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Candidate Resources

Tools, Guides, And Real Recruiter Insight.

Free tools and articles built on what senior recruiters actually see every day — plus the resources we trust enough to recommend. Run a smarter job search whether or not you ever spend a dollar with us.

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2Free Tools Built By Our Recruiters
12+Vetted Outside Resources We Trust
WeeklyNew Resources Via The Prep Newsletter

Free Resources We Actually Recommend

Not everything useful should cost you money. These outside resources are genuinely free, genuinely good, and vetted by a recruiter who sends real candidates to them.

Two professionals talking across a kitchen table
FOR THE 50+ JOB SEEKER

Experience is an asset — market it that way. AARP's work center has free guides on job searching later in career, age-proofing your search, and a job board from age-friendly employers. Our free field guide “Overcoming Overqualified” is here →

AARP Work & Jobs →
AARP Job Board →
A family planning a move
RELOCATION & COST OF LIVING

Pair these with our free Relocation Tool: MIT's Living Wage calculator shows what it truly costs to live in any US county; Numbeo compares cities worldwide; Moving.com estimates the move itself.

MIT Living Wage →
Numbeo →
Moving Cost Calculator →
Researching market data at a laptop
KNOW THE MARKET

The government publishes better career data than most paid sites: real wage ranges by title and metro (BLS), skills and outlook for any occupation (O*NET), and free training finders (CareerOneStop).

BLS Wage Data →
O*NET Career Explorer →
CareerOneStop →
An engineer reviewing plans on site
FOR ENGINEERS ON THE MOVE

Taking your PE across state lines? NCEES records make multi-state licensure far less painful — start the records process before you start interviewing out of state.

NCEES Records Program →

Free Tools

Two questions come up in almost every career conversation: What am I worth? and Should I move for this? These tools help you answer both before you negotiate — or relocate.

Reviewing an offer with a calculator at a kitchen table
Free Tool

Salary Tool

Know what you're worth before you walk into a negotiation. Compare compensation for your role, your experience level, and your market — so the first number on the table isn't a guess.

Open the Salary Tool →
Professional considering a move, packed boxes and a new city skyline
Free Tool

Relocation Tool

Size up a move before you make it. Weigh cost of living, salary differences, and market demand between where you are and where the job is — so a bigger number doesn't hide a smaller life.

Open the Relocation Tool →
Learning new skills at a laptop
Free Learning

Free Skill Certifications

Add real, certificate-backed skills to your resume without spending a dime: HubSpot Academy for marketing and sales certs, freeCodeCamp for coding, and Alison for business skills — all completely free.

HubSpot Academy →
freeCodeCamp →
Alison →

Articles & Guides

Written by our recruiters, free to read. More are on the way — the newsletter below is the best way to catch them first.

Studying interview prep notes at a desk
Interviews · By Debra Bennett

Are You Prepared? You've Landed The Interview… Now What?

Research is the key. What to know before you walk in, the 5–10 questions to bring, how to handle strengths and weaknesses honestly — and how to close the interview.

Read The Article →
Candidate handing over a resume
Free Field Guide · By D. K. Bennett

Overcoming Overqualified — The Field Guide

A recruiter's road map to landing your next job after 50 — turn the experience they're worried about into the reason they hire you. Free, instantly, by email.

Get The Free Guide →

Tools We Recommend

Beyond what we build ourselves, there are tools out there we think are worth your money. When we find one that meets our bar, it goes here — with an honest note on who it's for.

Coursera — AI for Everyone

Certificates and specializations that make a career change credible on paper.

Visit →
LinkedIn Learning

Courses that show up right on your profile, where recruiters look.

Visit →
Udemy

Affordable, practical courses on nearly any job skill — buy on sale.

Visit →
GoSkills

Bite-size business skills courses with certificates.

Visit →
DataCamp / 365 Data Science

SQL, Python and analytics — the fastest-rising line on resumes.

Visit →
Udacity / Simplilearn

Deeper tech nanodegrees for serious career pivots.

Visit →
Aragon AI — Headshots

A professional headshot from your phone photos — profile-ready.

Visit →
Squarespace / Carrd

A clean personal site that makes your name look established when they Google you.

Visit →

Disclosure: some recommendation links may be affiliate links, which means VSG may earn a commission if you purchase through them — at no extra cost to you. We only recommend tools we believe in.

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