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Hey There!

Welcome to Issue #147 of Jobseeking is Hard!

Today’s issue is sponsored by 1440! If you find value in Jobseeking is Hard, the best way to support us (for free!) is to check out our sponsors. Show 1440 some love for supporting us! Give ‘em a click! Thanks!

Summer’s winding down. Vacations are wrapping up, schools are starting back, and hiring season is about to kick into gear. September is one of the busiest times of year in recruiting, which makes right now the perfect moment to tighten up your resume and your strategy.

Every week in the Shameless Plugs section of this newsletter, I break down the strategies I use with Karpiak Consulting’s paying clients. These aren’t hypotheticals...they’re the actual resume fixes and job search tactics that helped people land jobs, promotions, and salary bumps.

So, to wrap up summer and get you ready for fall, I’m counting down the 10 most-read Shameless Plugs of the season! Each one is packed with practical advice you can apply to your own job search.

This week, we’ll cover #10 through #6. Next week, we’ll finish the countdown with the top 5.

I also wrote a blog last week: 18 quick tips to make your resume more relevant, readable, and recruiter-friendly! Check it out here!

#10 – Focus Your Resume (Issue 138)

One of the biggest mistakes jobseekers make is trying to cram their entire career into their resume. Listing every task, every role, every side duty turns it into a "career scrapbook" that forces the recruiter to dig for what matters. They won't. If your resume doesn't clearly answer "why this person for this job," it gets passed over.

Instead, treat your resume like a pitch for a specific role. Identify the 2 or 3 areas of experience that are most relevant to the job you want and build around those. Cut unrelated details, trim back on tasks that don't move the needle, and use your space to highlight the responsibilities and wins that prove you can do this job, not just "a lot of jobs."

That focus helped a Comprehensive Resume Review client land a more senior role with a $20K salary bump. You can do the same by asking yourself, "Does this bullet prove I can succeed in the role I'm applying for?" If not, cut it.

#9 – Lead With Relevance (Issue 140)

Your resume summary and top third of page one need to do the heavy lifting. Too often, summaries are vague career overviews and bullet points are buried in the wrong order. The reader has to work to figure out your fit...and they won’t.

The fix? Rewrite your summary so it reflects where you’re headed, not just where you’ve been. Then, reorder bullet points under each role so the most relevant skills and achievements come first. If you’re pivoting or targeting a specific type of role, trim bullets that don’t support that story. More isn’t better; clarity is better.

That’s how a Review Bundle client successfully pivoted into a values-aligned role. The takeaway? Your resume should scream “I fit this job” in the first few seconds. Make it impossible to miss.

#8 – Make Pivots Feel Natural (Issue 144)

Changing industries or moving into a new type of role doesn't have to look like a gamble. The key is reframing your experience so the pivot feels intentional and logical. Titles won't do this for you...you need to highlight outcomes that matter in any industry.

Focus your bullets on transferable results: improving engagement, boosting retention, streamlining operations, driving revenue. These are business impacts, not industry-specific tasks. By showing how your work ties to universal goals, you make your past experience feel directly relevant to your next step.

That's exactly how a Comprehensive Resume Review client made their pivot seamless and landed the job they "dearly wanted." If you're aiming for a change, look at each bullet and ask, "Does this show a business outcome, or does it just describe a task?"

#7 – Emphasize Value, Not Tenure (Issue 145)

Worried about short stints or a bumpy timeline? You don’t need to hide it; you need to redirect the reader’s attention. Companies care far less about how long you stayed than about what you accomplished while you were there.

Start each bullet with ownership: what did you own, lead, or manage? Then show what changed because of it. Include details like budget size, project scope, team leadership, or measurable results. Even if you were there for only 6 months, if you launched a project that cut costs by 15% or managed a $5M account, that’s what matters.

A Premium Edit Bundle client applied this approach and landed their ideal job with a $110K base salary. The message: your value is in your impact, not your tenure. Make sure that’s what jumps off the page

#6 – Realign for the Role (Issue 135)

Not every resume needs to be burned down and rebuilt. Sometimes, the foundation is solid but the story is misaligned. A broad summary, buried accomplishments, or bad formatting can make strong experience look weak.

The first fix is the summary. It shouldn’t be a career biography...it should mirror the language of the roles you want next. Then, make sure your biggest wins are pulled up and framed clearly in bullet format, not lost in long paragraphs. If you’ve had multiple roles at one company, group them together to show stability and progression. Finally, add context wherever it’s missing: team size, budgets managed, organizational scope.

That’s how a Comprehensive Resume Review client stayed at their current career level instead of having to settle for less. Realignment can be the difference between being overlooked and being seen as a direct fit.

That’s the first half of the list! Each of these takeaways is something you can start putting to work on your resume right away.

Next week, we’ll wrap up the countdown with the top 5 most-read Shameless Plugs of the summer...the ones that will give you the strongest foundation heading into hiring season!

Need more than a quick tip? Karpiak Consulting can help with resume and LinkedIn reviews, edits, and coaching on job search strategy and interviews!

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PREMIUM SUBSCRIBER QUESTION

“I feel like I’ve been applying all summer with barely any responses. Is hiring really that slow in the summer?”

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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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