Career development

 13h

Interview Advice for School and College Leavers


Going to a job interview can feel daunting, but it is a great opportunity to discuss your skills and why you would be the best fit for this position with the employer face-to-face. Preparing effectively for an interview will help you feel more confident and comfortable talking to the employer. It will help you better state your points clearly.

Before the interview:

Research the Company -... Learn as much as you can about the company you are applying to. This will help you understand what the company does and explore its values. You will be prepared if you are asked about your knowledge of the company, and this will show that you are well-prepared and invested in the interview.

Arrive on time - Arriving 5 - 10 minutes early for your interview will show you are eager and punctual.

Practice answers to common questions - Research common interview questions for your selected role and think of some well-thought-out answers. This will expose you to the types of questions you might be asked in your interview. Practice talking to a friend or family member and answering the questions as if you are in the interview.

Dress smartly - Whilst this might seem obvious, dressing smartly, even if the company dress code is casual, will make you stand out as professional and instantly set a positive tone.

These tips will help you prepare for your interview effectively, so you can answer any questions the employer asks with confidence. Remember that an interview is just an opportunity to tell the employer more about yourself and to emphasise how you are the best fit for that role; don't think of it as an exam.

Some interview sessions may involve you attending an assessment centre or presenting to the employer. Some assessment days may involve you completing tasks set by the employer to assess your transferable skills (e.g. how you communicate with people, teamwork skills, dealing with problems) - these are skills which the employer will be looking for. The employer will usually send you an email with details about the assessment day, including how long the day will last and what types of tasks you may be completing. You can also have hybrid days where you complete tasks and also attend an interview.

On the day of the interview:

Ensure that before you set off for the interview, you check you have all the documents you may need to bring (e.g. national insurance number, birth certificate, driving licence). If they are not listed on the email, and you are unsure, you could contact the company and ask if they would require any documents for the interview; however, if they need to see these documents, they would usually ask you.

If your interview is online, ensure that you are logged on to your computer and check your internet connection is stable well before your interview starts. If you are having trouble, ensure that you contact the employer well before your interview is scheduled to start.

If you are ready to start your interview 5-10 minutes before it is scheduled to start, it will instantly create a good impression with the employer and show you are punctual, which is one of the transferable skills that employers are often looking out for.

The interview and the STAR method:

The best way to get a lot of your points across clearly and concisely is by using the STAR method.

Situation - Describe the situation that you had to deal with.

Task - The task that you had to do to deal with the situation.

Action - What you did to complete the task.

Result - What happened after you completed your action, the outcome of this and what you learned.

You can use this method to showcase your transferable skills, and use real-life examples to show the employer how you use your skills in real-life situations. You can research examples of interview questions and use the STAR method to answer them effectively. You can include examples of your school life if you are struggling to think of examples. For example, if you are asked about times you have worked as part of a team, you could talk about being part of a sports team or being part of an extracurricular club.

If you can, try to think of a question to ask the interviewer if they ask if you have any questions for them. This shows that you are active and willing to learn more about the company.

Best of luck with your interviews! more
1   

Nancy Stones


Career development 1d

If you found out a coworker with the same responsibilities was earning 25% more than you, would you ask for a raise immediately or start looking for a new job? Why?
2   
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Mudassir Hussain
Career development 13h
Can AI rule in Future? What your opinion? And how we can save our Jobs?

  • General Pass

    1
    10h

    Forget about AI , I’m looking for an online customer personnel

Anonymous member


Career development 2d
Have you ever stayed in a job you disliked simply because the market felt too risky to leave? At what point do you decide it's time to move on?
2   

  • prasad r

    1h

    it's normal , i think. many people forced to hold on to their job they dislike. When they get a new offer they feel a relief and move

  • kedi john

    22h

    I think the good approach is continuing earning from the job while searching for that of ur passion rather than quitting to sit back at home jobless

    1
Load more...

Mick Miles


Career development 3d
Would you accept a job that pays 30% more if it required you to be in the office five days a week instead of working remotely? What would ultimately drive your decision?
10   
Load more...

Career development

 16h

Keke Palmer Brings KeyTV And Industry Expertise To UCLA Film And Theater Students


KeyTV, Palmer's digital media network, aims to amplify underrepresented voices and prepare students for careers in creator-driven media through the partnership with UCLA.

Class is in session with Keke Palmer.

The actor, entrepreneur, and entertainment powerhouse is adding another title to her impressive résumé, joining the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Theater, Film and... Television as an artist in residence, according to a news release. Through a five-year partnership, Palmer will bring her expertise to campus for mentorship opportunities and quarterly workshops on pitching, distribution strategy, business ownership, career sustainability, and personal brand development.

Inside Keke Palmer's New UCLA Residency

The program, titled "From Blocking to Broadcast," launches during the 2026-27 academic year and will connect students with real-world entertainment industry experience in content packaging, marketing, and digital audience engagement, the news release noted. The initiative is designed to help amplify underrepresented voices while allowing students to create original content for Palmer's digital media network, KeyTV.

"UCLA TFT is a place where artists learn to be in practice, to experience trial and error, to take projects off the page," Palmer said, per the release. "That is also the mission of KeyTV. We know that education is key to democratizing opportunities, and I am eager to both learn from and support UCLA TFT students."

As part of the partnership, students will develop and produce original multimedia projects, working alongside faculty while receiving mentorship from Palmer. KeyTV will distribute at least three projects each year, pending quality review.

Students may produce a range of projects -- including video podcasts, television pilots, music videos, and musical or dance theater productions -- guided by faculty expertise, academic goals, and Palmer's creative background, per the release.

The initiative also aims to prepare students for an evolving media landscape, helping them navigate emerging technologies such as generative AI while building careers in creator-driven media.

"It is no small feat to pursue higher education, especially at a prestigious institution. I look forward to listening, encouraging, and offering them more than one chance to succeed," Palmer added.

KeyTV's Impact On The Creator Economy

Palmer launched KeyTV in 2022 as a digital media platform dedicated to content created by BIPOC storytellers, according to the news release. The company has produced nearly 30 original projects and recently introduced KeyTV Days at Special Academy, a six-week program designed to support aspiring creatives from underrepresented communities.

In announcing the partnership, university leaders praised Palmer's commitment to mentorship and collaboration, noting that her career reflects a belief in creating opportunities for others while helping emerging artists develop their unique voices.

"Diverse voices matter more than ever," said Dean Celine Parreñas Shimizu. "People of color and the underrepresented have always made counter cinemas and birthed social movements grounded in cinema as technology of resistance. Bringing an artist of Keke's caliber into the spaces where our students are learning to develop their stories will inspire them to see and believe what is possible when you are willing to work hard and are committed to educating and uplifting one another."

The post Keke Palmer Brings KeyTV And Industry Expertise To UCLA Film And Theater Students appeared first on AfroTech.

The post Keke Palmer Brings KeyTV And Industry Expertise To UCLA Film And Theater Students appeared first on AfroTech. more

Career development

 17h

My classmates laughed at me for being a garbage collector's son -- Then I made them regret it


My classmates made fun of me because I'm the son of a garbage collector -- but at graduation, I only said one sentence, and the whole gym went dead silent and started crying.

I'm Daniel (18M), and my life has always smelled like diesel, bleach, and old food rotting in plastic bags.

My mom didn't grow up wanting to grab trash cans at 4 a.m.

She wanted to be a nurse.

She was in nursing school,... married, with a little apartment and a husband who worked construction.

Then one day, his harness failed.

The fall killed him before the ambulance even got there.

After that, we were constantly battling hospital bills, the funeral costs, and everything she owed for school.

Overnight, she went from "future nurse" to "widow with no degree and a kid."

Nobody was lining up to hire her.

The city sanitation department didn't care about degrees or gaps on a résumé.

They cared if you'd show up before sunrise and keep showing up.

So she put on a reflective vest, climbed onto the back of a truck, and became "the trash lady."

Which made me "trash lady's kid." That name stuck.

In elementary school, kids would wrinkle their noses when I sat down.

"You smell like the garbage truck," they'd say.

"Careful, he bites."

By middle school, it was routine.

If I walked by, people would pinch their noses in slow motion.

If we did group work, I'd be the last pick, the spare chair.

I learned the layout of every school hallway because I was always looking for places to eat alone.

My favorite spot ended up being behind the vending machines by the old auditorium.

Quiet. Dusty. Safe.

At home, though, I was a different person.

"How was school, mi amor?" Mom would ask, peeling off rubber gloves, fingers red and swollen.

I'd kick my shoes off and lean on the counter.

"It was good," I'd say. "We're doing a project. I sat with some friends. Teacher says I'm doing great."

She'd light up.

"Of course. You're the smartest boy in the world."

I couldn't tell her that some days I didn't say 10 words out loud at school.

That I ate lunch alone.

That when her truck turned down our street while kids were around, I pretended not to see her wave.

She already carried my dad's death, the debt, the double shifts.

I wasn't going to add "My kid is miserable" to her pile.

So I made one promise to myself: If she was going to break her body for me, I was going to make it worth it.

Education became my escape plan.

We didn't have money for tutors, prep classes, or fancy programs.

What I had was a library card, a beat-up laptop Mom bought with recycled can money, and a lot of stubbornness.

I'd camp in the library until closing.

Algebra, physics, whatever I could find.

At night, Mom would dump bags of cans on the kitchen floor to sort.

I'd sit at the table doing homework while she worked on the ground.

Every once in a while, she'd nod at my notebook.

"You understand all that?"

"Mostly," I'd say.

"You're going to go further than me."

High school started, and the jokes got quieter but sharper.

People didn't yell "trash boy" anymore.

They did stuff like:

Slide their chairs an inch away when I sat.

Make fake gagging sounds under their breath.

Send each other snaps of the garbage truck outside and laugh, glancing at me.

If there were group chats with pictures of my mom, I never saw them.

I could've told a counselor or a teacher.

But then they'd call home.

And then Mom would know.

So I swallowed it and focused on grades.

That's when Mr. Anderson showed up in my life.

He was my 11th-grade math teacher.

Late 30s, messy hair, tie always loose, coffee permanently attached to his hand.

One day, he walked past my desk and stopped.

I was doing extra problems I'd printed off a college website.

"Those aren't from the book."

I jerked my hand back like I'd been caught cheating.

"Uh, yeah, I just... like this stuff."

He dragged over a chair and sat next to me like we were equals.

"You like this stuff?"

"It makes sense. Numbers don't care who your mom works for."

He stared at me for a second. Then he said, "Have you ever thought about engineering? Or computer science?"

I laughed. "Those schools are for rich kids. We can't even afford the application fee."

"Fee waivers exist. Financial aid exists. Smart poor kids exist. You're one of them."

I shrugged, embarrassed.

From then on, he kind of became my unofficial coach.

He gave me old competition problems "for fun."

He'd let me eat lunch in his classroom, claiming he "needed help grading."

He'd talk about algorithms and data structures like it was gossip.

He also showed me websites for schools I'd only heard of on TV.

"Places like this would fight over you," he said, pointing at one.

"Not if they see my address."

He sighed. "Daniel, your zip code is not a prison."

By senior year, my GPA was the highest in the class.

People started calling me "the smart kid."

Some said it with respect, some said it like it was a disease.

"Of course, he got an A. It's not like he has a life."

"Teachers feel bad for him. That's why."

Meanwhile, Mom was pulling double routes to pay off the last of the hospital bills.

One afternoon, Mr. Anderson asked me to stay after class.

He dropped a brochure on my desk.

Big fancy logo.

I recognized it right away.

One of the top engineering institutes in the country.

"I want you to apply here," he said.

I stared at it like it might catch fire.

"Yeah, okay. Hilarious."

"I'm serious. They have full rides for students like you. I checked."

"I can't just leave my mom. She cleans offices at night, too. I help."

"I'm not saying it'll be easy. I'm saying you deserve the chance to choose. Let them tell you no. Don't tell yourself no first."

So we did it in secret.

After school, I'd sit in his classroom and work on essays.

The first draft I wrote was some generic "I like math, I want to help people" garbage.

He read it and shook his head.

"This could be anyone. Where are you?"

So I started over.

I wrote about 4 a.m. alarms and orange vests.

About my dad's empty boots by the door.

About Mom studying drug dosages once and then hauling medical waste now.

About lying to her face when she asked if I had friends.

When I finished reading, Mr. Anderson was quiet for a long second. Then he cleared his throat.

"Yeah. Send that one."

I told Mom I was applying to "some schools abroad," but I didn't say which.

I couldn't stand the idea of watching her get excited and then having to say, "Never mind."

The rejection, if it came, would be mine alone.

The email arrived on a Tuesday.

I was half-asleep, eating cereal dust.

My phone buzzed.

Admissions Decision.

My hands shook as I opened it.

"Dear Daniel, congratulations..."

I stopped, blinked hard, then read it again.

Full ride.

Grants.

Work-study.

Housing.

The whole thing.

I laughed, then slapped a hand over my mouth.

Mom was in the shower.

By the time she came out, I'd printed the letter and folded it.

"All I'll say is it's good news," I told her, handing it over.

She read slowly.

Her hand flew to her mouth.

"Is this... real?"

"It's real," I said.

"You're going to college," she said. "You're really going."

She hugged me so hard my spine popped.

"I told your father," she cried into my shoulder. "I told him you would do this."

We celebrated with a big cake and a plastic "CONGRATS" banner.

She kept saying, "My son is going to college overseas," like a spell.

I decided I'd save the full reveal -- the school's name, the scholarship, everything -- for graduation.

Make it the moment she'd remember forever.

Graduation day came.

The gym was packed.

Caps, gowns, screaming siblings, parents in their best clothes.

I spotted Mom all the way in the back bleachers, sitting as straight as she could, hair done, phone ready.

Closer to the stage, I saw Mr. Anderson leaning against the wall with the teachers.

He gave me a small nod.

We sang the national anthem.

The boring speeches.

Names being called.

My heart pounded harder with each row.

Then: "Our valedictorian, Daniel."

The applause sounded... weird.

Half polite, half surprised.

I walked up to the mic.

I already knew how I wanted to start.

"My mom has been picking up your trash for years," I said, voice steady.

The room went still.

A few people shifted.

Nobody laughed.

"I'm Daniel," I went on, "and a lot of you know me as 'trash lady's kid.'"

Nervous chuckles floated up, then died.

"What most of you don't know," I said, "is that my mom was a nursing student before my dad died in a construction accident. She dropped out to work in sanitation so I could eat."

I swallowed.

"And almost every day since first grade, some version of 'trash' has followed me around this school."

I listed a few things, voice calm:

People pinching their noses.

Gagging noises.

Snaps of the garbage truck.

Chairs sliding away.

"In all that time," I said, "there's one person I never told."

I looked up at the back row.

Mom was leaning forward, eyes wide.

"My mom," I said. "Every day she came home exhausted and asked, 'How was school?' and every day I lied. I told her I had friends. That everyone was nice. Because I didn't want her to think she'd failed me."

She pressed her hands over her face.

"I'm telling the truth now," I said, voice cracking just a little, "because she deserves to know what she was really fighting against."

I took a breath.

"But I also didn't do this alone. I had a teacher who saw past my hoodie and my last name."

I glanced at the staff.

"Mr. Anderson," I said, "thank you for the extra problems, the fee waivers, the essay drafts, and for saying 'why not you' until I started believing it."

He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.

"Mom," I said, turning back to the bleachers, "you thought giving up nursing school meant you failed. You thought picking up trash made you less. But everything I've done is built on your getting up at 3:30 a.m."

I pulled the folded letter from my gown.

"So here's what your sacrifice turned into," I said. "That college abroad that I told you about? It's not just any college."

The gym leaned in.

"In the fall," I said, "I'm going to one of the top engineering institutes in the world. On a full scholarship."

For half a second, there was total silence.

Then the place exploded.

People shouted.

Clapped.

Someone yelled, "NO WAY!"

My mom shot to her feet, screaming her lungs out.

"My son!" she yelled. "My son is going to the best school!"

Her voice cracked, and she started crying.

I could feel my own throat closing up.

"I'm not saying this to flex," I added, once it calmed down a little. "I'm saying it because some of you are like me. Your parents clean, drive, fix, lift, haul. You're embarrassed. You shouldn't be."

I looked around the gym.

"Your parents' job doesn't define your worth," I said. "And neither does it dictate theirs. Respect the people who pick up after you. Their kids might be the ones up here next."

I finished with, "Mom... this one is for you. Thank you."

When I walked away from the mic, people were on their feet.

Some of the same classmates who'd joked about my mom had tears on their faces.

I don't know if it was guilt or just emotion.

I just know the "trash kid" walked back to his seat to a standing ovation.

After the ceremony, in the parking lot, Mom practically tackled me.

She hugged me so hard my cap fell off.

"You went through all that?" she whispered. "And I didn't know?"

"I didn't want to hurt you," I said.

She cupped my face in both hands.

"You were trying to protect me," she said. "But I'm your mother. Next time, let me protect you too, okay?"

I laughed, eyes still wet.

"Okay," I said. "Deal."

That night, we sat at our little kitchen table.

My diploma and the acceptance letter lay between us like something holy.

I could still smell the faint mix of bleach and trash on her uniform hanging by the door.

For the first time, it didn't make me feel small.

It made me feel like I was standing on someone's shoulders.

I'm still "trash lady's kid."

Always will be.

But now, when I hear it in my head, it doesn't sound like an insult.

It sounds like a title I earned the hard way.

And in a few months, when I step onto that campus, I'll know exactly who got me there.

The woman who spent a decade picking up everyone else's garbage so I could pick up the life she once dreamed of for herself.

This story is inspired by the real experiences of our readers. We believe that every story carries a lesson that can bring light to others. To protect everyone's privacy, our editors may change names, locations, and certain details while keeping the heart of the story true. Images are for illustration only. If you'd like to share your own experience, please contact us via email. more

Career development

 17h

My classmates laughed at me for being a garbage collector's son -- Then I made them regret it


My classmates made fun of me because I'm the son of a garbage collector -- but at graduation, I only said one sentence, and the whole gym went dead silent and started crying.

I'm Daniel (18M), and my life has always smelled like diesel, bleach, and old food rotting in plastic bags.

My mom didn't grow up wanting to grab trash cans at 4 a.m.

She wanted to be a nurse.

She was in nursing school,... married, with a little apartment and a husband who worked construction.

Then one day, his harness failed.

The fall killed him before the ambulance even got there.

After that, we were constantly battling hospital bills, the funeral costs, and everything she owed for school.

Overnight, she went from "future nurse" to "widow with no degree and a kid."

Nobody was lining up to hire her.

The city sanitation department didn't care about degrees or gaps on a résumé.

They cared if you'd show up before sunrise and keep showing up.

So she put on a reflective vest, climbed onto the back of a truck, and became "the trash lady."

Which made me "trash lady's kid." That name stuck.

In elementary school, kids would wrinkle their noses when I sat down.

"You smell like the garbage truck," they'd say.

"Careful, he bites."

By middle school, it was routine.

If I walked by, people would pinch their noses in slow motion.

If we did group work, I'd be the last pick, the spare chair.

I learned the layout of every school hallway because I was always looking for places to eat alone.

My favorite spot ended up being behind the vending machines by the old auditorium.

Quiet. Dusty. Safe.

At home, though, I was a different person.

"How was school, mi amor?" Mom would ask, peeling off rubber gloves, fingers red and swollen.

I'd kick my shoes off and lean on the counter.

"It was good," I'd say. "We're doing a project. I sat with some friends. Teacher says I'm doing great."

She'd light up.

"Of course. You're the smartest boy in the world."

I couldn't tell her that some days I didn't say 10 words out loud at school.

That I ate lunch alone.

That when her truck turned down our street while kids were around, I pretended not to see her wave.

She already carried my dad's death, the debt, the double shifts.

I wasn't going to add "My kid is miserable" to her pile.

So I made one promise to myself: If she was going to break her body for me, I was going to make it worth it.

Education became my escape plan.

We didn't have money for tutors, prep classes, or fancy programs.

What I had was a library card, a beat-up laptop Mom bought with recycled can money, and a lot of stubbornness.

I'd camp in the library until closing.

Algebra, physics, whatever I could find.

At night, Mom would dump bags of cans on the kitchen floor to sort.

I'd sit at the table doing homework while she worked on the ground.

Every once in a while, she'd nod at my notebook.

"You understand all that?"

"Mostly," I'd say.

"You're going to go further than me."

High school started, and the jokes got quieter but sharper.

People didn't yell "trash boy" anymore.

They did stuff like:

Slide their chairs an inch away when I sat.

Make fake gagging sounds under their breath.

Send each other snaps of the garbage truck outside and laugh, glancing at me.

If there were group chats with pictures of my mom, I never saw them.

I could've told a counselor or a teacher.

But then they'd call home.

And then Mom would know.

So I swallowed it and focused on grades.

That's when Mr. Anderson showed up in my life.

He was my 11th-grade math teacher.

Late 30s, messy hair, tie always loose, coffee permanently attached to his hand.

One day, he walked past my desk and stopped.

I was doing extra problems I'd printed off a college website.

"Those aren't from the book."

I jerked my hand back like I'd been caught cheating.

"Uh, yeah, I just... like this stuff."

He dragged over a chair and sat next to me like we were equals.

"You like this stuff?"

"It makes sense. Numbers don't care who your mom works for."

He stared at me for a second. Then he said, "Have you ever thought about engineering? Or computer science?"

I laughed. "Those schools are for rich kids. We can't even afford the application fee."

"Fee waivers exist. Financial aid exists. Smart poor kids exist. You're one of them."

I shrugged, embarrassed.

From then on, he kind of became my unofficial coach.

He gave me old competition problems "for fun."

He'd let me eat lunch in his classroom, claiming he "needed help grading."

He'd talk about algorithms and data structures like it was gossip.

He also showed me websites for schools I'd only heard of on TV.

"Places like this would fight over you," he said, pointing at one.

"Not if they see my address."

He sighed. "Daniel, your zip code is not a prison."

By senior year, my GPA was the highest in the class.

People started calling me "the smart kid."

Some said it with respect, some said it like it was a disease.

"Of course, he got an A. It's not like he has a life."

"Teachers feel bad for him. That's why."

Meanwhile, Mom was pulling double routes to pay off the last of the hospital bills.

One afternoon, Mr. Anderson asked me to stay after class.

He dropped a brochure on my desk.

Big fancy logo.

I recognized it right away.

One of the top engineering institutes in the country.

"I want you to apply here," he said.

I stared at it like it might catch fire.

"Yeah, okay. Hilarious."

"I'm serious. They have full rides for students like you. I checked."

"I can't just leave my mom. She cleans offices at night, too. I help."

"I'm not saying it'll be easy. I'm saying you deserve the chance to choose. Let them tell you no. Don't tell yourself no first."

So we did it in secret.

After school, I'd sit in his classroom and work on essays.

The first draft I wrote was some generic "I like math, I want to help people" garbage.

He read it and shook his head.

"This could be anyone. Where are you?"

So I started over.

I wrote about 4 a.m. alarms and orange vests.

About my dad's empty boots by the door.

About Mom studying drug dosages once and then hauling medical waste now.

About lying to her face when she asked if I had friends.

When I finished reading, Mr. Anderson was quiet for a long second. Then he cleared his throat.

"Yeah. Send that one."

I told Mom I was applying to "some schools abroad," but I didn't say which.

I couldn't stand the idea of watching her get excited and then having to say, "Never mind."

The rejection, if it came, would be mine alone.

The email arrived on a Tuesday.

I was half-asleep, eating cereal dust.

My phone buzzed.

Admissions Decision.

My hands shook as I opened it.

"Dear Daniel, congratulations..."

I stopped, blinked hard, then read it again.

Full ride.

Grants.

Work-study.

Housing.

The whole thing.

I laughed, then slapped a hand over my mouth.

Mom was in the shower.

By the time she came out, I'd printed the letter and folded it.

"All I'll say is it's good news," I told her, handing it over.

She read slowly.

Her hand flew to her mouth.

"Is this... real?"

"It's real," I said.

"You're going to college," she said. "You're really going."

She hugged me so hard my spine popped.

"I told your father," she cried into my shoulder. "I told him you would do this."

We celebrated with a big cake and a plastic "CONGRATS" banner.

She kept saying, "My son is going to college overseas," like a spell.

I decided I'd save the full reveal -- the school's name, the scholarship, everything -- for graduation.

Make it the moment she'd remember forever.

Graduation day came.

The gym was packed.

Caps, gowns, screaming siblings, parents in their best clothes.

I spotted Mom all the way in the back bleachers, sitting as straight as she could, hair done, phone ready.

Closer to the stage, I saw Mr. Anderson leaning against the wall with the teachers.

He gave me a small nod.

We sang the national anthem.

The boring speeches.

Names being called.

My heart pounded harder with each row.

Then: "Our valedictorian, Daniel."

The applause sounded... weird.

Half polite, half surprised.

I walked up to the mic.

I already knew how I wanted to start.

"My mom has been picking up your trash for years," I said, voice steady.

The room went still.

A few people shifted.

Nobody laughed.

"I'm Daniel," I went on, "and a lot of you know me as 'trash lady's kid.'"

Nervous chuckles floated up, then died.

"What most of you don't know," I said, "is that my mom was a nursing student before my dad died in a construction accident. She dropped out to work in sanitation so I could eat."

I swallowed.

"And almost every day since first grade, some version of 'trash' has followed me around this school."

I listed a few things, voice calm:

People pinching their noses.

Gagging noises.

Snaps of the garbage truck.

Chairs sliding away.

"In all that time," I said, "there's one person I never told."

I looked up at the back row.

Mom was leaning forward, eyes wide.

"My mom," I said. "Every day she came home exhausted and asked, 'How was school?' and every day I lied. I told her I had friends. That everyone was nice. Because I didn't want her to think she'd failed me."

She pressed her hands over her face.

"I'm telling the truth now," I said, voice cracking just a little, "because she deserves to know what she was really fighting against."

I took a breath.

"But I also didn't do this alone. I had a teacher who saw past my hoodie and my last name."

I glanced at the staff.

"Mr. Anderson," I said, "thank you for the extra problems, the fee waivers, the essay drafts, and for saying 'why not you' until I started believing it."

He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.

"Mom," I said, turning back to the bleachers, "you thought giving up nursing school meant you failed. You thought picking up trash made you less. But everything I've done is built on your getting up at 3:30 a.m."

I pulled the folded letter from my gown.

"So here's what your sacrifice turned into," I said. "That college abroad that I told you about? It's not just any college."

The gym leaned in.

"In the fall," I said, "I'm going to one of the top engineering institutes in the world. On a full scholarship."

For half a second, there was total silence.

Then the place exploded.

People shouted.

Clapped.

Someone yelled, "NO WAY!"

My mom shot to her feet, screaming her lungs out.

"My son!" she yelled. "My son is going to the best school!"

Her voice cracked, and she started crying.

I could feel my own throat closing up.

"I'm not saying this to flex," I added, once it calmed down a little. "I'm saying it because some of you are like me. Your parents clean, drive, fix, lift, haul. You're embarrassed. You shouldn't be."

I looked around the gym.

"Your parents' job doesn't define your worth," I said. "And neither does it dictate theirs. Respect the people who pick up after you. Their kids might be the ones up here next."

I finished with, "Mom... this one is for you. Thank you."

When I walked away from the mic, people were on their feet.

Some of the same classmates who'd joked about my mom had tears on their faces.

I don't know if it was guilt or just emotion.

I just know the "trash kid" walked back to his seat to a standing ovation.

After the ceremony, in the parking lot, Mom practically tackled me.

She hugged me so hard my cap fell off.

"You went through all that?" she whispered. "And I didn't know?"

"I didn't want to hurt you," I said.

She cupped my face in both hands.

"You were trying to protect me," she said. "But I'm your mother. Next time, let me protect you too, okay?"

I laughed, eyes still wet.

"Okay," I said. "Deal."

That night, we sat at our little kitchen table.

My diploma and the acceptance letter lay between us like something holy.

I could still smell the faint mix of bleach and trash on her uniform hanging by the door.

For the first time, it didn't make me feel small.

It made me feel like I was standing on someone's shoulders.

I'm still "trash lady's kid."

Always will be.

But now, when I hear it in my head, it doesn't sound like an insult.

It sounds like a title I earned the hard way.

And in a few months, when I step onto that campus, I'll know exactly who got me there.

The woman who spent a decade picking up everyone else's garbage so I could pick up the life she once dreamed of for herself.

This story is inspired by the real experiences of our readers. We believe that every story carries a lesson that can bring light to others. To protect everyone's privacy, our editors may change names, locations, and certain details while keeping the heart of the story true. Images are for illustration only. If you'd like to share your own experience, please contact us via email. more

Career development

 18h

Council Post: 10 Ways Candidates Proved Their Value Beyond AI-Generated Applications


In a world where AI can help almost anyone create a polished résumé or cover letter, hiring managers are asking a new question: How do you tell who can actually do the work? Many employers are looking beyond résumés for proof that a candidate can actually think, solve problems and create value.

Below, members of Forbes Human Resources Council share examples that caught their attention -- and... whether those candidates ultimately got the job. Whether through creative portfolios, original analyses or unconventional approaches to demonstrating their skills, candidates are finding memorable ways to showcase what AI can't replicate. more

Career development

 19h

Dear Class Of 2026: The Skills That Will Actually Get You Hired


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Congratulations 2026 college grads! Now, a reality check: you are entering the most constrained entry-level job market in five years.

The Cengage Group's 2025 Graduate Employability Report found that only 30% of 2025 graduates find jobs in their field, while 48% feel unprepared to even apply for entry-level positions. No need... to panic. The skills you need to stand out can be built right now , and most have little to do with your GPA or major.

In the age of AI, the most competitive graduates are not the ones who know the most. They are the ones who can think, connect, adapt, and ask better questions than any algorithm.

What Employers Are Looking For Right Now

The skills gap is real, but may not be what graduates expect. It is the gap between what employers actually want and what higher education believes it has prepared students for. Cengage's 2025 report found that while nearly 9 in 10 educators believe their students are workforce-ready, almost half of graduates say they feel unprepared to even apply for entry-level jobs.

Technical skills get you in the door. Human skills keep you there and move you up.

Marty Grimminck, CEO of International Connector, has spent over 20 years in workforce development with young people across the U.S., Canada, and globally. What she consistently sees mirrors what hiring leaders across industries confirm: "What consistently stands out to employers are skills like communication, adaptability, confidence, professionalism, and the ability to engage with different kinds of people and situations."

From conversations with hiring and operational leaders across industries, including group discussions within executive communities like Samudra, skills such as emotional intelligence, resilience, and curiosity are in high demand.

Here is what organizations are actually looking for in college graduates:

As one senior talent leader at Verizon put it: "It's easier to teach someone a technical skill than how to be resilient and find creative solutions to problems. That's why candidates must highlight their appetite for continuous growth and intellectual curiosity."

The Skills That Actually Matter: Beyond the Resume

Let's stop calling them soft skills. Career development experts now call empathy, critical thinking, and collaboration "power skills" and say proficiency in all three is required to succeed in most jobs. And they are precisely the skills many graduates currently lack.

Elyse Klaidman, CEO and founder of Xperiential, an experiential learning company preparing young people for the real world, shared via email, "Most students have fewer opportunities to practice these skills in meaningful ways, even though they're increasingly expected to demonstrate them. In the era of AI that we live in, these skills have to become core."

Empathy and Emotional Intelligence

From my own work and research, empathy is the ability to see, understand, and where appropriate, feel another person's perspective. By welcoming and synthesizing diverse perspectives, teams make smarter business decisions. In remote and hybrid environments especially, empathy bridges the gap when you cannot read body language or build relationships over lunch. It shows up in how you write an email, give feedback, stay emotionally regulated in crisis, and ask for help.

To demonstrate it: show examples of collaborating within diverse groups and navigating conflict. Take genuine interest in the interviewer and organization beyond what they can do for you. Share a time you received difficult feedback and how you moved forward.

Curiosity and a Research Mindset

Employers want graduates who ask better questions, not just ones who know more answers. Curiosity drives innovation, surfaces blind spots, and helps teams adapt when the playbook changes. Grimminck notes that the students who tend to stand out are not always the ones with perfect credentials -- they are the ones who ask thoughtful questions, build confidence through experience, and adapt when things don't go perfectly.

Show up to interviews with informed questions. Propose ideas nobody asked for. Volunteer to investigate something nobody has figured out yet.

Critical Thinking and Ambiguity Tolerance

AI can generate answers. It cannot always tell you which answer matters, why it matters, or what to do when the situation does not fit any template. That is where critical thinkers win. Organizations need humans who can interrogate and discern AI output without blindly taking it as gospel.

NACE's Job Outlook 2025 survey found a roughly 25 percentage point gap between how proficient students believe they are in critical thinking and how employers actually rate them -- making it one of the most significant readiness gaps in the workforce today.

Resilience and Adaptability

Resilience does not mean staying calm at all times. It is the ability to experience the highs and lows and return quickly to equilibrium. That ability to absorb setbacks, recalibrate, and keep going is built through experience, not just the classroom -- and it is exactly what employers are watching for in early-career candidates.

"Students have become used to environments where work is evaluated once and graded, rather than repeated cycles of feedback and revision, as opposed to seeing feedback and iteration as how learning happens," Klaidman further noted.,

This is also the skill most directly tied to self-awareness and empathy for yourself: recognizing your struggles, asking for support, and treating failures as data rather than judgments. Talk about times in work or life when you faced a curveball and how you responded - whether a layoff, an irate customer, or a personal challenge.

Grimminck puts it plainly: "What we often see firsthand is not laziness, but overwhelm and uncertainty caused by growing up in an environment of constant distraction, comparison, and rapidly changing expectations." The antidote is building real-world resilience before you need it.

Communication and Collaboration

In remote and hybrid work, communication is everything. The ability to write clearly, speak confidently, listen actively, and collaborate across difference is what helps a new graduate shine -- and what too many are missing.

Grimminck sees this firsthand: "Many young people are growing up in environments where constant digital stimulation competes for their attention. They are digitally fluent but haven't always developed the interpersonal confidence and real-world navigation skills that come from in-person interaction."

Brush up with trusted mentors on workplace etiquette. Practice writing professional emails. Volunteer to run or recap a meeting. Follow up on conversations in writing to signal reliability and clarity.

Navigating the Transition: Empathy for Yourself and Others

The first job is hard. The gap between academic culture and workplace culture is real in the best of times, let alone right now. Leadership paradigms and organizational structures are changing faster than the reality-bending landscapes in Inception -- and it catches most graduates off guard.

Expect ambiguity, feedback that stings, and moments where you feel like you do not belong. This is normal. It is not a signal to quit. It is a signal to get curious.

Empathy for yourself means giving yourself grace through the learning curve, asking questions without shame, and resisting the urge to perform competence you do not yet have. Empathy for others means recognizing that your manager is also navigating pressure, your colleagues have context you don't, and building trust takes time.

If you are entering a remote or hybrid role: connection does not happen automatically. Reach out, show up, follow up. That intentionality is what gets you noticed, mentored, and promoted.

Three Actions College Grads Can Take to Get Hired

1. Run an original research project.

Ever wonder why some experience at work, school, or even your favorite store had to be so hard? Pick a question your intended industry has not fully answered. Use AI to gather data and create a prototype, but apply your own analysis and point of view. Write it up. Share it. It is less about being right and more about your exploration process. This signals curiosity, critical thinking, and comfort with ambiguity in one move -- exactly what hiring managers say they cannot find enough of. Grimminck's CareerReady Connect program was built on this very insight: students who are actively engaged rather than just spoken to build confidence and begin thinking differently about what is possible.

2. Practice asking impact-driven questions -- out loud, in every setting.

Replace "What should I know?" with "What problem is this team trying to solve that nobody has cracked yet?" or "Where do you see the most untapped growth potential in this industry? What are competitors missing?" Questions that drive toward impact signal strategic thinking and make you memorable. Practice until it becomes instinct.

3. Build your empathy muscle deliberately.

Seek out a role, project, or volunteer experience that puts you in relationship with people whose backgrounds, perspectives, or challenges differ from yours. Empathy is not a personality trait. It is a practiced skill. As Grimminck notes, some of the most valuable growth comes from experiences that simply teach you how to work with people, communicate effectively, and navigate environments outside your comfort zone. The graduates who can demonstrate empathy in interviews, in teamwork, and in how they communicate will stand out in a field of equally credentialed candidates.

The Future Belongs to the Curious and the Connected

AI is not your competition. Rigidity is. The graduates who will thrive are the ones who stay curious, keep connecting, embrace discomfort as a teacher, and lead with both empathy and accountability from day one.

Your degree got you to the starting line. What you do with your humanity is what will carry you forward.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com more

Career development

 19h

What Do You Do When a Potential Employer Asks for a Writing Sample?


Depending on the job you're applying for, a writing sample might be a requirement of the applicant screening process. Employers, for many professional jobs, place a high value on writing skills when screening applicants.

That's especially the case when writing is a component of the job. In order to ensure candidates have the skills they need, it is not uncommon for hiring managers to request a... writing sample in addition to a resume or cover letter when they conduct their initial review of candidates. Or, you may be asked to bring a writing sample to a job interview.

Here's information regarding when companies request writing samples and how to submit them. You'll also find tips about choosing a writing sample as well as about how to write one.

When Do Employers Request a Writing Sample?

A writing sample is a common requirement for writing-intensive jobs in journalism, content development, publishing, public relations, communications, research, and consulting. However, you may be asked to provide a writing sample, or other examples of your work, for other types of positions.

For example, if you are applying for a position as an executive assistant to the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, and they will need you to write some of their correspondence, your writing skills are key.

Employer requirements vary as to what is asked for, and when during the application process applicants are asked to submit their sample. So remember, what you will be asked for depends entirely on the job and the company.

Choosing a Writing Sample

The most important consideration when choosing a writing sample should be quality. Make sure the writing is your very best and have it reviewed for content, spelling, and grammar before submitting; carefully proofread your sample.

If you don't have professional writing experience, you may have other options. For example, an academic paper that was well-received by a faculty member will suffice as a sample if you're applying for a job at a university.

A published article, either in print or online, is another good option. If you have a blog, feel free to submit your best blog post. If you've written posts on LinkedIn with content that relates to the job, go ahead and use that. If you're lucky enough to have published articles, especially for media jobs, that will bolster your credentials as a candidate.

Match the Sample With the Job

Another important factor is relevance. Whenever possible, you should always match the type of writing in your sample to the kind of writing required in your target job.

For example, a journalistically styled piece (or a press release that tells a story) is most suitable for media-related jobs, while an academic paper works best for a research job.

Write a Sample for the Job

Don't be intimidated if you don't have a writing sample to submit. It's always an option to compose a piece especially geared towards a particular position.

In fact, the hiring manager might appreciate your initiative. Just make sure the sample reflects your strongest writing.

Follow the Employer's Directions

Carefully follow any guidelines that your prospective employer provides regarding length or format.

If you're providing an academic sample, you can extract a segment from a longer paper if your sample is self-contained and understandable on its own. If you do this, then label your excerpt something like, "Introduction and Conclusion from a 30-page Thesis entitled The Evolution of Gender Roles in Post Industrial America."

Generally, directions for how to submit a writing sample are included in the job posting or provided by the employer. You may be asked either to email your writing sample with your resume and cover letter or to upload it to an online portal along with your other application materials.

Bring a Writing Sample to an Interview

If you're asked to bring a writing sample to an interview, print several copies. This way, you'll have enough for whomever you might meet with. The easiest way to bring them is in a portfolio along with extra copies of your resume and a list of references. If the interview is remote, email your writing sample to the hiring manager in advance.

When applying for jobs where writing is involved, be proactive. Even if an employer hasn't requested a sample, you can bring one to the interview or post samples on their website. more

Career development

 1w

I got laid off from IBM over 2 years ago and I'm still unemployed. I don't want my kids to feel like anything is wrong.


This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Fatema Ali, a job seeker in her 30s who lives in Texas. She previously worked for IBM as a project manager before being laid off in 2024. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

In early 2024, I began to worry that my time at IBM could be coming to an end.

I was a delivery project manager based in the Dallas area and had been... working remotely since joining IBM in 2018. That January, IBM announced that all US managers would be required to report to an office or client location at least three days a week or risk losing their jobs. There was an office about 15 minutes from my home, and I started going in regularly.

In February, my manager started warning me that broader layoffs could be on the horizon. By the time I was laid off in April, I wasn't completely surprised.

More than two years later, I'm still looking for full-time work.

My husband and I were suddenly both out of work at the same time

What made the layoff more difficult was that a few months earlier, my husband had left his job to pursue a startup idea that wasn't yet generating income. We had three children to support, and suddenly neither of us had a traditional full-time job.

One thing working in our favor was that we had already paid off our house. That gave us some breathing room and relieved some financial pressure.

Even so, there was a lot of financial uncertainty. We cut back where we could and tried to live more simply, including traveling less with the kids. For a period, we were largely living off savings and the severance I received, which amounted to about three months of salary.

I started looking for work immediately, both inside and outside IBM. There was one promising internal opportunity I applied for, but it would've required me to move to North Carolina. I had recently bought a home in Texas, had family nearby, and didn't want to uproot my three children.

Instead, I focused on finding opportunities closer to home, primarily in project and program management, while also applying for roles in higher education, nonprofits, and government.

The job search feels harder than it did during the Great Recession

When I graduated from college in 2008 during the Great Recession, the job market was difficult. Looking back, it almost feels like a walk in the park compared with what I've experienced over the last two years. Back then, I was getting more interview opportunities.

One of the most frustrating parts of the process has been dealing with applicant tracking systems. I have dozens of résumé versions for different roles because I know résumés can be filtered out if they're missing the right keywords. It feels like strong candidates can be overlooked before anyone has a chance to review their experience.

I can spend hours tailoring an application and never speak with a human recruiter. It's become a nightmare.

I try to reach out to people in my network. If I see a mutual connection who works at an organization where I'm applying, I'll try to reconnect with them directly. Simply applying online without a referral has become one of my least effective job-search strategies.

I've landed a few interviews over the last two years and have made it through multiple rounds with some employers. In many cases, companies ultimately chose an internal candidate or someone with more experience in a specific area. Occasionally, I check LinkedIn to try to figure out who ended up getting the role based on their title and start date.

I've tried to make the most of my time away from work

While I've been looking for work since my layoff, I haven't always been consistent with my applications. I spent time helping my husband with his startup and devoted a lot of time to caring for my youngest child.

Last year, my husband decided to focus less on his startup and return to the workforce, landing a new job in November. That provided some financial relief for our family.

As my children have gotten older, I've also had more freedom to focus on my career again. By the middle of last year, I became much more consistent with my job search.

While I'm still looking for work, I've scaled back my job search somewhat in recent months to spend more time pursuing projects with my husband, notably P1loop, an app we launched together. My husband used his experience as an iOS developer to help build it.

The app is designed to help teams communicate about urgent operational issues. It isn't generating any income yet, but we're hopeful. My layoff experience has forced me to rethink stability, take a risk, and try to build something meaningful from scratch.

The biggest lesson I've learned is patience

I've been working since I was 19, and I'm looking forward to returning to work.

My job search has been stressful, but I didn't want that pressure to show on my face. I don't want my children to feel like there is anything wrong. I want to carry on with the day and stay grounded as best as I can.

Being unemployed hasn't felt like much of a break. When you're dealing with financial uncertainty, caring for children, looking for work, and trying to build something new, your mind is always racing.

My best advice to anyone going through this is to stay patient, whether you've worked really hard and things are going exactly the way you hoped, or things aren't falling into place yet.

While I'm still looking for the right opportunity, I've learned the importance of staying the course. more
11   

  • Naliaka Kisia

    20h

    Wow, I actually thought it was easier in the developed countries. Job hunting has become something else.

  • Debbie Satterfield

    1w

    I am in the same unemployed, physical, mental and financial situation for greater than a year. I've become numb to the rejection emails. Some days I... think it would be easier to get admitted to a mental institution.  more

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Jenson Lane


Career development 4d
Is job hopping every 2–3 years still the best way to grow your salary, or do employers see it as a red flag? I'm curious whether hiring managers and candidates view this differently.
2   

  • Hussaian Umar

    21h

    Depending on the job

  • Victor Akanbi

    2d

    0m
    HRM will always find fault with you jumping jobs. I faced similar scenerio in an interview where the senior HR critized my CV having worked for 3... companies in 4 years but the real question is are we supposed to miss opportunity that comes with more growth, more compensation but to just stick to the present role with less growth. more

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Career development

 21h

5 Reasons to Volunteer with CorpsAfrica and Kickstart Your Career - Newsy Today


CorpsAfrica is currently recruiting young professionals across 11 African nations for year-long rural development fellowships, a model gaining traction as a formal bridge between university graduation and long-term career placement. According to the organization, the program mandates one year of immersive service in underserved communities, focusing on locally-led initiatives in sectors like... agriculture, education, and healthcare.

Why Is Volunteerism Becoming a Career Strategy?

Career development experts identify structured volunteer service as a primary mechanism for overcoming the "experience gap" that frequently prevents recent graduates from securing formal employment. By placing participants in field-based roles, organizations like CorpsAfrica provide tangible project management and community engagement data for a resume. Unlike traditional internships that often focus on administrative tasks, these fellowships require participants to navigate complex logistical challenges in rural settings. This practical exposure to proposal writing and sustainable development practices provides a measurable competitive advantage in sectors such as public service, international development, and social entrepreneurship.

How Does Grassroots Development Differ from Traditional Aid?

CorpsAfrica operates on a community-driven model that prioritizes local ownership over foreign-led intervention. According to the organization's operational framework, volunteers do not arrive with pre-packaged solutions. Instead, they reside in rural areas for 12 months to facilitate a process where residents identify their own primary needs, such as clean water access or food security. This approach contrasts with traditional top-down development, which often faces criticism for failing to account for local cultural nuances or long-term maintenance requirements. By embedding young professionals within the communities they serve, the program aims to ensure that projects remain functional long after the volunteer's service year concludes.

What Are the Requirements to Apply?

To be eligible for a CorpsAfrica fellowship, an applicant must meet five specific criteria established by the organization:

* Must be at least 21 years old.

* Must hold a university degree or demonstrate equivalent professional experience.

* Must be a citizen of the country where they are applying to serve.

* Must commit to a full one-year term in a rural or remote location.

* Must prioritize community service over financial compensation.

How Can Applicants Avoid Recruitment Scams?

As competition for professional development opportunities grows, CorpsAfrica has issued a formal warning regarding fraudulent recruitment communications. The organization confirms that all legitimate correspondence originates from verified "@corpsafrica.org" email addresses. Applicants are advised to disregard any offers of employment or volunteer placement sent via public email services like Gmail, Yahoo, or Outlook. If an applicant receives a suspicious message, the organization requests that it be reported directly to their official channels to prevent impersonation scams.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the CorpsAfrica volunteer program a paid position?

No. According to the organization, the program is based on the principles of service rather than financial gain, though it is designed to provide significant professional development and networking value.

Can international applicants apply for the program?

No. CorpsAfrica explicitly requires that applicants be citizens of the country where they apply, emphasizing a model of local citizens serving their own communities.

What is the deadline for upcoming applications?

Deadlines vary by region. Currently, the cutoff for South Africa is 30 June 2026, for Côte d'Ivoire is 8 July 2026, and for The Gambia is 25 July 2026.

What happens after the one-year service term?

The organization reports that many former volunteers leverage their field experience to transition into roles within nonprofit leadership, government, and the private sector, utilizing the professional networks built during their service year.

Are you looking for more opportunities to build your professional profile in the development sector? Subscribe to our newsletter for regular updates on fellowships, workshops, and career-advancement programs across the continent. more

Career development

 22h

West Alabama teens learn essential job application skills at workforce development summit


TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WBRC) - Job skills don't always come naturally. Some are taught and then practiced over time so you're more prepared for a job interview and then keeping that position.

Tuscaloosa One Place hosted its first ever teen workforce development summit, inviting teenagers eager to get a job but don't have the experience to confidently apply for one.

More than two dozen gathered to... learn the basics, leaving more confident on how to get a job.

Career coaches talking to small groups, teaching them about several aspects of searching for jobs and how to get hired.

The teenagers in attendance got examples about writing good resumes and cover letters, how to dress for job interviews, what questions to expect and how to best answer them.

Gracie Powell, the media relations manager for Tuscaloosa One Place, said the program is an adaptation of their adult lunch and learn course.

"Through our workforce development program, we do a four-week program for adults," Powell said. "It just goes over the same types of skills, resumes, cover letters and then we have some in-depth job search career counseling."

The teenagers met for a three-hour session geared towards them while a similar course for adults lasts nearly a month.

Get news alerts in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store or subscribe to our email newsletter here. more

Career development

 23h

31 Times People Ruined An Interview In Seconds


While you're at it, don't forget to check out a conversation with hiring consultant and owner of Hire Possibilities Carolyn Illman, who kindly agreed to give some pointers on how to recover from fumbling a job interview question.

Not me, but a friend. They got asked "how's your grammar?" They HEARD "how's your grandma?" So they answered "she's fine, thanks..." in a very confused tone. Thankfully... the interviewers laughed, and they got the job.

leeenielou , Andrea Piacquadio/pexels Report

"Whats your background" *I Look behind myself and back around to video call* "Well it's a sort of mirror?" .... "I mean what is your background in work?" .... I still haven't recovered from that.

LucidTopiary , Matilda Wormwood/pexels Report

About five minutes in & the third generic interview question I got asked: "What would you say is your main weakness?" Aaand I pulled out a pre-printed business card and handed it to him that just said: 'I tend to over prepare'. It'd got a good laugh at previous interviews and broke the ice, but this dude looked at me like I'd just slapped his mother and I got a "thanks for your time, we'll be in touch".

Daedricbob , Andrea Piacquadio/pexels Report

High-stakes interviews combined with jittery nerves can make a person completely miss the mark on a question, even though they've prepared for it well in advance. It can also be the fault of an interviewer who failed to clearly formulate the query.

However, according to the hiring consultant and owner of Hire Possibilities, Carolyn Illman, the latter happens rarely and isn't used with the intention of testing their interviewee. "It doesn't build trust in an interview and doesn't result in gathering the information they need to know if this person is going to be a good hire," she tells Bored Panda.

But if an ambiguous question happens to pop up, similarly to the person who started this discussion, Illman advises always assuming that it's related to your professional career. "It's great to ask up front before you get too far," she notes. "For example, many interviewees have asked me, 'I have two examples for this question, X and Y- which sounds more like what you're looking for?'"

"Do you have a driving licence and your own car?" "Yes" "Is it clean?" "Er, yeah, I washed it the other day actually" "I meant the licence...".

User , Pixabay/pexels Report

Slept in for the interview, quickly cleaned up, got ready, shaved my face and rushed out the door into a taxi. Made it just in time. Unfortunately, not passing a mirror on my way out did me a disservice. I sat down opposite the panel and they all had very strange expressions on their face. I'd cut my neck quite badly while shaving and didn't notice and apparently had touched the blood at some point and smeared it on my face too like some sort of lopsided war paint. Didn't realise until I'd left the interview and saw my reflection in a shop window. I did not get the job.

Beneficial-Way4428 , cottonbro studio/pexels Report

Not me, but my mum often talks about the time she was interviewing for a grad job after a group exercise with the other applicants. The interviewer stated that she thought she came across as a bit defensive, and my mum replied with "no I'm not".

Pretend_Canary Report

But if your mouth works faster than your brain and you accidentally let a foolish answer slip, it's possible to recover. For this, try not to get too hung up about it. Instead, focus on maintaining a professional appearance, remaining calm, and mentally preparing to answer another question coming your way. It might be beneficial to take deep breaths, smile, and maintain eye contact.

If the interviewer is seasoned, they'll also make sure that the interviewee feels comfortable and keeps the conversation flowing, says Illman. Therefore, the candidate shouldn't feel responsible for making up for a question they might not have answered flawlessly.

"It's also perfectly okay to circle back on a question during a natural break in the conversation and say, "You know, I'm realizing I could probably answer your question better. Can I give you a little more information?" The interviewer may choose that it's best to move on, but at least it shows self-awareness from the candidate," the hiring consultant says.

I was 18 and had applied to be a GP receptionist whilst trying to figure out what I wanted to do with life, had just dropped out of uni so was in a bad place. I'd been plagued by spam calls in recent days, and I got a 'no caller ID' call and answered it with silence...there was also silence on the other end. After about 10 seconds I say "so are you going to say something? what do you want?" in an annoyed tone. Turns out it was the GP receptionist calling me to test my phone manner as a screening process. I didn't get the job!

TastyDragonfruit3000 , Ketut Subiyanto/pexels Report

Was given the wrong directions to the place (I'd lived in the city about 2 days and it was an hours walk away roughly, in the days before smartphones too). Realised I was at the wrong place and knew I was screwed 10 mins before the interview. Phoned them and apologised, then made my way there over an hour late Got the job anyway.

Alanthedrum , Sora Shimazaki/pexels Report

When I was a teen I was dropping CVs into various businesses, one of them the manager asked if I was free to have an interview there and then. First question he asked was if I knew what they did as a company. I had literally no idea. Didn't even know the company name. It was a very short interview.

GiffGiffGiff , Karolina Grabowska/pexels Report

Besides, most times, the awkward situations are all in our heads. The slight quiver in your voice when you listed your weaknesses or your vagueness about your five-year goals may be much more obvious to you than to anyone else, and it often doesn't have that much of an impact on your interview.

However, if an interviewee feels tested during the meeting and is uncomfortable with the way it's going, she advises thinking again about whether the organization is a good fit for them. "Companies should be aware that this practice can break trust and result in a bad customer experience for candidates.

Aged 21 going for a summer sales job, was asked how do you make a sale about the buyer? 'well I like to personalise it, if the person is old, like you.....' Never recovered. I am now a systems architect, so i definitely failed upwards.

Murky-Sun9552 , cottonbro studi/pexels Report

Had two interviews lined up...one in the AM and one in the PM at competing firms. Only a special kind of idiot would get them mixed up...

Coop3rman , energepic.com/pexels Report

Was told I had a colourful CV. "Thanks, it's just a Microsoft Word template".

leugeneskabs , Karolina Grabowska/pexels Report

An alternative to smoothing things over after a failed interview is to send a short thank-you note. The follow-up email should include only the most important mistakes and omissions from the meeting. After thanking the employer for their time, move on to additional information.

"How do you think you could successfully differentiate when working with people, based on different race, culture and genders?" "Doesn't bother me in the slightest that your black and a woman, happy to work for you" "I'm talking about our customers not me".

zephyrthewonderdog , Christina Morillo/pexels Report

Not to be cocky but I'm pretty solid at interviews. Even when I'm super nervous I seem to pull it outta the bag. I do remember one interview, it was just for a bar job and it was purely to get me by for a few months before I went traveling so I wasn't super invested and didn't really do any research or mental preparation. During the interview the team asked me where I saw myself in 5 to 10 years time. Normally I'd fluff this and give some nonsense about wanting to further my career within the company once my experience had grown but I knew this job wasn't the end goal it was just something to get me by so I was totally honest. I said I didn't know, I've actually never known what I wanted to do with my life and that's why I've bounced from one city to the next, from one job to the next and in truth I'm not that bothered where I'm going to be in 10 years time as long as I'm happy !!! They just looked at me dumbfounded and offered me a supervisors position when all I wanted was to be bar staff. Since then I've done loads of different things but when I turned 30 (maybe a bit later tbf) I realised I had to get serious and work hard so I actually committed to chasing promotions in my job, I worked harder then everyone else and did every ounce of overtime. I became a supervisor, then a manager. I paid off my dept and got a mortgage on my first home, right now I'm working hard to renovate that place and turn it into something I can really take pride in. But if you wanna know the truth, the last 10+ years I've been utterly f*****g miserable. Working so hard and making work such a strong focus of my life has utterly killed me. My mental and physical health have taken a battering. And because of that I've been thinking loads about that interview I had when I was younger and I want to go back and give that kid a big hug because somewhere on this journey I forgot what the old me had said and I was so much f*****g smarter back when I was young then the man I am now. I've actually taken a step back, I work a simple min wage job now, I don't earn as much but I also don't work as much. In truth it's a struggle to pay the bills but I'm trying to find my way back to who I was. So don't worry about the interviews you failed or the opportunities you've missed cos works not as important as being happy, peace out m***********s and sorry for the long winded tale 🤘.

British-Pilgrim Report

When I was 19 I went for an interview for a retail job and had 2 interviewers, the assistant manager and one of the team leaders. I instantly recognised the team leader as a friend of a friend I'd seen around at several parties. I proceeded to give him a warm greeting and conducted the remaining interview with the sort of familiarity you'd expect from someone you know. I was thinking the whole time I've got the job in the bag and how fortunate it was I knew the interviewer. About half way through though I realised he was looking at me like I'm a complete werido and I wasn't sure why. I ended up getting the job and about 6 weeks passed before I casually mentioned our mutual friend Adam, and he was like 'Ahh you know Adam!'. Turns out the whole time he didn't recognise me and thought I was gay for him.

Streams0fDreams , Tima Miroshnichenko/pexels Report

Job search company The Muse provides an example of this: "Since we were talking about my social media experience, I should also mention that as part of my internship at Smith Media, I wrote weekly blog posts and initiated a campaign to boost the company's Facebook followers to over 3,000. This experience, along with the rest of my background, would really allow me to shine as your new social media specialist."

This note adds any details that you forgot to mention but doesn't count them as mistakes, rather than you saying, "I'm so sorry, but I completely forgot to mention one of my internships!"

Apparently I blew it by my appearance. Set the scene: its March 2022, the year where March was scorching hot. I've just been made redudant as a contact centre manager for one of the biggest brand names in the world, amd we wore smart casual. I turn up, haircut day before, trimmed a small beard. Medium brown chinos, ironed shirt (coloured, a nice one from Next). I am 2nd interview now, and it's with the owner. I have 16 years experience in the industry. Owner turns up to interview in a polo, denim shorts, and white socks all the way up to his shin, and white reeboks (you can tell i'm not at all bitter about this). He had asked me to give him a presentation on launching a new product, covering all areas but reasonably light on the minutia of detail as he wanted it 10 mins, so lots of headers, with summaries as to pro/cons. I went all out, created a branding (not using his and explained I didn't want him to be concerned with me having a document that looked official which he did actually credit me for). Practised my 10 minutes to not stumbling anywhere, and added a spare two minutes just in case. Presentation ends, he is silent, so I quickly run through my two minutes. Hands shake, off I go into the 30 degrees of freak British weather. Call from the recruiter: "He says you didn't dress smart, what the f*** where you thinking?! He also says you went over the 10 minute mark for presentation, so he's passing you up". I argued that everyone was dressed "lower" than I was, it was non-client facing with smart cas attire as the rule. I also explained the silence and why I went over. I think I dodged a bullet, personally, and it took a year to fill the role from my understanding.

User , Henri Mathieu-Saint-Laurent/pexels Report

Don't worry my friend. I was once asked "how did you get here?" and they were actually asking how I travelled there. Except I f****d up even more by saying "through the entrance" and pointed towards the door. I was 17 and it was a bag of nerves for my first job interview and knew I'd f****d it there and then.

LHM1989 , David Howard/flickr Report

Not me but a friend who travelled to the interview in Germany by Lufthansa. Interview hadn't yet started : Which airline did you use ? Answer : Luftwaffe.

ItsReallyOnlyMe , Priit Tammets/flickr Report

I went for an interview with a company that provided parts to the military. So it was very secure and locked down...so I arrive early expecting a 10 minute wait but the previous interview finished early so I was caught off guard. Fact was I'd had the curry in the fridge last night ..the one that was 3 days old...but smelt OK. Anyway, I start the interview and my stomach roars....once twice and then I say...sorry I think I'm having some food poisoning cna I use your toilet. So, as this is a secure facility the main interviewer...the guy who signed me in...had to [working woman] me to the toilet. They waited outside the stall while I unleashed the mother of all diarrhea. I'm not talking about a quiet stream either. I'm talking about explosive..... And it went on and on and on. I was there for 15 minutes easy. I finally leave...sweaty and tired. Bruised and battered (we've all been there)...and left the stall...to come face to face with rhe interviewer who'd been there the whole f*****g time. 'Are you OK?' He asked nicely with a face failed to hide his disgust.... 'No'...I replied. Then for some reason I was like...'but we can continue' [why?] was I thinking. He gave me an out and I f****d it up....so back into the interview room...I mumbled some answers....sweating like a junky and honestly after 2 more generic 'why do u want this job'type questions they said...'well we have what we need...thanks' No hand shakes...escorted ro the exit. In the glass door I see them exchanging looks. I cnst balme them.

bluecheese2040 , MART PRODUCTION/pexels Report

[to be honest] if that ends any chance of a job I'd be amazed. I'd see it as a nice way to disarm any nerves and laugh at the error. Anyway not an interview, but an 8 hour lab exam for a certification that starts with four questions. You need to get three right. I knew I'd only got two right. So that was 10 minutes into an 8 hour lab exam.

SignificantRatio2407 , Ketut Subiyanto/pexels Report

Went for an interview at a media company that focuses on kids. Covered my background, good. Why did I want this role? Also good. Then they asked me why I thought I was a good fit for the role. Among other things, I told them I knew that audience well, having a four year old kid of my own. I was 22 at the time. Saw the woman's face turn to stone as she did the maths. Knew I wasn't getting it.

AndyVale , cottonbro studio/pexels Report

Right at the start, by not showing up. Even though I'd spent hours preparing for the interview. I'd applied to work for a British organisation with a base in Belgium. The interview was via video link. When they told me the time of the interview, I didn't think to convert it to UK time. So I showed up an hour late. They weren't impressed, and I didn't get the job.

David84874 , Andrea Piacquadio/pexels Report

It was one of my first job interviews since I was only 18/19, but I asked them what the notice period was. The look on their faces was priceless and obviously I did not get the job.

tigerspicelatte , Tima Miroshnichenko/pexels Report

The building was confusing and I walked through the wrong door. The interviewer saw and told the receptionist "I definitely don't want that one". I went and got very drunk in the pub opposite instead.

Own_Air_5945 , Esranur Kalay/pexels Report

I was pulling into the car park and some d******d tried to overtake me at the entrance we had a shouting match with visual aids turned out he was the guy I was interviewing with. Went through the motions I wasn't selected.

Ancient-Range- Report

So, for context, this was the third and final stage of an application for a high, but not director, level position. First interview - with a (non managing) director (we'll call them Bob for ease). Went really well. I am told this role is not a practical, day to day position and is more about strategy. Second interview - Same non managing director as above, along with two other high level hires who I would be working with. Went really well. It is reinforced to me that the position isn't a nitty gritty position but to take ownership of expansion. Third interview - I am prepped as I am meeting the managing director & owner - we'll call him Fred. I was asked to prepare an overview of my priorities for domestic expansion. Arrive at the meeting, met Bob who was very enthusiastic about me being there, but takes me to one side before we begin and says, "So, when you meet Fred, he's very keen to hear about your strategy for international expansion..." **pause**, "... and I think we mentioned before that Fred can be very direct... " **pause "**so just take 10 minutes and come up when ready". Fair enough I think, thinking on your feet etc is a good skill to display. So, came up with a quick pitch and went upstairs. Fred comes in, says rather disparagingly, "oh, you're looking very smart aren't you?" to which I reply, "Well, you've got to make an effort!" So we're 10 seconds in... Fred sits down and asks, "So what do you understand about this role?" "Well, as I understand from Bob, this is a strategic role rather than hands on..." "No, that's not correct at all. It's very much hands on." Fred stands up and says, "Bob, can I have a quick word" and leaves the room with a very embarrassed Bob. I sit there awkwardly for a few minutes. Bob comes in and sheepishly thanks me for my time. I think I could have phrased "hands on" better, but still, Jesus Christ...

meisobear Report

When I was 18 and had little experience, I put in my CV that I was fluent in French, which is a lie. The person who interviewed me was Tunisian, and spoke fluent French. She spoke to me in French as she entered the room. The interview was over before she'd even sat down.

JamDoughnutMan , cottonbro studio/pexels Report

"Tell me how you got here today?" is very open to interpretation. I'd have done the same as you.

User , Sora Shimazaki/pexels Report

1. "Meet me in the Adam and Eve pub." Went to the wrong Adam and Eve pub... 2. Pushed a pull door. Several times. "I'm here for the interview." "There is no interview or job vacancy." "What about the sign that says help wanted." "No, there is no sign.".

mysp2m2cc0unt Report

Had a job interview at a place in the middle of nowhere (pre GPS on your phone). Had a quick look on the map before I left, got lost and ended up in a village with a very similiar name. Thought, sod it, I'm so late I might as well go home but on the way back found myself driving past the right place. Thought, sod it, and went in for the interview. Had a comment about 'thought you weren't coming', went through with the interview...didn't get it. But....about a week later they got in touch and said the original person they offered it to had said no, so did I want the job. I said no (mostly based on the commute) and I judged them for offering the job to a candidate who turned up 45mins late for the interview.

GSV_honestmistake , Kampus Production/pexels Report

Not sure if it's "messed up" but after about 7 minutes in, it became quite clear the job was not what was advertised and I bluntly told them not to waste any more of my time if they weren't interested in what I was actually here to interview for. I've also "failed" an interview before it even started, went down to London to interview for a new client (contract position) I signed myself in 30 minutes early, was told where everything would be. 45 minutes after the interview was supposed to start, I still hadn't been called in, despite the fact that I could see the two interviewers sat in a glass office together for the duration. I dropped my expenses invoice with the receptionist and left, went to the cafe downstairs and got myself a coffee. Phone rang 5 minutes later and I told them they could either come downstairs and join me for coffee or put the phone down. I dragged the director of engineering down 8 floors, let him buy me another coffee and then told him I was no longer interested. I've had an argument in an interview before, which I'm fairly certain cost me the job. The "technical specialist" made a point that was demonstrably wrong, I thought it might be an attempt to catch me out, so I told him he was wrong, articulated why, and it descended into an argument from there. Didn't get the job, but wasn't too upset about it as I'd have been working for a weapons grade lemon. Worst in terms of time to failure was probably when I was 17 and was voluntold to go and interview for the local Waitrose. Told them I was only here because my mum nagged me into it, I had no interest in working for them and customer facing work was not my forte. Two and a half hours of group interview nonsense later I got to leave. If you ever get the opportunity, interview for some jobs you're not interested in and see how far you can push being useless before they actually close the interview and tell you to go away. It's quite entertaining. Every now and then you'll still get a job offer, which is even more confusing.

User , Yan Krukau/pexels Report

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Career development

 23h

Why Career Development Is Becoming One of the Strongest Retention Strategies - HR Daily Advisor


There's a shift in how employees think about their careers, and the companies paying closest attention are the ones building stronger, more loyal teams. Workers today place a higher premium on growth, development, and long-term opportunity than many employers have historically recognized. Traditional workplace perks like wellness stipends, or flexible Fridays, are certainly worthwhile, but they're... unlikely to keep talented people committed if they can't see a future inside the organization.

For fast-growing companies especially, the retention conversation has to go deeper. Developing visible career pathways, internal mobility, thoughtful succession planning, and mentorship are the foundation of a retention strategy that holds up over time.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks voluntary separations every month through its Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, and the data consistently shows a workforce that will leave when conditions fall short of expectations. The BLS Monthly Labor Review identified lack of advancement opportunities as one of the top reasons workers voluntarily left their jobs, placing it alongside pay as a priority. Addressing compensation while deprioritizing development leaves a gap that talented employees will eventually walk through.

What Companies Get Wrong About Retention

It's a common mistake organizations make, to treat retention and compensation as the same conversation, while pushing career development to the back burner until turnover forces the issue. Retention is not a reactive problem with a reactive fix. It's a culture question, and the answer starts with whether employees can see what comes next for them.

Every employee benefits from understanding what growth is attainable in their role, and development conversations that aren't limited to annual review cycles, build the sense of investment that keeps people committed and less inclined to look elsewhere.

That kind of development does not have to be complicated or reserved for a formal leadership track. A voluntary training program, for example, can help employees build specialized skills through hands-on learning, interactive coursework and milestone-based incentives, giving them a clearer path to certifications, advanced responsibilities and long-term growth inside the company.

Making mobility visible and celebrated, rather than tucking it into a job board that gets little traffic, turns internal movement into something employees actively pursue. It's important to recognize people who step into new challenges or earn certifications through structured programs as it reinforces the message that growth within the company is possible.

Some organizations also make mobility visible by promoting early and often. When strong performers earn a first promotion within six to nine months, then step into mentor or captain-style roles where they support a few colleagues while still doing their own work; employees can see that leadership growth is not abstract. It is something people around them are actively doing.

Succession planning demands a similarly broad lens. When an organization reserves succession conversations for the C-suite, it misses the chance to build a resilient pipeline at every level of the business. In high-growth environments especially, succession planning requires identifying future capability gaps and building development plans today that will close those gaps before they become critical, which is done by assessing both performance and potential on a rolling basis.

Performance management carries the same challenge. An annual or semi-annual review process can't keep pace with the speed at which fast-growing organizations evolve. The cadence of performance conversations has to match the cadence of the business, which involves:

* More frequent check-ins

* Clearer near-term expectations

* Managers who are equipped to coach rather than just evaluate

Within a continuous feedback culture, promotions and performance conversations are an ongoing dialogue.

In practice, that can look like HR and leadership reviewing performance metrics and KPIs each month to spot coaching needs, development gaps and emerging talent. It keeps the organization closer to what is happening with its people, and it makes both promotions and performance conversations feel less like a surprise.

Building a Development Culture

Putting these principles into practice requires both structure and commitment. Clear career paths give employees a concrete picture of what advancement looks like and what performance markers will get them there, replacing guesswork with genuine agency over their own growth.

Connecting development opportunities to milestones and incentives strengthens motivation. Layering hands-on learning with certification pathways and role-based advancement creates clear evidence that effort leads somewhere. When employees can point to tangible progress, whether that's a new credential, a promotion, or an expanded scope of responsibility, they're more likely to see the organization as a place worth growing with.

Mentorship is key in this ecosystem. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of training and development specialists to grow 11% from 2024 to 2034, much faster than the average for all occupations, showing just how broadly organizations are recognizing the strategic value of learning infrastructure.

The organizational payoff of getting this right extends well beyond retention. Internal mobility ensures that employees know the company well, while giving employees new challenges that re-energize their commitment. A strong focus on internal development reduces dependence on external hiring and the ramp-up time and culture risk that comes with it. Additionally, a workforce that feels connected to its own growth inside an organization tends to be more engaged, more productive, and more willing to invest in the company's success the way the company has invested in theirs.

Jenn Harrold is the Senior Vice President of Human Resources at NewDay USA and an HR leader focused on talent strategy, organizational development, and growth. With more than 20 years of experience spanning technology, omni-channel retail, fintech, and logistics, she partners closely with executive leadership to align people strategy with business goals and help emerging growth companies and SMBs scale through talent and culture. Jenn has a track record of leading transformative initiatives that drive engagement and performance, with deep expertise in performance management, retention, succession planning, and change management. A purpose-driven leader, she is committed to mentorship, community, and building high-performing teams that unlock organizational potential. more

Career development

 1d

I'm a former recruiter turned content creator. Don't customize your résumé, don't overdo LinkedIn, and 10 other tips for job seekers.


* Emily Durham transitioned from recruitment to content creation and now advises on job market strategies.

* She says résumé customization is outdated and that you should craft a single, solid résumé.

* Effective networking is relational, not transactional; ask valuable questions to build connections.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Emily Durham, a 30-year-old author,... content creator, podcaster, entrepreneur, and former recruiter who lives in Toronto. It has been edited for length and clarity.

Before becoming Emily The Recruiter, a content creator with nearly one million TikTok followers, I held a variety of recruitment roles for nearly 10 years. I worked at a couple of large banks and some large tech companies, and focused on all career stages.

I noticed that early-career folks weren't passing interviews or didn't know how to advocate for higher salaries. I would be on the phone with candidates, offering them a salary, and they'd say, OK, yeah, I'll take it. I'd then find myself egging them on, trying to get them to negotiate more.

I didn't have time to prepare each candidate for every interview round the way I wanted to. One day in 2019, I recorded a 30-minute podcast episode on how not to mess up an interview and how to negotiate. Within three weeks, it took off. From there, I posted to my podcast, Clock In with Emily Durham, regularly, and within the same year, to TikTok and Instagram, too.

Between content creation and recruiting, I was working 75 to 80 hours a week and sleeping only four hours a night -- I knew something had to give. In 2024, I quit my job to pursue content creation full time.

If I were advising my best friend -- or myself -- on how to navigate today's job market, these are the 12 tips I would give.

1. Don't: Customize your résumé for every job

I would never customize my résumé for every job I'm applying to. I think it's incredibly dated advice, and it solves the wrong problem. The problem today is that no one's seeing it. You spend all this time on the "perfect piece of paper," and Susie from HR won't be reading it.

Why? Often, people who customize their résumés each time use AI to help, and everyone else does, too. You think it's standing out, but it's not. Recruiters can tell your résumé has been touched by AI.

2. Do: Make one solid résumé

Instead, having a résumé you wrote stands out so much more than having a cookie-cutter, perfect résumé that reads like all of the other applicants.

I'd focus on having one really solid résumé. I'd look at the roles I truly want at my ideal companies, then examine the job descriptions and the recurring words. These would include technical skills, leadership, data, and analytics.

Then, I'd cross-reference it with two or three more job descriptions and see how many of those repeat. That's usually a good indicator of your keywords. If you're feeling super stuck or overwhelmed, you can also ask AI to validate the keywords you found.

Integrate those keywords into your résumé by making sure that they're included in how you describe your work. So, instead of saying, "I worked with spreadsheets," say, "I analyzed data," and now you actually have those qualifications there.

You would also never catch me dead doing or recommending high-volume AI applications. The day I use an AI scraper to apply for 1,000 jobs a day, I'll be sick.

3. Don't: Treat networking like a transaction

After getting my one solid résumé, I'd spend the rest of my time networking on LinkedIn and in person so I'm visible.

One big networking mistake is treating it like a transaction. This can look like reaching out to someone you don't know and saying something like, "Hey, I'm Emily. I'm looking for a marketing role. Are you hiring? Can you refer me?" People aren't going to refer you because they don't know you.

I probably get 100 of these messages a day. Because you think this is good outreach, I'm not going to refer you.

4. Do: Butter people up by asking valuable questions

People need to feel like you're buttering them up a little before you ask for something from them -- that's how our brains work. Instead, get them on the phone and ask three or four questions about their career. Genuinely learn from them.

Then, at the end of the call, you could say something like, "I'm actually looking for a role. Do you happen to know anyone who is hiring in your company or in your network?" This way, you're treating it as a relationship rather than a transaction.

Attending in-person events hosted by companies can help. Companies are truly hiring at these events, and a lot of orgs and agencies are hosting their own in-house mixers once a quarter that people can attend.

If you've connected with someone once, you want to keep that relationship warm. This could mean sending a nice little check-in email every three to four months to see how they're doing.

5. Don't: Overdo, or underdo LinkedIn

One mistake is refusing to post on LinkedIn because you don't want to be an influencer. You're not being an influencer when you post on LinkedIn -- you're building your personal brand, and that's the difference. Not posting or interacting at all won't help you.

The other mistake is taking it too far. Don't write AI-slop posts. If I see one more "my wife cheated on me, and here's what I learned about B2B sales" post -- that's not quite doing what you think it's going to do.

Instead, keep it simple. We don't need to be revolutionizing space.

6. Do: Keep your LinkedIn updated

As a job seeker, I'd be posting on LinkedIn once a week. It can be as simple as resharing articles that are relevant to your industry.

Twice a week, I would comment on posts from companies I want to work at or from people who work there. Besides having a complete profile, posting like that is enough to push you into the algorithm, so you become a bit more relevant.

I don't think you need to be an influencer to get recognized, but I do think having content you can share about the value of your work online really matters. Whether that's LinkedIn, GitHub for engineers, or a portfolio for UX designers, people need to be able to interact with the work you've done and the brand you've built.

10 years ago, I'd say you don't have to post on LinkedIn, but today it's kind of required.

7. Don't: Give companies an excuse to not hire you

In a market where candidates get taken advantage of, employers should be held accountable. We see it in the uptick in ghosting, lowball offers, and candidates getting case studies that clearly ask them to work for free. It's valid that you want to express yourself, but doing it on LinkedIn is something to be cautious of.

Other recruiters -- especially recruiters who, frankly, might not be great at their jobs -- might be scared to reach out to you because they're scared to be put on blast.

Instead, I'd go to a website like Glassdoor or Fishbowl, since those sites are anonymous but still have the same impact. That stuff genuinely impacts how a company is perceived, but it protects you a little bit more. You can also reach out to that company's generic careers email if you'd like to give direct feedback.

Be careful on LinkedIn. The reality is, in an era when companies are finding every excuse not to give us a chance, you don't want to give them another reason.

8. Do: Ask the interviewer about their weekend

Don't skip small talk. Some people get right into business when the recruiter asks, how are you? They say, 'good,' and keep it moving.

At the end of the day, people want to hire people that they want to work with, so instead use small talk as an opportunity to ask them a few questions. Such as "What did you do this weekend?" You're easier to remember and harder to ghost when you do this.

9. Don't: Forget the basics

If you're not prepared for the basic questions, that's a problem. You know you're going to get asked: "Tell me about yourself," "Why do you want to work here?" and "Why are you looking for a job?" Those are guaranteed.

People's attention spans are about a minute and a half per answer. If you're giving two-, three-, or four-minute interview answers, you've already lost them.

Using lots of filler words, or pretending that you have the answers when you don't, is a mistake. Keep it short instead.

10. Do: Be freeflowing, no scripts

One of the biggest ones I see more and more in the age of AI is people reading off scripts, especially in virtual interviews, where you've got your notes, and it's clear you're reading. Interviews are conversations, not interrogations.

You want to show that you have the skills and cultural alignment, and you can only do that by being a person -- well-prepared but free-flowing, not scripted.

11. Don't: Overly use the word 'we'

Avoid overly using the word "we" instead of "I." When you're asked about the quality of your work, and you say, "We did this" or "our team did that," it can sound great because you're being inclusive, but recruiters want to hear what you did.

They're hiring you, not the whole team. If everything is through the lens of "we," they may assume you didn't have a big role. You need balance -- maybe 30% "we," but the rest should be specific about your individual contributions. If you can't say that clearly, the recruiter will assume it wasn't much.

12. Do: Turn off social media when needed

Don't fall into doomscrolling. We talk about social media doomscrolling all the time, but LinkedIn doomscrolling is real, too.

When you're in the job search, it's OK to not open LinkedIn beyond what you need to build your brand. A lot of what you're seeing is intense highlight reels, and we don't actually know how people are performing at work.

I would urge people to disconnect during their job search process. It's also OK to mute keywords like "job hunting" on TikTok, because seeing someone on day 1,000 of job hunting can add to anxiety unnecessarily.

If today were day one of my job search

I would structure my job search in shifts. For example, Mondays are for applying, Tuesdays are for reaching out on LinkedIn, and Wednesdays are for attending networking events.

Treating it like shift work helps prevent burnout, because even if you do everything right, it can still take time. You have to preserve your sanity.

Read the original article on Business Insider more

Career development

 1d

I'm a former recruiter turned content creator. Don't customize your résumé, don't overdo LinkedIn, and 10 other tips for job seekers.


This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Emily Durham, a 30-year-old author, content creator, podcaster, entrepreneur, and former recruiter who lives in Toronto. It has been edited for length and clarity.

Before becoming Emily The Recruiter, a content creator with nearly one million TikTok followers, I held a variety of recruitment roles for nearly 10 years. I worked at a couple of... large banks and some large tech companies, and focused on all career stages.

I noticed that early-career folks weren't passing interviews or didn't know how to advocate for higher salaries. I would be on the phone with candidates, offering them a salary, and they'd say, OK, yeah, I'll take it. I'd then find myself egging them on, trying to get them to negotiate more.

I didn't have time to prepare each candidate for every interview round the way I wanted to. One day in 2019, I recorded a 30-minute podcast episode on how not to mess up an interview and how to negotiate. Within three weeks, it took off. From there, I posted to my podcast, Clock In with Emily Durham, regularly, and within the same year, to TikTok and Instagram, too.

Between content creation and recruiting, I was working 75 to 80 hours a week and sleeping only four hours a night -- I knew something had to give. In 2024, I quit my job to pursue content creation full time.

If I were advising my best friend -- or myself -- on how to navigate today's job market, these are the 12 tips I would give.

1. Don't: Customize your résumé for every job

I would never customize my résumé for every job I'm applying to. I think it's incredibly dated advice, and it solves the wrong problem. The problem today is that no one's seeing it. You spend all this time on the "perfect piece of paper," and Susie from HR won't be reading it.

Why? Often, people who customize their résumés each time use AI to help, and everyone else does, too. You think it's standing out, but it's not. Recruiters can tell your résumé has been touched by AI.

2. Do: Make one solid résumé

Instead, having a résumé you wrote stands out so much more than having a cookie-cutter, perfect résumé that reads like all of the other applicants.

I'd focus on having one really solid résumé. I'd look at the roles I truly want at my ideal companies, then examine the job descriptions and the recurring words. These would include technical skills, leadership, data, and analytics.

Then, I'd cross-reference it with two or three more job descriptions and see how many of those repeat. That's usually a good indicator of your keywords. If you're feeling super stuck or overwhelmed, you can also ask AI to validate the keywords you found.

Integrate those keywords into your résumé by making sure that they're included in how you describe your work. So, instead of saying, "I worked with spreadsheets," say, "I analyzed data," and now you actually have those qualifications there.

You would also never catch me dead doing or recommending high-volume AI applications. The day I use an AI scraper to apply for 1,000 jobs a day, I'll be sick.

3. Don't: Treat networking like a transaction

After getting my one solid résumé, I'd spend the rest of my time networking on LinkedIn and in person so I'm visible.

One big networking mistake is treating it like a transaction. This can look like reaching out to someone you don't know and saying something like, "Hey, I'm Emily. I'm looking for a marketing role. Are you hiring? Can you refer me?" People aren't going to refer you because they don't know you.

I probably get 100 of these messages a day. Because you think this is good outreach, I'm not going to refer you.

4. Do: Butter people up by asking valuable questions

People need to feel like you're buttering them up a little before you ask for something from them -- that's how our brains work. Instead, get them on the phone and ask three or four questions about their career. Genuinely learn from them.

Then, at the end of the call, you could say something like, "I'm actually looking for a role. Do you happen to know anyone who is hiring in your company or in your network?" This way, you're treating it as a relationship rather than a transaction.

Attending in-person events hosted by companies can help. Companies are truly hiring at these events, and a lot of orgs and agencies are hosting their own in-house mixers once a quarter that people can attend.

If you've connected with someone once, you want to keep that relationship warm. This could mean sending a nice little check-in email every three to four months to see how they're doing.

5. Don't: Overdo, or underdo LinkedIn

One mistake is refusing to post on LinkedIn because you don't want to be an influencer. You're not being an influencer when you post on LinkedIn -- you're building your personal brand, and that's the difference. Not posting or interacting at all won't help you.

The other mistake is taking it too far. Don't write AI-slop posts. If I see one more "my wife cheated on me, and here's what I learned about B2B sales" post -- that's not quite doing what you think it's going to do.

Instead, keep it simple. We don't need to be revolutionizing space.

6. Do: Keep your LinkedIn updated

As a job seeker, I'd be posting on LinkedIn once a week. It can be as simple as resharing articles that are relevant to your industry.

Twice a week, I would comment on posts from companies I want to work at or from people who work there. Besides having a complete profile, posting like that is enough to push you into the algorithm, so you become a bit more relevant.

I don't think you need to be an influencer to get recognized, but I do think having content you can share about the value of your work online really matters. Whether that's LinkedIn, GitHub for engineers, or a portfolio for UX designers, people need to be able to interact with the work you've done and the brand you've built.

10 years ago, I'd say you don't have to post on LinkedIn, but today it's kind of required.

7. Don't: Give companies an excuse to not hire you

In a market where candidates get taken advantage of, employers should be held accountable. We see it in the uptick in ghosting, lowball offers, and candidates getting case studies that clearly ask them to work for free. It's valid that you want to express yourself, but doing it on LinkedIn is something to be cautious of.

Other recruiters -- especially recruiters who, frankly, might not be great at their jobs -- might be scared to reach out to you because they're scared to be put on blast.

Instead, I'd go to a website like Glassdoor or Fishbowl, since those sites are anonymous but still have the same impact. That stuff genuinely impacts how a company is perceived, but it protects you a little bit more. You can also reach out to that company's generic careers email if you'd like to give direct feedback.

Be careful on LinkedIn. The reality is, in an era when companies are finding every excuse not to give us a chance, you don't want to give them another reason.

8. Do: Ask the interviewer about their weekend

Don't skip small talk. Some people get right into business when the recruiter asks, how are you? They say, 'good,' and keep it moving.

At the end of the day, people want to hire people that they want to work with, so instead use small talk as an opportunity to ask them a few questions. Such as "What did you do this weekend?" You're easier to remember and harder to ghost when you do this.

9. Don't: Forget the basics

If you're not prepared for the basic questions, that's a problem. You know you're going to get asked: "Tell me about yourself," "Why do you want to work here?" and "Why are you looking for a job?" Those are guaranteed.

People's attention spans are about a minute and a half per answer. If you're giving two-, three-, or four-minute interview answers, you've already lost them.

Using lots of filler words, or pretending that you have the answers when you don't, is a mistake. Keep it short instead.

10. Do: Be freeflowing, no scripts

One of the biggest ones I see more and more in the age of AI is people reading off scripts, especially in virtual interviews, where you've got your notes, and it's clear you're reading. Interviews are conversations, not interrogations.

You want to show that you have the skills and cultural alignment, and you can only do that by being a person -- well-prepared but free-flowing, not scripted.

11. Don't: Overly use the word 'we'

Avoid overly using the word "we" instead of "I." When you're asked about the quality of your work, and you say, "We did this" or "our team did that," it can sound great because you're being inclusive, but recruiters want to hear what you did.

They're hiring you, not the whole team. If everything is through the lens of "we," they may assume you didn't have a big role. You need balance -- maybe 30% "we," but the rest should be specific about your individual contributions. If you can't say that clearly, the recruiter will assume it wasn't much.

12. Do: Turn off social media when needed

Don't fall into doomscrolling. We talk about social media doomscrolling all the time, but LinkedIn doomscrolling is real, too.

When you're in the job search, it's OK to not open LinkedIn beyond what you need to build your brand. A lot of what you're seeing is intense highlight reels, and we don't actually know how people are performing at work.

I would urge people to disconnect during their job search process. It's also OK to mute keywords like "job hunting" on TikTok, because seeing someone on day 1,000 of job hunting can add to anxiety unnecessarily.

If today were day one of my job search

I would structure my job search in shifts. For example, Mondays are for applying, Tuesdays are for reaching out on LinkedIn, and Wednesdays are for attending networking events.

Treating it like shift work helps prevent burnout, because even if you do everything right, it can still take time. You have to preserve your sanity. more

Career development

 1d

How to Evaluate and Hire Skilled iOS Developers


If you want to hire iOS developers who can actually ship a stable product, you are facing something trickier than scanning résumés for the word "Swift." A shiny CV almost never tells you whether the person can calmly untangle a tangled codebase the night before an App Store deadline. Picking the right engineer mixes logic with gut feeling. And the effort pays off.

Why One Hire Can Make or Break... Your App

An iPhone app lives inside strict walls. Apple writes the rules, the review process forgives nothing and users walk away from a laggy screen in seconds. A weak hire can freeze a release for weeks. A strong one carries a feature from sketch to store with barely a stumble.

Picture it. Would you hand a brand new product line to someone who has never survived an App Store review? Likely not. The price of a bad choice shows up later as crashes, sour ratings and a queue of refund requests.

The Skills That Truly Count

Decide what "skilled" means for your case before you talk to anyone. A payment app leans on different muscles than a streaming service does. Yet a handful of competencies stay steady across nearly every serious role.

A capable engineer speaks Swift fluently and reads Objective-C without flinching, since plenty of older modules still rely on it. They know Xcode, Interface Builder, Core Data, Core Animation and Core Graphics deeply. Comfort with Apple's Human Interface Guidelines splits the builders whose apps feel native from those who wrestle the platform the whole way.

Here is a quick map of areas worth probing:

How to Read Technical Expertise

Trivia quizzes reveal little. The real signal hides in how a candidate thinks. Ask them to walk you through a modular architecture they once built and explain the reasoning behind it. Then push gently. A confident engineer leans into the question. A shaky one starts spilling buzzwords.

Three zones reward close attention. Architecture judgment shows how they shape code for growth. Implementation quality shows whether the work stays clean and testable instead of clever and fragile. Delivery fit shows how smoothly they sit beside project managers and the rest of the team.

One practical trick beats a dozen scripted answers. Hand over a short test task tied to a real module. A single honest afternoon of coding teaches you plenty.

The Soft Skills Everyone Skips

Brilliant code means little if its author vanishes for three days and ships something nobody else can read. Clear communication, real ownership and the nerve to flag risks early are quiet superpowers. Watch what a candidate asks during the interview. Do they wonder about your users, or only about the stack? The strongest people care about both.

Why On-Device AI Now Matters

Something shifted these past few years. Apple keeps moving intelligence onto the device itself and Core ML sits right at the heart of that move. A developer who grasps it can personalize content, sort images and automate decisions without firing every request off to the cloud. For finance, health and retail products, that skill is sliding from "nice bonus" toward "basic expectation."

Five Companies Worth a Look for iOS Talent

Building an in-house pipeline sometimes drags on too long, so leaning on an established partner makes sense. Below sit five names that surface often in iOS hiring talk, with Andersen at the top.

1. Andersen

Andersen opens access to 130+ iOS developers across FinTech, eCommerce, Healthcare and more, with delivery experience spanning 500+ companies. Roughly forty-five percent of its iOS staff are senior specialists or team leads which trims review cycles and keeps each project tied to real business goals.

The setup stays refreshingly clear. You describe the product, the team matches the skills and engineers start with less delivery risk.

2. Toptal

Toptal builds its reputation on a strict vetting funnel that lets through only a thin slice of applicants.

Teams reach for it when they want freelance specialists quickly and already hold solid internal oversight to keep quality and deadlines in check. It shines for narrow, well defined slices of work rather than sprawling roadmaps that wander as they grow.

3. Andela

Andela links businesses with distributed engineers, often across emerging tech regions. The model suits companies that feel at home with remote collaboration and want to scale capacity gradually. Time-zone planning becomes part of the deal, so steady async communication matters more here than in most arrangements.

4. BairesDev

BairesDev pairs nearshore delivery with sizable team builds which appeals to firms that need many hands fast.

Companies across the Americas favor it for time-zone overlap, since shared working hours cut the lag out of daily collaboration. When a project demands a comfortable working hour window and broad staffing flexibility, it tends to earn a place on the shortlist.

That said, the strength shows most on bigger builds. For a single tightly scoped feature, the scale can feel heavier than the task requires.

5. EPAM

EPAM runs at enterprise scale with deep engineering and consulting roots, fitting organizations that steer complex, long horizon programs demanding process maturity and heavyweight governance. Smaller teams may find it more than they need. Larger ones tend to value the structure.

What Skilled Teams Can Actually Build

Strong developers rarely stay boxed into one app type. Their range usually stretches across several categories which hands you flexibility as priorities shift.

* Native iOS applications and enterprise solutions;

* Payment apps with Apple Pay integration;

* Wearable apps for Apple Watch;

* IoT and AI-powered apps for connected hardware;

* Cross-platform mobile products.

What Hiring Really Costs

Budget surprises sink projects faster than bugs do, so set expectations early. Rates swing with region and seniority. Public salary data from platforms such as Glassdoor and Upwork puts many offshore and nearshore specialists in the $35 to $90 per hour band. Senior US-based roles often pass $120 to $180 per hour and top earners in large tech markets can climb beyond $200,000 a year.

Conclusion

Hiring a skilled iOS developer comes down to clarity. Know the skills you need, test for genuine thinking rather than memorized facts and never wave off communication. Build an internal team or partner with a provider like Andersen, the destination stays identical which is shipping reliable apps that users actually keep. Spend real time on the evaluation. The right engineer repays you on every release that goes live without drama.

FAQ

Can a great iOS developer also clean up someone else's messy code?

Yes and watching them try it is one of the sharpest tests around. Turning tangled Objective-C into tidy Swift exposes patience, judgment and true platform depth in one go.

Should I worry if a candidate has never published to the App Store?

A little, honestly. Submission, metadata and review compliance carry quirks that only experience hammers in. Someone who has shipped already knows where the traps wait.

Is a freelancer riskier than a dedicated team?

That depends on your oversight. Freelancers fit tight, well-defined tasks. For long roadmaps with shifting scope, a dedicated team tends to guard continuity far better.

How fast can I realistically onboard a developer?

Shortlisting might take a couple of days, interviews a few more and start dates hinge on access setup. Responsive stakeholders speed the whole thing up.

Does on-device AI knowledge really sway my hiring call?

More than most expect. Core ML now shapes personalization and privacy inside apps, so an engineer who understands it quietly hands your product an edge. more