Megan Winson


Career development 5h
Hey everyone! Our HR person at work is constantly sticking her nose into everyone’s relationships, arguments, and conflicts. She’s always trying to “sort things out”, even though she’s not a psychologist or anything. It’s honestly really annoying.
How do I tell her that I can handle my own issues and decide for myself who I want to be friends with and who I’d rather just keep things neutral... with?

 more

  • Victor Turner

    1h

    It's unlikely that the HR rep would be open to direct or even indirect feed back regarding their behavior since they are already aware they've bumped... up against or cross some ethical lines: it's a power thing with no winners. So consider making a very professional public suggestion to the entire company including HR. Anonymous 360. degree peer reviews requiring feedback from outside ones own department. Then sit back. Take care though. you may receive helpful feedback about yourself. Which is a good thing. right? more

Career development

 1w

Yesterday, I Got the Job Offer ,After 8 Months of Doubt


This is a personal update reflecting on my job-hunting journey, self-doubt, and resilience over the past eight months. I'm sharing this for anyone navigating rejection, waiting, or imposter syndrome.

Yesterday, I got the job offer.

Before the excitement kicked in, there was silence. Relief. A moment to breathe. It felt like the end of a season I wasn't sure I would survive, let alone learn... from.

For over eight months, I was unemployed.

Eight months of applications. Waiting. Refreshing my inbox. Wondering what more I needed to fix.

This wasn't just a job hunt. It was a confrontation with my confidence.

The Part No One Prepares You For

I redid my CV more times than I can count. Each rejection convinced me there was something missing.

Maybe my experience wasn't strong enough.

Maybe my portfolio didn't meet the standard.

Maybe I wasn't telling my story well.

Or maybe quietly, painfully,I just wasn't good enough.

Imposter syndrome didn't whisper. It took over.

I compared myself constantly. I questioned my growth. I looked at other designers and wondered how they seemed so sure while I felt like I was barely holding myself together.

Still, I showed up.

Not confidently.

Not consistently motivated.

But honestly, and that mattered.

Waiting Changes You

Being without work does something to your identity, especially when your craft is tied to how you see yourself.

I questioned my path. I considered shrinking my ambitions. Some days, I wondered if choosing this career had been a mistake.

Yet, even in doubt, I kept refining my portfolio. Rewriting case studies. Applying again. Believing, sometimes reluctantly,that this season wasn't a verdict on my ability.

Sometimes growth looks like survival.

When It Finally Happened

When the offer came yesterday, it wasn't loud.

It was grounding.

Relief before celebration.

Validation before excitement.

Not because the job suddenly made me worthy, but because it reminded me that the version of me who kept going, even when exhausted and unsure, was never wrong to try.

I didn't become capable yesterday.

I was always capable,I just lost sight of it while waiting.

If You're Still There

If you're in the middle of a long job search, feeling behind, discouraged, or invisibleplease hear this:

Your struggle is not a reflection of your worth.

Your doubt does not cancel your skill.

Your timeline is not broken.

This chapter humbled me. It stretched me. It taught me patience, self-trust, and compassion,for myself and for others fighting quiet battles.

Yesterday, I got the job offer.

But long before that, I proved something even more important to myself:

Even when I doubted myself, I still showed up.

If this resonated with you, feel free to leave a comment or share it with someone who might need it today. more
16   

  • Sabina Morgan

    2h

    Consgratulations- truly inspiring...

  • ALBERT NGUNJIRI

    3d

    Congrats - Quite reassuring, encouraging and inspiring to many who are about to give up.

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Brianna Hollister


Career development 2d
A young, attractive woman just joined our team and immediately started dating a guy from IT. I get it, she’s young and has a personal life. But she basically doesn’t work. She’s always on her phone or disappearing, and when she does do something, it’s full of mistakes.
We’re the ones getting in trouble from management because of this. Now we’re not sure, should we just keep an eye on her work... ourselves, or tell the boss this can’t keep going?

 more
6   

  • Kalikandi micheal

    5h

    Looks like you too you're interested in that young girl, but the choice went to someone else... Start looking at her work with positivity, maybe it... will start making sense to you 😀 more

  • Michael Akpa

    11h

    Call her to order, and then report her if she doesn't change but make sire to report worth evidence.

Load more...

Career development

 8h

The Psychology of Hiring Managers


Member-only story

What hiring managers see when they read your résumé

This is how the hiring process feels for most of us:

You apply. You wait. You refresh your inbox. Nothing comes back. No rejection, no feedback, no signal of what went wrong. Somewhere along the way, just like that, your résumé stopped making sense to someone you'll never meet. And that was it.

This happens to all of us. It... is especially likely to have happened to you if you've ever worked part-time, taken a temporary contract, been unemployed longer than planned, or accepted a job below your qualifications.

So it is especially likely to have happened to most of us.

Modern labor markets love to celebrate flexibility. Portfolio careers, hybrid paths, lateral moves, and "non-linear journeys" are praised in keynote talks and LinkedIn posts alike. Yet when résumés land on hiring managers' desks, a different logic reasserts itself.

Recruiters don't sit with your résumé for long. They skim. They scan. They decide quickly. They are not careless, they have to: they need to read through dozens or hundreds of resumes per day.

In that speed, something subtle happens: half-read work histories turn into full character assessments with massive effects. more

Career development

 11h

A new low for fake news 'scumballs': Why the left is 'TERRIFIED' of Trump's new State Dept. pick


Mora Namdar, confirmed by the Senate on December 18 as assistant secretary of state for consular affairs, should be enjoying a moment of well-earned professional recognition. Instead, she's being attacked by the usual far left suspects who are suddenly triggered into a tantrum that defies logic. The official photo of Namdar went viral online, with over 2.5 million views on X, after the State... department welcomed her to her new role.

Rather than focus on her formidable résumé, opponents are obsessing over Namdar and the fact that President Donald Trump has dared to elevate a woman who is a multifaceted lawyer, policy maker, and entrepreneur. She also just so happens to have built a successful string of unique high-end beauty bars in Texas - from scratch.

The Daily Beast led the charge with this headline dripping in condescension: "Donald Trump has installed an attorney and part-time beauty salon owner to decide which foreigners are allowed to enter the U.S." Users on X noted that this type of misleading and reductive attack was disingenuous and tantamount to calling Elon Musk a car salesman because he owns Tesla or the President a hotelier because he owns real estate. Namdar is a highly respected lawyer with elite clientele and earned the reputation of being a trusted, effective and uniquely capable problem solver of her clients most complex and sensitive matters.

"What a shameful, pathetic, and quite frankly sexist way to describe her career. Assistant Secretary Mora Namdar is an accomplished lawyer, business owner, and government official," State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott told The Daily Beast. "Americans can be proud that patriotic public servants like her are stepping forward to serve our country and advance our national interests."

Pigott is objectively right. Namdar, like many of her patriotic colleagues, took a huge pay cut and shuttered her law practice to serve the American people in government. If Mora Namdar had been working for any other administration, this story would be written very differently. She'd be hailed as a "barrier-breaking immigrant daughter," a "multifaceted entrepreneur," and a "living example of female empowerment" who studied at Oxford and worked for a Fortune 500 company. Her entrepreneurial endeavors would be described as bold expressions of feminist creativity. Her success would be celebrated on glossy magazine covers.

Namdar isn't some socialite dilettante who wandered into government on a whim. She's a serious policy maker who served in the State Department before, including as acting head of the very same office during Trump's first term. She served as the Vice President of Legal at a USAGM, speaks Farsi and is a respected expert on national security and human rights. She's worked on critical Middle East and North Africa policies in multiple administrations and handled sensitive national security issues, foreign governments, and diplomatic crises. She's a lawyer with advanced degrees in international affairs. She's the child of Iranian immigrants who understands firsthand what borders, visas, and national sovereignty actually mean.

The far left's real problem isn't that Namdar owns salons. It's that she embodies everything their ideology claims to support while rejecting their politics entirely. She's a woman. She's a minority. She's an immigrant's daughter. She's educated. She's successful. She loves the United States of America and is proud to serve the country under President Trump and Secretary of State Rubio.

That combination short-circuits the progressive brain.

Namdar has been clear about her priorities: protecting Americans abroad, enforcing visa laws, and treating immigration as the national security issue it is. She believes, as Secretary Rubio has stated, that the objectives of her work at the State Department is to make America safer, stronger and more prosperous. Radical stuff, apparently. She's echoed Secretary of State Marco Rubio's emphasis on integrity in the immigration system and has unapologetically stated that visas are a privilege, not a right.

And let's dispense with the faux concern. The same crowd attacking Namdar's entrepreneurial background routinely celebrates Democrats with résumés that include activist nonprofits, social media influence, or "community organizing." Somehow, that's noble experience, but running a profitable, multi-location business? That's a point to attack.

Kari Lake, former GOP candidate and current acting CEO of the United States Agency for Global Media, was not letting the false attacks slide. "This headline is a new low for the scumballs in the Fake News... Mora is highly educated (she started taking college classes at 12!), an accomplished lawyer, and a successful entrepreneur..." Lake continued, blasting the outlet for describing Namdar "in such an intentionally condescending way."

Following her confirmation, Namdar has been scrutinized not for her expertise in law or national security, but for her appearance, her private-sector success, and her refusal to apologize for either. The biggest irony is that her impressive bio doesn't even scratch the surface of this woman's accomplishments. Among scores of successes not widely written about is that Namdar was so academically gifted that she began college classes at the age of 12. She graduated with a double major in Political Science and International Studies and a triple minor in Philosophy, Fine Art, and Human Rights from Southern Methodist University. She holds a JD and Masters in International Affairs from American University - Washington College of Law. Namdar founded the law schools National Security Law Brief, "the nation's first student-run law school publication to focus on the rapidly evolving field of national security law" and served as its founding Editor-in-Chief.

The truth is, Mora Namdar represents something deeply threatening to the far left: a conservative woman who doesn't apologize for competence, ambition, or femininity. She didn't trade her heels for sackcloth to be taken seriously. She didn't pretend success was accidental. She didn't ask permission.

And now she's overseeing one of the most critical offices in the State Department, just in time for major global events like the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where border security and visa enforcement will matter more than ever.

Namdar's confirmation makes her the highest-ranking American of Iranian descent to be confirmed to such a role at the State Department following a 53-43 confirmation vote in the Senate. Meanwhile, those that claim to be a champion of women's rights have targeted Namdar with feeble attempts to reduce her to nothing more than a salon owner. An educated, accomplished, multi-faceted, independent, and successful woman is evidently only celebrated if she's in line with the far left. Judging by the hysteria, she's not just qualified for the job; she is exactly the right pick.

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation. more

Career development

 13h

Your boss may matter more than your paycheque- says Simon Sinek, and here's why - The Times of India


At a time when Americans are counting every dollar, scanning job descriptions with a sharper eye on salary figures than ever before, the temptation is understandable. Inflation has tightened household budgets. Tariffs have added to economic anxiety. For many workers, the question feels brutally simple: How much does this job pay?Yet management expert and author Simon Sinek is urging jobseekers to... pause before letting compensation alone dictate their career choices. In his view, the most consequential decision in any job interview has less to do with the number on the offer letter and more to do with the human being across the table."If I got one thing right as a young person, it's that I always chose jobs based on who I would work for," Sinek said on The Diary of a CEO podcast. "I didn't care how much money they're going to pay."Sinek's argument cuts against the grain of today's cost-of-living-driven career decisions, but it rests on a simple premise: Managers shape not just workloads, but lives. A poor boss can erode confidence, stunt learning, and quietly push people toward burnout. A good one, by contrast, can accelerate growth, open doors, and provide psychological safety that money alone cannot buy.Decades of workplace research back this up. Studies repeatedly show that people are more likely to quit managers than companies. Toxic leadership correlates with higher stress, lower productivity, and poorer mental health outcomes. In that light, Sinek's advice sounds less idealistic and more pragmatic.Sinek is highly renowned for his 2009 TED Talk on the power of "why," which introduced his now-famous Golden Circle framework: Start with purpose, then process, then product. The talk went on to become one of TED's most-watched of all time, crossing 60 million views on the TED website alone.That philosophy extends naturally to career decisions. Just as organisations inspire loyalty by clearly articulating why they exist, leaders inspire commitment through how they treat people. For Sinek, a manager who invests in growth, communicates with clarity, and acts with integrity is worth more than a slightly higher pay package under a disengaged or self-serving boss.Sinek's advice is not dismissing financial realities. He acknowledges that people have bills to pay and responsibilities to meet. But he warns against allowing economic pressure to narrow one's vision entirely.For early- and mid-career professionals navigating today's volatile job market, his advice translates into a few practical strategies:Interview the manager, not just the role. Ask how they measure success, how they handle mistakes, and how they support team development. Their answers often reveal more than the job description.A leader's past behaviour is a better predictor than polished interview rhetoric. Speak to future teammates if possible. Read between the lines on platforms like LinkedIn.Think in five-year terms, not five-month terms. A role that stretches skills under a strong mentor can compound in value over time, often leading to higher earnings later.Protect your learning curve. Early exposure to good leadership can shape professional instincts for decades. Poor leadership can unteach confidence just as quickly.In an era defined by economic uncertainty, Sinek's message is quietly radical. It asks jobseekers to resist panic-driven decisions and instead weigh the invisible forces that shape careers: Trust, mentorship, and values.Money matters, undeniably. But as Sinek's own career illustrates, aligning with the right leaders can unlock opportunities that no salary figure can fully capture. In the long run, the person you work for may end up determining not just how much you earn, but who you become. more

Career development

 16h

The Rise of the One-Person Brand: Tools and Mindsets for Building Online


AI Website Builder allow individuals to create professionals quickly without having to find appropriate templates and getting used to the new software. Describe your request to AI in a format of a prompt, such as 'Create a website for an illustrator portfolio, use black colors, include a menu for contacts and a blog'.

You no longer need a huge corporation behind your back to make your projects... come into reality. The power of startups and individual entrepreneurs can and does rival companies, especially when it comes to local businesses. But it requires strong personal branding, the expression of individuality and building trust with your audience.

The rise of the one-person brand has redefined how we think about work, credibility, and career growth. Whether you're a freelancer, entrepreneur, or professional, your online presence is your modern résumé -- and increasingly, the currency of professional trust.

Personal branding is about just visibility, trust and identity. The 2017 research from LinkedIn shows that professionals with a strong online presence are twice as likely to be approached with opportunities than those without. People connect with authentic individuals, not faceless corporations, because humans inherently trust stories and personalities over logos and ads. A well-crafted personal brand signals expertise, reliability, and consistency.

As the philosophy of .ME emphasizes, your online identity is a reflection of who you are and what you stand for. Choosing a .ME domain, for instance, transforms a simple URL into a personal statement. It communicates credibility, which is crucial in crowded professional landscapes.

Thriving as a one-person brand requires an entrepreneurial mindset. You are no longer simply an employee or a service provider; you are the face, voice, and product of your own micro-business.

Interestingly, studies in behavioral economics show that people tend to overvalue individuals they perceive as experts, even when their formal qualifications are equivalent to others in the same field (Harvard Business Review, 2013). That means how you present yourself online directly influences perceived competence and trustworthiness.

This shift starts with strategic storytelling. Define the problems you solve and the values you represent. Being authentic, rather than perfect, encourages engagement and loyalty. Audiences resonate with honesty, learning from your process, challenges, and growth -- not just the polished final product. Overcoming imposter syndrome is part of the journey, but consistency in sharing your insights and projects will build credibility far more effectively than waiting to appear "ready."

Securing a personalized domain like yourname.me gives you control over your online identity and ensures that anyone searching for you finds an authoritative source. The .ME extension, now widely used by professionals and creatives, represents individuality and approachability. A study of domain-based personal websites even found that users with personalized domains were 40% more likely to be perceived as professional by peers and potential clients. For Gulf countries specifically, it is beneficial since .ME is perceived as a short version of the Middle East, making it appealing to users from all over the region.

Tips for Choosing a Domain Name:

Social media is where your personal brand comes to life, but success comes from focus rather than breadth. Choose platforms aligned with your audience and goals:

According to Sprout Social, brands (and individuals) that engage authentically on social media see up to 5 times higher engagement rates compared to those posting generic content. Posting consistently and interacting with followers establishes both credibility and approachability. Be earnest, and your followers will appreciate it. Talk about things you're an expert in and do not try to be someone you're not.

A personal website is your business card and a major SEO weapon. It showcases who you are, what you do, and how people can connect with you. Including an "About Me" section, portfolio, and clear contact information can dramatically increase trust -- HubSpot reports that websites with well-structured personal branding elements see up to 30% more conversions for freelance or consultancy inquiries.

Building a website can sound daunting if you have never had to deal with it before, but it's not as hard as it used to be. We're living in the age of website builders that allow us to create websites in convenient visual editors -- no coding needed. And it becomes even faster and easier with AI.

AI Website Builder allow individuals to create professionals quickly without having to find appropriate templates and getting used to the new software. Describe your request to AI in a format of a prompt, such as 'Create a website for an illustrator portfolio, use black colors, include a menu for contacts and a blog'.

After a couple of minutes, you'll find your website fully done, filled with images and text. You can make adjustments by typing in command in the chat, or directly with voice. AI can create new objects, move and change existing ones, generate new images, and even more. You still retain the manual control to upload your own content like in a regular website builder.

The modern one-person brand relies on tools that reduce administrative overhead and amplify output. Canva and Notion streamline content creation and organization, while automation platforms like Zapier or Buffer save time by scheduling posts and syncing workflows. Analytics platforms like Google Analytics or Plausible provide actionable insights on engagement, guiding strategy and growth.

As an entrepreneur, you'll also need an accounting program to manage finance and invoicing. Besides the AI website builder, Site.pro also provides a flexible cloud accounting software with a free invoice generator, so you can have all the tools under one roof.

Building a personal brand translates reputation into opportunity. Professionals have successfully monetized personal branding through consulting, digital products, online courses, speaking engagements, newsletters, and community memberships. Research from Harvard Business Review suggests that personal brand recognition can increase income potential by 20-30%, especially for solopreneurs or freelancers. The key is trust: audiences engage with, pay for, and recommend individuals they perceive as authentic and competent. more

Career development

 17h

Hints to Cope as AI Moves Into the Job Application Process | News Radio 1200 WOAI


It may seem like artificial intelligence hasn't been around all that long, but it's making some aspects of business move so quickly that it's now possible to encounter AI when you're interviewing for a job, and some people are using AI to try to get that job.

The problem is it's turning the job market upside down in some instances, when you consider that job seekers' use of AI to write cover... letters has resulted in some employers getting wise to that, so they put less emphasis on cover letters and start emphasizing job interviews.

But then applicants find in their interviews that they're being interrogated by AI.

And the result is neither side is well-served by the use of AI, according to one recent survey.

Jobs and workplace expert Julie Jones says there are good ways to cope with these changes: just be flexible and keep your options open.

For instance, if you're interviewing with an AI program, don't treat it like a machine because the machine might be noting your attitude and perhaps even the very words you use.

In general, "the people who have the best people skills are really going to be the ones who survive this.," she says.

People skills will help in the long run because they'll help you get past the AI process and into an interview with a real live person.

And if you can't stand AI, think in wider terms.

"Be broadminded and think outside the box, for what other skill sets do I have or in what other ways can I serve, and look at some of the other jobs that are still needing human interaction."

And the rise of AI could be an opportunity.

It's only somewhat related to AI, but this year's Big Beautiful Bill will be helping small businesses by cutting paperwork and incentivizing efficiency, so going to work for, or creating your own, small business might be a good path.

And Ms. Jones says to remember the trades, such as electricians, plumbing and mechanics.

Or what about this: Continuing in your line of work but learning to specialize in working with AI; it'll make you more in demand in many cases and accepting AI will be a good cope because it's here to stay, Jones says.

"Those fields are opening up and they have jobs available right now, we can't fill them." more

David Cole


Career development 1d
I like learning new things, even though I have a job. I found a three-month course to level up my skills, but here’s the problem - I’d need to leave work an hour early twice a week. My boss is totally against it and won’t let me.
I just don’t get it, wouldn’t he want his employees to get better at their jobs? Is there any law that makes employers let people go to training?

1   

  • Apollo kiarii

    19h

    A good employer would appreciate employees who continuously improve their skill set for personal development and better role performance. You can... agree with your boss on how to make good those 2 hours you will be taking off every week and strike a balance
     more

  • József Flibert

    19h

    I agree with Joseph Kiryagana.
    A course that doesn't conflict with your work schedule would be perfect for you.

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Career development

 19h

Power BI Analyst ATS Resume


My next round of applications is coming up and I want a fresh, genuinely written résumé -- no copied templates or generic ChatGPT dumps. It has to pass modern ATS scans and position me squarely for three mid-level paths I actively pursue: Power BI Specialist, Data Analyst, and Business Analyst. What I need from you * A single master résumé in ATS-friendly Word format (I'll convert to PDF myself)... that cleanly showcases my hands-on work with data visualization, data modeling, and report automation. * Brief guidance on how to tweak the document for each of the three job titles when necessary (e.g., keyword swaps or reordered bullet points). Context you will draw on I can supply current job descriptions, my existing résumé content, and metrics from recent projects. You'll turn that raw material into sharp, quantifiable bullets, concise accomplishment statements, and an overall structure that tracks with what recruiters expect at the mid-career level. Acceptance criteria 1. Scores 90 %+ when run through a standard ATS checker such as Jobscan or Resumeworded. 2. Reads naturally to a human reviewer -- no AI padding or boilerplate language. 3. Delivered within two iterations (initial draft + one revision round). If you're experienced with data-centric résumés, familiar with ATS keyword logic, and confident you can keep my voice intact, let's get started. more

Obitech Invents
Career development 5d
Honestly its really heart breaking 💔 😪

for over 12 months now i have been hunting for a Job as Full-stack Software Engineer still no luck 😑 . I really don't know what am doing wrong or where am getting it all wrong.

A few couple of months ago I was able to scure a good $10k/mo by AWS as a Software ll. But the offer withdrawn due to HB-1 Visa support.

Honestly, am so excited to... collab and work eh—but I have been at home for a while and i feel like am getting a little bit dusty 🙃 .

Although i haven't been idle, i have had a couple of cool project i have launched with one AI based Fitness App—although this was a Freelance gig 😅.

I can't wait to get back in the game 😩  more
2   

  • Horace WS

    21h

    Was an Azure badge or similar badge a required with the previous AWS job?

  • arnold ntimani

    3
    1d

    I totally get how frustrating this feels. I actually saw a story on Facebook about a recent grad who couldn’t get a job because he didn’t have... experience. Instead of waiting around, he started documenting his coding projects and skills online to stay relevant and fresh. When his current employer invited him to an interview, he even shared a write-up of how he solved a problem they gave him, and the interviewer was really impressed. He ended up landing a senior role because of it.

    Maybe you can try something similar showcasing your projects, AI app work, and problem-solving process could really make you stand out.     more

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Jane Tilden


Career development 1w
Hi everyone! I’m a college student and I’m thinking about getting a job as a waiter in a cafe. But my parents are against it, my dad says that kind of job will ruin my resume, like no decent company will ever hire me afterward.
I’m tired of always asking my parents for money and I want to earn my own. How can I convince them?
Thanks

9   

  • Samuel Barutwanayo

    22h

    Exactly @Hosain

  • Jennifer Phillips McLellan

    1d

    It's literally your life, make your own decisions. Unless it would leave you homeless, you don't need to follow this advice from your parents. I... earned money as waitstaff for extra money, and one of the regulars offered me a job and I took it. It was a good job, and one which I did put on my resume (I didn't include the waitresses job, because it wasn't needed.) Not every job you have needs to go on your CV. However, putting a waitstaff job on your resume won't ruin it - employer's to want to know that you've had experience working with people, keeping track of money, and working hard. Good luck! more

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Berta Harkness


Career development 1w
I work from home and take my 2.5-year-old to my mother-in-law for half the day (she lives just down the street). That was the plan from the beginning and both she and my husband agreed to it.
Now my mother-in-law doesn’t want to watch her grandson anymore. She says I can just work and take care of the child at the same time.
My husband agrees with her. I even offered to pay my mother-in-law like... a babysitter, because I really don’t want to lose my job or get stuck doing only house stuff.
What should I do? I’d appreciate any advice.

 more
4   
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Career development

 1d

Inhuman Resources: The Double Standard of AI Use in Modern Recruiting


Getting laid off in 2025 comes with a new kind of exhaustion - not just from losing a job, but from knowing exactly what comes next: an instant rejection email and recruiter ghosting. 75% of resumes never even make it past ATS (Applicant Tracking System) gatekeepers.

Automation algorithms found a promised land in Recruiting. AI now writes job ads, screens applicants, schedules interviews, and... even predicts who's likely to accept an offer. Yet the moment a candidate is merely suspected of using AI, their application becomes untouchable. And this double standard is growing fast.

The result is a strange labor-market paradox: job seekers rely on AI tools to survive an increasingly AI-driven hiring process, yet the very systems meant to help recruiters often reject them for doing so. Here's a closer look at how the cycle works and why it's breaking down.

On the employer side, AI has become a practical necessity. With firms like Goldman Sachs receiving over 315,000 internship applications and Google surpassing three million, no recruiting team can manually process the volume. So AI makes the initial screening, filters applicants, runs assessments and engages candidates through chatbots. Recruiters often frame these tools as light automation - just a way to handle routine tasks. In reality, it defines which candidates ever make it to a human reviewer.

As a co-founder of a platform that helps job seekers make AI their go-to career assistant, I see that applicant tracking systems have become a barrier, allowing only about 2% of candidates to reach the interview stage, which is their first real chance to speak with a human.

While many candidates remain skeptical towards AI tools for job-search, according to the Global Work AI's survey, preferring to have everything under control, the market situation makes more people understand that they need AI to adapt to the recruiting practices.

So they turn to the tools like AI résumé tailoring, keyword optimization, LinkedIn profile rewrites, and interview simulations. Such tools don't fabricate experience; they are meant to help "speak the language" of the machines that are going to read them. And this works: optimized résumés dramatically increase callback rates, while AI-guided interview practice improves structure and confidence.

Yet the moment recruiters suspect that a candidate used AI, the tone shifts. On Reddit, stories circulate about immediate rejections triggered by nothing more than "pausing for 2-3 minutes during a technical assessment" or producing writing that seems "too polished." In one case, a hiring team admitted they planned to ghost a candidate because their video interview included brief gaps they interpreted as AI-assisted prompting, even though there was no evidence of cheating. Recruiters reject applicants for "AI vibes" while relying on opaque AI-scored assessments themselves. What counts as assistance for one side is misconduct for the other.

Sometimes, to get a competitive edge, applicants turn to more extreme tactics that can be viewed as unethical shortcuts. For example, a popular Tik Tok advice of embedding white-ink keywords to manipulate resume parsers. Some applicants admit it was the only way they could get noticed. While recruiters haven't made a common opinion on it, it definitely signals that excessive automation can backfire on recruiters.

Other practices,especially the use of deepfake tools during video screenings and browser plugins that help candidates answer recruiters' questions in real time, clearly cross ethical lines by undermining trust and distorting the hiring process.

But not all AI use is dishonest. Tools that polish grammar, tailor a resume to a job description, clarify achievements, or help candidates practice interview answers simply improve communication as a digital equivalent of a career coach or a skilled editor.

The real distinction is simple: ethical AI enhances your genuine experience; cheating tries to fabricate it. Until companies define these boundaries more transparently, candidates will continue navigating this grey zone on their own.

Whether people like it or not, AI is now a permanent element of hiring, and there's no sense denying it. What is worth discussing, though, are the acceptability of certain practices used by both candidates and recruiters.

Recruiting bias has always been a thorny issue, but algorithmic screening raises it to the next level. Models, trained on tons of biased historical data, quietly learn to sideline the same groups that have long been marginalized: women, older workers, candidates with disabilities, or anyone for whom English isn't a first language.

What looks like a neutral metric on the surface, for example an employment gap, can become a proxy for gender, age, disability, or linguistic background. This is where things get slippery: AI becomes a convenient mask for unethical behavior that's nearly impossible to prove or challenge, leaving job seekers confused, defeated, and shut out of opportunities they're fully qualified for.

It takes time for any major technology to find its place, and AI in hiring is no different. Right now, the tools are maturing faster than the norms around them, with both candidates and recruiters guessing about what's acceptable. And that uncertainty fuels mutual mistrust.

Of course, the rules, both official and unspoken, will eventually settle. The challenge is using this transition period wisely, giving space both to experiments, and not forgetting that AI should assist the human-to-human interaction, not break it. We can either let unclear rules harden into systems that amplify bias, or take the time to build transparent, fair, and human-centered hiring practices before the new status quo sets in. more

Career development

 1d

Opinion: AI could help companies find and hire truly creative people


Creativity is easy to praise and hard to recognize, though chief executives say they want to hire creative people.

Unfortunately, traditional recruiting filters out anyone who doesn't fit the mold -- the artist who taught themselves to code, the former teacher who became a data analyst, the entrepreneur who failed twice before finding a niche. These are precisely the kinds of unconventional... thinkers who drive transformation, yet they rarely make it past the first algorithmic screen.

They prize résumés filled with brand-name schools, familiar employers, and linear career paths. The result is a workforce that looks great on paper but too often lacks the imagination and boldness needed to navigate a rapidly changing world.

That may be about to change.

Artificial intelligence -- the very technology disrupting nearly every industry -- is beginning to reshape how companies identify and recruit talent. Used thoughtfully, AI can help organizations look beyond traditional credentials and uncover qualities that predict creative potential: curiosity, adaptability, and the ability to connect ideas across disciplines.

New AI-driven assessment tools can analyze language patterns, problem-solving styles, and even how candidates respond to ambiguity. Instead of relying solely on keywords or job titles, these systems can detect evidence of open-mindedness, experimentation and insight -- traits that correlate more closely with creativity than GPA or years of experience.

Some companies are already experimenting with this approach. Rather than asking for resumes, they present candidates with real-world challenges and use AI to evaluate how they think through problems. Others are analyzing internal communication data -- emails, chat threads and project notes -- to identify teams that demonstrate the kind of creative collaboration that drives innovation.

But there's a catch: AI can reflect the same biases it promises to fix, and if algorithms are trained on historical hiring data, they may simply reproduce old habits -- favoring candidates who look and sound like those already in the system. Creativity, especially from underrepresented groups or unconventional backgrounds, risks being filtered out yet again.

That's why the human element still matters. The goal shouldn't be to let machines make hiring decisions, but to use them as lenses that broaden our understanding of talent. When guided by human judgment and ethical oversight, AI can help recruiters see potential that traditional systems overlook.

In fact, this is where AI could make its most meaningful contribution to the future of work: not by replacing human creativity, but by helping us recognize it. The companies that thrive in the coming decade will be those that hire people who can adapt, invent and reimagine what's possible. Machines can analyze data, but only people can dream.

If business leaders are serious about innovation, they'll need to challenge their own comfort zones -- and the systems that reward conformity. AI, for all its risks, offers a rare opportunity to reset the equation. It can help us find the outliers, the boundary crossers, the restless minds who refuse to color inside the lines.

It is fashionable to claim to use AI in hiring, but the depth and sophistication vary widely -- much still depends on how the tool is designed and integrated, and whether human judgment remains central.

John M. Eger is professor emeritus in the School of Journalism and Media Studies at San Diego State University. He previously served as telecommunications advisor to President Gerald R. Ford, legal assistant to FCC Chairman Dean Burch, and senior vice president of CBS. more

Billy Whitcomb


Career development 5d
Hey! I had two interviews at the same company and both seemed to go fine. But then their HR person called and said they’re not moving forward with me because of a couple of my social media posts. Apparently they think I look “inappropriate” in them (even though there’s honestly nothing like that).
So I’m wondering, is this even normal? Photos from a party are my own business. Why does a company... think it gets a say in my personal life?

 more
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  • arnold ntimani

    1d

    Yeah, unfortunately this happens more than you’d think. Companies often check social media to get a sense of how someone might represent them, even if... it feels unfair. It’s frustrating because your personal life is your own, but sometimes they see it differently. Definitely not a reflection of your professionalism it’s just their policy or perception. more

    1

  • Chas Frank

    3d

    Just for your own edification. look up the people who are principals at the company and the HR person and look at their linked in and social media... posts and see how they tow their own line. today's world is very superficial and full of people who say one thing but do the opposite. more

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Career development

 1d

'Little Leaders' program helps St. Agnes students build confidence, connections


The group launched with a formal application process that required students to submit a short résumé outlining their skills and why they wanted to lead.

MOOSE JAW -- A student-led leadership program at St. Agnes School is helping younger students find their voice while strengthening community connections, including regular visits to residents at Pioneer Lodge.

The "Little Leaders" group,... spearheaded last year by St. Agnes teacher Kaelyn Turberfield alongside colleagues Holly Crompton and Diana Osiowy, was created after staff identified a gap in extracurricular leadership opportunities for students in Grades 3 to 6.

"I work with that age group, and I've always said that these kids are just so eager and imaginative. They just want a meaningful voice in their school, and they don't have as many opportunities (as older students)," Turberfield said.

"So we launched the program ... and the buzz that went through their classrooms was just really cool -- they were so excited to be a part of something."

The group launched with a formal application process that required students to submit a short résumé outlining their skills and why they wanted to lead. While all applicants were accepted, Turberfield said the process itself helped generate excitement and ownership among students.

Since then, the Little Leaders have met during lunch hours and taken on school-wide initiatives. Last year's projects included planning Valentine's Day and Earth Day activities. This year, the group organized a large-scale National Child Day celebration.

"They planned the entire day," she said. "They did an assembly that was completely student-led. They troubleshot everything. They created all the documents, all the slide shows, and all the speaking MC parts.

"They hosted families for a picnic and had play stations circulating throughout the school that all the kids could be a part of. Our teaching staff helped with the execution as well, but the kids were the big organizers of the day ... they handled it with so much confidence and we were so proud of them."

This year also marked an expansion beyond the school itself, as the group began visiting Pioneer Lodge once a month to connect with residents and build relationships through crafts, games, and conversation. Around seven to 10 students typically attend each visit, drawn from a core group of 10 to 15 members.

Ahead of the Christmas break this month, students shared songs from their school concert and joined residents in carolling.

"During the first couple of visits there was an apprehensiveness between the kids and the residents who live there, just because a lot of (the students) maybe don't have grandparents or they're not around that sort of setting very often," Turberfield recalled.

"But this visit, I think just because Christmas is naturally such a meaningful and exciting time, it was just so much more comfortable. The kids brought little booklets with all of the songs, they were using the microphones, and they were helping the residents find the songs in the book," she continued.

"Then they shared hot chocolate and cookies afterward and you could just see the connection they had built."

She said students also asked thoughtful questions about what the holidays look like for those living at the lodge.

"Some of the things students were curious about were 'What are they going to do for Christmas?' 'Is anyone else going to come visit them?' and 'Do they have Christmas dinner here?'" Turberfield said. "You could see that there was a light bulb (in their mind) -- this is a really special time (of year)."

For Turberfield, those moments are at the heart of leadership development. "I'm personally just very passionate about giving kids child-led opportunities, and I think that kids need a voice and some choice in their learning. They need to be active members in the school community," she said.

The Little Leaders program remains open to new partnerships, and Turberfield is inviting community organizations to connect with St. Agnes School to explore future collaborations. To learn more, contact the school at 306-694-1767. more

Career development

 1d

Gen Z could wave goodbye to résumés because most companies have turned to skills-based recruitment -- and find it more effective, research shows | Fortune


Trying to summarize every job you've ever had and then distill that onto a two-page résumé has been the bane of job hunter's existence since around the 1950s. Fortunately, for Gen Z, it's something they might never have to bore themselves with.

That's because research shows many companies are moving away from relying on the traditional job application requirement.

In fact, almost three-quarters... of companies now use skills-based assessments throughout their hiring process, according to TestGorilla's The State of Skills-Based Hiring 2023 report which surveyed 3,000 employees and employers around the world. This is up from 56% in the previous year.

Although many of those employers are still also using CVs, it might not be long until they're a thing of the past because most bosses are already favoring the new hiring practice and reporting big results.

The employers surveyed who use skills-based hiring -- which includes role-specific skills assessments, instead of simply scanning someone's listed career experience -- reported massive gains.

According to TestGorilla's research, it reduced the number of mis-hires by 88%, total time spent searching for the perfect candidate by 82%, and hiring-related costs by 74%.

Overall, 92% of the employers surveyed reported that skills-based hiring is more effective at identifying talented candidates than a traditional CV. Meanwhile, over 80% said it's more predictive of on-job success and leads to new hires staying longer in their roles.

By testing candidates on how they would handle the actual day-to-day responsibilities of a role, employers are more likely to hire the best person for the job instead of being drawn by big names and snazzy titles.

As Khyati Sundaram, CEO of the skill-based recruitment platform Applied, previously told Fortune, just because someone has listed on their résumé that they've worked with the SEO team at somewhere alluring like Google, it doesn't actually mean they know the ins and outs of search engine optimization to the extent that's required for a role.

"We are trying to make sure the test or the question is as relevant to the job as possible," Sundaram said, adding, "That's the reason that candidates love it too."

Intuitively people may assume that taking multiple skills-based tests would feel like more of a nuisance for job seekers than simply blasting their CV at hundreds of roles -- but the data shows otherwise.

Most of the workers that TestGorilla surveyed think that skills-based hiring levels the playing field and improves their chances of bagging their dream jobs.

This is especially true for candidates who are often overlooked. In fact, around three-quarters of the Black, Asian, and Arab employees that TestGorilla surveyed have already reportedly gained access to new employment opportunities through skills-based assessments.

The uptick in skills-based hiring comes as degrees have slidden down the priority list for employers.

Google, Microsoft, IBM, and Apple previously eliminated their long-held degree requirements to remove barriers to entry and recruit more diverse talent. Meanwhile, recruiters globally are five times more likely to search for new hires by skills over higher education.

A former Cisco top executive in the U.K. also said young aspiring workers would be better off skipping out on college to join the world of work straight away.

"In university, you come out with whatever degree you may get, but it's almost certainly saddled with debt," David Meads, former Cisco's U.K. and Ireland CEO, told Fortune. "Is that better than on-the-job experience where you're rotating through different parts of our organization, and living the reality and not just the theory?"

"For me, attitude and aptitude are more important than whatever letters you have after your name, or whatever qualifications you've got on a sheet," he added.

But research has shown that skeptical Gen Z remain unconvinced: They're shunning apprenticeship schemes in favor of going down the traditional route of college. So perhaps they will still go through the bore of writing a résumé -- even if, like a college degree, it's no longer needed. more

Career development

 1d

Dark web attracts laid-off workers, teenagers, and elite talent - DefenceWeb


There was a two-fold increase in the number of résumés and jobs posted on underground dark web forums in Q1 2024 compared to Q1 2023, and this number remained on the same level in Q1 2025, according to new research from Kaspersky.

Overall, in 2025, résumés outnumber vacancies 55% to 45%, driven by global layoffs and an influx of younger candidates. Age distribution among the candidates shows a... median seeker age of just 24, with a marked teenager presence.

Jobs found on the dark web are predominantly related to cybercrime or other illegal activities, although some legitimate positions are present as well. Kaspersky findings show a shadow economy where 69% of job seekers did not specify a preferred field, openly signaling they'd take any paid opportunity - from programming to running scams or high-stakes cyber operations. The most in-demand IT roles posted by employers on the dark web reflect a mature criminal ecosystem:

Developers (accounted for 17% of vacancies) create attack tools;

Penetration testers (12%) probe networks for weaknesses;

Money launderers (11%) clean illicit funds through layered transactions;

Carders (6%) steal and monetise payment data;

Traffers (5%) drive victims to phishing sites or infected downloads.

Gender-specific patterns emerged in specialised applications. Female applicants predominantly sought interpersonal roles, including support, call-centre, and technical-assistance positions. Male applicants, by contrast, more frequently targeted technical and financial-crime roles - developers, money mules, or mule handlers.

Salary expectations varied sharply by specialisation. Reverse engineers commanded the highest compensation, averaging over $5,000 monthly, followed by penetration testers at $4,000 monthly and developers at $2,000. Fraudsters tended to receive a fixed percentage of a team's income. Money launderers average 20%, while carders and traffers earn approximately 30% and 50% of the full income, respectively. These figures reflect a premium on scarce, high-impact skills within the shadow ecosystem.

"The shadow job market is no longer peripheral; it's absorbing the unemployed, the underage, and the overqualified. Many arrive thinking that the dark web and the legal market are fundamentally alike, rewarding proven skills over diplomas, with the dark web even offering some benefits - like offers landing within 48 hours and no HR interviews. However, not many realise that working on the dark web can lead to prison," comments Alexandra Fedosimova, Digital Footprint Analyst at Kaspersky.

Young individuals contemplating dark web employment must recognise that short-term earnings carry irreversible legal and reputational consequences. Parents, educators, and the community are urged to report suspicious online solicitations immediately. Children should be shown that there are multiple skill-building and career pathways in legitimate technology sectors, such as cybersecurity, Kaspersky said.

The Kaspersky analysis was based on 2,225 job-related posts - vacancies and resumes - published on dark web forums between January 2023 and June 2025. Some of the forums and resources reviewed may no longer be accessible at the time of publication. more

Jim Farnsworth


Career development 4d
I’ve been working as an economist in the department for three years and was hoping I’d be promoted to head of the department. But no, they told me they’re hiring some random outsider for the position, someone with no experience, just because he’s “very motivated”.
Am I not motivated? I also have actual work experience. How can I change management’s mind? Thanks.

1   

  • Michelle Nenkai Emanuel

    2d

    Sometimes things happen to us so we can open our eyes an out wings....and fly.
    When your efforts are rewarded with pain,start looking elsewhere. Maybe... it's high time you did! more

  • Steward Tony Pacheco

    2d

    As a Retired Head Hunter, It Appears That They Have Already Extended An Offer To The New Eager Beaver. That What I Interpreted By The Wording You Gave... Us. He More Than Likely Will Be At A Lower Paygrade As Well.
    You Mentioned "Hope" & As A Mover & Shaker In My Own Career, Hope Was Never Considered In My Climb. I Consistantly Fixed & Refined My Plan. What Was Your Plan? It Cant Be Hope. When You Have A Viable Plan, Then You Have Faith In That Plan & You Make It Work. Never Hope It Works. Time Is To Short. So You Fall, But Will You Fall Forward? Will You Go To Work, Pay Your Bills, While Developing Your Plan? Your Plan Does Not Need To Be At The Same Company? Stick To The Plan & Do Not Share It With Anyone. Start Searching For Other Opportunities.

     more

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