enjoyed a good laugh and saw a funny line in every situation. Therein lies his genius.

When he arrived from London to Singapore, he quickly found fame as a rapier-sharp adman. He did many mould-breaking ads, and one of the most irreverent and audacious was a newsprint campaign done with Khai Wor, the marketing director and vice president of Singapore Press Holdings, the holding company of The Straits Times. KW also happens to be my brother.

To prove the power of print advertising, they invented a beer, designed the pack, and advertised it -- the funny thing is there wasn't any such beer. It was a huge success. Demand for the non-existent product shot through the roof. Barmen were assaulted for not selling the beer. Consumers desired to have a taste of the product. You could run the ads today, and you would still get the same powerful results.

By the time I asked for a transfer from Leo Burnett London to their Singapore office, Neil had already begun the creative revolution in Singapore, followed by Thailand and soon, India. His rise was meteoric, his influence, pervasive. It was palpable. Creatives wanted to meet his standards, or to mirror, or rival, and ultimately they hope to surpass him.

Inevitably, Neil was hired by Ian Batey to join Batey Ads Singapore, the hot shop known for putting Singapore Airlines and the Singapore Girl on the world map.

Neil was a man in a hurry. As soon as he set foot at Bateys, he wanted to change the Singapore Airlines strapline from, "It's a great way to fly" to, "Not just a pretty face".

He proposed the idea to the founder and de facto creative director, Ian Batey. I believe Ian said, "Over my dead body".

The rest, as they say, is history. When Neil got the big gig as the worldwide creative chief at Ogilvy, he called me at Bateys. He was looking for someone to fill the role he was vacating -- the Asia regional creative post. He invited me for lunch to meet the equally charming, savvy and brilliant Miles Young, Chairman and CEO of Ogilvy Asia Pacific. We met at an Italian restaurant in Ann Siang Road, Singapore. It was on a Friday and we had a very, very long lunch that went onto happy hour. The three of us never returned back to the office. You could get away with it in those days but not anymore which is a shame.

They sold me the gig and I was hired as the Asia Pacific creative director. We traveled everywhere, Malaysia, The Philippines, India, Thailand, Africa, Spain, France. We worked on planes, trains, busses, boats, cafes. We had a lot of fun. Neil was a giant and I had the honor to stand on his shoulders and saw far.

Amidst the thick creative soup, the petri-dish of disorderly creative ferment that was around us, Neil was very disciplined about being sharp and precise when it came to the communication strategy.

"The strategy needs to be simple, tight. No fluff. Every piece of relevant information you need has to be all there written on a single sheet of crisp A-4 paper, no more and no less. If the strategy is not clear, you can't do the work" he extolled.

He preached incessantly about it and sent missives on it. It was a springboard. We created great memorable ads that moved not only hearts and minds, but also built brands and rang the clients's cash-register tills. It worked.

It was a matter of time before he would meet and marry the spirited and vibrant Louisa. They adopted a beautiful son that they named Daniel.

Our family had the supreme pleasure to spend some of the most wonderful times with the Frenchs at their house in Deia, Majorca.

One fine day as we sat by the cove watching Dan and our sons Tristan and Tyron clambering up the steep hills like mountain goats, he leaned over to us and whispered sotto voce, "I have to say being a father is by far the single best thing I have ever done."

It was refreshing to hear Neil say that. I will venture one step further: above and beyond all of Frenchie's outstanding achievements, perhaps his G.O.A.T. was being the most committed and loving father to Dan.

It was beautiful to watch. Clearly, he was onto his next great thing - a new chapter in his life. He found his holy grail.

I spoke to Dan a few days ago and he told me, "He was truly the best father anyone could ever ask for. He was such a loving dad to me."

Neil, may we have the honor and privilege to witness you do your victory lap around the ring. Or what you aficionados in Spain would say, dio una vuelta al ruedo. more

Career development

 13h

Your Essential OCI Master Guide


On-campus interviews remain one of the most important entry points into major law firms. Students often have only a few minutes to make a strong impression. Therefore, the new OCI Master Guide explains how firms screen candidates and what they value in interview performance. It also outlines how screening interviews differ from callback interviews, helping students plan with greater... clarity.

Learn more from this report: On-Campus Interview Master Guide

The guide provides a detailed timeline that spans several months. Students are encouraged to begin early. First, they should improve their academic profile and gather meaningful legal experience. Then, they should start building connections with practicing attorneys. This early effort creates a stronger foundation once interview season begins.

Moreover, the OCI Master Guide includes weekly and monthly tasks that keep students on track. These tasks cover résumé updates, writing sample selection, and firm research. As a result, students avoid last-minute stress and present better-organized applications.

Firm research is often overlooked. Yet it is one of the main factors that influence interview success. The guide teaches students how to study practice groups, firm culture, awards, and recent cases. Because this research helps candidates tailor their answers, it also improves the quality of conversations during interviews. Additionally, students learn how to match their interests with each firm's strengths, which creates a stronger narrative.

The OCI Master Guide also provides advice on crafting effective application materials. Students receive tips on formatting résumés, writing clear cover letters, and selecting polished writing samples. Each section stresses clarity. It also explains how small details can affect a recruiter's perception. With these guidelines, students can avoid common errors and present a professional package.

The interview section of the guide is one of its most detailed parts. It includes sample questions, answer frameworks, and behavioral interview methods. Students are encouraged to practice repeatedly. They also learn how to maintain confident body language, prepare thoughtful questions, and communicate genuine interest. Furthermore, the guide explains how to adjust responses for different attorneys during callback interviews.

After interviews end, follow-up actions become essential. The OCI Master Guide outlines the proper timing and tone for thank-you emails. It also encourages students to track their interactions and remain professional throughout the selection period. These small steps often make a significant difference in final hiring decisions.

With its clear structure and practical tools, the OCI Master Guide gives students the confidence they need to perform well in a high-pressure environment. It is designed to guide them from early preparation to final offers. For anyone entering the OCI season, this resource is now one of the most valuable tools available. more

Career development

 14h

Supercoder Wants to Shrink Hundreds of Interviews Into Just Two Days -- And Rewrite Global Hiring


Since kicking off its bootcamp in June, the eight startups selected for CJ GLO!VentUs (Global + Venture + Us) have barely had a moment to breathe. The program -- co-hosted by CJ Investment and the Gyeonggi Center for Creative Economy & Innovation -- formally wrapped up with a demo day in September, but for participating companies, the real work began afterward. As of November, many teams are in... the United States, deep in conversations (and battles) with local investors.

Supercoder is one of them. Founded in 2021, this four-year-old startup has already secured more than 500 corporate clients and built a global talent pool of over 200,000. Unlike major global hiring platforms that offer full-service sourcing, screening, matching, and management, Supercoder focuses squarely on one bottleneck: verification. Its AI interviews candidates directly to determine how truthful their résumé is and whether they meet a company's competency and cultural requirements. Fortune Korea spoke with CEO Choi Jae-woong to learn how the company plans to upend the hiring market.

Q. How did a four-year-old startup secure so many corporate clients and such a large talent pool? Tell us about your early journey.

We launched the company in 2021 under the name Second Team and introduced Supercoder the same year as a hiring platform for overseas developers. Many companies were struggling with the global talent shortage in software engineering, and we saw an opportunity.

The earlier version of Supercoder focused on sourcing and verifying overseas developers and connecting them with companies. Because demand for global developers was so high, we were able to rapidly build both a sizable client base and a large global talent pool.

As matching volumes grew, we learned where the real bottleneck in hiring occurs: the initial interview and verification stage. In 2024, we began developing our AI Interviewer service in earnest and officially unveiled it at Microsoft Startup Connection 2025 and WIS 2025.

Q. What pain points did you identify in the interview and screening stage?

Reports from Business Management and Apollo Technical show that 72% of applicants exaggerate their résumés. For experienced hires, coordinating interview schedules is especially difficult -- delays pile up and nearly 60% of candidates drop out during scheduling alone. If strong candidates leave during this process, companies suffer real losses.

Several studies indicate that 30% of all hiring attempts fail for these reasons, and the financial damage from a bad hire can reach up to 350 million KRW (approx. $260,000) per person.

During the first 30 days of our beta test, we ran more than 300 AI interviews across 32 pilot B2B clients and secured two paying customers. Interview scheduling time shrank from one month to just two days, and costs fell from 1 million KRW to 100,000 KRW. In short, the test was a clear success.

Q. How exactly does the AI Interviewer improve the hiring process?

Traditional hiring takes 2-4 weeks just to review résumés, verify details, and shortlist candidates. Scheduling and conducting interviews requires even more time.

With Supercoder, AI automatically analyzes job postings and résumés to shortlist applicants. The AI interview can be conducted anytime and anywhere, eliminating scheduling delays and compressing the entire early-stage hiring process into two to three days.

It's also highly accurate. The AI asks follow-up questions based on the applicant's responses, uncovering the skills behind the résumé. When we compared the final interview pass rates for candidates selected by human recruiters versus AI, the AI showed five times higher accuracy.

Cost efficiency is another major advantage. AI interviews are priced at 10,000 KRW (~$7) per session. Considering recruiter hours and labor costs, our service is roughly ten times cheaper than the conventional process.

Q. Your IR deck shows annual revenue growing 127% per year until last year, but declining in the first half of 2024. Why?

We intentionally shifted our business model. Previously, Supercoder revolved around developer matching. In 2024, we fully transitioned into a SaaS AI hiring platform, with AI interviews at its core.

This shift aims to build a predictable recurring revenue model. We're expanding multi-year contracts and minimum annual usage agreements with large and mid-sized enterprises, which will reduce quarterly volatility and give us stable recurring revenue over time.

Q. You're targeting a 40 billion KRW valuation by 2027. What needs to happen to get there?

We aim to secure 2,000 corporate customers by 2027, assuming an average of 10 million KRW in annual revenue per customer. That yields around 20 billion KRW in annual revenue. Considering Korea alone has 2 million job postings per year, this goal is realistic -- we already have 500 clients.

The knowledge we gained through GLO!VentUs was invaluable. The B2B accelerator Alchemist gave us detailed feedback on what U.S. HR teams care about and how enterprise sales pipelines work. During Immersion Week, we confirmed that the problem we solve is truly global.

Q. What are the three key KPIs that support your target valuation?

-Annual volume of paid AI interviews - demonstrating how many real screenings our AI performs worldwide

-Number of paying customers - including retention rates and usage expansion

-Hiring-quality improvement metrics - such as time-to-hire, onsite/offer conversion rates, and 3-6 month retention improvements

Q. What will Supercoder look like in the future?

Demand for average talent will decline, while demand for top-tier talent will grow rapidly. Companies will need to recruit globally and assess applicants efficiently.

We've spent five years running a global hiring platform and developing AI that verifies talent accurately. From here, we plan to evolve beyond a hiring platform into an AI Recruiter Platform, where a company's AI agent and a job seeker's AI agent communicate directly to match world-class talent. That is the direction we're headed.

◇ What Is CJ GLO!VentUs?

CJ GLO!VentUs is a global startup acceleration program jointly operated by CJ Investment and the Gyeonggi Center for Creative Economy & Innovation. In partnership with Silicon Valley-based accelerator Alchemist, the program offers eight weeks of market-entry education and on-site Immersion Week sessions in San Francisco, where startups pitch to investors and meet potential partners. The Gyeonggi Center serves as the national hub among Korea's 19 innovation centers to support global expansion for Korean startups. more

Career development

 19h

How to Interview for High-Level Talent - John Spence


After serving as CEO of one of the Rockefeller family foundations, I spent several years acting as a stand-in CEO for a few different organizations. My role was two-part. I was responsible for keeping the organization running smoothly while also leading the search for its next permanent CEO. That included interviewing candidates and bringing the person I believed was best suited to the role to the... board for final approval.

Over the course of those years, I interviewed dozens of people for senior positions, and I started every interview the same way.

I would look at the clock on the wall in my office, look back at the candidate, and ask one question:

"Could you please take the next 20 to 30 minutes and, in as much detail as possible, tell me everything you know about our company, our top three competitors, our industry, and where you see it in five years?"

If they couldn't answer that question, the interview was over.

It still surprises people when I tell them how often that happened. Upwards of 80 percent of the candidates interviewing to lead a major company couldn't go more than a few minutes before running out of things to say. The question wasn't designed to trick anyone. It was designed to weed out the people who didn't really want a career there. They just wanted a job. Anyone can show up ready to talk about their résumé, their leadership style, or their compensation expectations.

But someone who has studied your business, your competitors, and your customers is showing something far more valuable: genuine interest.

I learned that lesson early in my career. When I was right out of college and applying for a position at the foundation, I decided to take the process as seriously as a final exam. Instead of sending a résumé, I submitted a 28-page proposal with more than a hundred ideas for how I could help the organization succeed. This was 1989, long before the internet or artificial intelligence, so it took a great deal of research and effort to gather that information.

When I arrived to interview with Mr. Rockefeller, he told me that my proposal contained more good ideas than anyone in the organization had given him. Then he asked me only two questions:

"When do you want to start?" and "How much do you want to make?"

That experience taught me the value of thorough preparation.

A high-level candidate should be able to speak with confidence about your products and services, understand your vision and mission, and recognize how you create value for your customers. They should know your competitive positioning, the challenges facing your industry, and where new opportunities may be emerging. That level of preparation signals that they have done their homework and care deeply about the role they are pursuing.

I often told boards that this question was my filter for commitment. It instantly separated people who wanted a paycheck from those who wanted to make an impact. The ones who couldn't answer weren't bad people. They just hadn't cared enough to prepare.

So here's my advice:

The next time you are interviewing for a senior role, ask that same question. Let them take it as far as they can. Within half an hour, you will know everything you need to know.

I recently built a new landing page highlighting my updated sessions, created with association leaders in mind, but filled with insights that apply to any organization or business.

These programs focus on the future of leadership, building strong cultures, and executing strategy with clarity and discipline. I was honored to share this material at the ASAE Conference, where I was also inducted into the Speakers Hall of Fame. more

Career development

 21h

12 Ways Child-Free Partners Build a Sense of Legacy Without Parenting


When you and your partner decide not to have children, people often assume you've given up any chance at a sense of legacy. They picture legacy as college funds, family portraits on the staircase wall, and grandkids running through the house. But legacy is really about what lasts after you're gone: the people you've influenced, the work you've done, and the choices you've made with your money and... time. Child-free partners actually have a unique opportunity to design that on purpose instead of defaulting to expectations. With some intention, your everyday decisions can add up to a future you're proud to leave behind.

1. Treating Your Life's Work Like an Asset

Many people see their job as just a paycheck, but you might see your career or business as something that outlives your own résumé. Building systems, mentoring coworkers, or creating something that continues without you turns your work into a long-term contribution. That could be a company you help grow, a process you design, or a team culture you influence for years. When you think of your career this way, promotions and raises aren't just personal wins; they're tools for impact. Looking at your working years as more than survival is one of the simplest ways to start building long-term impact through what you do every day.

2. Turning Money Goals Into a Sense of Legacy

Financial planning is often framed around children's futures, but your money can still tell a powerful story without parenting. You can direct your savings toward causes, projects, or people who reflect your deepest values. That might mean funding scholarships, supporting community programs, or backing small businesses that change your city for the better. When you label specific accounts with names that matter to you, every transfer feels like a vote for the future you want to see. Over time, these choices turn your bank balances into a living sense of legacy instead of just numbers on a screen.

3. Investing in Nieces, Nephews, and Younger Relatives

Even if you're not raising kids, you might still have younger people in your orbit who look up to you. Being the reliable aunt, uncle, or older cousin can be more than holiday gifts and occasional texts. You can show up at games, graduations, and tough conversations in ways that stick with them for life. If you're able, you can also help with strategic financial boosts, like a used car, a certificate program, or a small business starter fund. These targeted acts of support can change the trajectory of someone's life without you ever having your own child.

4. Using Estate Planning to Write Your Own Story

A will, beneficiary designations, and other legal documents aren't just paperwork; they're a roadmap for what happens to your effort and earnings after you're gone. When you're intentional about this, you can shape where your assets go and what they continue to support. You might leave resources to relatives, charities, or organizations that match the values you lived by during your lifetime. Working with a professional can help you sort out taxes, trusts, and practical details so your plans actually happen. Clear instructions keep strangers and default rules from deciding how your sense of legacy shows up in the world.

5. Mentoring the Next Wave

Legacy often shows up in the people you've helped step into their own power. As a child-free partner with focused time and energy, you can mentor younger colleagues, interns, or entrepreneurs in meaningful ways. That might look like regular coffee chats, reviewing résumés, or sharing the lessons you had to learn the hard way. Over time, you'll start to see your fingerprints on their achievements, even if your name isn't on the headline. Knowing you helped someone avoid common mistakes or gain confidence is a form of long-term impact that doesn't require parenting.

6. Turning Everyday Generosity Into a Pattern

Generosity doesn't have to mean writing huge checks; it can mean small, consistent choices that build up over time. You might set up automatic monthly donations to a local food pantry, animal rescue, or community center. You can also give your time, lending your skills to boards, volunteer projects, or advocacy work that matters to you. As your income grows, you can increase these commitments in a way that still fits your budget. Over the years, those steady habits of giving become another thread in your sense of legacy, woven through the lives you've touched.

7. Creating Work and Art That Outlasts You

Books, songs, businesses, software, and creative projects don't have to be famous to matter. Whether you're writing a niche blog, releasing indie music, or building an online resource, you're leaving something behind that can help people you'll never meet. These projects can also become small income streams that continue supporting causes or loved ones in the future. You don't have to quit your day job to do this; side projects and passion work absolutely count. The key is treating your creativity as one of the ways you leave a mark, not just as a hobby you fit in when you're bored.

8. Designing a Home That Anchors Community

Your home can be more than a private retreat; it can be a gathering place for friends, neighbors, and extended family. Hosting dinners, game nights, or holiday traditions gives people warm memories that stick long after specific gifts are forgotten. You might be the couple who always has a spare bed for a friend in transition or a safe space for tough conversations. Those intangibles create stories people tell for years, especially when they're looking back on what made them feel supported. In this way, your address becomes part of your long-term footprint.

9. Prioritizing Advocacy and Change

If there are issues you care deeply about -- climate, justice, education, healthcare -- you can build part of your legacy by consistently supporting change. That might mean donating, volunteering, or using your professional skills to help organizations that are already doing the work. You can also be the person in your social and professional circles who keeps certain conversations alive and grounded in facts. Over time, your steady advocacy can shift how people think and act, even if you're not leading a movement. Your influence becomes a thread that runs quietly through other people's choices.

10. Building Traditions With Your Partner and Friends

Traditions aren't reserved for families with kids; they can be created by any group that decides to keep showing up for each other. Maybe you host an annual trip, a themed dinner, or a small ritual you repeat on birthdays or career milestones. These routines give your life rhythm and give the people you love something to look forward to. Even if the circle changes over time, the traditions you start can continue in new forms. Those shared rituals become part of how people remember you and can fuel a sense of legacy that lives on in your favorite stories.

11. Caring for Aging Loved Ones With Intention

If you're in a position to help aging parents, relatives, or even older friends, that support becomes part of your personal story. Coordinating care, managing paperwork, and simply showing up regularly can completely change someone's final years. This kind of responsibility can be emotionally and financially heavy, but it's also profoundly meaningful. You can plan for it by setting aside money, documenting wishes, and sharing the load with siblings or trusted friends. When people look back, they'll remember how you handled that season as one of the clearest reflections of your character.

12. Defining Legacy on Your Own Terms

At the end of the day, no one else gets to decide what your life "should" add up to. You and your partner have the freedom to choose where your time, money, and energy go, and that freedom is powerful. When you use it thoughtfully, you build a life that feels honest instead of borrowed from someone else's script. Your impact might be quieter than a family tree, but it can be just as deep and far-reaching. Knowing you chose that path intentionally can give you a lasting sense of legacy, whether or not you ever become parents.

Which of these ideas feels most like the kind of legacy you and your partner want to build -- and what's one small step you could take this year to move toward it? Share your thoughts in the comments. more

Career development

 22h

Metro Engineering Certification Form Preparation


I'm preparing an application for a Railway Systems engineering accreditation and need a specialist to translate my raw material into a polished, submission-ready form. The assessor expects precise, technically sound wording backed by clear visuals, so familiarity with metro and urban rail systems is essential. What I will hand over * Detailed write-ups for several metro system design projects * A... résumé of my technical skills and competencies * Photos, drawings and data sheets that can be turned into supporting pictorials What I need from you * Re-draft each section of the application form so it objectively showcases my project experience in metro system design and highlights the specific skills the board is looking for * Select or refine the most relevant images/diagrams and embed or cross-reference them exactly where the form allows * Ensure tone, terminology and formatting meet typical professional-certification standards (think IRSE, IEEE, or equivalent) * Return a clean, ready-to-submit PDF/Word version plus the editable source Acceptance criteria 1. All mandatory fields in the accreditation form are fully completed and internally consistent. 2. Every project description is concise (250-300 words unless otherwise required) and evidence-based, using the supplied data. 3. At least one illustrative figure accompanies each project entry, labeled and referenced correctly. 4. No spelling, grammar or alignment issues; technical terminology is accurate and up to date with current metro rail practice. I'm available to clarify technical points quickly, so you can stay focused on structuring and refining the content. more