Five Things: August 27, 2026

Check out As in guillotine... for more. NOTE: One week late and my commentary may be more scattered than usual because I’m in the final stages of a big move that’s dominated my summer and I’m exhausted af, so as always, be sure to click the links! _ONE 500 applications, 0 callbacks | Melissa & Johnathan Nightingale But the sell was always that, with enough grit and hustle and getting the details right on your cover letter and your action verbs and your fonts — you could get in the door and then impress them in the interview. As shitty as that experience was, it at least gave a sense of predictable return on effort. Whatever ability you had to swim in it has become almost irrelevant. Overnight. I had an interesting conversation with an internal recruiter recently about the various challenges job seekers face getting to an actual interview in today’s market, and I mentioned my continued fondness for cover letters — both as an applicant and hiring manager. Even if a position doesn’t…