Bruce Hurwitz 

THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THIS ARTICLE ARE SOLELY THOSE OF THE AUTHOR.

The suggestion for this topic came from a reader who wishes to remain anonymous. I appreciate the interest and am delighted to respond. Anyone else who has a topic they would like me to address is welcome to send me a message.

Aging and caregiving are two different things; accordingly, I will consider them separately.

Aging

A person “of a certain age” walks into an interview using cane. The cane wobbles and, for sake of argument, he grabs a chair as a lifeline. He sits down and the interviewers all go into “talking to grandpa” mode. He does not get the job offer.

A person “of a certain age” walks into an interview using cane. As he enters the interviewers all look at him like he is their grandfather. But then he says, “I can’t wait until the end of the month when the doctor assures me, I can get rid of this damn thing. So, before you ask me what my biggest mistake was, it was zigging when I should have zagged.” He gets the job offer.

The problem with aging is attitude. If you act like you’re old, you’ll be treated like you are old. If you act like you are experienced, know how to deal with adversity, and have a track record of helping younger colleagues advance in their careers (and you can prove it by using them as references), you will not be seen as old but as an investment in the company’s growth.

It’s your decision: You can age like you will be a burden or you can age like you can be an asset.

Caregiving

Caregiving can be for a person of any age. What’s the difference between a sick or infirmed child or parent? From the perspective of the job market, nothing.

If the recruiter, hiring manager, whomever, is an idiot, they will consider it to have been of no contribution to a candidate’s professional development. “Being a housewife is the most difficult job,” is just a meaningless platitude. All stay-at-home wives (or husbands) do is a little cooking, a little cleaning, some laundry, a lot of talking on the phone, and even more watching idiotic daytime talk shows and soap operas. Or so the idiots would believe.

And because a job applicant has to assume that they will be dealing with an idiot, their resume must explain the skills, experiences and accomplishments required to be a successful caregiver. Who knows better the importance of patience, how to manage the healthcare system, budgeting, scheduling, employing vendors, and more, than a caregiver?

So, my advice is, don’t make being a caregiver a gap on your resume, because it isn’t. But I have said this all before, when I wrote about returning to work after an absence.

https://hsstaffing.wordpress.com/2026/03/20/aging-and-caregiving/

Bruce Hurwitz 

THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THIS ARTICLE ARE SOLELY THOSE OF THE AUTHOR.

I am notorious for being easily derailed. I’m not talking about a “senior moment” when I forget what I was saying (admit it, we have all had them regardless of our age!), but having someone saying something which completely gets me off topic. My students quickly noticed this character flaw and took great advantage!

Losing focus in that manner is not the problem I wish to discuss in this article. I only know what appears in my own LinkedIn feed, but I am certain that everyone faces the same issue. Contrary advice and a never-ending debate about Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Back in the day, it was called “noise” and marketers would promise clients that they could show them how to break through the “noise” and be seen or heard, as the case may have been. We used to see, in the US, an average of 500 ads a day. Here’s a scary stat: The number is now 5,000!

Job seekers face the same problem as businesses: breaking through the noise. Do you use AI to apply for a job, or use your HI (Human Intelligence)? Should you click the “Easy Apply” button or go directly to the company’s website and apply through it? How do you write a resume which will pass the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) when experts provide contradictory advice? And how do you write a resume which will pass human review when, again, experts give contradictory advice?

It’s called “information overload.” There’s so much information available that a person, especially a stressed-out job seeker, can’t cope. My solution: STOP READING! and find someone you trust. Stick with them as long as you are seeing positive results meaning, interviews and job offers.

And that is on what you must remain focused. You can’t focus if you have to cope with 5,000 pieces of “helpful” advice every day (I know that’s an exaggeration, but the point is still valid). Focus on what sounds right for you and what makes you comfortable. Don’t try to become an expert on the most effective way to apply for a job (networking), or how to write a resume that will pass that ATS and the human reviewer (keep the resume clean, neat, easy to read, and focused on accomplishments). You’ll get dizzy, nauseous, and you won’t get a job offer!

Final thought: They say, “a little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing.” The same is true for too much knowledge, by which I mean, when learning takes the place to doing.

https://hsstaffing.wordpress.com/2026/03/

Bruce Hurwitz March 6, 2026 at 10:37 am THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THIS ARTICLE ARE SOLELY THOSE OF THE AUTHOR. Martin Gilbert was Winston Churchill's official biographer. Every so often, as he was working on the biography, he would make a presentation to the doctoral students and faculty of the Department of International Relations of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. I was privileged to attend a few of those lectures. The first I attended was memorable for how bad it was. The only thing he told us that we didn't already know was that Churchill would approve military plans, or anything else for that matter, by making a red checkmark in pencil next to the suggestion. We were all shocked. How could Churchill's official biographer be such a terrible a speaker? Fast forward a few months and the man was back. Same man. Same general topic. The only difference was, this time, and all future times, the man was brilliant. The talk was fascinating, informative and engaging. I remember, after the second talk, asking one of my professors how the difference could be so stark. His explanation, "Everyone is entitled to have a bad day." If an official biographer can have a bad day, so can a job candidate at an interview. There's just one difference: the biographer has a reputation which will guarantee an invitation to return. Not so much for most job applicants. If a job applicant is having a bad day, it's going to be a very bad day as far as their career goes. Which brings me to the OODA Loop. It's an acronym (Yes, I remember writing about how I hate acronyms!) used in the US Air Force. It's a four-step decision making process developed by Colonel John Boyd for "dog fights," meaning plane-to-plane combat. (If I get anything incorrect, I invite USAF members and veterans to correct me in the Comments section.) With planes being flying computers, today pilots probably don't have too much more than a second to perform an OODA Loop. (In Colonel Boyd's day, they probably had a few seconds.) But it has nothing to do with an actual loop, flipping the plane over, a 360-degree turn, to avoid or "capture" the enemy. It's the process of deciding what to do instantaneously. Observe. Orient. Decide. Act. That's your OODA Loop. When I first began offering Career Counseling Services (No, this is not going to become a commercial! And shame on you for thinking I would do that!!!) I did what I always do, I researched. I was surprised to learn that "Public Speaking," for some people, includes talking to a single person. Think of a sales call. I had always thought it was speaking in front of an audience consisting of multiple people. Not so! Some people are just as nervous speaking to one stranger as some are speaking from a stage to a thousand (which, physically, they would not be able to do That's why it's called "stage fright.") Regardless, if the speech/presentation does not go well, it is not the fault of the audience. The presenter has the responsibility of relaying their message and convincing the audience to act in a certain way. If they fail, it is their fault and no one else's. To be fair, a job interview can be perfect. The candidate can be flawless and still not get the job offer. There can be 1,001 reasons why the offer is not given. That is a fact of life far too many candidates refuse to accept. If they did not get the job offer, they honestly believe, it must be discrimination. Not so! A candidate can only control what is in their control. That's it. If they are not prepared to discuss what they know about the employer, the details of the job description, and to answer surprise questions, they do not deserve to get the offer. One of the major mistakes presenters make is not "reading" their audience. I once had someone walk out on a presentation I was making (I hasten to add, to a standing-room-only crowd) as soon as I thanked everyone for coming. My response, as he was approaching the door, in response to the stares of the audience, was to say, "Usually people only start walking out after I have actually say something!" Everyone laughed but the man at the door got the final say in just two words, "Bad burrito." Then I also laughed. I had read the crowd correctly and realized they thought having someone leave like that would bother me. Joking about it replaced the tension in the room with a relaxed atmosphere. Another time I saw I was "losing" the audience. No one had actually physically left the room, but they were looking at their phones and watches. Never a good thing. So, I stopped the planned presentation and began to tell stories that explained the points I was clearly failing to make. The phones went into the pockets and the eyes moved from the watches to me. I observed. I oriented myself. I made a decision. I acted. No, it was not the heat of battle, but it was the pressure of all those eyes on me. And, of course, the only death I faced was of possible embarrassment. But that does not mean that OODA is not a good strategy in an interview. It is, in fact, a very good strategy. The best example I can give, and it is a habit that can take some time, and a lot of patience for people to break, is simply talking too much. I can't tell you how many candidates for whom I have secured interviews simply forgot what I had diplomatically told them: "Don't talk too much." So, to make it unforgettable, I stopped being diplomatic, they no longer forget my instructions, and some actually got job offers: You talk too much. Make your point and shut up! And they remembered, successfully read the audience, the interviewers, and realized there was a problem when they, the interviewers, would start fidgeting. So, they regained control - which is all you need for a successful presentation be it in the interview room, on stage, or in the cockpit.

Don’t Blame the Audience (Interviewers) and Remember the OODA Loop | Employment Edification

Stop Hiding on Your Resume, LinkedIn Profile, or a Zoom Call

By Bruce Hurwitz

THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THIS ARTICLE ARE SOLELY THOSE OF THE AUTHOR.

Anyone who is a fan of Sherlock Holmes knows that the best place to hide something is in the open. I literally have no room in my home for a book-book. (There’s plenty of room in my Kindle.) Every wall is covered with bookshelves and the shelves are full. If I want to hide a book, it will be on a shelf. (I recognize the contradiction but it’s rude of you to interrupt!) You’ll never find it but, if you do, you can keep it!

You hide something you don’t want to be found. So why are job applicants (I doubt they’ll become candidates) hiding things on their resumes (and, for that matter, LinkedIn profiles) or during a Zoom call? If you are hiding something it means you have something to hide. Employers don’t want employees who have something to hide. They want open, honest and transparent employees, the antithesis of hiders.

Recently I received a resume from a veteran looking for a resume writer. He sent me his current resume. He had been out of the military for decades. Importantly, it was clear that he had a sense of humor. So I began our initial conversation thus: “Before I embarrass you., how can I help you?”

A minute later we got to the embarrassment. I asked him if he was looking at his resume? He was. I then asked him how he expected employers to contact him? He reacted the way I knew he would. There was no contact information on his resume. Understand, this man is a bona fide hero. He’s no dummy. He had been at his civilian job going on 25 years. He had had numerous promotions. He did not need to provide contact information on his resume to get those promotions because his employer knew how to reach him. There was a logical reason for the contact information not being on his resume. We had a good laugh and moved on. No harm, no foul.

But I have received resumes which began with the word “Confidential.” No name. No contact information. Before you ask, they were mailed to me, not emailed. That’s not what I mean by “hiding.” “Hiding” is when you don’t want to reveal something. For example…

The Name of an Employer

Writing, “confidential” in place of an employer’s (the company’s) name means the applicant worked somewhere with a bad reputation. The implication is that the applicant was in some way responsible for that reputation. That may be true. Or it may be that they were not responsible, just ashamed of having worked there. If they were not responsible, they have nothing of which to be ashamed. Only a handful of people were responsible for Enron and Arthur Andersen (am I aging myself?) and only they would need to hide, an impossibility.

There are those who do not want to reveal their current employer out of fear that the employer will discover their job search, in other words, that the employer to whom they are applying will contact their current employer. Fact is, it could happen, but the odds are so small it is not worth worrying about. Their are rules to a job search and the Number One rule is no one contacts a current employer without the employee’s permission.

LinkedIn Profile

I get it. You are proud of your family or friends. But for purely innocent reasons employers want to see who they are considering. Having a photo where the employer has to guess who’s who is problematic. (If you don’t want your photo on your profile because you don’t want the employer to know your race, my question is, Why would you want to work for/help a bigot/racist?) A clear headshot is needed.

And then there is location. Stating that you are in the “United States” means either you are lying – you want to get a job in the US and don’t want your present location to be held against you – or you are looking to relocate and, again, don’t want your present location to be held against you. But you will be discovered fairly quickly. If not the first question you will be asked then pretty close to it will be, “Where do you live?” So why play games?

Zoom Background

Whenever I am on a Zoom call and the person with whom I am speaking has blurred their background, I tell them that I immediately assume there is a reason for their hiding what is behind them and that my assumption is that they are messy and disorganized. Employers do not hire messy or disorganized people. When that is not the case, they immediately reveal what had been hidden and, in response to my question “So why did you hide it?” they shrug their shoulders.

(Once the reason was that the candidate did not want his dogs being a distraction. He had three St. Bernards. He was right, they were a distraction, but loveable and funny. Nothing worth hiding.)

Hiding something draws attention to it and raises red flags. Don’t hide!

Never Attend an Off-Site Holiday Party

Bruce Hurwitz

THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THIS ARTICLE ARE SOLELY THOSE OF THE AUTHOR.

I have written hundreds of articles on LinkedIn and elsewhere. No doubt, unintentionally, I have repeated myself. Except in this case which is definitely intentional. The following is an article I try to share every year. The advice is still good.

I only once adamantly refused an assignment given to me by an employer.  In fact, I refused four times!  Every year there was an office party held after hours at a restaurant.  Guests were invited.  Alcohol was served.  There was dancing.

I was responsible for fundraising, PR and marketing.  It was my job to get any event into the press.  I made it clear that under no circumstances whatsoever would I attend.  My colleagues wanted to know why.

First, I told them that I would be happy to attend an office party, at work, even if it was after hours, although I would prefer a staff luncheon.  In fact, that is exactly what one of our subsidiaries had for their staff.  I was pleased to attend and delighted to get some press coverage for them.

Then I told them that based on my experience of listening to colleagues and friends who had attended after hours off-site parties that someone always does something stupid.  “Did you see what she was wearing?”  “Did you hear what he said?”  “Can you believe how much he drank?”  “Did you see who she was dancing with?”  “Frankly,” I told them, “it’s my job to promote all staff as consummate professionals.  I don’t want to see you acting like a bunch of damn fools!”

In the first year, some were offended…until the morning after the party.  It became an annual ritual.  “Bruce, I’ve got to admit it.  You were right.  Did you hear what happened?”  Every year I would receive the request to attend, would decline, would explain why, would be ridiculed, and then apologized to.

My colleagues were good, decent, hardworking people.  But put them in a party situation, even one for work, and some would forget where they were.  I honestly believe that some employers hold office parties as a way to see whether or not they can trust some staff – the one’s they are thinking of promoting – to behave.  In fact, I know of two cases where employers told me that as a result of their behavior at an office party two employees who were being considered (without their knowledge) for promotion were no longer being considered.

If it is work related you must always be “on.”  Would you drink alcohol at your desk?  Would you dance with a co-worker at work?  Would you dress provocatively on the job?  Of course not.  Why?  Because it’s stupid and unprofessional.

Yes, there are times when it is important for the boss to meet the significant people in an employee’s life.  That is why God invented restaurants with tables with four chairs.  And I am willing to bet that at the restaurant there will be minimal drinking, conservative dress, and absolutely nothing to inspire gossip the morning after.

Never Attend an Off-Site Holiday Party | Employment Edification

Bruce Hurwitz November 7, 2025  

How to Answer the Salary Question

THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THIS ARTICLE ARE SOLELY THOSE OF THE AUTHOR.

Last week I wrote about the need to have the salary range included on job descriptions and I promised to follow-up with instructions on how to answer the salary question. I always keep my promises.

If the salary range is on the job description, it is safe to assume that the candidate is looking at the upper end of the range, while the employer is focused on the lower end. If there is no salary range then the candidate is flying blind, although there are websites that can provide insights.

Regardless, when asked a straight-forward question in an interview, the candidate should always provide a straight-forward response. This is especially true when the question is an obvious one.

Always let the employer/interviewer raise the salary issue. The way to respond depends on your situation.

If you are employed, you are on solid ground, and your answer is simple. “I am currently earning X. To make a move I would need at least a Y% increase. I also have to take into consideration that fact that I will have more responsibilities in this position than I currently have. Keep in mind that I am looking at a longer commute (tolls and wear and tear on my car), and then there is the issue of the benefits you offer. Currently my benefits package is A, B and C.” Then shut up! He who speaks next loses.

If you are recently unemployed, the above response should suffice. If you have been unemployed for a while, then your negotiating posture is weak(er). (You’re standing on wet sand, not solid ground.) So keep it simple:

“Depending on the benefits package, here is my budget. This is what I need NET. So, to get to GROSS I would need X% more.” (Ask your accountant what that should be.) No fooling around. You have done your homework. You are literally handing them your budget. From that document they will learn a great deal about you. Most importantly, they will learn how you prioritize.

Regardless of how you respond, referencing benefits always shows that you are will to negotiate. I once had a candidate accept a $20,000 drop in salary because, sadly, he had six children all of whom were taking rather expensive medications. The new employer’s health insurance plan more than made up for the difference.

Another time, I had a candidate willing to go from earning $500,000 to $150,000. (For the record, this was when it was legal to ask about salary history.) “How,” I asked her, “did she recommend I convince my client that she would actually stay on the job and not look for what she had been earning?”

This was a position for an in-house counsel. The candidates I was interviewing were all lawyers at major firms who were working 120-hour weeks. For them, it was a quality-of-life issue. They wanted to be able to spend time with their spouses and children.

Salary is never only about money. It’s the compensation package which is important. Don’t forget that!

How to Answer the Salary Question | Employment Edification

What to do if there is no Salary Range on a Job Description

THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THIS ARTICLE ARE SOLELY THOSE OF THE AUTHOR.

Next week, I’ll discuss how to answer the “What salary are you looking for?” question. But for now, the issue is what to do when no salary range is included in the job description.

A number of jurisdictions require that the salary range appear in the job description. So does common sense. If I may be permitted to exaggerate, why would a company want to interview a candidate who is earning $150,000 when they have only budgeted $50,000 for the position? On the other hand, why would someone want to apply for a job that pays a third of what they are currently earning? It’s illogical, wastes everyone’s time, and reflects poorly on the employer.

Many have written on LinkedIn that they have been rejected for a position because they dared to raise the issue of salary. Instead of asking about salary, I would advise candidates to ask, “Why is there no salary range (and benefits?) listed in the job description?” The answer may provide insights into the company’s decision making.

When there is no mention of salary range (“competitive salary”) is meaningless, it may be an indication that the job is not “real,” by which I mean the company is on a fishing expedition to see if they want to actually hire someone. Of course, the justification may be that the company does not want employees to know what their peers are earning. How credible that is, I leave to the reader to decide.

In any event, it is a very VERY red flag and should be treated as such. Yes, you are desperate for a job, but you don’t want to exchange one set of problems for a new set of problems. In other words, be careful!

While we work with everyone, our mission is to promote the hiring of Veterans and First Responders. (They receive a significant discount off our services for job seekers.) Please consider us for all your staffing, career counseling and professional writing needs.

What to do if there is no Salary Range on a Job Description | Employment Edification

Hire “Why”s Not “How”s or “What”s

By: Bruce Hurwitz

THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THIS ARTICLE ARE SOLELY THOSE OF THE AUTHOR.

Year’s ago, I had a ghostwriting client, a chef, who asked me if I knew the difference between a chef and a cook. I did not. He told me, “A cook knows what to do, a chef knows why you do it.”

I was reminded of that when I read in Paul Johnson’s book, Humorists, that W.C. Fields said, “We know what makes people laugh, We do not know why they laugh.”

This got me thinking about who the best persons are to hire. We know the worst: gossips, those who take credit but never blame (responsibility). We know the standard answers for the best: persons who complement other employees (the boss can manage but can’t sell so he hires a good saleswoman); people who are smarter than you (meaning the boss), etc.

Now, whenever, of course depending on the type of position, someone is being interviewed for a job they are asked if they can use a specific software package and then are given a test. Yes, they are proficient in Excel and yes, they can create formulas. So they have the hard skills to accomplish the required tasks. They can do the job.

That said, do they know why they do what they do or, even more importantly, why the software works the way it works?

I submit that that may be the most important interviewing question for employers to ask candidates. Employers should strive to hire chefs, not cooks! Chefs will help a business grow; cooks will get the job done, but they’ll only be “punching the clock.”

While we work with everyone, our mission is to promote the hiring of Veterans and First Responders. (They receive a significant discount off our services for job seekers.) Please consider us for all your staffing, career counseling and professional writing needs.

Hire “Why”s Not “How”s or “What”s | Employment Edification

How to Reply When Asked, “Do You Have Any Questions?” by: Bruce Hurwitz

THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THIS ARTICLE ARE SOLELY THOSE OF THE AUTHOR.

During a job interview, if a candidate is not asked if they have any questions, that means that the prospective employer/interviewer does not care about them, probably does care about their employees, and the candidate definitely does not want to work for them. They do not deserve a “thank-you” email but rather a “withdrawing my candidacy” email.

On the other hand, if a candidate has no questions, that’s a sure sign that they have no real interest in the position. Saying, “No, you have already answered them,” is a meaningless attempt at a compliment that fools no one.

The vast majority of employers will give candidates a chance to ask questions. It’s the best way to judge their researching skills, ability to prioritize, and, given that some areas may be sensitive, their diplomatic skills. Here are some (you can’t expect me to give away all my secrets!) of the questions my clients ask interviewers:

Why did you want to interview me? No matter how bad the interview is going, unless they say, “I don’t remember!” this questions forces positivity. They have to say good things about the candidate. It gets them thinking that way the candidate wants them to think. Remember, candidate question time, so to speak, marks the end of the interview. And you always want to end on a positive note.

I compared the job description with the LinkedIn profile of the person who last held the position. There are differences, specifically… Why? Now the candidate will be able to judge the development or evolution of the position.

Who succeeds here? It is amazing how difficult this question is for many interviewers to answer. But the answer is crucial. The candidate must know if they are a cultural fit or not. The answer to this question will tell them.

How do you measure success for this position? What are the metrics? Now the candidate will be able to judge if the employer’s expectations are reasonable or if the position is doomed to failure.

What would you like to see that the previous/present holder of the position did/does continued and what would you like to see done differently? Employers don’t like gossips. Asking, “Why did the person who last had the position leave?” is, frankly, none of the candidate’s business. What is their business is to learn what the boss likes and wants, and dislikes and doesn’t want. This question provides the answers.

If I get the position, how will I be able to make your life easier? This is THE question. And it must be asked of every interviewer. The candidate must record the answers and then, when sending individual thank-you emails, make note of the recipient’s answer to the question. This proves that the candidate was listening, understood what was important for the interviewer, and can accomplish the stated goal.

How to Reply When Asked, “Do You Have Any Questions?” | Employment Edification

Transferable Skills vs. Accomplishments

THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THIS ARTICLE ARE SOLELY THOSE OF THE AUTHOR.

Everyone should know (but these days who knows? ) that you should never discuss sex, politics, or religion during a job interview. I would add one more thing: NEVER say that you have “transferable skills.” When a candidate says, or writes that, the employer hears/reads, “Look, I am not qualified for the position but do me a favor and consider me anyways.” Employers don’t do favors. They know what they want, or at least they should, and they definitely don’t like it when candidates imply that they (the candidate) knows better than they (the employer).

Instead of talking about “skills,” focus on “transferable accomplishments.” Employers like accomplishments. When I prepare a resume it is dripping accomplishments. Employers are only interest in one thing: What can the candidate do for them? There is only one way to convince them of what they can do for them: Show them what they did for another employer. Those are the sacred accomplishments.

I had a client who wanted to be a project manager. He got the certification, but he had no experience. He was, and he was good at it, a warehouse manager. He managed a warehouse, not a project. So we turned the warehouse into a project. A very complicated project. He had not only to keep to a budget, but he had to supervise staff, keep track of inventory, and utilize different technologies. Bottom line was, he was responsible for millions of dollars worth of inventory and equipment and never so much as lost a paperclip. Moreover, he had no turnover in his team and no one was ever injured.

Yes, he had the skills. But he did not use the word. He only spoke of “accomplishments.”

(Seriously? That’s the question you’re asking! I would not have told the story if he hadn’t got the job!)