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Welcome to Issue #198 of Jobseeking is Hard!

Today’s issue is brought to you by The Hustle! They put together a free database with 100 side hustle ideas, which is either exactly what you need right now…or the beginning of you convincing yourself you should start a business selling custom birdhouses on Etsy. Either way, it’s free. Free is good. If you’re a free subscriber who enjoys Jobseeking is Hard, it costs $0 to support us by checking it out. Thanks!

Happy Wednesday!

It’s easy to read a bad stretch in the market as a sign that you need to do something drastic, like pivot your search. I don’t think that’s always the right thing to do, especially when the problem may be much closer to how you’re presenting what you already do well.

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

I’ll also share how a Comprehensive Resume Review client went from hundreds of applications to a new job with a $30K raise by getting much more focused about what the resume was trying to communicate.

One more thing: The best Premium subscriber sale we’ve ever offered!

One of the perks of being a Premium Jobseeking is Hard subscriber is getting occasional discounts on Karpiak Consulting services, and this one is a good one. For a limited time, Premium subscribers can save 20% on any service Karpiak Consulting offers. Resume reviews, rewrites, LinkedIn services, coaching...whatever you need, the discount applies.

You’ll find the exclusive promo code below in the Premium section.

Considering Premium is $19/month and also gets you access to the full archive and exclusive Q&A, knocking 20% off a Karpiak Consulting service isn’t a bad return on that subscription. Maybe you should just sign up to get the promo code 🤷‍♂️

This week we’re talking about:

• Why a difficult job search doesn’t necessarily mean you need to pivot

• How one Comprehensive Resume Review helped turn 100s of applications into a new job with a $30K raise

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

• The meme of the week

And for Premium subscribers I’m:

• Debunking advice that says you should do even more unpaid work before anyone agrees to interview you

• Answering a Premium subscriber’s question about dealing with bogus recruiters. I’ll explain how to qualify recruiters before giving them your time or resume, what questions to ask, and when it makes sense to go directly to the company to verify the opportunity.

Let’s get to it!

BEFORE YOU PIVOT, PROVE YOU NEED TO

A tough and long job search can make you question the entire direction of your career pretty quickly. You apply to roles that seem reasonable, nothing happens, and after a while you start wondering if maybe the problem is the field or the kind of work you’ve been doing altogether.

That’s usually when people start talking about pivoting. Maybe they should move into a different industry, try a different function, step down a level, or chase whatever seems more marketable right now. Maybe they should go back to school or pay for a certificate. Sometimes that makes sense. But if you haven’t actually figured out why your current search isn’t working, you may just be making an already hard search harder.

When bills are piling up, broadening the search can feel like the practical thing to do. Apply to more roles, more industries, more levels, and hope something sticks. I usually think the opposite is true. The more pressure you’re under, the more important it is to spend your time on the jobs where you already have a real advantage. If your background is strongest in one area, that’s where you should be doubling down instead of trying to convince hiring teams you could probably do three other things too.

A pivot basically means voluntarily giving up your biggest advantage, which is that you already have years of relevant experience doing something. Now you’re competing against people who’ve been doing the exact job you’re trying to move into, often for years. With the volume of applicants companies are getting right now, hiring teams usually don’t need to stretch very far. If they have 10 people who’ve already done the work, usually with the same job title, they’re probably not going to spend much time trying to figure out whether your experience could transfer.

(That doesn’t mean you couldn’t do the job. I’m not here to be a downer. I’m just trying to get you a job, so stick with me here.)

This comes up a lot in my coaching. A lot of the time, I see resumes that don’t make the person’s strengths obvious. I see people applying too broadly, mixing different career paths into one story, or expecting recruiters to understand how their experience applies without really spelling it out. I also see senior candidates underselling the things that actually prove they can operate at that level, like what they owned, what they changed, who they influenced, and what happened because they were involved.

Those are positioning problems. Changing careers doesn’t fix them.

One of the things I talk about a lot in coaching is proof of concept. Hiring teams want to see evidence that you’ve already solved the kind of problem they need solved. The more directly your background lines up with the role, the less work they have to do to imagine you succeeding there. That matters even more when recruiters are dealing with huge applicant volume and have very little incentive to get creative with your background. If your experience is strong in one area, I’d rather make sure we’re presenting that experience as clearly and convincingly as possible before deciding the answer is to start over somewhere else.

It’s easy to confuse more applications with more chances. But if broadening the search means moving into roles where you’re less competitive, you may just be increasing the number of low-probability applications you’re sending. Playing to your strengths doesn’t mean you have to stay in the same exact job forever. Sometimes a pivot really is the right move because the work has changed or you genuinely want something different. Before you reinvent yourself, make sure you’ve actually tested the lane where your experience gives you the strongest case. A lot of people just need a clearer way to show the market what they’re already good at.

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 land a $30K raise and awesome benefits like this client 🤷‍♂️

So how did I help this Comprehensive Resume Review client land an awesome job after 100s of applications?

Focus.

That’s what they sent me when they purchased the service.

Their resume had plenty of awesome experience, but it was trying to communicate too many possible directions at once. That’s not a great place to be in a competitive market.

The first thing I recommended was narrowing the story based on the specific role. The summary should be the most relevant introduction to the job being applied to, not a recap of everything you’ve done.

The second issue was proof. The resume included things like “monitoring KPIs,” “improving performance,” and “leading projects,” but stopped before showing what those things actually meant. Which KPIs? What improved? How large were the projects? What changed because of the work? Who did they influence? The experience was there, but the reader had to do too much work to understand why it mattered.

That’s where context comes in. I recommended adding more detail where it mattered. The goal is to help the recruiter quickly understand what you did, how you did it, and why they should care.

A Comprehensive Resume Review is useful when you know you’ve done good work but can’t figure out why the resume isn’t getting traction. Sometimes you just need someone to show you where your value is getting buried and what to change so the person reading it doesn’t have to guess.

In this case, getting the story focused helped turn hundreds of applications into an awesome new job, a $30K raise, and better benefits.

Not bad for a “last-ditch hope.”

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!

typo on your resume? red flag. typo in the job posting? oopsie.

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.

Today’s issue is also brought to you by Harmonic! Do I understand what it does? No. Do I laugh every time I see the screaming Odysseus meme? Yes. Honestly, that’s enough to earn a click from me. C’mon, it costs $0 and helps support your favorite job search newsletter 🙂

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PREMIUM SUBSCRIBER QUESTION

“Is there anything that can be done about ‘bogus’ recruiters? What else can a girl do to find a legit job posting? Unfortunately, can't even trust LinkedIn or Indeed anymore.”

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.

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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