Blog
Debra Wheatman, President of Careers Done Write, provides expert insight to the job search process that puts your career in gear with tips for interviewing, networking, job search strategies and how to create a winning resume and cover letter.
STEM Grads Are Struggling
Over the last twenty years, degrees in STEM have been widely celebrated as tickets to promising, lucrative careers. Students were sold on the idea of coming out of college and earning $150K+ out of the gate. Governments, educators, and policymakers advanced this narrative, touting the value of STEM education in driving economic growth and innovation. However, the journey from the classroom to the workplace is rarely as straightforward as these narratives suggest. For many recent STEM graduates, the transition into the workforce is accompanied by a complex web of challenges, from mismatched expectations to shifting industry demands….
AI Is Coming for Your Job
Almost daily, the world takes another step toward artificial general intelligence. The most powerful AI models can do an astonishing array of tasks, from writing detailed reports to creating videos on demand. Your company’s CEO is comparison shopping right now. You cost many thousands of dollars plus healthcare, vacation days, and that annoying habit of having opinions. AI costs less than your annual coffee budget and never complains about needing a day off….
Recent Grads Face a Tough Employment Market
This year’s college graduates are entering a tougher job market than last year’s. The Federal Reserve reports that the unemployment rate for recent grads was 5.8% as of March, up from 4.6% a year ago. The share of new graduates working jobs that don’t require their degrees — a situation known as “underemployment” — hit 41.2% in March, rising from 40.6% that same month in 2024. Although young grads have lower unemployment rates than the broader labor market, The Atlantic points out that this gap has narrowed to a record low, making some newly minted grads question the benefits of a bachelor’s degree….
De-center Work and Live Better
The idea of work and what it entails has changed, yet the workweek has only become longer. The 1960s were characterized by rapid workforce growth, economic transformation from automation, and policy attention to poverty alleviation through―Great Society programs. The deindustrialization of the 1980s, along with the ensuing Digital Age, the capacity for connectedness has made it possible for us to be accessible and able to work anywhere, anytime. In the past century, the American conception of work has shifted from jobs to careers to callings—from necessity to status to meaning….
Consensus vs. Agreement: What It Means for Better Business and Hiring Decisions
“Agreement” and “consensus” are often used interchangeably, but they have distinct meanings—especially in the context of decision-making. Consensus is reached when most people in a group support or can live with a decision, even if they do not fully agree with every aspect. This differs from unanimous agreement, which requires full support from every individual. In consensus, the final decision is acceptable to all involved, but the depth of agreement may vary. Everyone agrees to move forward, even if it is not their personal first choice….
Should You Remove DEI Work from Your Resume?
In today’s anti-DEI world, is it possible that work-related to DEI initiatives are red flags to potential employers? The short answer is that it might be. However, aside from the moral imperative to stand behind this important work, it’s just never a good idea to omit accomplishments on your résumé. If your job title included DEI, changing it or leaving it off of your résumé is a deceit that is easy for a future employer to discover. If you have significant accomplishments from DEI work, you should leave those on, especially if you can talk in specific terms about how they helped your company get better results in its work….
Job Hopping: Does It Pay Off?
As the dynamics of the job market evolve, so does the perception of job hopping. Historically, job hopping, or frequently changing jobs, was often viewed negatively. It was seen as a sign of instability or a lack of commitment, particularly in the 1970s when it was even branded “Hobo Syndrome.” However, this perception has shifted, and job hopping is now more accepted, especially in certain industries and changing workforce dynamics….
The State of the Gender Pay Gap
Although women have seen gains in education over the last five decades, they continue to face a significant wage gap. Among workers, women outnumber men in the college-educated labor force and are more likely to obtain a graduate degree than men. Even so, women are paid less than men at every education level by an average of 17%….
Why DEI Matters for Everyone
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs are on the chopping block, which should concern everyone. One by one, DEI programs at some of the country’s biggest companies began falling apart in 2024, and efforts to reverse DEI initiatives are ramping up in 2025. Major companies, including Walmart, Target, Lowe’s, Ford, Toyota, Meta, and Amazon, heeded the calls and dialed back their DEI programs, particularly after social media-driven campaigns by conservative influencers. This means ending racial training programs for staff and evaluations designed to boost supplier diversity and withdrawing from the Human Rights Campaign’s (HRC) Corporate Equality Index….
New Challenges for Civil Servants
On January 28, the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM) sent nearly all of its 3 million employees an email offering deferred resignations and warning that they may be laid off or reassigned if they choose to stay. The goal is to cut 75% of the federal workforce to improve government efficiency. The offer is available to all federal workers except for postal and military service members and “those in positions related to immigration enforcement and national security.” This attempt to cut federal workers regardless of their titles has sparked alarm for its potential impact on the range of services these agencies provide….