Editor's Picks

This past winter, we surveyed approximately 11,400 accounting professionals, asking them to tell us what it’s like to work for their firms. We asked about culture, compensation, hours, training, work/life balance, diversity, and business outlook.

Often, what determines the outcome of your interviews has little to do with the questions you’re asked and if you know all the answers. Instead, the outcome is often dependent on your interview mindset—how you think about interviews and how you approach them.

For many people, the past year has been among the most difficult of their lives. But for others, including branding and marketing expert Vince Thompson, it’s been the exact opposite.

If you’ve been on a ton of interviews and haven't received any job offers, don’t worry. In this post, I’ll cover the two reasons why this is happening and what you can do about it.

Guesstimates are interview questions that ask candidates to come up with a figure, usually the size of a market or the number of objects in an area. The most important thing to remember about guesstimates is that they are designed to let your interviewer see how your mind works, rather than designed to see if you can get the right answer.

In conversations with hiring managers over the years, I’ve heard repeatedly that although there are a lot of great candidates out there, many don’t know how to interview effectively. I’ve also heard that there are a few common interview mistakes—like the three below—that can be fixed rather easily.

If there’s one activity that occurs at nearly every stage of the job search, it’s small talk. And unlike other aspects of the job search, small talk usually happens without warning.

Informational interviews are treasure troves of information. What you collect from these types of networking meetings—in which you build relationships with people at the organizations you want to join—can provide you with insights that can help you improve your resume, cover letters, and interview answers.

Even within all advancements and changes to the job search process, some parts of the interview process remain unchanged. For example, hiring managers still use certain common interview questions to judge how well candidates will fit with their firms.

When a complete stranger searches your name, do the results provide a realistic snapshot of who you are and everything you have to offer? The goal of personal branding is to understand your unique qualities—ideally those that will boost your career—and make sure you're putting that image forward.

LinkedIn has more 55 million registered companies, and some 86 percent of recruiters use LinkedIn to help them find qualified candidates. This means if you're looking to grow your career, using the networking platform is a necessity.

Most jobs require strong writing skills now that email and Slack are the primary ways to communicate with clients and colleagues. And even before you begin a job, you need to write well.

As a professional resume writer and job-landing consultant, I commonly receive this question from job seekers: “What changes can I make to my resume to beat applicant tracking systems and get interviews? ” Typically, instead of answering the question, I follow up with two questions.

Your resume is your first opportunity to sell yourself to recruiters and hiring managers. It can also be your last if your resume is outdated or too thin.

The first episode of the Ken Burns and Lynn Novick documentary Hemingway reveals where Ernest Hemingway’s famous writing style originated. Before the Nobel Prize-Winner wrote short stories and novels, he worked as a Kansas City Star reporter.

In the past year, many companies have transitioned to permanent or semi-permanent work-from-home arrangements. As a result, hiring managers have adjusted their expectations, needs, and requirements when it comes to looking for new hires.

One of the most important pieces of interview advice is to remember your manners—and by that I mean, write thank-you notes. Sending your interviewer a quick thank-you note is an easy way to make a great impression and show your interest in the position.

Is it okay to include a few white lies and exaggerations on your resume? No!

When you think of networking, you might envision a room full of people who don’t know each other, making small talk, sipping cocktails, exchanging business cards, hoping to eventually making long-lasting connections. But networking can be much more than that.

On your career path, you’re going to need a lot of resources, and a mentor should be at the top of your list. A mentor is someone who can give you all sorts of professional advantages, from sharing life wisdom to connecting you with other subject matter experts.

The country is reopening, with more and more in-person events being held each day. This means that in-real-life networking will soon return.

On October 27th, Firsthand will host a Diversity & Inclusion Internship Virtual Career Fair. This unique fair offers the rare opportunity to increase your internship prospects and connect with top employers.

Informational interviews are treasure troves of information. What you collect from these types of networking meetings—in which you build relationships with people at the organizations you want to join—can provide you with insights that can help you improve your resume, cover letters, and interview answers.

Today, recruiters and hiring managers are increasingly using social networks to find talent. This is why it’s essential to have a professional social media presence if you’re in the market for a new job (and important to manage the privacy settings on your social accounts you don’t want recruiters and hiring managers to see).

The more time that passes after you meet people for the first time—either in person or virtually—the harder it is to remember them. This is why, when you're job searching, it's important to take notes after meeting someone new.

From oral arguments in front of your classmates to the Socratic method most professors still use, law school can be a nerve-wrecking period for introverted students. One practice that may spark panic is networking.

If you’re not networking, you’re not growing your career. It’s that simple.

The way in which we work has changed drastically in the last few years, with many companies opting for fully-remote or partially-remote work schedules. Along with these changes has come a new type of online job search engine; enter: the remote job search website.

Even with the countless options out there to assist you in your job search, it can sometimes feel like no progress is being made. Perhaps you’ve been hit with a streak of bad luck, or your resume needs to be fine-tuned a bit more.

After four full quarters of Covid-19, some sectors have withered, while others have expanded. One sector that was growing before Covid and is still expanding is fintech.

If you’re looking to join a company that lets you be yourself and cultivates creativity, here are nine great organizations you need to check out. They all prioritize the free flow of ideas and allow your creative side to run wild.

Landing a job after a long employment gap can be daunting. And the pandemic left many people unemployed—as well as overwhelmed and wondering what comes next.

A knowledgeable legal recruiter can be a great asset during your job search, but you must keep in mind the recruiter’s motivations and access to employers—and whether you are in a situation to benefit from their assistance. Most legal recruiters are paid only for successful placements—at the end of the day the recruiter wants you to move in order to get paid.

The U.S. gained 307,000 technology jobs from 2018 to 2019, according to the Computing Technology Industry Association.

To make the next step in your career, you need to do everything you can to stand out from the competition. One way to do this is to make sure you’re demonstrating your passion—for the position you’re applying for and the career you’re pursuing.

Today, we're thrilled to announce the release of our annual rankings of the Best Consulting Firms to Work For in North America for 2021! Vault's Consulting Rankings highlight the best firms in 42 categories and include the overall Top 50, the Most Prestigious Consulting Firms, the Best Boutique Consulting Firms, the Best Consulting Firms in Each Practice Area, and the Best Consulting Firms to Work For in key employment factors including compensation, work/life balance, corporate culture, and more.

Ten years ago, when I entered business school, many professionals told me that the journey ahead required significant investment in professional networking. So I followed their advice, and soon my calendar was filled with various networking events and meetings all over town.

Another H-1B lottery season has come to an end. This year, the number of applications far exceeded the 85,000 allotted H-1Bs, the visas international students typically need to work in the U.S.

The books that we read in college provide the foundation for our educations and, in turn, to our professional lives. They are touchstones, something that many of us have in common regardless of where we attended college—whether that manifests as a mutual love for Mary Shelley's Frankenstein or a mutual disdain for Strunk & White's The Elements of Style.

Informational interviews are treasure troves of information. What you collect from these types of networking meetings—in which you build relationships with people at the organizations you want to join—can provide you with insights that can help you improve your resume, cover letters, and interview answers.

When researching candidates, recruiters look at a lot more than resumes and cover letters. They also look at social media—to find out how you present yourself, how others perceive you, and how well you might fit with their culture.

Today, we’re excited to release our 2021 Internship Rankings. This year, our Internship Rankings highlight the top programs in 29 categories, including the Most Prestigious Internships, Best Overall Internships, Best Internships by Industry, Best Internships for Diversity, Best Internships by Employment Factor, and, new this year, Best Internships by Role, including computer science, data analytics, engineering, IT, sales and marketing, software development, and software engineering.

If there’s one activity that occurs at nearly every stage of the job search, it’s small talk. And unlike other aspects of the job search, small talk usually happens without warning.

A college campus is more like a town than a school—there are 1,001 buildings, with everything from bedrooms to dining rooms to classrooms to gyms to lounges. But there are also a ton of offices and departments that, unlike the dining hall, people can forget are there.

To say the least, the Trump administration didn’t extend a warm welcome to international students at U.S. colleges and universities.

Today, we’re pleased to release our new ranking of the 30 Best Internship Programs for Overall Diversity. The ranking is based on a survey of more than 11,400 current and former interns from more than 100 internship programs.

Last summer, Firsthand surveyed more than 11,400 interns from 140 internship programs. The survey, from which we derived our 100 Best Internships ranking, asked interns to rate their internship experiences in a variety of areas, including career development, compensation, full-time employment prospects, interview process, quality of life, quality of assignments, and diversity.

Internships are an excellent option for any college student or new graduate. They're especially useful for those looking to break into a particularly competitive field or industry.

Maya Ajmera is president and CEO of Society for Science and publisher of its award-winning magazine, Science News. She’s also the recipient of the 2020 National Science Board Public Service Award, recognized for her tremendous contribution to increasing the public’s understanding of science and engineering.

This past summer, Firsthand surveyed more than 11,400 current and former interns from 140 internship programs—a survey from which we derived our 100 Best Internships ranking. During the survey, we asked interns to rate their internship experiences in a variety of areas, including career development, compensation, full-time employment prospects, interview process, quality of life, quality of assignments, and diversity.

Ten years ago, when I entered business school, many professionals told me that the journey ahead required significant investment in professional networking. So I followed their advice, and soon my calendar was filled with various networking events and meetings all over town.

LinkedIn has more 55 million registered companies, and some 86 percent of recruiters use LinkedIn to help them find qualified candidates. This means if you're looking to grow your career, using the networking platform is a necessity.

If there’s one activity that occurs at nearly every stage of the job search, it’s small talk. And unlike other aspects of the job search, small talk usually happens without warning.

The U.S. gained 307,000 technology jobs from 2018 to 2019, according to the Computing Technology Industry Association.

Today, we're thrilled to release our 2021 Banking 25, a ranking of the best investment banking firms to work for in North America. The ranking is based on a survey of more than 3,000 banking professionals.

The most frequent question we receive from law students and fledgling attorneys is how to differentiate among legal practice areas. Launching your legal career with confidence can be difficult if you're not sure what each practice area entails and what kinds of tasks you'd tackle in certain areas.

If you have just graduated and are hoping to follow a career in engineering, then you might be feeling a little lost as to where to start. Engineering is constantly evolving, and working environments are ever-changing.

If you’re interested in working in healthcare but don’t think a clinical job is right for you, the good news is there are several excellent healthcare careers that don’t require rigorous medical training. Here are three of the fastest growing alternative career paths in healthcare—in part thanks to the increasingly prominent roles they’re playing in impacting patient care.

Since the onset of the global pandemic, remote work has been surging. Meanwhile, digital marketing has also been surging, as many industries continue to embrace e-commerce and digitization.

After spending my entire career in media, in companies as varied as MTV, Condé Nast, SundanceTV, and Discovery, I am often asked to give advice on how to get into the media business. It usually comes from a passionate, wide-eyed person who is looking to start their career, or shift gears midstream.

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed our lives—perhaps forever. Companies in all industries have been forced to respond and adapt, with many moving into the digital space and even more needing remote employees in order to follow the rules of social distancing.

Being your own boss often means working from wherever you want, setting your own hours, taking random days off, and making all the decisions without needing permission from a higher-up. But while self-employment might be the dream for many people, very few are living it.