3 d. ago Looking for a job? Who you know probably matters more than what you know | Zoe Williams

Forget polishing your CV – you’re better off working on your connections. That’s the depressing reality when every vacancy attracts thousands of applications, all written by AIIt’s only when you meet a couple of people who have just landed a job that you realise how long it’s been since you heard of that happening. I was chatting to two nearly-graduates last week, who both had something to go on to, and fair play, they were chemists, and I’ve never met one of those before. It’s possible they always saunter into work.The story you hear far more often from graduates is that it’s a wasteland – that every new post has 2,000 applications, all identical because they’re AI-generated anyway, and it’s an AI bot that reads the damn things, so it wouldn’t be able to tell a personal touch even if there was one. Applying for work is like throwing your hat into a ring that’s on fire: your chances of success are mythically small and your hat – or, if you prefer, your self-esteem – will be destroye...

Politics

4 d. ago No, age isn’t just a number – and the sooner we realise that, the happier we will be

It’s tempting to want to stay young for ever. But each new life stage brings gains as well as lossesSitting in a cafe recently, I saw a poster advertising a barista training course for young people interested in a career in hot beverages. Things in the NHS being what they are, I enjoyed losing myself in a fantasy future spent standing behind a sleek, shiny machine, having witty exchanges with customers and colleagues as I skilfully poured smooth, foaming milk into silky dark espresso, tipping and turning each cup to create my own unique artworks on the coffee surface.That was until I read the small print, which included the rather brutal definition of “young people” as aged 18 to 24. I realised, with an internal gasp, that my limited ability to pour liquid without spilling it was not the only obstacle to this career choice. There was a core personal reality here from which I had become totally untethered: the passing of time. Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago Wimbledon: People are only just realising why tennis scoring system goes 15, 30, 40

Tennis's historic scoring system has been in place for hundreds of years while the All England Club prepares to host the singles finals at a later time than usual

Politics

7 d. ago People shocked after realising famous British actress is the voice behind viral Jet2 advert

The voiceover, which has recently gone viral on TikTok after first appearing on Jet2 adverts last year, is voiced by a British actress many soap fans will recognise.

Events

9 d. ago Drivers warned to remove this everyday item from their cars ahead of heatwave

Few people realise that heat can affect the usefulness of this essential item

Events

9 d. ago Man steps up to sing with pianist in park but then people realise who it is

A man recently stepped up to sing with a pianist in a park, but then people suddenly realised who it was. The performance left onlookers and fans totally floored

Politics

1 week ago Tom DeLonge says paranormal film he directed ‘way more real than people realise’

Sci-fi film Monsters Of California, co-written and directed by DeLonge, follows a group of friends exploring a series of paranormal events.

Politics

1 week ago HMRC warns anyone born on these dates could be owed £2,200 in unclaimed cash

If the parent didn't open a Child Trust Fund, then HMRC would have opened one on behalf of the child - this means there are thousands of young people that may not realise they have one

Events

1 week ago As if graduating weren’t daunting enough, now students like me face a jobs market devastated by AI | Connor Myers

With big accountancy and finance firms turning to tech rather than graduates, even those with ‘useful’ degrees find their prospects diminishedConnor Myers is a student at the University of Exeter and an intern on the Guardian’s positive action schemeSeptember is the beginning of many young people’s lives, as cars speed along motorways transporting 18- and 19-year-olds to their new university accommodations. I remember my own journey down to Exeter in 2022, the first stage in what I hoped would be an experience to set me up for the rest of my life. Little did I know that this was the calm before the storm, before anyone had heard of ChatGPT, or imagined the chaos that generative AI was about to cause for new graduates.Fast forward to 2025, and some of the young people I began this journey with have realised that they’ve spent the last three years training for graduate jobs that don’t exist. Many firms are now slashing their number of new hires. Big accountancy firms have cut back on ...

Society

1 week ago People are only just realising what blue ice is on planes and it's grim

Chunks of blue ice could plunge from an aircraft as it comes in to land, and the block is made up of waste and disinfectant mixed together

Politics

1 week ago People are only just realising who shouts 'out' at Wimbledon – and it's not the umpire

Wimbledon has embraced a significant change - but it appears that some fans have only just realised the decision that the All England Club has taken

Politics

2 w. ago Maxine Peake: ‘I have a healthy balance of inferiority complex and slightly prickly ego’

The actor on working with Mike Leigh, death by disco ball and drinking on the jobHas your northern accent helped or hindered your career? Eluned51They do call a group of actors a “moan” of actors. We like to have a good moan. When people hear a regional accent, they immediately make assumptions about your class, financial status and education. People generally think if you’ve got a strong regional accent, you can’t do much else. Obviously there are amazing actors like Jodie Comer who smash that to pieces because people don’t realise she’s from Liverpool. But because I came out the traps with the northern accent it’s probably helped.Do you ever suffer from impostor syndrome and think: “Why are people so fascinated by me?” RealEdPhillipsI don’t ever think people are – I think they are generally quite bored by me! Of course I have impostor syndrome. When you don’t get a job, you can’t help but think: “Why didn’t I get that job? Why don’t they think I’m good enough?” So there’s a health...

Politics

2 w. ago Brits warned of airport scam where most people don't realise they've been robbed

People heading abroad this summer are being warned to beware of a growing airport scam targeting holidaymakers' precious items, with thieves going for those who've just arrived on holiday

Events

2 w. ago Materials matter: The surprising items around your home that could be affecting your gluten allergy

Gluten intolerance and coeliac disease are more common than many people realise – in fact, according to Coeliac UK, around 1 in 100 people in the UK are affected*. But with only a third of those officially diagnosed, it’s easy for symptoms to be missed or misunderstood. While we’ve made great progress over the past 20 years in recognising allergies and sensitivities, there’s still some way to go – especially when it comes to the hidden sources.

Politics

2 w. ago People are only just realising what the strip of fabric across freshly

Hotel guests are just now learning what the strip of colourful fabric - draped across the foot of a freshly made bed, which many of us may be familiar with - is for.

Politics

3 w. ago 'I got a pineapple tattoo and was horrified to learn what it meant'

Pineapples might be a popular snack, but people have been left baffled after realising the tropical fruit has a hidden meaning that might make you think twice about buying one

Politics

3 w. ago People just realising pineapples have 'hidden meaning' and it's rather rude

You might love tucking into a pineapple snack with your lunch, but some people are just realising there's actually a raunchy hidden meaning behind the juicy tropical fruit

Politics

3 w. ago World's richest tennis player refuses stay at Wimbledon hotel: 'I don't think people realise!'

Jessica Pegula will be among the women aiming to win Wimbledon when the tournament starts next week but she won't be staying in the same place as some of her competition

Sport

3 w. ago UK politics: ‘Bungling Badenoch’ under fire after suggesting Starmer wrong to miss PMQs for Nato summit – as it happened

Liberal Democrats say Conservative leader focused on ‘cheap point scoring’ and her MPs are in ‘open revolt’In his final answer Starmer explained how he thought government and business should work together.A true partnership is not two people or two bodies trying to do the same thing. It’s two people or bodies realising they bring different things to the table.Government shouldn’t try to run businesses. It’s done that in the past and it doesn’t work particularly well. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago ‘Bungling Badenoch’ under fire after suggesting Starmer wrong to miss PMQs for Nato summit – UK politics live

Liberal Democrats say Conservative leader focused on ‘cheap point scoring’ and her MPs are in ‘open revolt’In his final answer Starmer explained how he thought government and business should work together.A true partnership is not two people or two bodies trying to do the same thing. It’s two people or bodies realising they bring different things to the table.Government shouldn’t try to run businesses. It’s done that in the past and it doesn’t work particularly well. Continue reading...

Politics