A recent Business Insider article discussed how tech jobs are mired in a "white-collar recession."

The article highlights a critical insight: many of today’s job seekers, especially those facing unemployment for the first time in a decade, haven’t invested enough time in essential preparations. These include reflecting on their brand and communication strategy, value proposition, researching the market, and crafting a strategic job search plan that leverages their reputation and network.

Two job seekers featured in the article exemplify the challenges of a misaligned approach: one applied to 135 jobs, and the other to an astounding 669—with no results. The question isn’t just about perseverance. It’s about asking, What can I do differently to get a different result?

Here are the questions they—and every job seeker—should consider:

• Is applying to roles en masse the most effective way to differentiate myself? Are there really 135 great businesses out there?

  
  

• How can I leverage the multi-decade reputation and relationships I’ve built to stand out and bypass the applicant tracking system?

  
  

• Is my resume a bunch of bullet points? Or is it a compelling story?

  
  

• What steps can I take to truly reflect my unique value and potential?

What works—what’s driving results for our clients—is a much more intentional, thoughtful approach:

• Clarifying your value proposition and personal brand. Craft compelling case studies that demonstrate the impact of your work.

  
  

• Mastering your elevator pitch. Practice tailoring it to your audience, showing how you understand their business challenges and can offer solutions about where they should be taking their business in 2025+.

  
  

• Building a support team. Surround yourself with advisors who can guide you through the entire journey, from self-discovery to offer negotiation.

However, a resume is where it all begins. Whichever way you approach seeking out new opportunities, be it through applying or reaching out to your network, there's no avoiding the fact that you need a resume that's up-to-date and engaging – one that tells a compelling story of your unique background and strengths, and how you can help people and companies solve problems in a way no one else can.

You may be thinking, sounds great – but how do I do that? Read on.

How to Revamp your Resume – and Start Experiencing Success

The first step is to do an audit of your current resume:

1. Double check your position at your latest company.

   
   

   Do you have any new credentials, achievements, responsibilities, projects, promotions, or wins to add? Make sure to add details where you can.

   
   

2. Revisit your executive summary.

   
   

   Is it written in a (boring) third-person style, or an engaging first-person style? Feel free to rewrite it using "I," "me," and "my" instead of an anonymized version or third-person bio. This provides a much more enjoyable experience for the reader.

   
   

3. Identify your value proposition.

   
   

   Do you explicitly talk about what problems you help companies solve?

   
   

   Think of your resume from a recruiter or hiring manager's perspective and imagine it is the 50th one they've seen today. Is it crystal clear how you help people and companies solve their most challenging problems? What about your experience and strengths makes you the best person to tackle those problems?

   
   

4. Say what you're looking for next in your career.

   
   

   This is an often overlooked section but is important to include because you know you're going to get asked that anyway in the interview! "What are your career goals?", "Why are you applying for this role?", and "Where do you see yourself 3-5 years from now?" can all be answered by including this in your resume.

   
   

5. Optimize the design for a great user experience.

   
   

   In an initial pass, most people will only spend 6 - 30 seconds scanning your resume before heading on to the next one. Are you creating an enjoyable, easy-to-understand experience for the reader? Include bold words, bullet points, and hyperlinks to you and your references' LinkedIn profiles to make it easy as pie for the reader to identify who you are, what you do, and why they should at least have a conversation with you.

   
   

6. Give context about where you've worked and problems you've helped companies solve.

   
   

   Include a short summary about each company and give examples of your impact by using the STAR framework to tell mini case studies about your biggest career wins.

   What was the situation, what were your tasks or responsibilities, what actions did you take to solve the problem, and what were the results?

   
   

   These 6 steps are a great start to revamping your resume into one that people actually want to read.

   
   

It's a 30+ page digital guide filled with:

• Exercises to define your unique career story and articulate your value

• Strategies to optimize every section of your resume, including the STAR framework for crafting compelling bullet points

• A proven premium resume template that has helped leaders go from application to offer

• Do's and don’ts to make your resume stand out for the right reasons

• Networking and LinkedIn tips, including message templates to help you build connections with confidence

  
  

Don't wait! Grab your copy today!

Stay Connected

While the job market can feel competitive, there are clear areas of growth and demand:

• Sales Leadership: Industries like AdTech, SaaS, and Cybersecurity are actively hiring, with our clients receiving multiple offers.

  
  

• Data Science and Machine Learning: Skilled professionals remain in high demand.

  
  

• Human Resources: We recently helped our client who’s a Global Head of Talent at an S&P 500 company negotiate a 30% increase in annual total target compensation.

The takeaway? Success requires more than a polished resume or hundreds of applications. It demands strategy, preparation, and the ability to clearly articulate your unique value to potential employers.

Here are a few other ways I can help you:

• Free tips on navigating career transitions and succeeding on your career path in my biweekly newsletter (subscribe here)

  
  

• 1:1 and group coaching for job-seekers through my executive brand suite

  
  

• 1:1 offer advisory to help you negotiate one or multiple job offers

  
  

• Leadership development coaching to help you thrive as a leader, elevate your executive presence, and ace that next promotion

You can learn more about all of my services or contact me if you have any questions.

Thanks for reading!