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- #105 - Standing Out
#105 - Standing Out
Navigating today’s job market...

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Hey There!
Welcome to Issue #105 of Jobseeking is Hard!
Today's issue is brought to you by Vinovest! If you're a free subscriber and value our content, it costs $0 to support us by taking .0005 seconds to click the ad and check out the service. Show our sponsor some love for supporting Jobseeking is Hard! Thanks!
This week we’re talking about:
Stupid interview questions
A jobseeking horror story about being lowballed after multiple interviews
Showcasing your real impact on your resume to help you stop underselling yourself
The best (worst?) job posting of the week
And a scam currently flooding LinkedIn inboxes involving fake HR recruiters
And for Premium subscribers I’m:
Debunking an article encouraging candidates to take a bold outreach approach
Giving you tips on using a personal website to highlight your experience when traditional portfolios don’t apply
Telling you how to address a career break on your resume and in interviews
Answering a Premium Subscriber's question about staying competitive in a softening job market. I’ll reveal the strategies to get noticed, keep earning, and avoid looking “too expensive” for the roles you need right now.
Let’s get to it!
STUPID INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
“If you were a piece of punctuation, what would you be?”
What kind of question is that?! There’s only 1 correct answer: the interrobang.
A close second would be my emotional support ellipses….
For a high-level senior role: “What trophy would you be awarded?”
And the award for Most Likely To Walk Out Of An Interview goes to…
I was asked, “Would you rather do group yoga at work or MMA and why?”
You’re telling me I could get Steve from Accounting in a rear naked chokehold WITHOUT getting HR involved?? This should be listed in the benefits package.
Now I’m curious…
Would you rather do group yoga at work or MMA and why? |
Want to share your stupid interview questions? Reply or email [email protected]
SPEAKING OF POLLS
Last issue, I asked you, “Would you rather people knew all the details of your finances or all the details of your love life?” More than 53% of you voted for “Finances!”
Some of the best responses:
“Judge away on my bag. I already judge myself based on my diabolical taste for an ideal partner.”
"It's not like I have anything to hide in both areas. But hey, at least one of them has a happy ending (while the other not that much)! I'll leave it up to you to guess which one."
“I've had a threesome, but how I spend the money I don't have is none of your business.”
But my favorite was:
"People who saw my finances would lose respect for me, but if they saw the ridiculously attractive people I've been sleeping with, they'd be amazed at how I can do so much with so little."

COMMUNITY CATHARSIS
I was recently lowballed after 3 interviews with a local CPA firm for a Tax Senior position.
The position would have involved preparing complex tax returns and reviewing junior preparers' work. The market pay rate for such a job ranges from $100,000 to $150,000. In my last position, I was making $100,000.
I told the recruiter who approached me for this position that I was seeking $100,000 annually as my minimum base pay requirement. She set up the interviews, 2 over Zoom and the last one in person. At each one, the interviewers indicated they had trouble finding qualified candidates. I did my best at each interview, and each time, the recruiter told me that the interviewers "loved me."
After the 3rd interview, on a Friday, she told me she had "great" news for me: an offer of $85,000 annually.
I told her this wasn't "great" and reiterated that my minimum requirement was $100,000. She told me this was their "opening offer" and that they might "bonus" me up to $100,000.
I told her I wanted to pass, because even if the employer was willing to pay me $100,000 at this point, they would do so grudgingly and put me under a microscope. She told me that she still wanted to counter on Monday. At this point, I really had no further interest in working for this firm, but I told her she could go ahead with negotiations.
On Monday, she called me, said she was about to speak to the employer, and asked if I would agree to $90,000. No, I told her, my minimum was and still was $100,000.
Then she responded:
"I spoke with the team, and this isn't going to be the opportunity for you. They would have been able to meet at $90,000 but had other senior professionals at the offer stage as well and will not be extended [sic] the offer to the $100,000. I will be sure to keep you in mind for any other opportunities that come available that might be a fit for you."
I responded:
"This is what I expected. I thought I had told you upfront that my base is $100,000. I was earning that at my last job."
She responded:
"Correct, we discussed your previous compensation range was at $90k range, and you were looking for $100k, and that is what I submitted for the rule under was [sic] at that range."
I responded:
"Incorrect. I did not say my previous compensation range was $90,000 to $100,000. I told you that it was $100,000. If you represented me as $90,000 to $100,000, that was a gross misrepresentation, especially since they wanted to open at $5,000 less.
The market value of a job with the responsibilities they wanted to offer me is $100,000 to $125,000, so something is seriously off here."
I complained to her recruiting company, and an executive from there called me, but he gaslit me that the value of the job I was seeking is $80,000 to $100,000 annually in my local area. That's a crock. Anyone doing 15 minutes of research on Indeed or LinkedIn would have found otherwise.
I’m sorry you went through all of that...sounds like a total nightmare.
You were clear from the start, put in the time for three interviews, and did everything right, only to be lowballed and misrepresented in the end. It’s exhausting when recruiters don’t respect your time or value your experience. And this is exactly why recruiters get a bad rap...the bad ones ruin it for the rest of us who are genuinely trying to help candidates find the right fit.
You set $100,000 as your baseline, and they still tried to push you to accept less...not cool. And you’re absolutely right...any quick market check would show that $80,000 to $100,000 is off for the level of responsibilities they wanted.
Walking away was the best call. Starting a job with a “grudging” salary would’ve likely put you under a microscope anyway. Glad you held your ground. You handled this with integrity, even if they didn’t.
Subscribers…
Has anything like this ever happened to you? |
If there's a jobseeking horror story *you’d* like to share, reply or email [email protected]
SHAMELESS PLUG
If your job search needs a little more help, Karpiak Consulting offers resume and LinkedIn services, as well as job search strategy coaching.
Who knows…maybe it’ll help you believe in your skillset and your accomplishments like this client 🤷♂️
So how did I help this review bundle client?
Reminding them of how awesome they are.
Tweaking your resume isn’t just about rephrasing bullet points or adding a few keywords... it’s about reshaping how you see your own strengths and achievements as they align with the job you’re targeting.
This process is about much more than just listing past tasks; it’s about building a story of your professional journey that feels compelling and authentic to both you and potential employers.
If you want to stop underselling yourself, start by asking, “What value did I add?” and “How did I make a difference?” Focusing on these questions helps shift your resume from a basic job description to a powerful narrative of your impact. Did you lead a team through a challenging project? Implement processes that saved time or money? Drive results that far exceeded expectations? These details create a resume that’s hard to ignore because they reveal the real impact you’ve had, not just the tasks you completed.
When you add context to your experience... by emphasizing the challenges you overcame and the outcomes you achieved... you give recruiters and hiring managers a genuine understanding of the value you bring.
And it goes beyond impressing them; it helps you solidify your own understanding of what you contribute. Articulating your achievements in a way that showcases your unique strengths can boost your confidence, making you more prepared and at ease in interviews. You’re no longer just listing roles...you’re presenting a clear, focused story of your career that sets you apart.
The added benefit? This clarity doesn’t just change your resume... it transforms how you see yourself. When you frame your work with this level of thoughtfulness, you’re not only making your resume stand out...you’re reinforcing your own confidence in your capabilities.
This context turns your resume from a list of past roles into a story of growth, value, and potential.
If you’re feeling like your resume isn’t telling your story the way it should and don’t know how to frame your experience, our services can help.
BEST (WORST?) JOB POST
OF THE WEEK
Here’s the job post that got the most people talking on my Instagram this week!
um
If you come across an irritating job posting, email it to the newsletter or DM me on Instagram and I’ll add it to the list to post!
JOB SCAMS!
There's a scam heavily making the rounds on LinkedIn. It starts with a message that says, "I am an HR recruiter. Our company [insert changing recruiting firm name] is recruiting part-time online employees who can work from home. If you are interested, please reply to me."
If you've seen it, don't even think about replying. This exact message has been circulating under different company names, but the rest of the message is always the same. It's a mass-produced scam designed to lure job seekers into engaging, often leading to requests to discuss further on WhatsApp.
Report it as a scam and then block the sender. LinkedIn is more likely to shut down these fake profiles if enough people flag them. Typically these profiles are newly created. You can always see when a profile was created by clicking on someone's profile and then selecting "more" under their profile photo. Click "About this profile" to see when the profile was created. Most scams are posted by profiles created within the past few weeks. This is why I suggest not interacting with any strangers who don't have a verified identity on LinkedIn.
Just remember: no legitimate recruiter will describe themselves as an "HR recruiter" unless, well, they're recruiting for HR roles. Luckily, the scammers are too stupid to realize they're using a job title that doesn't make sense. If you see it in your inbox, hit report and move on. The more we all report these messages, the faster LinkedIn can take these profiles down and protect jobseekers.
Stay safe out there!
Has this scam contacted you? |
If you come across a potential scam, send it to [email protected], and I’ll warn the community. And if you’ve been a victim of a job scam, the FTC has job scam reporting resources listed here.
I keep hearing that the job market is "softening," and it feels like every company is freezing hiring or laying people off. How can I stay competitive and find new opportunities when the market is like this?
Check out the Premium Section below for my answer! Not a Premium Subscriber? Upgrade here: www.JobseekingIsHard.com/upgrade
AFFILIATES
NOTE: As an affiliate to these services, we will receive compensation if you purchase products or services through the links provided.
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Jobseekers, have a great rest of your week, and good luck with those applications!
-Adam
PS!! If you're enjoying the newsletter, let people know! Forward it, post it on social, tag me, whatever...the bigger the discussion, the better! The idea is to help as many people as possible!
About Adam- Recognized as a leading voice on hiring and workplace trends, Adam has been recruiting and providing career advice since 2003, developing high-trust relationships based on honesty with companies and jobseekers. A highly sought-after speaker, he has appeared in numerous outlets, including Bloomberg News, Business Insider, LinkedIn, and CNNMoney. You can find out more about Adam's resume and coaching services here.
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