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Research-backed · No fluff · New posts weeklyData and research on hiring, resumes, ATS systems and the US job search, written for people actually looking for work, not for search engines. Every claim is sourced.
DHS published a proposal October 14 to delete the rule telling USCIS to defer to its own prior approvals on H-1B extensions. Comments close November 13. What would change, and what hasn't, in plain facts.
Visa & Work AuthorizationCanada added 6 more cities to its low-wage LMIA processing freeze on October 9, bringing the total to 30 of 41 metros. What the rule actually covers, and why most skilled tech roles clear it entirely.
Job MarketAustralia's tech workforce is nearing 1 million and software engineering roles are up 7% year over year, even as monthly ICT job ads cooled in September. What that mixed picture means for a Sydney job search.
Visa & Work AuthorizationStarting November 3, 2026, high-wage job offers — including software engineer and developer roles — earn Express Entry bonus points without an LMIA. What changed, and what it means for tech job seekers in Toronto and Vancouver.
Visa & Work AuthorizationDHS's October 8, 2026 proposal would charge schools $70,000 for a student's first OPT period and $30,000 for each one after, including STEM OPT. What's proposed, what's unchanged, and what it means for your job search.
Job MarketIndeed's October 2026 data shows software development postings at their weakest point nationally, with San Francisco among the softest metros, while data center hiring surges. How to target where Silicon Valley hiring actually is.
Resume & ATSNew ZipRecruiter data finds 43% of job seekers list AI skills on their resume, but only 10% place them prominently. A separate study ties AI-written resumes to a sharp rise in resume inaccuracies. What the two findings mean together.
CertificationsNew CompTIA research finds nearly half of companies are putting new AI budget into cybersecurity and employee AI training, tied for the top spending priority. What that means for which certification to study next.
Career ChangeNYC entry-level tech postings are down 50% since 2022 even as CUNY computer science enrollment grew 146%. What the data shows, and how recent grads can actually stand out in New York's tech market in 2026.
Visa & Work AuthorizationA second federal judge blocked the $100,000 H-1B fee on September 30, 2026. What the ruling actually says, how it differs from June's ruling, and what's currently enforceable, in plain facts.
Job MarketBoston just climbed to No. 7 in CBRE's 2026 tech talent rankings even as Cambridge-based HubSpot cut 660 jobs. What the real data shows, and how to position yourself in Boston's research-driven IT market.
Resume & ATSWorkday's October 2026 report found employer demand for basic AI skills fell 25% since January, while demand for hands-on, build-level AI skills rose 51%. What the real data means for your resume.
Job MarketAtlanta tech employment was flat year over year through July 2026, but AI-adjacent hiring is up 45%+ and tech job concentration beats the national average. What the data shows, and how to position yourself.
Job MarketBLS's September 2026 jobs report shows a market that's stuck, not shrinking: +29,000 payrolls, layoffs down 20% YoY, but hiring intentions at a 15-year September low. What it means for your search.
Visa & Work AuthorizationVP JD Vance said October 2 he'd support eliminating the H-1B program, calling it “completely broken.” What he actually said, why it isn't a policy change, and what's actually enforceable on H-1B right now.
Visa & Work AuthorizationDHS names IT recruitment firms, consulting companies, and staffing agencies as the three business types most tied to STEM OPT fraud. The exact red flags it lists, and what you legally cannot be charged for, in plain facts.
Resume & ATSThe sponsorship question is legal, common, and often automated, and most OPT candidates answer it in a way that filters themselves out before a human ever sees the resume. Here's a more accurate way to answer it.
Career ChangeOPT participation grew 21% in a single year, and the number of agencies competing for that search grew with it. A sourced checklist for telling a real placement service apart from a resume-marketing shop.
Salary & NegotiationRobert Half finds 92% of tech leaders paying above budget for AI skills specifically, even as overall salary growth stays flat. Here is how to make sure your resume captures the premium.
Career ChangeNew-grad unemployment hit 5.6% nationally in 2026. Here is what the data shows, and why Chicago's fintech, healthtech, and enterprise tech employers are a strong target for new grads.
Job MarketBLS and LinkedIn Economic Graph data confirm a real seasonal hiring uptick, but Indeed Hiring Lab says not to expect a dramatic bump. What the numbers mean for your search right now.
Visa & Work AuthorizationThe three streams of Australia's subclass 485 visa, how long each one lasts, the age limit, and the 6-month application window after your course ends.
Visa & Work AuthorizationWho qualifies for Canada's PGWP, how permit length is tied to your program, the 180-day application window, and the field-of-study rule that started November 2024.
Visa & Work AuthorizationDay-1 CPT lets you work from the start of your program, but full-time CPT for a year quietly kills your OPT eligibility. What CPT and OPT actually require, and where Day-1 CPT programs get risky.
Visa & Work AuthorizationHow many unemployment days you're allowed on F-1 OPT and STEM OPT, when the clock starts, what counts against it, and what to do if you're close to the limit.
Visa & Work AuthorizationIf you're close to your 90 or 150-day OPT unemployment limit, here are your actual options: continuing education, changing status, or departing, and why there's no grace period once you cross it.
Visa & Work AuthorizationWho qualifies for the 24-month STEM OPT extension, what E-Verify and the I-983 training plan actually require, and how the H-1B cap-gap extension bridges you to your H-1B start date.
Visa & Work AuthorizationThe H-1B fee proclamation was just extended through September 2027, but a federal court still has the $100,000 fee itself blocked. What's actually enforceable right now, in plain facts.
LinkedInA new Stanford/NBER study found nearly 1 in 5 LinkedIn users retroactively edit old jobs to add AI keywords. What the research found, and a more credible way to show real AI skills.
Job MarketAustin ranked No. 5 among North American tech talent markets in 2026, with the highest software-engineer concentration of any major metro. What the data shows, and how to position yourself.
Job MarketUber, PayPal, and Apple all announced job cuts in early September 2026. What was actually said, why it's not all AI-driven, and what it means if you're job hunting.
Job MarketDallas-Fort Worth just cracked the top 10 North American tech talent markets. What the data shows, and how to position yourself to land a role there.
Career ChangeRecent grad unemployment hit 5.6% nationally in Q2 2026. What the data shows, and how new grads in Seattle can stand out.
Job MarketChallenger's August 2026 report shows AI-cited layoffs falling to a 9-month low while restructuring took the top spot. What the shift means, and why the market still feels shaky.
Visa & Work AuthorizationDHS has proposed a $103,265 fee on new H-1B petitions. A plain-facts breakdown of what's confirmed, what stage the rule is at, and what isn't decided yet.
Career ChangeLaid off in the Research Triangle? What the local IT job market actually looks like right now, and a practical 30-day plan for landing your next role.
Job MarketChallenger's July 2026 report found AI cited in a third of all layoffs, a fifth straight month atop the list. What the data actually shows, and where it is concentrated.
Remote WorkFrom Instagram to California state government, 2026 has brought a steady escalation of office mandates. What to ask before signing an offer.
Career Change2026 tech layoffs are nearing all of 2025's total. A practical first-30-days playbook if your team was just cut.
Resume & ATSMost of what job seekers believe about Applicant Tracking Systems is outdated or wrong. What the research actually shows, and what to fix.
Job MarketReal labor-market data on how long US tech job searches are taking right now, why it feels slower even with low tech unemployment, and what shortens a search.
LinkedInYour LinkedIn headline is the most-searched field on your profile. The mistakes that bury good candidates, and what a strong headline does instead.
Growx handles the resume, the LinkedIn profile, the applications and the interview prep, the same fixes covered on this blog, applied to your profile by people who do it every day.