If you write a cover letter with AI, recruiters can (probably) tell. But when applying to an AI firm, wouldn’t that demonstrate a welcome familiarity with their product category?

Not so at Anthropic, the $60 billion startup best known for its AI assistant Claude. The company’s application portal is making candidates pledge that all submitted materials are human-written “to understand your personal interest in Anthropic … and we also want to evaluate your non-AI-assisted communication skills.”

At least there’s one part of the job that can’t be automated: getting the job.

Career after kids: Neha Ruch on The Power Pause

Panda Express: The food court staple’s surprising origin

Psychologist: Try expressive writing … It works!

Nobody said returning to the office from parental leave would be easy. Neha Ruch, a mom and author with an MBA from Stanford, provides resources and career coaching through Mother Untitled. In her new book The Power Pause: How to Plan a Career Break After Kids–and Come Back Stronger Than Ever, Ruch charts her journey after pausing her own career.

Neha shared tips and experiences with b. to help moms — and all parents — face outdated stereotypes and narratives.

b.: You’ve talked about seeing gaps in the “girlboss” and “Lean In” era. What did these movements miss about motherhood, and how does your work aim to fill those narrative gaps?

Ruch: The boss girl and lean-in movements created a one-dimensional view of ambition, leaving little room for other aspects of life. If women needed or wanted to leave that one path, they were counted out. [My work is] about creating more choices for women to make room for family and growth alongside work. 

b.: What do you wish you knew about reentering the workforce before you became a mother? What are one or two tips moms can take when navigating that transition?

Ruch: It’s essential to consider that the hiring world is still catching up on the cultural shifts. While we’re seeing strides toward more flexible work options and even better hiring practices for returners, it’s still on individuals returning to the workforce to craft their stories. Preparing to reenter the workforce ultimately starts at resigning, networking on your way out, and taking stock of your accomplishments, because they don’t evaporate when you walk out the door. 

Update your resume as you step into a career break or a shift so you don’t lose track of it. As you navigate through the day to day, keep a running audit of skills and nontraditional experiences that you’re proud of — liaising with a nonprofit for your kids’ school, coordinating a new moms support group, or advising your partner on their business. These all count in your portfolio of work when you return.

b.: What should dads know about this process?

Ruch: First of all, 1 in 5 stay-at-home parents today are dads. And so, whichever partner is taking the career break to support the day to day of family life, both partners must be on board with the idea that they’re both contributing work of value. Having a joint household organization mindset is vital so both partners can … get the breaks and help they need to be healthy and whole, including paid or unpaid help to allow a mother to invest in her own personal or professional pursuits in small ways.

The Power Pause is available now.

(Source: Shutterstock)

It’s hard to imagine a mall food court without the sweet and citrusy aroma of Panda Express’ orange chicken. Before the iconic chain was a food court staple, however, it was a fancy restaurant in Pasadena, California, called the Panda Inn.

Father-and-son duo Ming-Tsai and Andrew Cherng opened the Panda Inn in 1973. Their menu items were inspired by the cuisine of their original home of Yangzhou, China (albeit tweaked to accommodate the relatively bland palette of many Americans at the time). The concept was a success. By 1983, the manager of a nearby mall — the Glendale Galleria — proposed they open a fast food version of the restaurant. Two years later, a second Los Angeles mall location opened at the Westside Pavillion.

As Panda Express expanded into an egg-roll empire, the Cherng family retained control, making them billionaires and noted philanthropists. Curious foodies can still visit the original Panda Inn, which reopened in late 2024. (Yes, it also serves orange chicken … along with $100 bottles of wine and a $128 sushi platter.)

Dr. Steven Rogelberg is a chancellor’s professor at UNC Charlotte, former president of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, and author of Glad We Met: The Art and Science of 1:1 Meetings.

Expressive writing is an easy and powerful self-leadership technique, akin to journaling, that involves putting to paper whatever is on your mind. Over 200 published studies have shown benefits, such as improved physical and mental health, reduced absenteeism from work, and faster job reacquisition after a layoff.

You can write about good, bad, or challenging things. You can also:

Write down anything that you’re thinking and feeling.

Discuss a stressful situation and potential coping strategies. What advice would you give someone currently in your shoes?

Go on a tangent and even be turbulent, although it should ideally have a start, middle, and end.

Don’t worry about spelling, sentence structure, or grammar. Nobody will be reading what you write, and you can destroy it later if you like. It’s really a conversation with yourself, though some pretend they’re having a conversation with a terrific listener who really cares about them.

Even if you’re skeptical or haven’t journaled since your teenage years, approach expressive writing with an open mind. It may help you develop confidence from gaining control of your thoughts, release pent-up emotion with a catharsis effect, or simply respond to a vexing problem at the office. 

Give it your best shot for three to 15 minutes daily, weekly, or just as needed.

Written by Ali Saleh and Tess Barker. Comic by John McNamee.