STUFF WORTH READING
Tactical advice on resumes, ATS, interviews, and job search strategy. No platitudes. No inspiration content. Just what actually works.
Your resume isn't being read: here's what happens to it
Most resumes are filtered before a human sees them. Here's what the ATS does to yours, the parsing errors that kill it, and the fixes that take an hour.
ATS · Updated July 2026 · 7 min readDo cover letters still matter in 2026?
Usually not the way most people write them — but decisive in a specific minority of cases. When a letter earns its place, and when nobody reads it.
How to write a cover letter that doesn't read as generic
The tell is that it could be sent anywhere with the company name swapped. A method for writing an opener that could only be about this job.
Canadian resume rules: what to leave off and why
No photo, no age, no SIN — and why including them can hurt you. Credential recognition, work authorisation phrasing, and the conventions that differ here.
How to explain an employment gap on your resume
Hiding it backfires — date arithmetic is the first thing a reader does. How to format a gap honestly and name it in one sentence.
Your LinkedIn shouldn't be a copy of your resume
They do different jobs. What belongs on each, and the one kind of inconsistency that genuinely reads as a red flag.
You applied and heard nothing back. Here's what to do
When following up helps and when it is just noise, who to actually contact, and why silence is usually data about your materials.
What to send after an interview, and what to do while you wait
The thank-you note that is worth reading, who to send it to, and how to keep other applications moving instead of stalling on one.
How many jobs you should actually apply to
Both extremes fail. Why volume without tailoring loses under keyword screening, and how to tell if the problem is your count or your materials.
How to answer "Tell me about yourself" in an interview
Stop reciting your resume. The present-past-future structure, a worked 90-second answer, and what to say if you're a career changer or new grad.
Ghosted after three rounds of interviews. Now what.
You made it to the final round and heard nothing back. How to debrief the loss, ask for feedback in a way that gets answered, and get back in play fast.
The ATS keywords you're missing (and how to find them)
Generic buzzwords don't beat ATS filters. Which keywords actually score, where on your resume to put them, and how to audit a job posting in minutes.
5 resume formatting mistakes that kill your chances
Multi-column layouts, contact details in the header, and skill bars quietly break ATS parsing. The five mistakes to fix, and what to use instead.
How to negotiate salary without blowing the deal
Wait for the offer, counter once with a number and a reason, and know what to ask for when base pay is fixed. Scripts, edge cases and a one-week plan.
How to make a career pivot without starting over
Changing industries doesn't mean going back to entry level. How to map transferable skills, write your pivot sentence, and pick bridge roles that hire you.
How to quantify your impact when you don't have numbers
No metrics in your last role? Find real numbers in scope, scale, time and quality, with before-and-after resume bullets you can copy.
The questions to ask at the end of an interview
The questions that get real answers about the job, the ones that make you memorable, and what to skip in a first round. With before and after examples.
One page or two? The real answer on resume length
Resume length is an output, not a rule. When one page wins, when two is right, what to cut first, and how AI-assisted screening changes the math.