I've been watching a lot of nature documentaries lately. Fully exhausting the David Attenborough rolodex.
What a treasure he is. When I was little, I used to call him Uncle Birdy. My favourite program of his was, you guessed it, Life of Birds! I've seen it so many times, I can quote parts from memory. 🦆
Listening to David talk about various animals and their behaviours has been a really nice way to relax at the end of the evening. I can turn off my brain and watch rabbits pee on each other as a part of the courtship process.
Completely unrelated, I've started side-eyeing the wild rabbits in the park out front. 🐰
⚖️ It's A...Poll!
You now know that rabbits pee on each other when courting. You can file that fact away for later. You're welcome.
Zoom out a bit, though. You've just learned something. Yeah, an odd thing, but you did expand your brain...a tiny bit.
Life-long learning in any form is imperative for continuous growth. Whether that's watching documentaries, listening to a podcast, reading a newsletter *wink*, or taking a free course.
Some guy probably once said, "a true master is one who never stops improving."
Lmk...
| If you were trying to break into marketing or creative work right now, what would worry you most? |
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☀️ GradSimple Industry Insiders: Meet Gus
Assistant Director, Center of Career Development, Drew University
If you had asked Gus at 22 where he'd be in his mid-thirties, he probably would've said something involving a PhD and a whole lot of skeletons.
A career development director wouldn't have even made the top 10 list.
Gus studied biological anthropology and was convinced he'd become a forensic anthropologist. Instead, the twists and turns of life led him through publishing, social work, executive coaching, and eventually into his current role as the Assistant Director of Drew University's Career Center.
Looking back, it's easy to connect the dots. Living through it? Probably a lot less obvious.
Gus tells us what he's learned helping students navigate one of the toughest job markets in recent memory. We talk about networking, AI, ATS systems, the biggest misconceptions students have about life after graduation, and why putting so much pressure on yourself to find the "perfect" first job can backfire.
In GradSimple Insiders, we go deeper into the questions students and recent grads are stressing about most.
Does GPA matter? Are internships worth pursuing if you have to work your way through school? What separates the people who land well after graduating versus the people who struggle? Gus also gives direct, actionable advice for people who feel like they have no experience, network, or resume, and shares what steps he'd take as a new graduate in 2026.
No mentor? No insider connections?
Some people have a parent, sibling, or family friend they can turn to when they're stuck.
Not everyone has that advantage. GradSimple Insiders helps level the playing field.
Learn more about GradSimple Insiders →
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🗞️ Pivot Report: Nobody Told You About the Robot
A senior recently sat down with Gus and told him he doesn't search for jobs anymore.
He built an app in Claude to scrape LinkedIn and Indeed for positions, and had it email him the results every morning.
So, when Drew University's Assistant Director for Career Development says the job search has fundamentally shifted, the man knows what he's talking about.
And here's one thing that is only getting more complex: the ATS. Applicant tracking systems have been around since the '90s, and they filter out a massive portion of applications before a human sees them. I can vouch for this, as someone who works for *ahem* the number one ATS software currently on the market.
The wildest part? Most of those rejections are based on formatting, not content.
You could be the strongest candidate in the pool and still get filtered out because your resume wasn't built to be parseable. Or you accidentally answered a one single question incorrectly. Or you used a keyword they didn't like.
Boom, you're automatically rejected based on a backend rule the company set up.
You wouldn't believe the amount of screening that can be automated before a recruiter sees your candidate profile.
The trickier stuff, like what employers are truly looking for but would never put in a job posting, is what he gets into in the full interview.
Inside GradSimple Insiders next week, Gus answers questions like:
- What separates graduates who land well from those who struggle after graduation?
- If someone had no experience, no network, and six months until graduation, what would he tell them to do first?
- What do employers actually look for that never makes it into a job posting?
Plus the rest of the interview.
👉 Check out GradSimple Insiders →
That wraps up another newsletter, y'all!
⎻ Grace
P.S. If you read this far, respond with your favourite animal, or a cool animal fact!! 🐯