Job search articles

Guides tagged job search: practical steps, examples, and templates.

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Job seeker typing a cover letter on a laptop at a kitchen table next to a cup of coffee

Cover Letters18 min read

How to Write a Cover Letter: A Complete Guide With Examples

Learn how to write a cover letter step by step: build a proof map, use a fill-in template, and adapt three full examples plus a checked before-and-after edit.

Professional in work clothes taking a private phone call in his parked car during a lunch break

Job Search19 min read

How to Job Search While Employed (Discreetly)

Job search while employed without tipping off your boss. Covers LinkedIn settings, interview scheduling, references, contracts, and when to resign.

Person completing an online job application on a laptop at a kitchen table with printed documents beside them

Formats & Templates23 min read

Federal Resume: How to Write a USAJOBS Resume

Write a federal resume that meets the two-page USAJOBS rule, with a fill-in template, the required fields, specialized experience tips, and two examples.

Job seeker at a home desk reviewing a resume score report on a laptop screen with notes beside it

ATS & Keywords16 min read

What Is an ATS Score? How Resume Scores Work and How to Raise Yours

Learn what an ATS score measures, what a good ATS score is, and the edits that raise it, with a real before-and-after test run and score bands.

Woman typing the first lines of a cover letter on a laptop at a cafe table beside a notebook

Cover Letters15 min read

How to Start a Cover Letter: Opening Lines That Work

Learn how to start a cover letter with an opening that earns a full read: a three-part formula, 12 example openings, lines to avoid, and a way to test drafts.

Recruiter at an office desk comparing printed resumes beside a computer showing an applicant list

ATS & Keywords16 min read

ATS Myths: What Applicant Tracking Systems Really Do to Your Resume

ATS myths tested: the 75% rejection stat, auto-rejection, the white-text trick (we ran it), PDFs, and keyword stuffing, plus what gets your resume seen.

Job seeker researching a company's team page on a laptop while taking notes in a notebook

Cover Letters17 min read

How to Address a Cover Letter (When You Don't Know the Name)

Learn how to address a cover letter: use the most specific greeting you can confirm, or Dear Hiring Manager. Covers titles, no-name, school and UK cases.

Person at a laptop attaching a resume file to an email before sending a job application

Resume Writing19 min read

Should You Send Your Resume as a PDF or Word Document?

Resume PDF or Word? See when each format is right, how ATS software handles both, how to turn a PDF into a Word file, and how to name your resume file.