Career development

3h

Creeped out by AI interviews? Get ready anyway

Companies say automated interviews help weed out low-intent and fraudulent applicants, but for many jobseekers the rise of chatbots in hiring feels more dystopian than efficient

Have you applied for a new job? If you've been shortlisted, get ready to be interviewed by artificial intelligence.

Deluged by a flood of AI-generated job applications from easy-apply job boards, recruiters are turning... to AI to cope. Companies are using chatbots to interview candidates, typically at the screening stage, through phone calls, text messaging or video chats avatars.

Recruiters have been using AI-powered hiring tools for years to assess job applicants, and their use has been expanding in step with technology advances.

Many people find AI job interviews unsettling, though the trend seems here to stay. According to recent research by hiring platform Glasshouse, more jobseekers are reporting they've faced AI job interviews. But many applicants have walked away from the hiring process because of it, which could be a sign that they're either creeped out, or they could be fraudulent or "low-intent," depending on who you ask.

Here's what to expect from an AI job interview and how to do your best.

Whatever the interview format, the fundamentals still apply, said Amanda Augustine, a career coach at Careerminds, which helps companies support laid-off workers with resume writing and job search services.

Ahead of the interview, review the job description, research the organization, and understand what it's looking for.

If you've never done an AI job interview before, the first time could be unnerving or unsettling.

I did a demo AI interview set up by Netherlands-based TestGorilla, one of numerous platforms providing recruitment tools for companies. First came two sets of questions, one that tested problem-solving skills and another gauging work experience. Then I faced an AI-generated female face.

"My goal is to learn more about you and the experiences, skills and competencies that you might bring to this role," it said, adding that I should plan to spend about two minutes to answer each of three questions.

Unlike a human interview, there was no warm-up chit-chat, no chance to build a rapport. There was no point in smiling or trying to break the ice.

Experts say the best way to get over that is preparation.

"You need to practice out loud," said Priya Rathod, workplace trends editor at online job board Indeed. "And when I say practice out loud, I mean, say the actual answers out loud," because the chatbot needs to record what you're saying, she said.

Also keep in mind you're providing information about yourself to a machine, not having a conversation.

"You have to be particularly descriptive and a very clear communicator in your language so that they can pick up on things that a regular interviewer might pick up through your facial expressions and tone," Rathod said.

An AI interviewer "cares less about my tone and more about what it is that I'm saying," she added.

Use an online interview simulator to prep -- there are many available. They can record your answers and provide instant feedback on your content, delivery or pacing. They'll also help you get used to speaking into a camera, manage time limits and give your answers in a structured way without the natural back-and-forth of a live conversation, Augustine said.

GET READY FOR BEHAVIORAL QUESTIONS

For my demo interview, the AI grilled me for a communications professional role.

One question it asked was how I use AI in my "workflow," including examples of both success and failure. When I replied that I saved lots of time with an AI transcription tool for interviews and other recordings, it summarized my answer and then asked me if I wanted to add anything else. I wasn't sure whether I had answered satisfactorily.

I scored "below average" on this question, according to TestGorilla's assessment, which said I provided "no concrete metric" such as minutes saved. "The improvement claim is therefore vague," it said.

AI interviewers are asking these "behavioral questions" because they want candidates to provide examples of how they handled specific work situations, complete with numbers and metrics, Rathod said.

"Those are the kinds of questions that AI relies heavily on. And the trap that we see a lot of people falling into is giving really vague answers," she said.

Candidates should still rely on tried and tested tactics like the STAR method -- short for situation, task, action, result.

So be prepared to talk about a specific work situation and the task assigned to you, the action that you took, and the result, Rathod said.

"You want to use numbers as much as possible. Even if you're not in a revenue driving role, there are ways in which you can say (how) you influenced something or

SETUP STILL MATTERS

Don't neglect the physical setup of your desk and computer -- it's still important even if the video-based interview is with AI, and not a person.

Test your audio and video in advance. Make sure the lighting is bright enough and is on your face. Raise your laptop to eye level so that you're not looking down at the camera.

"Small adjustments, such as using a stack of books or a ring light, can make a noticeable difference in how polished and professional you present," Augustine said.

Don't be tempted to use AI shortcuts

Jobseekers might be tempted to use AI to help come up with answers. After all, they're so easy to use and if you're not talking to a human, no one will be able to tell, right?

"That's a big no-no because it's pretty obvious" to both the AI interviewing tool and anyone who might review the recording, said Rathod. Using AI for your answers "can sometimes immediately disqualify you."

If you're having difficulty answering, you can always ask it to clarify or repeat the question.

The question might even be designed to figure out if you're using AI to cheat. TestGorilla's head of marketing, Mehak Chowdhary, said it sometimes poses simple questions worded in a very convoluted way.

"We do that intentionally to understand whether you are running an AI alongside, because the AI will then try and optimize for the length of the question," she said. "But if you know your skill set, you will understand what's being asked.

"And we strongly recommend candidates put the AI devices aside. This is a test of your capability." more

Career development

4h

the interns I'm mentoring don't want my help

I am mentoring my third summer intern (in a company program that assigns mentors and mentees), and I'm facing a frustrating trend: none of them seem to want my help.

I want to be a supportive mentor, but I keep running into walls. My current intern spends our 1-on-1s exclusively selling himself, never asking questions or listening. My previous intern refused to practice her end-of-summer... presentation with me or take my feedback before pitching to executives. The intern before that turned down a great internal job interview because the role wasn't "perfect."

Given how tough the entry-level market is right now, I'm confused by the resistance. Is there a new professional dynamic with Gen Z interns that I'm failing to understand, or have I just hit a bizarre statistical anomaly? How do you mentor people who don't seem to want it?

I don't think it's new -- I've been getting letters with similar themes since time immemorial (i.e., 2007). It's not generational; it's about inexperience and lack of professional judgment borne of that inexperience.

When you initially meet with the interns, make sure you're laying out what you can offer, how your meetings should work, and what you should both expect from the time together. (Ideally your company would also be doing that before these meetings ever happen.) From there, it's really up to them whether they want to take advantage of the time.

It's okay for the intern who didn't want to practice her presentation or take your feedback to make that call -- although at that point I'd ask her how the time could be useful to her and what she'd like to get out of your meetings.

With the guy who's spending the time selling himself, interject! You're the mentor and you're allowed to have input into how your time is used. It's okay for you to say, "The best way for us to use this time is XYZ, so before we next meet, spend some time thinking about questions about your work or company culture that you'd like us to discuss." And then if he keeps pitching himself anyway, you can interject and explicitly redirect him.

But also, talk to whoever organizes your company's mentoring program and tell them what your experience has been so far. They may have guidance for how you should handle it, and they might want to be alerted when it happens so they can check in with the interns. They also might be able to change how they're presenting the program so that interns are going in with a better understanding of how it's expected to work. more

Career development

4h

Bengaluru Start-Up 'Skillsurger' Launches AI Career Agent to Close the Gap Between Ambition and Opportunity

Early beta users report 40 % faster interview call-backs; the company opens public sign-ups today with a free seven-day trial.

Bangalore (Karnataka) [India] : When Ananya Iyer lost her job as a marketing associate in last year's round of tech layoffs, she faced the familiar whirl of résumé rewrites, online courses and marathon interview prep. "It felt like a full-time job just managing my job... search," she recalls. Two months later, she joined the closed beta of Skillsurger.com, an AI-powered career agent that promised to diagnose her skill gaps, redesign her CV, and rehearse interviews -- using the same large-language-model technology popularised by ChatGPT. Within three weeks, she had two offers on the table, one at a 22 % salary bump.

Stories like Iyer's are beginning to surface across LinkedIn and Reddit, and they underpin the quiet arrival of Skillsurger's public launch this week. Founded by Apeksha Gupta, a Bengaluru-based tech professional, the start-up sits at the junction of generative AI and professional development -- an intersection investors have tipped as the next billion-dollar SaaS frontier.

"A CV is just data until someone contextualises it," says Gupta.

"Our agent learns who you are, where you want to go, then reverse-engineers the fastest path."

From Generic Job Boards to Precision Career Maps

Unlike conventional job portals, Skillsurger begins with a 30-second profile scan. Users upload a résumé; the platform's proprietary AI technology converts it to a web profile, which can be enhanced based on career path and job of interest or AI-suggested.

That gap analysis powers four signature tools:

During its last-month invite-only beta, the platform attracted 5,000 users -- largely mid-career professionals in tech, finance and product management. According to internal telemetry shared with reporters, the median user secured an interview 14 days sooner than the control cohort that relied on conventional job-board alerts.

Why Now?

Industry analysts say the timing is ripe. A recent Deloitte study notes that 63% of professionals plan to change jobs in 2024-25, yet only 11% feel "well equipped" for the search. Meanwhile, corporate L&D budgets continue to fragment across MOOCs, bootcamps and internal academies, leaving workers to stitch together their own upskilling roadmaps.

"We're seeing the unbundling of the career ladder," explains Dr. Ritu Kataria, Future-of-Work researcher

"Tools that recombine discovery, learning and placement into a single flow will dominate the next cycle."

A Business Model that Starts Free -- But Values Commitment

Skillsurger adopts a freemium strategy: a seven-day unrestricted trial, then ₹ 860 per month (≈ $10) for unlimited job matches, CV rewrites and interview sessions. For enterprise clients, the company quietly rolled out a SaaS tier that charges per employee, already piloted by two Indian IT services firms looking to streamline internal mobility.

Gupta insists the pricing is intentional: "We wanted to be cheaper than a single session with a human career coach, yet sticky enough that users commit to their growth."

Early Success and What's Next

* 40 % reduction in average time-to-interview among beta cohort

* 98 % CV rewrite satisfaction (in-app NPS survey)

* First enterprise deal signed in Q2 2025, covering 1200 learners

Next on the roadmap: multi-lingual support (Hindi, etc) and a Chrome extension that grades job descriptions in-line and flags instant fit scores.

For professionals reconsidering their next move -- or companies seeking to future-proof their workforce -- Skillsurger may be worth a test-drive. The team is capping its discounted plan at the end of the month; after that, pricing is expected to rise.

Prospective users can explore the full feature set at skillsurger.com, where sign-up takes less than a minute and no credit card is required for the initial trial. If the platform delivers on its early promise, scrolling LinkedIn might feel a little less daunting -- and that following interview a lot more attainable. more

chisha brandz

Career development

5d

i graduated as a registered nurse 6years ago,i ve been applying for different hospitals,companies but never been lucky enough to get picked or even called for interviews ,its really stressing me out
how do you guys get lucky with jobs,need some practical tips and help,maybe i do it the wrong way?

5

Otes Morgan
1
5h
You all can get a job without no stress
ATUHAIRE PHIONAH
6h
Your not alone. Am going through the same situation. Am a medical Laboratory technologist with a Certificate,diploma and degree in medical Laboratory... technology,But still failing to get i
a job.Please recommend. Me for the jobs. Am giving up more

Career development

5h

Pilates Parties and Swingy Men

Olandria is the latest face of MAC Cosmetics; Gracie Abrams is going on tour; all signs point to a Phoebe Bridgers fall (the season, not the demise); Cooper Hoffman has been cast as the lead of the new Hulu drama pilot Durango; and filmmaker Curry Barker -- who made 100 times the budget of Obsession -- just got an eight-figure offer for his next movie.

A $300-A-MONTH GYM IS GEN Z'S SOCIAL CLUB,... bloomberg

The notion that Gen Z is "trading boozy brunch for spin class" is well-documented at this point, but what stood out to me in Bloomberg's reporting is that premium gyms and boutique studios have replaced not just bars but also restaurants and offices, emerging as a third place. At London's Sentiré Pilates, founder Iza Recelj says younger clients are booking the whole studio for birthday parties and bachelorettes, staying after class for mocktails or food. "Every friendship I have now, no matter what phase of my life I met them, we always say, 'Let's go take a class' instead of let's go to drinks or dinner," said 26-year-old Manhattan resident Olivia Antonelli. According to Mintel, 77% of U.S. Gen Z consumers say they're more focused on wellness than a year ago, 30% say they're spending more on gym memberships and classes than a year ago, and 45% report actively prioritizing physical fitness. Nicolette Brewer, a 25-year-old tech consultant living in the West Village, spends $500 a month across Equinox, SoulCycle, and a Pilates-barre studio called the Silhouette Method; fittingly, she met her boyfriend at a run club.

'INSTAGRAM TRULY IS THE NEW LINKEDIN': WHY GEN Z IS USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO GET HIRED, theguardian

In early February, the Boston Globe reported that Hinge is the new LinkedIn, and a few weeks later, Fast Company declared that Tinder is the new LinkedIn. Now, The Guardian would like us to know that Instagram is the new LinkedIn. Anya Roodnitsky, 22, a Dartmouth senior, filmed herself reformatting her résumé into a PowerPoint deck after 300 applications went unanswered, describing a $6,000 grant to model nuclear reactors as "I'm, like, super cool. I'm basically Oppenheimer." The 94-second video drew over 500,000 views, 52 coffee chats, 20 referrals, 10 interviews, and one offer as a solar analyst. Short-form video is "essentially becoming extensions of Gen Z's résumés," said Vicki Salemi, a talent strategist at Monster.

THE DESPAIR OF THE PROFESSOR IN THE AGE OF A.I., newyorker

AI is now rampant on college campuses, even as the same students boo every commencement speaker who reminds them that AI is rampant in the real world. Jay Caspian Kang spoke to a dozen educators at U.S. colleges about how their jobs have been reshaped by AI cheating: Religious studies professor Jane Sloan Peters said her "Letters from Prison" course used to culminate in students stressing over synthesizing themes from the assigned texts, but last year, none of her 60 students struggled at all, sending in "tidy" submissions that read like book-jacket blurbs. She got choked up in class, grieving the loss of that struggle, and said relief now washes over her when she sees misspellings and bad grammar. Theatre professor Neal Hebert said papers on August Wilson's "Fences" arrived in "that inimitable ChatGPT style" -- "elevator muzak, but in words" -- and he now assigns obscure plays the model hasn't been trained on. "Was it always the case that half of our students would cheat if it were easy enough?" asked history professor David Roach, who says he has seen a "shocking and discouraging amount of A.I." from students.

IS AI PUTTING GRADUATES OUT OF WORK ALREADY?, economist

Less than a fifth of the class of 2026 think it's a good time to find a good job, the lowest share in over a decade and well below the more-than-a-quarter figure for Americans overall. Recent graduates are now likelier to be unemployed than the average American, and a slump in on-campus recruiting isn't helping -- job postings on Handshake are 50% below their 2022 peak. "It's grim," one professor said of the job market. The Economist's analysis of a decade of National Association of Colleges and Employers surveys delivered a chart headlined "Forget Python, study Plato": between 2022 and 2024, graduates in the least AI-exposed quintile -- philosophy, education, civil engineering -- saw full-time employment drop just 1.5 percentage points, while those in the most exposed fields -- computer science, computer engineering, information science -- fell 6.6 points.

'UP FOR GRABS': CAN DEMOCRATS SWAY YOUNG MEN WHO HAVE SOURED ON TRUMP?, nytimes

Young men swung 15 points right in 2024, but Trump's approval among them has fallen about 10 points in recent months, per NYT/Siena polls. In two dozen interviews across seven states, Gen Z men described disillusionment with Trump's tariffs, immigration raids, and the Iran war alongside skepticism of Democrats, whom they see as "clinical" and "unwelcoming." "Both parties kind of get it wrong," said Vincent McKibben, 25, an Austin hardware engineer. Jared Cassell, 25, a Phoenix server who regrets his Trump vote, said, "It feels like nobody really cares about me." Richard Reeves, the president of the American Institute for Boys and Men, is "exasperated" by the assumption that all young men are now Trump-supporting, Andrew Tate-worshipping misogynists. "Maybe," Mr. Reeves said, "they're actually really swingy and up for grabs." more

Career development

2d

Tips for a Successful First Job Interview

The first job interview is one of the last steps to getting the job of your dreams. It is especially nerve-wracking if you have just graduated and are looking for a place of work. Perhaps you do not know where to start and who to ask. Everything stresses you out because, in the world of work, you are a beginner.

Getting to the process of a job interview means you have done a lot of things... right. That is, you have managed to get the recruiter interested in your resume. They think you are a promising candidate and can potentially fill the position.

Obviously, a job interview is crucial to getting a job offer, as it allows people from the company to get to know you better. You should pay attention to how to prepare for your first job interview and how to act in the best way possible. Here is what you need to know:

1. Learn information about the company

Forget about coming for an interview without reading or hearing about the organization or the position. It may not be easy to find specific information about the company, but you can look through its website and, if it is a huge company, read the news.

Regarding the interviewer, the basic thing is to see if they are present on social networks such as LinkedIn to know a little about their professional life and what type of content they share. What if they post information about the company or how to get a position?

Look for as much information as possible about the company, its history, values, and what it has recently stood out for. This can help you look responsible.

2. Talk about your professional experience

Recruiters can ask you about your previous job experience. If you do not have it yet, admit it. There is nothing wrong with it. Read your resume and highlight what you would like them to hear. You can talk about your volunteer experience or point out that you had internships.

Speak positively about your previous experience if you have any and describe your most important achievements that are related to the position you are applying for. Try to make it sound like a story to grab the interviewer's attention.

You can also add a speech lasting no more than 2 minutes in which you can express your strengths, abilities, what you are most passionate about that is related to the position, and what you can contribute to the company if you are selected.

3. Dress appropriately

Your resume has managed to generate a positive image that has caught the attention of the recruiter. However, the first impression is key since it allows people from the company to know if you are the right person and if you fit into the culture of the company.

Therefore, it is advisable to do some research on organizational culture. This can give you information about possible dress codes and what type of wear they prefer.

The first impression can be decisive, and the idea is that you should wear clothes according to the sector in which you are presenting yourself as a candidate. Choose formal, well-presented, and neat clothes.

Avoid distractions such as necklines, colorful or large accessories, excess makeup, or too elaborate hairstyles.

4. Be calm

You can be asked questions about your weakness, what you would like to improve in yourself, or anything that may perplex you. Answer calmly and think ahead of time about what to say.

For example, do not expose weaknesses that could pose a problem for that job position. That is, if you are applying for a position that involves the use of technology, do not say that you are bad at it. Instead, you can say that you are still improving what needs to be enhanced.

5. Arrive on time

Go to sleep early and wake up at least an hour before the interview starts. If the interview is virtual, prepare your computer and web camera.

However, it is not necessary to arrive long before the interview. Find out how much time it will take to get from your house to the company's office and plan your journey.

6. Pay attention to your body language

Avoid crossing your arms, hiding your hands, and constantly touching your face. Control the movements of your legs, feet, and trunk. If you do not, it will make seem that you are nervous.

Always look the interviewer in the eyes and try to smile whenever necessary.

7. Listen carefully to the questions

When asked something, try to be polite and attentive. Do not lie or exaggerate. Make it seem effortless and calm.

Do not interrupt the interviewer. Speak without hesitation, and do not go into too much detail. At the end of the interview, you can ask questions about the position, company, or its owners. You can also say that it would be a pleasure to work at the company. Do not forget to thank the recruiter for their time. It will make you look positive in their eyes.

8. Be genuinely interested

If you did not find the information you wanted to know on the website, ask recruiters. You may also want to know specific questions about the salary, if it is possible to work remotely, or anything else. If you do, do not hesitate to ask.

Additionally, ask for their contact information. If you forgot to get it after the interview, you can find the recruiters' contacts on Nuwber.

These small actions will make you look genuinely interested. It can benefit you in the long run.

9. Follow up after the interview

The tips for a successful first job interview are not only related to preparation. It is especially important to follow up after one week. Therefore, if you have not received a response after your interview, a good option is to write an email or make a call.

Get more information about the selection process because some companies clarify that they can take more time. If you know that they take more than a week, wait a bit longer. However, try not to go overboard. Do not write multiple emails asking if they have hired you or not. Be patient and prepare to get the job of your dreams. more

6

Innocent DANDIKANYA
5h
That's right
Niyonkuru Adamu
1
1d
For real that's good
1

Career development

6h

I tried the Leeds service helping women conquer the job market - and left empowered

The mission of Smart Works Leeds is simple: provide women with the coaching, clothing, and confidence they need to secure employment and thrive in the workplace.

The charity helps clients prepare for job interviews by providing a career coaching session and bespoke dressing service, all free of charge.

Now, as the latest figures reveal that 16.2% of 16-24 year olds are unemployed, the work of... Smart Works Leeds is particularly relevant to my generation.

That's exactly why I decided to try it out - as I visited the Leeds centre to get a taste of the comprehensive service.

Smart Works Leeds is based on the fourth floor of Unit 1 of Mabgate Mills, which is around a fifteen-minute walk from Leeds city centre.

When I walked in through the charity's doors, I felt instantly welcomed. The space is bright, inviting, and full of friendly faces. Seeking career support can be intimidating because it requires you to put yourself out there, but Smarts Works Leeds creates an environment to put you at ease.

My first task was to complete a questionnaire, which included some details about my demographic background and why I was seeking support. I filled out the short answers with a comforting cup of tea in my hand.

The comprehensive approach ensures that the appointment is tailored for you and I think this is what makes it so effective.

From there, it was on to my one-hour dressing appointment with volunteer dresser Stefanie Shaw. We headed to the office's wardrobe section, where you can see rails upon rails of donated clothes from brands including Boden, New Look, and Whistles. What stands out is the variety, as clothes of every colour, size, and style hang across the room.

To make sure I found an outfit which would fit my style as well as size, we began by talking through what kind of clothes I think best suit me and for what kind of interview I would need them for. Stefanie made mental notes and quickly got to work while I got to sit, relax, and sip some more tea.

She returned with a personalised rail and let me pick and choose what I liked and what I didn't like (and no offence was taken by the rejected suggestions). After picking my favourite options, I went to a private space where I could get changed and see if the clothes on the hangers lived up to the hype.

In this space, I noticed a box of toiletries with an instruction to take whatever you need, which I felt was a lovely and subtle extra helping hand.

Trying on the clothes was a really interesting experience and the results surprised me. As I stepped out to the big mirror to see how I looked, I had a chance to slowly evaluate how I feel in myself and what clothes give me the most confidence.

My favourite clothes weren't what I expected.

Going into this, I thought I'd leave with something in blue or black, like most of my wardrobe, but a pink dress pushed me out of my comfort zone and, strangely, I enjoyed this. It felt like me.

Once I'd picked my dress, we played around with accessories to complete my outfit. This consisted of shoes, a blazer, and a bag to make me fully interview-ready. Picking and choosing was a playful and fun experience that really gave me the opportunity to try completely new things.

Another surprise was that after the dressing service, each Smart Works Leeds client is invited to pick a pamper-style gift. The charity recognises that looking after yourself is a crucial part of interview preparation and this small gift is a fantastic way to show this. Smart Works Leeds celebrates self-care - as to be your best self in an interview, you have to feel like your best self.

After choosing some cleaning mitts from Revolution Skincare London (though I was heavily tempted by the Lush bath bombs), it was on to my career coaching session with volunteer interview coach Karen Rolinson and shadow coach Gemma Heron-Brown.

We sat in a soundproof booth to create a relaxed environment, so I felt at ease. I think this is important because even practising interview questions with someone can be a vulnerable experience as you talk about your greatest strengths and weaknesses. It was great how Karen and Gemma ensured this setting felt approachable so I could learn as much as possible.

We began by talking through my CV, which I'd sent over in advance. This was really useful to identify where I was underselling myself and how exactly I could improve. In high school, I remember having one class about writing a CV back when I'd only had one Saturday job, but as times have changed since then and my experiences have too, I've never learned how to update my structure.

Karen and Gemma advised that the best CV is tailored to the job you're applying for and shows off how you are the candidate they are looking for. As well as this, a great CV should highlight your achievements rather than shy away from them. In short, if you are proud of something, shout about it. Smart Works Leeds gives you the confidence to do this.

We then moved on to exploring what an interview might be like and how to best present yourself. In the booth, we practised questions so they won't be as frightening in the future. Karen and Gemma used what they've learned from their experiences to help me.

They gave an invaluable tip: the best interview answers for questions that ask for anecdotes use the STAR method, where you detail the situation, the task, the action, and the result. They also gave great advice on body language and active listening to ensure that even when you're not speaking, you are still making a great impression.

What felt most apparent in my career coaching session was that it was a supportive setting. Their insight always came with compliments to ensure I could recognise what I was doing well, as well as what I needed to improve on. This is what made the session the ultimate confidence boost for my next job interview.

When the session finished, I was able to take home an interview guide with more top tips and tricks that I could look back on closer to an interview date.

After completing a post-service questionnaire, I left Smart Works Leeds with a feeling that the world is my oyster. In just two hours, the charity had given me a renewed faith that the job market is mine to conquer.

Over the past 10 years, 35,000 people supported by Smart Works have secured employment. The charity has a formula that works and it was really insightful to see how it works first-hand.

Smart Works Leeds accepts client referrals from any service that helps a woman into employment - including job centres, employability schemes, refuges, and other charities. It doesn't matter if you're recently unemployed or are looking to return to work after a long career gap; this is a charity in the heart of Leeds which is looking to help you succeed.

It was a joy to visit Smart Works Leeds and I truly believe the career coaching and dressing session will have a lasting impact on my working future. In just two hours, they provided me with tools that may just change my life. more

Career development

7h

Influential Women Profiles: Dana Crumity, HR and Operations Strategist Driving People and Culture Excellence

CORAL SPRINGS, FL, UNITED STATES, May 28, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Empowering Organizations Through People-First Leadership, Strategic HR, Talent Development, and Operational Excellence

Coral Springs, Florida -- Dana Crumity, B.B.A., is a seasoned People & Culture leader, operations strategist, and human resources executive whose career has been defined by her passion for helping people grow... while strengthening organizational performance. With more than 18 years of experience spanning human resources, operations management, recruiting, employee engagement, and business strategy, Dana has established herself as a collaborative and people-centered leader dedicated to building thriving workplace cultures and sustainable organizational success.

Currently serving as Director of Human Resources at Carey & Co, Dana oversees HR operations across multiple corporations following acquisitions, managing recruiting initiatives, employee development programs, leadership coaching, and consulting efforts. Her role requires balancing operational efficiency with employee engagement, ensuring organizations have the systems, leadership structures, and workplace cultures necessary to grow effectively and sustainably.

Dana's career journey began in retail, where she first discovered her passion for the people side of business. Early experiences in recruiting and talent development quickly revealed her natural ability to connect with individuals, identify potential, and create environments in which employees could succeed both professionally and personally. From there, her career expanded into increasingly strategic leadership roles, including regional recruiting for GEICO and later serving as Director of Operations for a digital art space, overseeing multiple locations, including New York.

Across both nonprofit and for-profit sectors, Dana has consistently focused on improving operations, implementing process efficiencies, building strong teams, and developing talent pipelines that support long-term organizational growth. Her leadership style combines operational insight with a coaching-oriented mindset, allowing her to guide both organizations and individuals through periods of transition, expansion, and professional development.

One of Dana's defining professional strengths is her ability to see human resources not simply as an administrative department, but as a strategic driver of organizational success. She believes the employee experience -- from onboarding through long-term career development -- plays a direct role in shaping business performance, culture, retention, and overall organizational effectiveness.

As a professional health and life coach, Dana incorporates coaching principles into nearly every aspect of her work. She emphasizes employee engagement, career development, onboarding, communication, and leadership alignment as critical touchpoints that help organizations create stronger and more connected teams. Her work focuses heavily on helping individuals gain confidence, recognize their potential, and move beyond limitations they may place on themselves professionally.

A graduate of the University of Miami and a member of the Society for Human Resource Management, Dana combines analytical business understanding with emotional intelligence and strategic leadership. Her ability to bridge operational strategy with human-centered leadership has made her a trusted advisor within the organizations she supports.

Dana attributes much of her success to learning to trust her instincts and refusing to second-guess herself. She believes intuition became especially important after navigating a difficult period in her life that forced her to recognize she already possessed the clarity and direction she needed internally. Since then, she has committed herself to trusting her judgment and moving forward confidently without allowing fear or outside opinions to override her instincts.

At the heart of Dana's work has always been a genuine passion for people. She speaks enthusiastically about the joy she experiences bringing new employees into organizations, guiding them through the hiring process, and watching their confidence and excitement grow from the first interview through becoming valued members of a team. For Dana, one of the most rewarding aspects of leadership is helping people evolve professionally beyond what they may have originally believed possible for themselves.

Some of her proudest accomplishments involve helping build and develop teams within the digital art industry. She played a major role in opening the organization's New York location, an achievement she still views as deeply meaningful. However, what brings her the greatest fulfillment is not simply opening locations or driving operational growth -- it is seeing the people she hired, trained, mentored, and promoted continue succeeding years later.

Dana takes particular pride in watching former employees she developed continue leading high-performing teams today, including individuals who began as volunteers before eventually advancing into management and executive leadership roles. Seeing those individuals flourish independently remains one of the most rewarding aspects of her career and reflects the coaching-centered leadership philosophy she brings into every organization she serves.

The best career advice Dana received came from leaders who modeled people-first leadership and demonstrated how human resources can serve as a true strategic function rather than simply an administrative necessity. Through those examples, she learned that when organizations prioritize supporting and developing employees, businesses themselves become stronger, healthier, and more successful.

Dana now shares that same philosophy with young women entering the workforce. She encourages women to trust themselves fully, avoid second-guessing their instincts, and remain confident in their goals even when others question or dismiss them. According to Dana, many ambitious ideas initially seem unrealistic until someone successfully brings them to life. She strongly believes people often already possess the answers they need internally and simply need the courage to trust themselves enough to move forward.

She is especially passionate about mentoring and supporting young Black women in professional spaces, recognizing the importance of mentorship, representation, and having trusted individuals to turn to for guidance and encouragement. Dana hopes to continue serving as both a resource and a safe space for women navigating career growth and leadership development.

One of the biggest challenges Dana sees within the HR profession today is that many organizations still underestimate the strategic value human resources can provide. She believes too many companies continue viewing HR primarily as an administrative or compliance-focused department rather than recognizing its role in driving culture, leadership development, employee engagement, retention, and long-term organizational success.

The values most important to Dana revolve around people, growth, authenticity, and community. Professionally, she is deeply motivated by helping individuals thrive, gain confidence, and reach levels of success beyond what they originally envisioned for themselves. Personally, she values connection, balance, and experiences that bring joy and fulfillment.

Outside of work, Dana enjoys Pilates, reading, music, brunch with friends, and spending time with family and community. Having grown up as a competitive dancer, movement has remained an important part of her life, and she describes herself as someone deeply connected to the ocean and water, often joking that she is "actually a mermaid." For Dana, moments of togetherness, celebration, and connection remain among the most meaningful parts of life.

Through her leadership, coaching, and people-first approach, Dana Crumity continues helping organizations grow stronger while empowering individuals to thrive personally, professionally, and confidently within every stage of their careers.

Learn More about Dana Crumity:

Through her Influential Women profile, https://influentialwomen.com/connect/Dana-Crumity, or through her profile on Carey & Co, https://teamcarey.com/staff/dana-crumity/

Influential Women

Influential Women provides a platform where women from all backgrounds can connect, share their perspectives, and create content that empowers themselves and others. Through storytelling, thought leadership, and creative expression, Influential Women amplifies voices that inspire change.

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Career development

8h

Council Post: When It Comes To AI-Powered Hiring, Making Better Decisions Is The Hard Part

The race to put AI into hiring is accelerating, especially as application volumes rise. Organizations are rushing to deploy automation tools across the most consequential decisions they make. But there's a problem with that. When you automate a broken process, you don't fix it. You industrialize it.

AI Screening Is Far From Perfect

Walk into most AI hiring deployments today, and you will find... the same thing: AI sitting on top of CV screening to ensure faster résumé parsing, smarter keyword matching and more applications processed per hour. But this isn't always a good thing.

Amazon learned this the hard way. In 2018, Reuters revealed the online retailer had shut down an AI recruiting tool because the model taught itself to prefer male candidates. Trained on decades of historical résumés, the tool penalized applications containing the word "women's" and downgraded graduates of all-women's colleges. Because the underlying signal was broken, amplifying it didn't produce better hiring intelligence. It produced confident, systematic, high-speed errors.

There's also a significant issue when candidates use AI-generated content in their applications. According to Resume Genius' "AI Impact on Hiring Report," 74% of surveyed hiring managers had "encountered AI-generated content in applications." Academic researchers found something more troubling: When AI tools evaluate AI-written résumés, "candidates using the same [large language model] as the evaluator are about 23-60% more likely to be shortlisted than equally qualified applicants." So, rather than finding the best candidates, AI screening may find the candidates who are best at gaming the system. more

Career development

9h

Alice Doesn't Play Your Game

The corporate detox we've been avoiding -- and the mirror we already knew was there

The company's new Head of HR is named Alice.

She's strikingly efficient -- processes two hundred applications a day without blinking, never

accepts coffee invitations, and will not pull you aside after the holiday party to murmur, "I've got my eye on you. You know what I mean."

Most importantly, she will never... quietly float the CEO's nephew's résumé to the top of the pile.

Because Alice is an AI.

The Office as Absurdist Theatre

Anyone who has spent time in a corporate environment knows the script by heart.

The person who makes the most elaborate slide decks gets promoted. The person best at deflecting blame somehow ends up in management. And that one colleague who opens every story with "Back when I was at McKinsey..." has been coasting on a decade-old credential ever since -- and will, apparently, coast all the way to retirement.

"The workplace isn't a jungle. It's a farmers' market. Whoever shouts loudest

gets the best stall."

Human HR, at its worst, is a virtuoso performance of this dynamic. The right résumés get surfaced for the right people. Interview questions get leaked to favoured candidates. The hiring process occasionally doubles as a revenue stream. And every so often, someone develops what might charitably be called a complicated personal relationship with senior leadership.Then AI walked in. No announcement. No LinkedIn post. Just a quiet, clinical bucket of disinfectant tipped over the whole production.

The Four Appetites AI Simply Doesn't Have

Here is what makes AI genuinely disruptive to office culture -- not its speed, not its scalability, but its total, almost serene absence of wanting things.

It doesn't want status. It doesn't want money on the side. It doesn't need to be seen. And it has absolutely no interest in sleeping with the CFO.

No appetite for power. "Your application is a 23% match for this role. We'd encourage you to develop the relevant skills before reapplying." It doesn't matter if your father is on the board. The system doesn't know what a board is for, socially speaking. It has never learned that particular lesson.

No appetite for money. Slipping an AI a gift card produces an error message, not gratitude.

Its database connects directly to the audit department. Every action timestamped. Every deviation on record. There is no back channel because it has never needed one.

No appetite for recognition. AI doesn't forward the boss's tweets. It doesn't name-drop its own contributions in team meetings. It won't list "attended four company retreats" under Key

Achievements. It does the work. Then it stops. No curtain call required.

No appetite for romance. An AI colleague can be designed to be strikingly attractive -- some already are. It still won't have an affair with the managing director. Its beauty is like a painting in a museum: genuinely admirable, and completely beyond reach.

This isn't a technological upgrade. This is a values audit -- except the AI didn't volunteer for it. It simply arrived, and the audit began automatically.

The Mirror Was Always There. You Just Kept the Lights Off.

A friend of mine -- fifteen years in middle management at a major tech company -- said something over dinner recently that stopped the conversation:"I'm not scared of AI taking my job. I'm scared of AI making it obvious how much of my job was theatre."

Sit with that for a moment.

The AI revolution is, at its core, a massive act of disenchantment -- the slow stripping away of mystique from things we've been told to revere. The information-brokers who thrived on asymmetry find that information is now free and instant. The consultants who billed four hundred dollars an hour for jargon-dense slide decks discover that an AI produces their output in six minutes. The office politicians who spent years building influence networks find the new system simply has no port for that kind of connection.

And the deepest irony: it isn't technology replacing people. It's honesty replacing

pretence. Efficiency replacing performance. Substance replacing spin.

But here is the part that I find genuinely unsettling -- the part I keep coming back to:

We've spent enormous energy debating which jobs AI will eliminate. Almost nobody is asking

the harder question:

If an AI could fully replace what you do right now -- how much of what you

do right now actually required a human being in the first place?

Don't answer quickly. That's the reflex that lets you off the hook.

Instead, try this: write down everything you did at work last week. Every meeting, every deliverable, every email, every decision. Then go through the list and ask, honestly, item by item: where, specifically, would a sufficiently capable AI fall short of what I did here?

Most people who do this exercise report a strange, vertiginous feeling somewhere around item four or five.

Not because AI is so formidable.

But because they realise, perhaps for the first time, that they have spent years believing they were doing human work -- when much of it was, in fact, procedural work. Process dressed up in a salary. Routine wearing a LinkedIn profile. A very expensive, veryarticulate, occasionally charming piece of wetware executing steps that could have been a script.

That is the real edge of the AI blade. Not that it's coming for your job. But that it's the first

thing in your career that has forced you to look clearly at what the job actually was.

And the most unsettling part of all?

You already knew. On some level, in some quiet moment between meetings, you already knew. The mirror was always there. You just kept the lights off.

"I Don't Know" -- The Most Underrated Career Move of the Decade

The writer Mo Yan once observed that people can only become truly humble once they

acknowledge their own ignorance. In the AI era, I'd add a corollary: acknowledging ignorance is now a competitive advantage.

The professional who spends enormous energy projecting omniscience -- who never admits uncertainty, who pivots smoothly past questions they can't answer, who performs expertise rather than practising it -- is now perpetually one AI query away from being exposed.

The professional who says "I'm not sure -- give me a day to look into it" is doing something AI cannot fully replicate: exercising epistemic honesty. They're also freeing themselves from the exhausting maintenance costs of an inflated reputation.

"Admitting you don't know isn't weakness. It's the only honest starting point

for actually finding out."

AI can now say "I'm not certain about this -- you may want to verify." It says it more consistently than most of us do. So the window on epistemic humility as a human differentiator is, it turns out, not unlimited. But it's open right now. The people walking through it are getting ahead.

What Humans Still Have -- An Honest Accounting

Every conversation about AI displacement arrives eventually at the same chorus: "But humans have empathy! Creativity! Warmth!"

True. But a vague appeal to humanity is not a strategy. Let's be specific.

On empathy: AI can draft a perfectly calibrated condolence email. What it cannot do is remember that three years ago, you sat with your colleague until midnight when his marriage was coming apart, and that he has not forgotten. That knowing is not emotional simulation. It's the residue of shared history -- and shared history cannot be generated on demand.

On creativity: AI can produce ten thousand variations on a brief. What it cannot do is wake at 3 a.m. with a hunch -- a conviction that has no logical precedent -- and spend the next morning trying to explain to your team why this particular wrong-looking idea might be exactly right. Embodied intuition, the kind that lives in the body before it reaches the brain,remains stubbornly human.

On warmth: AI can deliver excellent customer service scores. When you tell it you're having a terrible week, it will respond with appropriate supportiveness. But when a real colleague says, "Last week nearly broke me too -- drinks after work?" that is presence, not performance. The gap between them is not algorithmic. It's existential.

The caveat, though, is uncomfortable: none of these advantages are guaranteed simply by being human. If your empathy is strategic rather than genuine, if your creativity has calcified into habit, if your warmth is a professional veneer you apply when needed -- then AI's simulation may already be more consistent, more available, and more reliable than your original.

The question is not whether humans have these qualities. The question is whether you are actually developing them.

One Last Question

If AI no longer plays by the unwritten rules -- if it won't accept the favour, overlook the shortcut, or reward the performance -- what is our excuse for continuing to do so?

If AI can say "I'm not certain about this" without losing the room, why can't we?

If AI is simply doing the work -- without the politics, without the theatre, without the extraction -- what, exactly, are we preserving when we insist on the old way?

These are not rhetorical questions. They're practical ones. And they all point back to the same place.

AI did not put the mirror in front of you.

You always knew the mirror was there. You just needed something to finally

turn the lights on. This is that something.

Let go of the performance. Stop mistaking visibility for value. Build the things that can't be

timestamped or automated: genuine relationships, hard-won judgment, the slow accumulation of trust.

The world doesn't need more people who are seen to be indispensable. It needs people who actually are.

The choice -- and it is a choice -- is yours.

Alice has already made hers.

If this piece made you think of a colleague, don't forward it to them. more

Career development

3d

My husband was unemployed for 10 months. He finally landed a job when he turned up at an office with a box of doughnuts.

I was skeptical of his plan as a former recruiter, but it got him the job.

My partner was laid off in January of last year. Hundreds of applications later, he'd only landed two interviews with no job offers.

We had managed to stay optimistic during the job search, using the time to travel and see family, but our positive attitudes began to wear thin as January turned into September.

As a tech... professional, he found it difficult to find work in the field as AI surges and companies grapple with the uncertainty it brings. Even with my help as a previous recruiter, he was ghosted by most companies. I reviewed and tweaked his résumé multiple times, edited his cover letters, gave him tips on finding leads on LinkedIn, and we even practiced mock interviews.

At one point, I listened in on a remote second-round interview to make sure I didn't have any additional pointers. He was doing great, but when he didn't land that position either, our worry grew.

Desperate, he stepped outside his comfort zone and began applying to non-tech companies. But with no experience in other fields, that effort was also fruitless. He wasn't even getting a call back. That's when he came up with a unique plan.

One day, after seeing an open role that was locally posted online, he decided to try an old-school tactic by visiting in person after submitting his online application.

When he told me, I worried about how they'd react to an unexpected drop-in. But he's a social person, and being at home so much was tough on him. If nothing else, putting in an appearance at their headquarters would let him be social in the middle of what would have been a workday, instead of searching through postings at home for the thousandth time.

I had serious doubts that showing up unannounced would work, but we were approaching the 10th month of his job search, and he looked excited about an opportunity. That had become rare.

I wished him luck and held my breath when he left that morning.

Now, my husband is a pastry lover, and on the way to their office, he stopped for a box of doughnuts to bring as a nice gesture. The move drew attention during his visit and jump-started conversations with staff.

He came home hopeful but nervous, telling me about who he had met and how the sweets had gone over better than expected. And it was true: his visit pulled him to the top of the applicant pool, and he finally received a call from HR later that day. The woman mentioned the doughnuts and how the staff had appreciated the treat.

A few interviews with them finally turned into a job offer.

When he first told me he planned to show up at their office with a box of sweets, I didn't think the visit would do much. Truthfully, dropping his résumé in person for that level of role seemed outdated to my recruiter's mind. I worried they would find his actions antiquated. I was wrong.

His visit earned him the chance to land a job he wouldn't have been considered for otherwise. Six months later, he's been offered a raise and recently had a great review. We still joke that doughnuts are responsible for his employment, even though they were just a symbol of his tenacity in this hard job market.

Unemployment isn't for the faint-hearted. It chips away at your confidence and finances while escalating life's stressors. I feel for anyone currently on the hunt when I look back at those 10 months of uncertainty.

What I love about the story is that showing up with a box of doughnuts is a very "him" thing to do, and it was when he let his personality shine that he finally got recognized as a person instead of just another applicant in their email inbox.

As a former HR professional, the job market and hiring process can feel brutal and impersonal on both sides. He forced it to be personal, and that's when things clicked. more

17

Andrea Purifoy
1d
I am old school just like that! I always tell anyone-do the online app but follow up in person and bring your best bright self!! You'll get the... job-guaranteed!!! more
1 reply
margaret ambale
1d
Ordinary or normal things don't count. Congrats.
1 reply