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28 posts
Take-home assignments: how much unpaid work is too much?
A fair take-home is a few hours, scoped, and reviewed by a person. How to tell a reasonable one from free consulting, and what to say when it isn't.
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"Do you have any questions for us?" What to ask at each stage
The last five minutes of an interview are yours. The questions that get real answers, matched to who you're talking to and how far along you are.
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Two offers on the table: how to compare them honestly
The bigger number is the easy part. How to put two offers side by side so equity, growth, the manager and the deadline all get a fair hearing.
Jobiz Team
Rejection isn't data, until you collect enough of it
Most rejection advice is either 'don't take it personally' or 'learn from every no.' Both are incomplete. Here's a more useful frame.
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The informational interview that actually leads somewhere
Most informational interviews die politely at the end. Here's the specific shape of the ones that convert into referrals, interviews, and offers.
Jobiz Team
The '#OpenToWork' badge: on, off, or whisper mode?
LinkedIn's green banner is either career rocket fuel or a scarlet letter, depending on who you ask. Here's what it actually does.
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What reference checks actually ask (and how to prepare your references)
The call you never hear is often the call that decides. Here's what hiring teams ask and how to set your references up to answer well.
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How to decode a job posting before you apply
Every job description says the same things on the surface. The useful signal is in what's oddly specific, oddly missing, or oddly worded. Here's how to read it.
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Why you got ghosted after the final round
You nailed the onsite. The recruiter said they'd be in touch Monday. It's now Thursday. Here's what's usually happening and what to do about it.
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How to pivot careers without starting from zero
The standard advice says a career change means a new degree and three entry-level years. Most pivots don't. Here's how to map and frame the transition honestly.
Jobiz Team
Your LinkedIn profile is probably doing less than you think
Most LinkedIn advice is cargo-culted. Here's what actually moves the needle when recruiters are searching.
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Reading a job match score: when to trust it, when to override it
Every modern job tool puts a percentage next to a role. That number is useful only if you understand what it is, and what it isn't.
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The CV rules that change by country (and the ones that don't)
A US resume will get you rejected in Germany. A German Lebenslauf will fail ATS in the US. Here's the country-by-country map of what actually changes.
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How to automate a job search without spamming yourself
Most job-search automations drown you in 100 irrelevant emails a week. Here's how to set one up so it saves time instead of becoming a second job.
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When to walk away from an interview process
Most interview advice is about performing. This one's about noticing. Here are the red flags that mean the job isn't worth the offer, even if the offer comes.
Jobiz Team
Tailoring a CV: what actually changes from one application to the next
'Tailor your CV for each job' is universal advice and almost universally misunderstood. Here's what actually moves, with concrete before-and-after examples.
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The $500 a job seeker spends on tools (and what actually matters)
LinkedIn Premium, resume builders, coaching, courses: a real job search now runs a full software stack. Here's where the money actually produces outcomes.
Jobiz Team
How to write a cover letter that actually gets read
Most cover letters are skipped. Here's how to write one worth the 45 seconds a recruiter might give it.
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'Tell me about yourself': the three-beat structure that works
Every interview starts with it. Most candidates answer it badly. Here's the specific structure that gets the interview off on the right foot, with examples.
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How to explain a career gap on your resume without over-explaining
Gaps don't sink applications. Bad framing of gaps does. Here's how to handle six months or three years off the timeline, on the resume and in the interview.
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How to use ChatGPT for your resume without it sounding like ChatGPT
Recruiters can tell when a resume was written by AI. The fix isn't not using it: it's using it for specific tasks and editing out the tells.
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The best time of year to apply for a job (by industry)
Hiring isn't flat across the year. There are genuinely better and worse weeks to submit applications, and the best ones differ by industry.
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Why your resume gets rejected (and what to do about it)
Most resumes get filtered out before a human ever sees them. Here's what actually happens and how to fix it.
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How to negotiate salary without feeling gross
Salary negotiation advice often feels manipulative. Here's how to advocate for yourself while still being genuine.
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How to follow up after applying (without being annoying)
The line between persistent and pushy is thinner than you think. Here's how to walk it.
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How to job search while employed
Searching for a new job while you have one is a logistics puzzle. Here's how to manage it without getting caught or burning out.
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Job titles are meaningless (here's what actually matters)
A 'Senior Engineer' at one company is a 'Staff Engineer' at another. Here's how to decode the title chaos.
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Finding remote jobs that are actually remote
Not all remote jobs are equal. Some want you in the office twice a week. Here's how to find truly flexible roles.
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