- Jobseeking is Hard
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- #122 - Refine Your Resume
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Hey There!
Welcome to Issue #122 of Jobseeking is Hard!
Today's issue is brought to you by 1906! 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. Seriously…all you need to do is click it. You don’t even have to subscribe or buy anything…just clicking helps support us. Easy peasy. 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 an interviewer demanding “manners” after using wildly inappropriate language
Focusing your resume on what hiring managers need to see
The best (worst?) job posting of the week
And a scam involving fake recruiters spamming my LinkedIn comments
And for Premium subscribers I’m:
Debunking a post about "revenge quitting"
Giving you tips on reaching out to hiring managers and making your experience look relevant
Telling you how to write impactful resume and LinkedIn bullets without hard numbers
Answering a Premium subscriber’s question about landing short-term and part-time contracts. I’ll explain how to position yourself for fractional work and find the right opportunities.
Let’s get to it!
STUPID INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
"If you had to get rid of one US state, which one would it be and why?"
Who were you interviewing with? DOGE?
"Would you rather fight one horse-sized duck or a hundred duck-sized horses?"
I’m guessing that’s the 7th-round interview, right after the project and the 23andMe testing.
Last week, I was asked if I would rather be followed by a band wherever I went or by someone narrating my life?
It depends…do we get to pick the band or narrator? Because if not, either way it could go horribly horribly wrong.
Now I’m curious…
Would you rather be followed by a band wherever you went or by someone narrating your life? |
Want to share your stupid interview questions? Reply or email [email protected]
SPEAKING OF POLLS
Last issue, I asked you, “Would you rather bob for apples or eat caramel apples?” More than 90% of you want the caramel apples!
Some of the best responses:
"Would you rather work or eat? Um, eat, Adam. Always eat."
“I prefer not to participate in wet t-shirt contests at work, plus caramel apples are delicious.”
"Not sure I want to stick my face into a bucket of water that other people probably drooled in. I'll take my chances on getting a cavity from the apples."
But my favorite was:
"After this question, I'd have a follow-up question about dental insurance benefits."
Remember- You’re interviewing them just as much as they’re interviewing you.
COMMUNITY CATHARSIS
I interviewed with a very small company 5 years ago. The owner of the company was prickly and very rigid. I knew this was a superhighway to conflict for me, so I didn’t send a thank you note or follow up in any way.
The best part for me was that the owner used the words “c—t” and “s—t” in an interview...I love inappropriate behavior in serious settings.
Anyway, I got an email 2 weeks after the interview (which I hadn’t thought any more about) that said I didn’t get the job.
Would you like to know WHY I didn’t get that job?
I didn’t get the job because I didn’t send a handwritten thank you note.
This makes the story even funnier to me…a masterclass on manners from the c—t s—t shamer herself!
So the person who casually dropped "c—t" in an interview wanted to lecture you on professionalism? Nice.
It's almost as if employers have a double standard 🙃
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 have the most interview activity you’ve had at one time like this client 🤷♂️
So how did I help this review bundle client land a new job in about a month?
By explaining how to focus the resume based on their goals.
This client’s resume had a strong foundation but lacked a clear focus tailored to the roles they were targeting. Their experience covered a wide range of HR functions, but it was presented in a way that made them look like a generalist rather than someone pivoting into HR systems, payroll, or analytics.
The biggest shift was making sure the resume didn’t just list everything they’d done…it needed to emphasize the aspects of their background that aligned most with the jobs they wanted.
This wasn’t about removing experience; it was about restructuring and refining the content to make their most relevant skills and achievements stand out.
Remember, your resume shouldn’t just be a history of your work. It should be a strategic document highlighting the parts of your experience most relevant to your next role. If you’re pivoting, your resume must reflect that shift. This means reordering bullet points so your most relevant skills and achievements appear first, incorporating keywords from job postings, and ensuring your summary clearly frames you for the roles you’re pursuing.
Another major shift was helping them feel more confident about applying to jobs even if they didn’t meet every listed requirement.
Hiring managers care more about whether you can do the job than if you check every single box. If you have related experience, adaptability, and a track record of impact, that can be just as valuable as meeting an arbitrary “years of experience” requirement.
Don’t self eliminate.
The key is making sure your resume presents your experience in a way that immediately signals relevance, not just listing everything you’ve done and hoping hiring managers connect the dots.
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!
“a little bit of brokenness”
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!
Scammers are getting more and more annoying on LinkedIn, and it’s happening daily…especially in the comments on my posts.
Since my posts generate a lot of engagement from jobseekers, scammers are jumping in, targeting people who are actively looking for work.
Take this example. This person claims to be a Senior Project Manager at CrowdStrike, yet their LinkedIn banner says Robert Half.
But it gets worse. In the comments, they claim, “We have an open position at Robert Half,” which makes no sense considering they supposedly work for an entirely different company.
Then, they encourage jobseekers to send their resume to a recruiter with a Gmail address, who also conveniently specializes in “resume updating and tailoring to direct hiring.”
This is a scam.
No legitimate recruiter from a reputable company is going to have jobseekers send their resumes to a random Gmail address. A real recruiter will use a company domain. And no real recruiter will spam dozens or even hundreds of LinkedIn comments with the same copy-and-paste message.
Job seekers have to be vigilant. If you’re contacted by someone claiming to be a recruiter, always check their profile. Do they have zero followers? Did they just join LinkedIn? Are their company details inconsistent? These are all major red flags. Never engage with anyone who doesn’t have a verified LinkedIn account or company email
Scammers are preying on desperate jobseekers. The best defense is to stay skeptical, verify identities, and never send personal information to an unverified recruiter, especially using a free email account.
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.
“Do you have any pointers specifically for workers with decades of experience looking for short-term and/or part-time contracts rather than full-time employment?”
Check out the Premium Section below for my answer! Not a Premium Subscriber? Upgrade here: www.JobseekingIsHard.com/upgrade
Why upgrade?
Extra Tips & Advice: Gain exclusive insights, strategies, and advice from a recruiter with over 20 years of experience in the field. Discover what hiring managers truly value and how to stand out at every step of your job search.
Access to Previous Issues: Explore a library of knowledge with all 100+ past issues of the newsletter. Each edition is packed with proven strategies, practical advice, and real-world jobseeking stories to give you an edge in today’s competitive job market. From resume tips to handling tough interview questions, you’ll find answers to every challenge.
Exclusive Q&A: Have questions about your job search? Premium subscribers can ask Adam directly! Questions will be featured in upcoming issues, with detailed answers tailored to real-world scenarios, ensuring you get the guidance you need.
Bonus Content: As part of your Premium subscription, you’ll receive 20 additional job search tips delivered to your inbox over the next 20 days. This includes advice on avoiding common mistakes and maximizing your job search strategy to land interviews faster.
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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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- • Extra Tips & Advice: Gain exclusive insights, strategies, and advice from a recruiter with over 20 years of experience in the field. Discover what hiring managers truly value and how to stand out at every step of your job search.
- • Access to Previous Issues: Explore a library of knowledge with all 100+ past issues of the newsletter. Each edition is packed with proven strategies, practical advice, and real-world jobseeking stories to give you an edge in today’s competitive job market. From resume tips to handling tough interview questions, you’ll find answers to every challenge.
- • Exclusive Q&A: Have questions about your job search? Premium subscribers can ask Adam directly! Questions will be featured in upcoming issues, with detailed answers tailored to real-world scenarios, ensuring you get the guidance you need.
- • Bonus Content: As part of your Premium subscription, you’ll receive 20 additional job search tips delivered to your inbox over the next 20 days. This includes advice on avoiding common mistakes and maximizing your job search strategy to land interviews faster.
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