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Welcome to Issue #204 of Jobseeking is Hard!

Today's issue is brought to you by The Hustle! If your job search has you considering a side hustle, The Hustle put together a free database with 100 ideas. Which is probably safer than deciding at 11:47 p.m. that this is finally the week you start dropshipping.

Happy Wednesday!

One of the most common things I hear in coaching is, “I feel like I’m doing everything I’m supposed to be doing. Why isn’t this working?”

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

I’ll also share how a Resume Rewrite client is still using the structure we built years later, and why that’s exactly what I want from the work.

This week we’re talking about:

• How the pieces of your job search should work together to support the same hiring case

• Why one Resume Rewrite client is still using what we built years later

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

• The meme of the week

And for Premium subscribers I’m:

• Debunking advice that says jobseekers should “always be posting” on LinkedIn to cut through the noise

• Answering a Premium subscriber’s question about disappearing recruiter messages and whether they were dealing with a scam. I’ll explain how to verify a recruiter, what red flags to look for, and the checks I’d make before continuing the conversation.

Let’s get to it!

YOUR SEARCH HAS TO MAKE SENSE AS A WHOLE

This is something that comes up in my coaching sessions all the time. Someone has already done a lot of the work you’re supposed to do during a job search. They’ve rewritten the resume. They’ve updated LinkedIn. They have a list of companies they’re interested in. They’re applying regularly and reaching out to people they know. Sometimes they’re even getting interviews. But the results still feel inconsistent, so they assume one of those things must be broken.

When I start asking questions, I’m usually trying to understand the whole search before I decide that. What kinds of jobs are you applying to? Which ones are actually generating interviews? What does the resume emphasize? If I look you up on LinkedIn after reading the resume, do I get the same general understanding of where you fit? Who are you contacting after you apply, and what are you telling them? When you finally get an interview, which parts of your experience are you using to make the case?

Those answers tell me a lot more than whether someone has an “optimized” LinkedIn profile or a professionally written resume.

Your resume is usually the most focused piece. Its job is to make a specific opening make sense. If a company needs someone to build a function, fix an operational problem, manage a certain kind of team, or work with a particular group of stakeholders, I want the resume showing the strongest evidence that you’ve already done something close to that.

LinkedIn has a different job. I don’t think you need to post every day, become a thought leader, or spend your afternoon writing inspirational workplace content so recruiters know you exist. But recruiters do look people up, and they also search LinkedIn directly for candidates. Your profile can be broader than a resume because it has to represent you across more than one application, but it shouldn’t make someone question the direction or level they just saw on the resume. That’s why I usually think of LinkedIn as supporting the search rather than leading it.

The same thing applies to networking. Networking works better when people understand what they’re supposed to associate you with. If you tell ten former coworkers that you’re “open to anything,” you’ve technically contacted ten people, but you haven’t given any of them a particularly useful way to help. If you tell someone you’re targeting a certain kind of role and point to the type of work you’ve been doing that makes the move logical, now they have something to remember when they hear about an opening.

That becomes even more useful when there’s an actual job involved. Maybe a former coworker works at the company. Maybe you know someone who can tell you how the team operates. Maybe you can identify the recruiter after applying. The conversation should connect back to the application rather than exist as a completely separate networking exercise. One of the recurring approaches in my coaching is to use applications and networking together instead of treating them as competing strategies.

Then there’s the application itself. I’ve talked a lot recently about being selective with where you spend your effort because every job doesn’t deserve the same amount of time. Once you find one that does, the pieces should start reinforcing each other. You know why you’re qualified. The resume makes that evidence easy to find. You apply through the company’s process. If you can reasonably identify someone involved, your follow-up gives them a specific reason to pull the application instead of simply telling them that you submitted one.

That sequence is something I use in coaching because an application is only one point in the process. A stronger workflow is usually closer to identifying a real target, positioning the resume around it, applying, figuring out whether there’s an appropriate person to contact, and using that contact to explain why the match deserves a closer look.

And then you get the interview. This is where you find out whether everything before it created the right expectations. If the resume got attention because it showed that you built and improved teams, the interview needs examples that prove you actually did that. If your application made you look like someone who can step into a senior role and own decisions, but every interview answer is about what “we” did without explaining your part, the story starts changing. If you reached out to a recruiter because you’d already solved a specific problem they mentioned in the posting, you should probably be prepared to talk about that problem in some depth when someone asks.

The interview should give the hiring team more confidence in the version of you they already decided was worth meeting.

This is also why I spend so much time at the beginning of coaching calls figuring out the target. Are you trying to stay an individual contributor or move into management? Are you targeting one function or several? Are you applying at the same level you’ve been working at, or trying to move up? Are you sending mixed signals about consulting, full-time work, or completely different career directions? Those decisions affect everything that comes after them. That’s why I usually start by getting the direction clear, then aligning the narrative, building the resume around it, and adding networking once the target makes sense.

You don’t need every part of the search to look identical. I wouldn’t want your LinkedIn profile to be a copy-and-paste of one targeted resume. Your networking conversations shouldn’t sound like resume bullets. And you obviously have more room in an interview to explain context and tell stories. They just need to make sense together.

If you’ve been searching for a while and feel like you’re doing everything you’re supposed to be doing, look at the search from beginning to end. Pick a few of the jobs you genuinely wanted and follow the path. What case did your resume make? What would the recruiter learn if they looked you up? Did your outreach reinforce why you were relevant? If you interviewed, did your answers prove the same things that got you into the conversation?

That usually tells you a lot more than checking whether you remembered to complete every item on the job-search checklist.

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 I’ll set you up for future success like this client 🤷‍♂️

Sometimes the best feedback doesn’t come a week after I finish a resume. Sometimes it comes years later. A former Resume Rewrite client recently left this comment on one of my LinkedIn posts:

That seriously means a lot to me.

When I rewrite a resume, obviously I want the finished document to help with the search happening right now. But I also want the person to understand why the resume is built the way it is, what deserves emphasis, and how to keep updating it as their career changes.

This client originally came to me with plenty of experience, but the resume was trying to give too much of the information equal attention. The rewrite gave the document a cleaner structure and made it easier to see what belonged where, so future updates didn’t require starting over every time something changed.

Years later, they’re still using what we built.

That’s really the goal. I don’t want you coming back every six months because you have no idea how to add a new job or accomplishment without breaking the whole thing. A good rewrite should give you a resume that works now and a structure you understand well enough to keep using later.

Apparently this one did exactly that.

If you're not getting the response you expected from your resume and want help rebuilding it into something you can actually use going forward, 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!

desired requirements: no self-respect

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 Coveron! At this point, half the job search feels like applying and the other half feels like figuring out whether the recruiter is real. Coveron helps monitor your identity and finances for fraud, which is annoyingly relevant right now.

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PREMIUM SUBSCRIBER QUESTION

“Quick backstory; on Friday I was blindsided and laid off from a job that I honestly thought I'd be doing well into the future. So I updated my LinkedIn profile to show that I was open to work. Within hours, I get contacted by two recruiters listing potential jobs in my area and there seems to be good alignment. So I move forward in these conversations, one of which even wanted to set up a first round interview for the next day. I didn't respond immediately as I wanted to run it by my wife to get her thoughts on this. By the time that happens and I go back to select a time slot for the interview, the message is gone from my LinkedIn account, as is the other recruiter's messages.

Is this normal? Did I dodge a scam?”

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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