Careers

Careers

In tough economic times, employee experience tends to take a backseat to productivity. Companies slip into old habits, reducing workforce investments and pushing people to "do more with less." After all, employees should just be grateful to have jobs, right? People end up tolerating less-than-great environments to keep their paychecks. It's an unfortunate cycle that keeps repeating. The deskless perspective This cycle plays out differently on the frontline. Turnover is a constant reality-in good times and bad-in industries like retail, food service, healthcare, and hospitality.

Most people give up too early, assuming that if they don't see numbers move right away, it means they're doing something wrong. James had been posting casually for years with little to show for it, but two focused months of daily posting flipped the switch. That's the power of consistency: It feels invisible at first, but eventually it snowballs in a way you can't predict.

Meet the budget-friendly promotion: more work, same pay. It's a common phenomenon for many workers. One day you're updating spreadsheets and shadowing meetings. Next, you're suddenly scheduling boardroom calls and taking on a team of your own. The responsibility piles on, but your paycheck still looks grim when it comes to splurging on the weekends. That's a "quiet promotion." And as more economic concerns drive smaller compensation budgets-silent workload changes are becoming more common.

The campus firings are too numerous to describe in full, but consider the case of Darren Michael, professor of theater at Austin Peay State University, who was fired because he reposted on social media a 2023 Newsweek headline: "Charlie Kirk Says Gun Deaths 'Unfortunately' Worth It to Keep 2nd Amendment." Tennessee's U.S. senator Marsha Blackburn reposted Michael's view on X, asking the university to take action.

We didn't hire a recruiter (on purpose), so I've read all of them. One thing stood out. Why aren't you a good fit Our application form consists of three questions: Surprisingly enough, the question that helps to spot our potential matches the most is the second one - why aren't you a good fit? Turns out, very few people can answer this question in a thoughtful, sincere, and empathetic way.

I started out in sales at 18, pounding the phone at a mortgage brokerage, and I've been working in sales since, at companies like Tesla, Wells Fargo, and Securitas Technologies. About two weeks short of Christmas last year, I got laid off. Now I haven't been able to get a full-time sales position for nine months. I've been applying for a minimum of 10 to 15 sales positions a day, and I've had about six interviews.

Not all careers come with tight deadlines, loud offices, or high-stakes decisions.

The quarter-point reduction is in alignment with expectations and a reaction to slow growth in the job market and stubborn inflation. Alongside the rate cut, the Fed released the FOMC members' economic projections for the next few years, including where they project interest rates to end up. The median member expected another half percentage point of reductions by the end of the year - or one normal-sized quarter-percent cut at each of the two remaining Fed meetings.

The organization had a strict and strange "no fraternization" policy. Some colleagues ignored it, and no one that I knew of faced consequences. We never did anything inappropriate or socialized outside of work. After the formal part of training was over, some job search assistance was ongoing with another individual. For a holiday gift, I gave all the trainers cookies. I also gave Barb a speaker I had won, since she enjoys music lots.

We won the city championships and another team tried to kick me out of the league,

Employees who promote such violence on social media were immediately removed from service,

Rachel (not her real name) is the go-to person at work for everything, from helping you perfect your presentation, to unjamming the copier. She can get meetings with high-level people organized in record time, fix spreadsheets so that they make sense, mentor rising stars, and deliver presentations in a way that gets people motivated to take action. Everyone relies on Rachel because she's so competent at so many different tasks. It's almost as if she's a specialist in everything.

When Michael Ferry last looked for a job, the iPhone had yet to be released, and "uber" was just a German word. The tech worker, who was recently laid off, is wading into a job market that's far different from what it was in 2005, when he landed a role at a software company by applying on Monster.com. Ferry, who's in his mid-40s and lives near Philadelphia, said he had opportunities to leave over the years, but stayed because he loved what he did.

The country's defense ministry said the drone flew in Romanian airspace for about 50 minutes and that the F-16 pilots, who were on patrol and then deployed to meet the threat, had been authorized to shoot it down. But the drone headed back to Ukraine, leaving near the town of Pardina in northern Dobruja close to the Black Sea, per the ministry.

That dream might be creeping out of reach for younger people trying to break into the industry, which looks to be on the cusp of a big shift as firms trim their ranks, double down on AI, and tighten performance standards across the career ladder, industry analysts told Business Insider. No one is exactly sure how it will play out, as much of the future will depend on where the economy goes and how quickly AI is adopted.

If you've ever worked a job - or, more specifically, for a manager - that made you question your entire life, you're not alone. Recently, u/gargoyle_dream asked, "What's the most hilariously awful thing an employer has ever said to you?" The responses were equal parts unhinged, infuriating, and, honestly, horrible to the point of hilarity. So, here are some of the most jaw-dropping things people have actually heard from their bosses:

For years, Elon Musk has consistently argued that one of the greatest threats to civilization is collapsing birth rates. The billionaire CEO believes that declining fertility could hollow out economies, weaken workforces, and leave the West unable to sustain itself. In an X post last week, he wrote: "Low birth rate is the number one threat to the West. There will be no West if this continues."

Selena Gomez lives by the rule: "If you're on time, you're already late"-and it's a mindset that could help Gen Z thrive at work. As many young workers struggle with punctuality and deadlines, Gomez's habits reflect professionalism, preparation, and respect. Studies show tardiness can cost workers their reputation-or even their job. With Gen Z missing deadlines at nearly four times the rate of boomers, her advice is a timely reminder that showing up early still matters.

AI is making it harder to find a job. AI-driven Application Tracking Systems (ATS) can dump your resume before a recruiter has ever seen it, even if you have all of your qualifications clearly spelled out. TopResume takes the guesswork out of the process by giving you a fresh, professionally-written resume, as well as a free resume review that focuses on these tracking systems-essential in a time where AI is making the decisions on who moves forward in the interview process.

Imagine this: You're interviewing for a new job, after having taken time out of work to travel and forget the stress induced by your former employer. As the interview progresses, the hiring manager naturally inquires what you've been up to since leaving your last role and your heart races as you search for the perfect response to justify the break.