I was recently part of a career expert panel where we were asked a series of questions about resumes, AI, hiring, and the job search. What struck me was how practical the questions were. People are not looking for another lecture on “personal branding.” They want to know what actually matters now. Here are ten of the questions worth talking about.
1. Can employers tell if AI wrote my resume?
Probably not in the way people fear. The bigger problem is that recruiters can tell when a resume sounds like AI wrote it. Generic summaries, inflated language, and vague accomplishments make good candidates forgettable. Original thinking still stands out.
2. How can I prove soft skills on a resume?
Stop listing them.
Do not tell me you are collaborative. Show me the team you aligned. Do not claim you are a strong communicator. Show me the client you retained or the decision you influenced. Evidence makes soft skills believable.
3. Are there new resume sections everyone needs in 2026?
No. The fundamentals are remarkably stubborn.
Recruiters still need to understand who you are, what you do, and why your experience matters. A clear headline, focused summary, relevant experience, and strong results beat whatever resume trend happens to be circulating this month.
4. What is one resume mistake that still drives you crazy?
Glaring typos.
We have AI, spellcheck, grammar software, and about seventeen other ways to catch them. A bad typo still tells the reader you did not inspect the document closely enough. Read your resume slowly. Then let another human read it.
5. Should I get a master's degree to advance my career?
An advanced degree will not rescue a stalled career.
Get one when it removes a barrier, carries real weight in your field, or produces a reasonable return on the investment. Otherwise, experience, relationships, and better career decisions may take you further.
6. Should anyone actually send a video resume?
Sometimes. Just do not mistake novelty for value.
A short video can work when communication, presentation, or personality matters to the role. It should complement your resume. It should never become a two-minute reading of information I already have.
7. Is submitting an application at 2 a.m. a bad look?
The ATS does not care.
A human might notice the timestamp if you email someone directly. Schedule it for the morning if that concerns you. More importantly, stop obsessing over the clock. The quality of the application matters considerably more than whether you submitted it at 2:07 a.m.
8. How should I use AI during a job search?
Use it to think with you. Do not let it think for you.
Research companies. Analyze job descriptions. Brainstorm interview questions. Identify patterns across target roles. Pressure-test your positioning. AI becomes useful when it improves your judgment. It becomes a liability when it replaces it.
9. How do I explain leaving a job or getting laid off?
Do not confess. Explain.
A layoff is a business event. Leaving voluntarily is a career decision. Give enough context to make the situation understandable. Keep the explanation factual. Then move the conversation toward what you want next.
10. How do I get a hiring manager's attention on social media without being weird?
Be interesting before you need something.
Engage thoughtfully with their work. Add an observation. Ask a legitimate question. Contribute something to the conversation. Do not immediately follow that with a connection request, résumé attachment, and three paragraphs about why you would “love to pick their brain.”
The common thread through nearly all of these questions is pretty simple. Job seekers are surrounded by more technology, more advice, and more supposed shortcuts than ever. None of it has eliminated the need for judgment. The people who communicate clearly, provide evidence, and make deliberate career decisions still have an advantage.