Hey There!

Welcome to Issue #179 of Jobseeking is Hard!

Happy Wednesday!

One of the more common questions I’ve been getting lately comes from people who’ve been searching for a while without much traction. At some point, they start looking at roles that are a little outside their normal scope. Not completely unrelated, but different enough to raise a bigger question: Is this even realistic?

That’s what I want to talk about this week.

This issue is about pivoting. Or more specifically, how realistic it actually is to move into something adjacent, and why the answer is a little more nuanced than most people expect.

I’ll also share how a Premium Review Bundle client changed how their experience was presented and immediately started getting more traction.

This week we’re talking about:

• Whether pivoting into another field is actually realistic

• Why most “pivots” are really just repositioning

• The best (worst?) job posting of the week

And for Premium subscribers I’m:

• Debunking the latest ATS keyword scoring myth

• Answering a Premium subscriber’s question about getting interviews but not advancing. I’ll explain why strong candidates stall after first rounds.

Let’s get to it!

HOW REALISTIC IS PIVOTING?

If you’ve been searching for a few months without much traction, it’s completely normal to start looking at roles that are a little outside your usual scope. Not wildly different, but close enough where you can see how your experience might apply. That’s usually when the question starts creeping in…is this actually realistic, or am I just wasting time?

The answer is yes, it can be realistic. Just not in the way most people think about it. Most candidates assume they’re asking a company to take a chance on them. That they’re trying to convince someone to overlook a lack of direct experience and bet on potential. That framing is what creates all the doubt. It makes the whole thing feel like a stretch before anyone has even reviewed your background.

But that’s not how hiring teams are evaluating you.

They’re not sitting there thinking about whether you’re pivoting your career. They’re trying to solve a problem. There’s a role that needs to be filled, responsibilities that need to be covered, and pressure to make a decision quickly without taking on unnecessary risk. When they look at your resume, the question isn’t whether your path looks traditional. It’s whether you look like someone who can do the job.

That’s where things tend to break down.

A lot of candidates present their experience based on where they’ve been instead of aligning it to what the role actually requires. They assume the connection is obvious. It usually isn’t. Skills absolutely transfer across industries more than people think, but hiring teams aren’t taking the time to make the connection for you. If they have to stop and interpret how your background applies, you’ve already made it harder for them to move you forward.

This is where language starts to matter, and not for the reasons people think. It’s not about gaming some ATS or swapping in keywords to hit a score. It’s about making sure the person reading your resume can immediately recognize relevance without having to think too hard about it. If the posting talks about financial governance, use that language. If it emphasizes operational leadership, reflect that. You’re not changing your experience, you’re making it easier to understand.

That’s what makes a pivot feel realistic from the hiring side.

Now, there is a caveat here that you can’t ignore: You are competing against people who have done that exact job in that exact environment. So you have to be honest about how strong your candidacy actually is. 

If you’re too far removed, you might be putting a lot of time into opportunities where your chances of moving forward are low. And time matters more than people think. A job search isn’t just about effort, it’s about where that effort is applied. If you’re spending hours tweaking your resume for roles where the alignment isn’t really there, that’s time you’re not spending on opportunities where you’re a much clearer fit.

So yes, pivoting can work. But the closer it is to a lateral move, the more realistic it becomes. And the clearer you make that connection, the easier it is for someone else to see it too. You’re not asking them to take a risk. You’re showing them something that already makes sense.

Have a topic you want me to cover in an upcoming issue? Reply or email [email protected] and tell me what you want to know!

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 you’ll be in multiple interview processes like this client 🤷‍♂️

So how did I help this Premium Review Bundle client that had strong experience but wasn’t seeing consistent traction?

Positioning.

This client had a solid background and was targeting senior-level roles. From a capability standpoint, there was real substance. But from a hiring standpoint, the experience didn’t seem like a match. It wasn’t immediately clear how everything aligned to the roles being targeted.

That matters more than people think. Because hiring teams aren’t spending time trying to figure out what you meant. In the past, you’d have a chance to talk about it. That’s what interviews were…finding out why you applied and how you are a fit. Now, they’re comparing candidates quickly and moving forward with the ones that feel easiest to understand and lowest risk.

The resume wasn’t weak. It just wasn’t doing enough to guide that decision. We focused on tightening the narrative around specific roles, aligning language to job postings, and reordering experience so relevance showed up immediately. Instead of presenting everything that had been done, the focus shifted to what mattered most for the jobs being pursued.

Same experience. Different presentation.

That shift matters.

After making those changes, the results followed pretty quickly. Multiple interviews, progressing into later rounds, and a noticeable increase in momentum and confidence in the search.

If your experience feels strong but your results feel inconsistent, it’s often not about doing more. It’s about making it easier for hiring teams to understand where you fit.

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!

Wanted: someone to do all of the work for the company.

Pay: lol

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!

PREMIUM SUBSCRIBER QUESTION

“I keep getting interviews, but I’m not moving forward. What am I doing wrong?”

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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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