By Jeff Altman, Big Game Hunter
If you want to be pursued rather than ignored, stop acting like an applicant and start operating like a business solving a specific problem.
1-5: Become a clear, obvious solution
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Pick a painful and expensive problem—and own it.
Ambiguous candidates become mysterious. Decide what problem you want to solve (churn, low pipeline, operational chaos, high turnover, weak onboarding) and build your entire career story around that one thing. -
Rewrite your profile as a sales page, not a bio.
Your title and “About” should look like this: “I help a B2B SaaS company reduce onboarding time by 40%” or “I transform chaotic HR into a compliant, people-centered system.” Let people immediately understand why someone would pay you. -
Design a resume that is “Problem→Action→Proof”.
Each bullet should show the business problem, what you did, and the measurable results: “Missed SLA by 25% → Redesigned queue and playbook → Delivered 94% on time in 6 months.” No fluff, no tasks, just business impact. -
Build an impactful one-page portfolio, not a vanity website.
One link, one page: 3-7 short case studies, each showing the problem, your approach, results, and screenshots or artifacts. This is what the hiring manager is saying internally: “We should talk to this person.” -
Dedicate your online presence to one channel.
If your profile shows you are available for 12 different jobs, we will not contact you for any jobs. Commitment: one core professional title, one industry (or two related industries), and one level. When it comes to inbound interest, depth trumps breadth.
6-10: Show your performanceThink about more than just what you do
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Send a “Thinking Artifact” every week.
Post something that proves your brains are working at the level they need to be: a teardown of your company funnel, a rewritten job posting, a better onboarding process, a risk checklist, a system map. Smart people recognize smart work. -
Reverse engineer the job description into a mini manual.
Make the posts you want and draft a 30-60-90 day outline that directly addresses their metrics and pain points. Keep it compact to one page. This becomes a strong attachment or talking point when you reach out. -
Translate your experience into a naming framework.
Instead of talking about “I improved onboarding,” talk about your “three-step approach to onboarding compression” or your “weekly revenue health review.” Naming your process shows that you are thinking in systems, not random tasks. -
Practice “on-the-spot problem solving” in public places.
Comment on posts from leaders and hiring managers with real micro-solutions: “If I owned this, I would test A/B on -
Write for policymakers, not your peers.
When you post or comment, please name the VP/Founder/Director’s concerns: risk, cost, time, growth, compliance, brand. Turn your work into these levers. At this time, the higher-ups will start messaging you privately.
11-15: Reduce the risk and friction of saying yes
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Create a “certificate” that can be deleted immediately.
Have 3-5 assets ready to send: before/after case studies, brief loom explaining dashboards, rewritten processes, one-page testimonials, brief training outline. When someone shows interest, you respond with evidence rather than commitment. -
Address the top three objections to hiring you upfront.
Career turning point? Address the question head-on: “This is how my sales background makes me dangerous in computer science.” Gap? “Here’s what I built/learned during that time.” New territory? “Here are the specific things I’ve done to close the gap.” You remove mental friction. -
Treat every interaction like a work meeting.
When you have time to talk to a hiring manager or leader, don’t just talk about your past. Use part of the call to clarify their current challenges and sketch out options on the fly. People hire people who already feel like they’re part of a team. -
Engineers maintain close contact with decision-makers.
Over time, engage with 20-30 target leaders and recruiting managers on an ongoing basis. Thoughtful comments, the occasional private message, sharing something useful that will obviously help them. you want familiarity forward They released the character. -
Make your request specific, time-limited, and easy to approve.
Instead of “let me know if you hear anything,” try: “If you post or hear about a remote senior CS position in B2B SaaS, would you be willing to tag me or send it my way? I’ll keep it short and make this easy for you.” Specificity respects their time and adds action.
When you look like a focused, low-risk, high-leverage solution to a real business problem, you’ll become popular rather than just another average applicant hoping to be selected. Build everything around this and employers will start coming to you.
Ⓒ Big Game Hunters, Asheville, NC 2026
Do what recruiters do
About Big Game Hunter Jeff Altman
People hire “Big Game Hunter” Jeff Altman to provide no-nonsense job coaching and career advice around the world because he’s great at job hunting And get ahead in your career more easily.
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Recruiters know something you don’t: They’re not watching all those screening videos
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