Editorial guidelines

Research before writing

Every guide starts from what job seekers actually search for and what the pages already ranking for that question cover. We note what those pages explain, what they leave out, and where their advice conflicts, then write to close those gaps with decision rules, worked examples, and checklists.

Sources we rely on

Statistics come from primary sources wherever possible: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, O*NET, the Department of Labor and other government agencies, NACE, Pew Research Center, and university career centers. Every number links to the page it came from, and each article lists its sources at the end.

When a figure is widely repeated but we can't trace it to a primary source, we leave it out. When the only data comes from a company that sells career services, we say so in the text.

Charts, examples, and names

Charts built on published data name their source. Charts that model a scenario, such as a sample job search funnel, are labeled as illustrative and never presented as research.

Example resumes, letters, and people are invented and use clearly generic names. We don't publish testimonials, quotes, or case studies we can't verify.

Legal and financial topics

Guides that touch on notice periods, final pay, pay transparency, or benefits give general information and point to official sources for your state or country. They are not legal or financial advice.

Mentions of our own product

Resume Maker makes an AI resume builder and free career tools. Guides mention them only where they help with the task at hand, describe only features that exist, and the advice works with any tool.

Updates and corrections

Each guide shows the date it was last updated. We revisit guides when the underlying data is revised, and we correct errors as soon as we confirm them.