What auto-applied job applications look like when they land
Do auto apply bots work? What happens to an automated application after it lands, from the keyword gate to the human scan volume can't help with.
8 min read
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Job search
Hidden layoffs and why the official numbers miss most cuts
Most workforce cuts never register as layoffs. Here are the seven mechanisms companies use to shrink headcount without a notice, a report, or a headline.
11 min read
Seven signs of layoffs coming that recruiters spot first
The signals recruiters watch weeks before a layoff is announced, why official counts miss most cuts, and what to do if you spot three of them.
9 min read
Best AI cover letter generators in 2026, compared
Eight AI cover letter generators scored on how the output reads to a recruiter, whether it survives an ATS, and price. With the trade-offs each one hides.
14 min read
Are ghost jobs real? What 183,000 live postings show
We scored more than 183,000 active job postings for ghost-job signals. About 1 in 4 show at least one. Here is what the data says and how to check a posting before you apply.
6 min read
The best time of year to apply for jobs in 2026
What the hiring data actually shows about when companies hire most. The spring peak, the December trough, and why the 'January is hiring season' rule is about job seekers, not jobs.
9 min read
What hiring managers actually do when you negotiate
A look at the other side of the counter offer. How the budget band gets set, when an exception goes up the chain, why rescissions are rare, and what the recruiter is really weighing when your number lands.
11 min read
What 207,000 live job postings reveal about how companies hire
A first-party snapshot of 207,284 open roles across 1,262 companies and six ATS platforms. Which system each employer uses, what postings actually screen for, and where the real openings are.
6 min read
How many jobs should you apply to per week in 2026?
The honest answer to job application volume. Three bands by targeting and quality, the math on response rates, and when to switch bands mid-search.
12 min read
Why am I not getting interviews? A 2026 diagnostic
Applied to 80 jobs and heard nothing? An application can die in three different places. Here is how to tell which one killed yours, and the recruiter-side fix for each.
15 min read
Best salary negotiation tools in 2026, 7 compared
Best salary negotiation tools for 2026, compared. Seven options across AI coaching, done-for-you services, and comp data, with real pricing models and where each one fits.
14 min read
Should you put your LinkedIn URL on your resume in 2026?
Yes, with three exceptions. What a hiring manager actually clicks from a resume, when the LinkedIn link helps, and the profile states that turn a click into a rejection.
7 min read
How we built a job search assistant MCP for Claude, Cursor, and ChatGPT
An engineering write-up on the Four-Leaf MCP server, the job search assistant that runs inside Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT, and seven other AI clients. OAuth 2.1 + PKCE + Dynamic Client Registration, server-side web search for grounded comp data, the 60-second client timeout that catches everyone, and a single-use stash table for heavy text handoff.
10 min read
What 'AI-native' actually means in job postings
Every company calls itself AI-native, but only 14.6 percent of job postings name a concrete AI tool, and it's rarely required. What an analysis of 37,920 listings shows about the real AI hiring bar.
5 min read
What hiring managers actually scan for in a resume: 7 signals from the other side of the desk
The recruiter's six-second scan is about keywords. The hiring manager's longer read decides the phone screen, and it weighs seven different signals. Here's what those signals are and how to show them.
7 min read
How long it takes to hear back after a job application in 2026
The honest hiring-manager answer on post-application response times. What happens in the first 72 hours, days 3 to 21, and what silence at each stage actually means.
12 min read
Best AI tools for job seekers in 2026: 10 picks across the full funnel
Ten AI tools for job seekers compared end to end. Resume tailoring, mock interviews, cover letters, job matching, and salary negotiation. Free options through $150 a month, with what each one actually does well.
17 min read
How AI job search engines actually work in 2026 (and why most of them are noise)
Inside the AI job search engines candidates use in 2026. How LinkedIn AI, Indeed AI, ChatGPT, and dedicated tools rank jobs, where the algorithms add signal, where they add noise, and the workflow that actually works.
10 min read
How to tailor your resume for each job (and what recruiters actually scan)
What the first-pass resume scan actually looks like. Three things tailoring legitimately changes, three things it fakes, and how to use AI without producing a resume that gets spotted and declined.
9 min read
What recruiters actually look at on your LinkedIn profile in 2026
The seven elements recruiters scan first on a LinkedIn profile, and how each one changes whether your name gets passed up the chain or dropped in the maybe pile.
8 min read
How to explain a gap in your resume (and what to do during one)
A practical guide to talking about employment gaps and using the time itself to come back stronger. With current data on hiring manager attitudes and a script you can adapt.
12 min read
How to tailor your resume for every job in 2026 (with AI)
Resume tailoring is rewriting your resume to match a specific job description. Here's the 20-minute process, what 2026 employers actually look for, and how AI cuts the work to under a minute.
7 min read
Perplexity Comet for job search, evaluated
Comet became free in October 2025 and Perplexity now pitches it as a job search assistant. We worked through the use case end to end. Here's what it does well, where it breaks down, and what you still need on top.
9 min read
Best AI resume tailoring tools in 2026, 6 compared by price
Six AI resume tailoring tools compared on price, per-application tailoring, and ATS match quality. Free tiers through paid plans. No affiliate links.
14 min read
Best job application software in 2026, 5 compared
Five job application platforms, evaluated side by side. Free tier options through dedicated paid plans. We cover which ones automate the application pipeline end-to-end and which only track.
12 min read
How to navigate a layoff in 2026: a practical playbook
What to handle in the first weeks after a layoff: severance, health coverage, rebuilding your story, and interviewing in a market where AI sits on both sides.
8 min read
What candidates should actually focus on in 2026
The 2026 job market rewards a different playbook. Here is what actually moves the needle and what is noise when AI sits on both sides.
9 min read
Best AI interview prep tools in 2026, 10 compared
Ten AI interview prep tools compared on price, voice practice, and feedback quality, from free to $150 a month. No affiliate links.
14 min read
How to get a job in 2026 without a traditional background
No degree? Career changer? Self-taught? Here's how people without traditional credentials are landing jobs in 2026, and what actually matters to employers now.
11 min read
When AI cover letters actually hurt your application
AI cover letters can backfire if you use them wrong. Here's when they help, when they hurt, and how hiring managers spot the lazy ones instantly.
8 min read
How AI is changing the job search in 2026
AI tools now cover every stage of the job search. Here is what is working, what is overhyped, and how to use AI as a force multiplier.
6 min read
How to optimize your LinkedIn profile to get recruited in 2026
Learn how LinkedIn's algorithm works and how to optimize your profile for recruiter searches. Headline formulas, summary tips, and more.
9 min read
How to negotiate a higher salary when you have no leverage
Strategies for salary negotiation when you feel like you have no leverage. Research, framing, and non-salary tactics that work.
8 min read
How to write a cover letter with AI (step-by-step guide)
Learn how to use AI to write personalized cover letters in minutes. A step-by-step process with a worked example, common mistakes, and what separates strong AI letters from weak ones.
13 min read
How to write a follow-up email after an interview (with templates)
When to send a follow-up email, what to include, and templates for every interview stage. Plus what to do when you don't hear back.
7 min read
10 questions to ask at the end of a job interview (and why they matter)
The best questions to ask your interviewer, organized by category. Plus which questions to avoid and how to pick the right ones for each stage.
6 min read
What is an ATS and how to beat it (2026 guide)
How applicant tracking systems screen resumes in 2026 and the practical tactics that get your resume past automated filters into a recruiter's hands.
7 min read
Do You Still Need a Cover Letter in 2026? Yes, But Not the Kind You Think
65% of hiring managers still read cover letters. But generic ones get skipped. Here's when a cover letter actually helps, when to skip it, and how AI tools write targeted ones in 30 seconds.
8 min read