Mike Simpson is the co-founder of The Interview Guys, the career-advice site he launched in February 2013 to help job seekers actually land the roles they want. Over the last 13 years, the site has reached more than 100 million job seekers worldwide, and Mike's particular focus is interview preparation: how candidates can actually answer the questions hiring managers really care about.
He holds a Business degree from Bishop's University (HR major, Economics minor) and is an active member of the Professional Association of Résumé Writers & Career Coaches (PARWCC) and the National Career Development Association (NCDA). His advice has been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, and CNBC, and is referenced by career-services teams at the University of Michigan, Penn State, Northeastern, the University of Toronto, McGill, Wellesley College, and Kansas State, among others.
Articles credited to Mike on The Interview Guys are reviewed and edited by him personally to make sure the frameworks, examples, and recommendations match what actually works in real interviews.
The job market just shifted beneath your feet. While your competition is still debating whether to go back to school for a two-year degree, smart job seekers are landing interviews with nothing more than a three-month digital badge and the skills to prove it. According to Coursera’s 2025 Micro-Credentials Impact Report, 96% of employers now…
The job market has fundamentally changed. Traditional degrees no longer guarantee career advancement, and employers across industries now prioritize proven skills over academic credentials. Professional certifications have emerged as the fastest, most cost-effective path to higher salaries and better opportunities. Here’s what makes 2026 different. AI adoption has accelerated across every sector, creating urgent demand…
You’ve been researching health coach certifications for weeks. Some programs cost $7,000 and take six months. Others get you certified in 10 weeks for under $1,000. The expensive ones claim you need their “gold standard” credential to get hired. The affordable ones promise you can start coaching immediately. Here’s what the expensive certification programs won’t…
The cybersecurity job market is exploding. According to recent data, there are approximately 700,000 unfilled cybersecurity roles in the U.S. alone. With data breaches costing companies millions and cyber threats becoming more sophisticated every single day, organizations desperately need qualified security professionals. Here’s the reality. A four-year degree in cybersecurity can take years and cost…
The job market in 2026 rewards specialized skills, and professional certifications are the fastest way to prove you have them. Unlike traditional degrees that take years and cost tens of thousands of dollars, the right certification can transform your career in just a few months. The numbers tell the story. Certified professionals earn significantly more…
Landing a job at Burlington Stores isn’t just about filling out an application. With over 1,000 stores across 46 states and a reputation as one of America’s top off-price retailers, Burlington attracts thousands of job seekers competing for sales associate, cashier, and stock team positions. The good news? Burlington’s interview process has a difficulty rating…
We talk to hiring managers every day who tell us the same thing: they see two types of certificates on resumes. The ones that make them think “this person is serious about learning,” and the ones that make them scroll past to the next candidate. So where do LinkedIn Learning and Coursera certificates fall? More…
The Impossible Balancing Act Nobody Talks About You’re spending hours tailoring your resume for AI screening algorithms. You’re using ChatGPT to identify keywords from job descriptions. You’re reformatting your experience section for the third time this week to make it more “ATS-friendly.” And you’re absolutely exhausted from trying to be both perfectly optimized and genuinely…
While everyone’s been obsessing over AI certifications and technical tools, a different skill quietly climbed to the top of employers’ most-wanted lists. According to Coursera’s analysis, critical thinking rose from seventh place to the number one most in-demand skill by Q3 2025. But here’s the career game-changer: it’s not critical thinking OR technical skills. The…
The data analytics field is booming in 2026, with demand for skilled analysts growing 23% faster than average occupations according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But here’s the catch: landing one of these high-paying roles requires more than just enthusiasm for spreadsheets. You need credentials that prove you can actually do the work. With…
