Straight answers about who writes the guides, how the advice is tested, and what you can expect from the editorial process.
The articles are written by a small editorial team with backgrounds in HR, recruiting, and corporate training across Indian companies. Each guide is reviewed by at least one other editor before publishing, and the advice is based on real interview panels and workplace situations we have observed, not on generic career theory.
Yes. The resume formats, interview questions, and office communication examples are drawn from Indian workplaces, including IT services, startups, manufacturing, and BPO environments. We focus on what hiring managers in India actually look for, from ATS-friendly resumes to handling salary discussions in the final HR round.
We publish two to three new guides each month, usually on Tuesdays. The schedule is deliberately modest because each article goes through drafting, review, and a checklist test. We would rather release one well-tested framework than rush out content that repeats what is already available elsewhere.
Not at the moment. Tom Lance is an editorial resource, so we do not take on individual clients or charge for consultations. What we do offer is a set of downloadable checklists and step-by-step frameworks that you can apply on your own. If you need direct feedback, the contact page is open for questions, and we answer as many as we can.
Every article is built around a specific task, such as rewriting a summary section or preparing for a competency-based question. We avoid phrases like "unlock your potential" and instead show a before-and-after example, a short framework, and a checklist. If a piece of advice does not survive contact with a real workplace, it does not get published.
Yes. We regularly take topic suggestions from readers, especially early and mid-career professionals in India. Common requests include handling difficult managers, writing a notice period handover, and preparing for virtual interviews. Send your suggestion through the contact page, and we will consider it for the upcoming editorial calendar.
We started with a simple observation: most career advice in India is either too generic or too dramatic. Since 2019, we have built Tom Lance around small, repeatable actions that actually improve daily work life. Here is the timeline of how the project took shape.
What began as a single downloadable resume checklist for friends in Hyderabad quickly spread through word of mouth. The format was plain: no jargon, no promises of overnight success, just a clear list of what recruiters actually scan for in the first six seconds.
Readers kept asking for help with HR rounds, so we published a set of question-by-question answer frameworks. Each template included a real example from an Indian workplace, from campus placements to mid-level switches, and a short note on what interviewers are really listening for.
We shifted focus from one-time events to daily routines. The 2-minute rule article became our most-shared piece, and it shaped how we write everything since: start smaller than feels necessary, then build consistency before adding complexity.
With more readers working in hybrid teams, we added practical guides on giving feedback, running standups, and writing clear emails. These pieces came from real situations our readers sent in, not from theory, which kept the advice grounded and usable.
We launched a series on navigating office culture without losing your sense of self. Topics ranged from saying no to extra work, to handling difficult managers, to knowing when a job switch makes sense. The tone stayed supportive and direct, as always.
Today Tom Lance offers a growing library of checklists, templates, and step-by-step frameworks. Every resource is tested with early and mid-career professionals across India, and every article ends with one concrete action you can take before closing the tab.
2019 - Tom Lance starts as a single-page resume guide for engineering graduates in Visakhapatnam, with three templates and a weekly email.
2021 - The first interview preparation checklist goes live after 200 reader surveys show that HR rounds, not technical tests, cause the most anxiety.
2023 - We publish the Workplace Communication series, covering email tone, meeting etiquette, and giving feedback without friction.
2025 - The library now holds 140+ practical guides, each tied to a downloadable checklist that readers can apply the same day.
Every stage of Tom Lance came from a specific problem our readers brought to us. A resume that kept getting rejected. An HR interview that felt impossible to prepare for. A habit that never survived past the first week. We tested each framework with real professionals across India, kept what worked, and cut what sounded good but fell apart in practice.
We started Tom Lance because most career advice for Indian professionals is either too vague or too salesy. Our goal is simpler: give early and mid-career workers a clear, repeatable way to improve their daily performance, write better resumes, handle interviews with confidence, and navigate office life without burning out. Small consistent actions, not dramatic overnight changes.