Career readiness: the habits and plans employers notice before your resume

Career readiness is the unglamorous part of getting and keeping work. It's having a ride plan and a backup, knowing how to tell a supervisor you'll be late, keeping your documents in one place, and having a clear answer when someone asks what kind of work you want.

It's also what carries you through a rough patch. A layoff, a health scare, a family crisis or a legal problem can knock a work life sideways. This section is where we write about protecting the parts you still control, from scheduling and transportation to references and routines, and about rebuilding when something has already broken.

You'll find guides on workplace communication, professional habits, career recovery after setbacks, and the everyday skills employers keep saying are hard to find. None of it assumes you're starting from nothing. Most readers already have more readiness than they give themselves credit for. The work is showing it on purpose.