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Hey There!

Welcome to Issue #191 of Jobseeking is Hard!

Today's issue is brought to you by Catch! If you're a free subscriber and value our content, it costs $0 to support us by clicking the ad and checking out the service. Show our sponsor some love for supporting Jobseeking is Hard! Thanks!

Happy Wednesday!

One of the biggest mistakes I see jobseekers make is assuming their resume should communicate everything they're capable of doing. It makes sense. Most careers don't develop in a straight line. Over time, people take on additional responsibilities, learn new skills, lead projects, solve problems outside their job description, and become valuable in multiple ways.

That's usually great for career growth. Unfortunately, it can create problems during a job search.

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

I'll also share how a Premium Rewrite Bundle client transformed a broad background into a story recruiters could quickly understand, leading to more recruiter outreach.

This week we’re talking about:

• Why recruiters struggle with broad backgrounds

• Turning a broad background into a stronger narrative

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

• The meme of the week

And for Premium subscribers I’m:

• Debunking a LinkedIn recruiter's claim about applicant databases

• Answering a Premium subscriber's question about choosing which experience should lead a resume. I'll explain how to decide which story recruiters should see first.

Let’s get to it!

BROAD EXPERIENCE CAN HURT YOUR JOB SEARCH

One of the more frustrating parts of a job search is discovering that the things that helped you become successful at work can sometimes make it harder to get hired somewhere else.

Most careers don't develop in a straight line. People rarely spend ten or fifteen years doing exactly what was written in their original job description. Someone starts in customer service and eventually gets involved in training. A marketer takes on project management responsibilities. An accountant becomes the person leadership relies on when processes need improvement. An engineer starts mentoring junior team members and coordinating work across teams.

That's usually how careers grow. The people who earn larger projects and additional responsibility are often the people who become useful in multiple ways. Over time, they become the person who can jump into unfamiliar situations, solve problems outside their immediate function, and help connect different parts of the business.

Organizations tend to reward that. Managers appreciate employees who can wear multiple hats. There’s a reason why it’s included in every job posting…

Leaders value people who understand how decisions affect different departments, and promotions often go to individuals who have demonstrated they can operate beyond a narrow set of responsibilities.

But, when those same people start a job search, things get…interesting.

When I review resumes, I often see candidates trying to communicate the full breadth of what they've done. They want hiring teams to understand that they can manage projects, improve processes, train employees, work with customers, collaborate with leadership, solve operational problems, and adapt to different environments. All of that is exactly why they've been successful, so they focus on it as their value proposition.

The problem is that hiring and promotion aren't evaluating the same thing. When organizations promote people internally, they're often asking whether someone can handle broader responsibility. The company already knows the employee. They've seen how that person works. They've watched them solve problems, build relationships, and contribute in different situations. The decision is being made with years of context.

External hiring doesn't work that way. The recruiter reviewing an application doesn't know you. The hiring manager doesn't know you. They don't have years of observations to rely on. They have a resume and an opening they need to fill. More often than not, they're trying to answer a fairly narrow question: Does this person appear capable of solving the problem attached to this role?

That's where broad experience can become a disadvantage. The candidate sees versatility. The hiring team sees multiple possible stories and a resume that's harder to categorize.

None of this means broad experience isn't valuable. It absolutely is. The issue is that broad experience often gets presented as a collection of capabilities instead of a clear narrative. Imagine someone who has experience in operations, project management, process improvement, training, and customer success. That's a genuinely useful background. But if all five areas receive equal emphasis, the reader is left trying to determine what role the candidate actually wants.

Are they an operations professional? A project manager? A trainer? A customer success leader?

This is where resumes and interviews serve very different purposes. A resume isn't trying to communicate everything you're capable of doing. It's trying to establish relevance. Its job is to help someone quickly understand why you belong in the conversation. That often means leading with the experience most closely aligned with the role you're pursuing. You have to decide which story should be easiest for recruiters to see first.

Interviews are different. Once you're in the conversation, your broader experience becomes an asset again. That's where you can explain how project management experience improved your communication skills. How customer-facing work strengthened your problem-solving ability. How training responsibilities improved your leadership skills. How exposure to different functions gave you a better understanding of the business.

The resume gets you categorized. The interview helps you get understood.

A lot of candidates accidentally reverse those jobs. They try to explain everything on the resume and then give short, surface-level answers during interviews. In many cases, a stronger approach is the opposite. Make the resume easier to understand and use the interview to demonstrate range.

The challenge is deciding which part of that story the hiring team needs to understand first.

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 get at least 2-3 recruiters a day reach out to you like this client 🤷‍♂️

So how did I help this Premium Rewrite Bundle client transform a broad background into a story recruiters could quickly understand?

Like a lot of experienced professionals, this client wasn't struggling because of a lack of accomplishments. The resume was full of strong results, but there were too many different stories competing for attention at the same time.

During our alignment call, we discussed where they wanted to go next, how recruiters were likely interpreting the background, and which experiences needed to lead the conversation. From there, I rewrote the resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile around a much clearer narrative.

The original resume had great experience listed…the problem was that too many different stories were fighting for attention. Recruiters aren't looking for a Swiss Army knife. They're usually looking for a specific tool to solve a specific problem.

Once we identified which story needed to lead, the rest of the rewrite became much easier.

A few weeks later, they emailed me:

The feedback didn't stop there. They were happy enough with the results that they later reached out and asked if I could help their spouse with a resume too 🫡

Most people already have the experience for the jobs they're targeting. The challenge is making that experience easy for recruiters and hiring managers to understand.

If you're not getting the response you expected from your resume and want an honest assessment of why, our services can help. 

Curious what the process has been like for other clients? Check out our testimonials here!

BEST (WORST?) JOB POST

OF THE WEEK

Here’s the job post that got the most people talking on my Instagram this week!

“Albert Einsteins mamba mentality” This is a B2B SaaS btw

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!

MEME OF THE WEEK

This meme got more reactions on my Threads than anything else I posted this week.

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PREMIUM SUBSCRIBER QUESTION

“If I'm capable of doing multiple jobs, why should I narrow my resume? How do I decide which ‘story’ should lead on my resume?”

Check out the Premium Section below for my answer! Not a Premium Subscriber? Upgrade here: www.JobseekingIsHard.com/upgrade

Why upgrade? For less than $0.63/day, you get:

• Subscriber-Only Discounts: Get exclusive promo codes for Karpiak Consulting services, available only to Premium subscribers. Whether you're updating your resume, need a LinkedIn profile review, or want expert help tailoring your applications, these occasional discounts make expert support more accessible.

• 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.

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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