the next generation of job matching
Hey y’all!
Mariam and Sondra from Forward here 👋
This is our last email newsletter for the year.
Happy New Year and Happy Holidays!
In today’s edition:
3 startup job boards for early career roles
how to set realistic goals for 2026
why to upskill heading into the new year from a recruiter
If someone forwarded you this email, feel free to subscribe below.
This week’s curated job boards postings
For the month of December, we will be sharing early career job boards that are not LinkedIn, Indeed, etc
3 startup job boards for early career roles
Work At a Startup (Y Combinator’s job board)
First Round Talent Network (VC job board)
Bonus: Migrate Mate (job board for applicants looking for US Visas)
Ask Mariam Anything (AMA) #16
Each week, I’ll answer your most burning career questions. Have a question? Ask me here.
“How do I set realistic goals for 2026?”
It’s that time of year again!! Here’s a series of exercises I love for goal-setting that is both ambitious but not overwhelming.
What are the three areas of your life that you want to focus on next year from the list below?
Career
Personal relationships
Investing in a new skill or hobby
Self-care and health
Having fun
Financial security
Managing a big transition
Something else
What three “yearnings” (credit to Tim Urban from “Wait But Why”) most resonate with you in the new year?
If you had to map out your ideal scenario for where you are one year from today, what does that look like? What is your close second? What is your plan B if nothing goes according to plan?
What three things are blocking you from achieving the “dream” and what three things are working on your favor?
What are three things you can tackle in the first 3 months of 2026 to get you closer to that “dream”?
Overheard from a recruiter
I’m having conversations with recruiters, hiring managers, and other talent decision-makers weekly, and want to share tidbits of what I’m learning with y’all here too!
“I predict that skill-based hiring is only going to expand and become more sophisticated in 2026.”
Skill-based hiring gets thrown around a lot (including here at Forward). As a quick reminder, skill-based hiring is the shift from just looking at someone’s degrees or credentials, and focusing on DEMONSTRATED skills (regardless of how you developed them). That means more specific assessments, behavioral related interviews, etc. AI-powered assessment tools also make it more feasible to do this at scale.
What does this mean for you?
Take advantage of micro-courses, YouTube, bootcamps, etc. to keep developing hard skills that you can bring to these assessments
The more project-based learning you do, the better!
Consider creating a portfolio of work, even as a non-technical candidate
The theme here: Show, don’t just tell.
Refer a friend to this email newsletter, and upgrade your career journey
If you share this email newsletter with 5 friends, you’ll get a free resume review session
If you refer 15 friends, you’ll get a $50 digital gift card
If you refer 25 friends, you’ll get a speaker
Take a break!
Job searching is hard work. You deserve a break. Here’s how I took time to rest and recharge this week!
We made it, it’s the end of the year! I’m inspired by my brother’s cat to take a nap. You can do it anywhere, like on top of a mini fridge.
How helpful was this email newsletter?
Thanks for showing up this week! We appreciate you. See y’all same time next week!
Mariam Matin
Connect with me on LinkedIn!