From unwillingness to email candidates to let them know they weren’t selected for an interview or job, to Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) missing important information in resumes, it’s a mess out there in job search land! Even large companies are expressing concern publicly about their systems and how good candidates are bounced from their ATS from the outset.

Despite the issues nothing gets fixed, so the travails of the jobseeker are only increasing. Furthermore, 15% or less of applicants even get a full scan?

I’ve worked with individuals who design these systems or install them, along with corporate hiring managers and HR. This offers a huge peek behind the ATS curtain, so let me offer some insight.

First the ATS must convert your document for readability, whether PDF, wrong format, too many graphics, or isn’t ATS friendly for other reasons. Then, depending on the factors companies select to eliminate candidates from the process, the system then discriminates against you through multiple pre-scans.

Whether you wrote your resume or cover letter with AI, applied with AI, don’t have a current job on your resume, had extended time between jobs recently, the position’s job title and the one on your resume don’t match, or your current and past job titles don’t dovetail with the position, those first layers of the ATS go after that info. If it doesn’t like what it sees, you get rejected from the system. This is before a full scan ever takes place.

Make it past the “pre-scans” and you’re one of the roughly 15% of resumes receiving a full scan. Now you must worry about keywords and key phrases based on industry and job type, and tailoring according to company job posting, along with how many times each keyword and key phrase were used, how you segmented your resume into subject areas, etc.

No wonder jobseekers feel like they can’t win. How can they possibly know all of this and become expert in it? Why do hiring professionals believe that most candidates can do all this effectively? Oh, then you ghost the candidate.

YOUR SYSTEM IS BROKEN, and it’s up to HR, Hiring Managers, and Executives to fix it! Next week we’ll dig into this topic more.

The post COACHABLE MOMENT: The Ghost is in the Machine, and in Hiring Managers and HR, Part 1 first appeared on A-Plus Career and Resume, LLC.

About 50% of my clients prefer a remote job. Sounds wonderful, but it can hurt your career. My advice to clients, go after hybrid jobs, and if remote, stay visible in meetings – meaning you are interacting live on video regularly.

Why is this important? Because in remote work, bosses and colleagues never see a real person, which means it’s easy to downsize you. It’s as if you don’t exist. Visibility equals both credibility and authenticity because you are seen in the office and people can speak directly to you. Also, the unemployed are disproportionately remote workers.

Remote jobs are also fraught with fraud. From fake hirings, to fake companies, to organizations playing bait and switch, there’s a lot of deception involved. A hybrid job solves this problem.

Furthermore, as a society we have become so tired of Zoom and Teams meetings, we don’t even show ourselves on video when we are remote. If we do, we use fake or blurred backgrounds that look silly.

Show yourself, in an appropriate background, that’s real. If a pet, child, or spouse wanders through the picture, no one cares. Plus, you can let family know you are on video and to avoid your “office” for the length of the meeting.

The secondary reason for hybrid work, particularly if GenZ or young Millennial, is to develop enhanced communication skills, something that both the Covid shutdown and social media has seriously stunted with many young people. From severe phone anxiety to feeling uneasy speaking to others in person, you can develop better interpersonal skills and significantly help your career and personal life simultaneously.

Are there legit remote jobs out there for jobseekers. Yes! However, they are listed on the job boards along with all the “not so legit” jobs. Due diligence is required from you in checking the company website, and verifying the job and company exists. Know that a lot of companies call their jobs remote, but they are hybrid, a bait and switch to get you to apply.

Recognize that just a little bit of visibility can save your job, allow you to showcase your work, and build your communication confidence. Seeking out hybrid job options also considerably increases job availability and how quickly you may find your next position.

To a more fruitful job search!

The post COACHABLE MOMENT: Hybrid or In-Office Jobs Are More Likely to Keep You Employed first appeared on A-Plus Career and Resume, LLC.

A colleague, Susan Geary, recently wrote a post on LinkedIn attempting to discourage jobseekers from complaining about the search process and scolding recruiters on social media.  As she said, it will not make you a desirable candidate.  Here is my answer that might also help you or your friends in a job search:

It’s such a temptation for jobseekers. I tell them their social media is to be used strategically, not to complain about their search, a specific interview, an interviewer, or anyone else. Also, not there to complain about the current or past President, hot-button issues, your family, get into arguments with others, etc.

Social media is there for communication, and it should be overall positive with the exception of a death of a friend or family member, or other life change mentions. Those of us who understand the background search know that nothing is hidden, and you can back into their comments and pictures easily if you know the hacks. Ultimately, keeping things positive will result in a new job, quicker.

Weekly, I have a client, potential client, friend, family member, or acquaintance telling me another horror story of a person who had no discipline on social media and lost a job. Sometimes they were already working for the company, sometimes they were just in the interview process. It can be just a singular post, and a history of posts that doomed them, but also can be the unbridled posts of close friends and family members.

Use the following rules:

1. If you wouldn’t say it in front of a boss, religious institution members, your grandmother, and in a public presentation with 1000’s of attendees simultaneously, don’t say it online. Have those conversations privately.
2. Wait 24 hours before commenting, you might decide you are better off saying nothing, or perhaps forget about commenting altogether.
3. Disconnect from connections over-sharing without a governor, it can be just temporarily until you have a new job.

To jobseekers and anyone on social media, please use it responsibly and understand the ramifications to you, your family and friends, when you don’t! To a better job search!

The post COACHABLE MOMENT: Use Social Media Strategically, not to Share Every Thought. first appeared on A-Plus Career and Resume, LLC.

Every year, coaches and resume writers hear myriad explanations as to why a job search is useless during the summer. This assumption is WRONG!

There are always positions being posted. It doesn’t matter what time of year, what holiday is coming up, or how the job market is, there are openings available. I even read a post today stating that companies are already starting to rehire for positions they downsized for AI, and that will continue to increase into 2027 and beyond.

A job hunt certainly isn’t easy but stopping your search for the summer or the last two months of the year, just means you lose out on positions that are available. If you are willing to do the work, you can reap the rewards during a season where few people really take their search seriously.

Schedule your job hunt, so you are only applying during the primary days of Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, preferably in the morning (lots of research on this tactic).  Monday and Friday can be spent looking at postings and tailoring your resume and cover letter for each position. Now you have your customized resumes and cover letters ready for the application process on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

Organize your search to optimize time of application and for targeted and strategic review of postings. This organization can keep you from “doomjobbing”, a term now used for jobseekers applying to any posting that looks good (shiny objects). It’s anxiety and frustration driven, doesn’t produce anything except making you look and feel productive. That productivity is deceptive and costly. Ultimately, it will create even more frustration and anxiety, and worst of all, no job.

So, polish that resume, and get your search going this summer. Take advantage of what so many jobseekers won’t, available jobs. To you, and your new job!

iHire’s 2026 Toxic Workplace Trends Report finds 7 in 10 U.S. workers (68.9%) have worked for a toxic employer, with 79.1% placing the blame on unethical, unaccountable, or unsupportive leadership. In addition, almost half (47.6%) have quit a job because of a toxic environment.

The post COACHABLE MOMENT: Why the Summer Is a Great Time to Search for a Job? first appeared on A-Plus Career and Resume, LLC.

I’ll admit to laughing when this Nerd Wallet article showed up in my email. Gee, who knew that AI might be really expensive.

In the Nerd Wallet article, an executive at Nvidia stated “the cost of AI computing is far beyond the cost of the employees… and Amos Bar-Joseph, CEO of Swan AI said on LinkedIn that the company’s AI bill hit $113,000 for a single month of data for a four-person team.”.

The article goes on to say “In some ways, this feels like an alternate reality. Weren’t we promised that AI could replace various human work tasks – more productively, more efficiently, and (importantly) more cheaply.”. Clearly, we’ve been misled!

First, there’s a subscription cost per employee or small group. Next, you’re paying for increased usage with a new, more expensive subscription. Let’s assume AI boosts output, according to the article, “the labor savings may not materialize, because human workers still have to supervise, verify, and coordinate the technology.”. Houston, I think we’ve been hornswoggled!

Some mid-sized companies are banning any AI use due to high cost, employee overuse or overreliance, inaccurate research results, security issues (it can be hacked and used to hack you), compliance problems, untracked vibe coding, and potential for AI service shutdowns. This is just the start of companies prohibiting or significantly limiting AI in workplaces.

Lastly, Nils Gilman, editor-in-chief of Berggruen Press at the Berggruen Institute posits “you may be getting more productivity, but not out of fewer people, as everybody is becoming a middle manager of their team of bots.”.

So, what’s the takeaway? Well, you’ve dismantled a portion of your workforce, calling it “restructuring” but it’s costing even more. Wow, how did you not know this? Was the true cost never analyzed, or did you just hide the analysis because you wanted a shiny new object called AI and didn’t want to be perceived as not “keeping up with the Jones’”.

Your quest for higher productivity, and “pretty” new technology, caused a lot of pain to a lot of people unnecessarily, and calls into question your judgment. Instead of using AI responsibly, you went wild like a frat kid during spring break. Hope it’s all worth it when you get a pink slip and your investors show up at the door with pitchforks and torches.

SOURCE: MSN/Nerd Wallet, What Happens When AI Costs More Than Employees? by Kate Ashford

If you need help with resume writing, career coaching, or other related services, call Coach Karen at 816-942-3019, or email karen@careerandresume.com and she will get back to you. Always include your phone number, city and state (for time zone), and services of interest in the email.

The post COACHABLE MOMENT: Replacing Employees with AI? Turns Out AI Costs More! first appeared on A-Plus Career and Resume, LLC.

I started speaking about this issue in the early 2000’s at seminars and workshops. I would show the privacy statements from large job boards and social media venues to the attendees. They were horrified!

To this day, I make sure my clients understand that their resumes should not be posted to a job board or social media site and they should instead sign up for notifications with email only. Why, because your information isn’t even remotely safe. Go read the privacy statements yourself. My caution is backed up by recent findings in a report from Incognito:

1. “Incognito report finds leading job sites sell sensitive user data, often without awareness.”
2. “Zip Recruiter, LinkedIn, and Monster ranked highest for collecting/sharing practices.”
3. “Millions of US job seekers are at risk, with only 7% expressing concern over privacy exposure.”

Well, what do we think all those AI Data Centers are for – they exist to take our personal info and monetize it! You should be worried. I haven’t even addressed how often they may have been breached by hackers and cyberattacks.

These companies aren’t concerned about your privacy as long as they can make money from your information. Unfortunately, we are the ones who pay for it.

While we can’t totally stop it, we can impact it. First, I recommend an email newsletter subscription to Kurt the CyberGuy at cyberguy.com. He recommends tools and tips to help you, most of them free.

Second, never post your resume to a job board, instead go to the company or retained-search firm’s site and post it there. Sign up for job board email notifications only so you know what new jobs are available.

Third, if you have put your resume on a job board before, go take it off right now and delete your account.

Fourth, use social media site privacy options.

Lack of concern about privacy is to your detriment. Don’t make yourself a victim, become empowered to take control of your personal information and your job search.

Source: YahooTech: Experts Say Some Job Search Platforms are Stealing Personal Data from Job Seekers, by Sead Fadilpasic, June 15, 2026.

The post COACHABLE MOMENT: Job Boards Stealing Your Personal Data? first appeared on A-Plus Career and Resume, LLC.

A recent survey by 1Huddle shows a trend that will hurt companies in the long run. At issue – “a 96% cut in the total number of director and senior-level positions in talent development or training, according to 1Huddle’s analysis of more than 57 million corporate onboarding and training sessions.”. A huge survey with major implications.

If employees are properly trained, with original, current L&D content tailored to organizational needs, they perform at a higher level. Ironically, executives complain about deficient employee skills, but downsize the one department that can help. Lack of training extends to your frontline management, and now you require them to instruct staff in everything from business writing to AI.

Newsflash: middle managers struggle just to get performance reviews done. Without any structure, without any support, now you demand they become trainers, AND managers, coaches, analysts, AND do work their employees can’t get done. As Sam Caucci, CEO of 1Huddle says in the article “That’s redistribution without infrastructure”.

Caucci states he “expects reductions in senior talent development roles to continue throughout 2026… until companies realize they’ve destroyed their ability to scale.”.

It’s simple, you sacrifice now for increased profit and revenue, forfeiting so much down the road. As an executive your job is to “mind the company store” and keep your employees trained, not to screw up its future.

Furthermore, expecting employees to seek out learning during personal time is just silly. Which platform? What courses? Plus, they don’t have the time or money. It’s incumbent on you to offer proper onboarding and ongoing professional development during business hours.

Stop looking only at cost and start considering downstream impact of that expense on future revenue and profit. If you continue this trend, most companies will be behind the curve, and many will be gone in five years!

The post COACHABLE MOMENT: L&D Is Not a Cost Center, It’s Your Future! first appeared on A-Plus Career and Resume, LLC.

Whether walking into your boss’s office and telling them off, or leaving in a tizzy right in front of your coworkers, rage quitting isn’t new. However, it is now in vogue!

I get it, you’ve had enough of the crazy hours, bad bosses, and doing the work of three people. Nonetheless, this can have unanticipated negative ramifications on your future career. Your world is smaller than you think!

Imagine walking into an interview or doing a video interview several years from now, and on the other end is someone who saw the meltdown, or worse your old boss. Think it won’t happen to you, you’re naïve.

After 26+ years in this industry, I have horror stories about unexpected interviewers. What about interviewers talking about you outside of interviews? They could be speaking to former colleagues and bosses you don’t realize they know and getting the 411 on your behavior.

If you quit, do it right:

1. Give two weeks’ notice.
2. Can’t give two weeks’ notice, then clean out your desk, and calmly walk into the boss’s office and say the following: “I appreciate the opportunity that you have given me here, but at this time I must tender my resignation effective immediately.” Protect yourself by printing the same thing out on paper, sign and date, and formally hand it to them. Don’t give reasons, get into an argument, let them bully you, or start a scene.

Be careful before giving notice if the “rage” is transient. Is the situation really so bad you can’t stay while job searching? Weigh the potential effects of your actions away from work, to make the best choice. You won’t get UNEMPLOYMENT! You may need to get a part-time job while searching for a new, full-time job. Know the consequences and decide how to move forward before you resign.

If you find discontentment, anger, rage, etc., setting in – get that resume updated, and start a job search now.  Better to leave on your terms, thoughtfully and in a positive manner versus a torrent of temper. To making better career decisions!

The post COACHABLE MOMENT: Rage Quitting first appeared on A-Plus Career and Resume, LLC.

As 2025 winds down, many potential clients calling about services are just starting to think about a job search in the new year. However, 2026 is nearly here, and you truly need to start now!

So, what needs to be done to get ready for mid-to-late January, when companies get into the swing of hiring again, and job ads increase.

• Decide specifically what career or careers you are targeting.
• Review your existing resume and create or update (or hire someone to create or update) customized resumes for each job type/career for which you will apply. Remember, general resumes don’t work!
• Determine if you have “holes to plug” in experience, training, or certifications, so you can start closing the gaps now.
• Don’t use AI to write resumes or give you interview answers. AI confabulates information – which means when it doesn’t have an answer it fabricates a false memory of one. This is a one-way ticket to incorrect information on your resume, in an interview, and an overall bad job search and interview experience.
• Do use AI to help in other ways.
  • Looking for related job titles to target? Try AI, while using other non-AI tools to ensure recommendations are a good fit. Casting a wider net, that’s well-researched, yields faster job search results.
  • Need a better action verb on your resume, ask AI for synonyms?
  • Fighting with a long bullet point, AI can help you be more concise.
  • Struggling to optimize your job application results, ask AI to identify keywords and key phrases to better tailor your resume in Applicant Tracking Systems.
• Don’t over-rely on AI, as it will take the human element out of your writing and negatively impact your results. By using it sparingly you get great benefits without losing “you” in your resume, interview, and overall job search.

By beginning your preparation now, you will hit the ground running in 2026.  To marketing you at your best!

The post COACHABLE MOMENT, by Coach Karen: Job Search 2026 Starts Now! first appeared on A-Plus Career and Resume, LLC.

Ever reviewed a LinkedIn profile and thought the person’s picture was unprofessional? What about your photo?

From the “serious” look to prom/graduation pictures, to selfies or 20-year-old photos, to futilely trying to crop people or things out, it’s all bad.

• The serious look. Too many angry or grouchy looking people on LinkedIn. This is about marketing. No one wants to hire Oscar the Grouch or Stewie Griffin from Family Guy.
• Prom/Graduation/Wedding photo. Want a job, to bolster your career, or build a business? Show professionalism, not youth and inexperience or love for formal attire.
• If Kim Kardashian shouldn’t have a selfie on LinkedIn, then neither should you. Selfies are fine for Facebook posts, but not for career photos.
• The 20-year-old picture. Do I really need to say it. This is akin to lying on a dating profile. Get a current picture.
• Sort-of cropping people or things out. Just say no. This is a picture of you, and only you.

Want a great photo? You’re probably holding the tool in your hand – the camera on your phone. So, what to wear, and what’s in the background:

• Head and shoulders shot only.
• Dress the part. For men, a dress shirt, maybe tie and jacket, based on career. For women, a blouse or blouse and jacket. Try some color!
• Engage others to read your profile.
• Touch of makeup ladies, for the photo. Keep it light – mascara, a little blush, and lip gloss will increase your confidence and create a professional persona.
• Have “photographer” take 10-20 photos and pick those you like best.
• Background ideas (can blur slightly, if needed):
  • Paintings (florals, landscapes, or abstracts).
  • Beautiful architecture.
  • Fabulous tile or wallpaper.
  • A bookcase or credenza with proper books or décor.

Struggling for a location, try a furniture store. They have well-appointed “rooms” with great bookcases, tilework, and paintings.

To marketing you at your best!

The post COACHABLE MOMENT, by Coach Karen: Smile, You’re on LinkedIn first appeared on A-Plus Career and Resume, LLC.