A blog for landing your first real job.
No fluff. The things we coach people through, written down. Start with your resume.
- Resumes · 8 min read
Entry-level resume examples that get interviews
See exactly what a strong entry-level resume looks like, section by section, with real example bullets and the small details that earn a callback.
Published April 14, 2026 - Resumes · 6 min read
How to get past the ATS (the resume keywords that work)
How applicant tracking systems really read your resume, how to mirror a job description honestly, the formatting that parses cleanly, and the myths to skip.
Published April 21, 2026 - Resumes · 7 min read
How to put projects and coursework on your resume
Turn class projects, side projects, and relevant coursework into resume material that reads like real work. A coach-style walkthrough for students on structure, bullets, and honesty.
Published April 29, 2026 - Portfolios · 6 min read
How to showcase your projects so they actually get seen
A project on your resume is a claim. A link that works is proof. Where your projects should live, how to write them up so a recruiter clicks, and the mistakes that keep good work invisible.
Published May 6, 2026 - Resumes · 5 min read
How long do recruiters look at your resume?
Eye-tracking research puts the first screen at about 7.4 seconds, and it shows exactly where those seconds go. Here is what recruiters look at first, and how to win a skim without gaming it.
Updated July 7, 2026 - Resumes · 5 min read
Resume keywords without the stuffing
Keywords get you matched. Keyword stuffing gets you rejected by the human who reads the resume next. How to mirror a job description honestly, in context, without turning your resume into a word cloud.
Updated July 7, 2026 - Resumes · 6 min read
Do recruiters reject AI-written resumes?
The surveys are clearer than the discourse: recruiters are anti-generic, not anti-AI. What the numbers actually say, where hiring leaders draw the honesty line, and how to use AI in a way recruiters respect.
Updated July 7, 2026 - Resumes · 5 min read
Can you change your job title on your resume?
You can translate an internal title into what the market calls the job. You cannot promote yourself. The dual-title bridge that career advisers converge on, and why it survives the background check.
Updated July 7, 2026 - Resumes · 5 min read
Why honest resumes win
Hiring now runs on verification: background checks, reference calls, and interviews built to probe your bullets. Honesty is not just the right call, it is the strategy that survives the process end to end.
Updated July 7, 2026 - Cover letters · 6 min read
How to write a cover letter that is not a form letter
Most cover letters restate the resume in paragraph form and get skipped. The three-paragraph shape that gets read, what to say when the posting makes it optional, and the lines to never open with.
Published June 19, 2026 - Applications · 6 min read
When should you apply? The internship and new-grad timeline
Deadlines are earlier than most students expect, and fresh postings convert best. The year at a glance, why the first days of a posting matter most, and what to do if you feel late.
Published June 26, 2026 - Applications · 7 min read
Not hearing back? Debug your applications like an engineer
Silence is data. A step-by-step checklist for figuring out why applications go nowhere: parsing, targeting, tailoring, freshness, and the fixes for each, in the order to try them.
Published July 2, 2026 - Interviews · 6 min read
Interview prep starts with your own resume
Interviewers build their questions from your resume, which means you already have the exam paper. How to probe your own bullets before someone else does, and why honest pages are easier to defend.
Published July 8, 2026