By Jeff Altman, Big Game Hunter
EP 3131 Stop being another invisible applicant in a sea of resume-filled #ats. This episode reveals a three-pillar strategy for reversing power dynamics, moving from “ambiguity” to “obvious solutions,” and getting employers to chase you.
Timestamp
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00:06 – “One person’s career” mentality change.
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00:55 – Pillar 1: Be the obvious solution to a specific pain point.
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01:34 – Move from a generic introduction to a high-impact sales page.
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02:48 – Why depth beats breadth to attract inbound interest.
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03:12 – Pillar 2: Use “thinking artifacts” to show how you solved the problem.
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04:13 – Why you must audition publicly for your next role.
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05:03 – Pillar 3: Reduce recruitment risks through “certification documents”.
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06:09 – Transform interviews into collaborative work sessions.
Network like a leader
This is episode 3,131 of no-nonsense career advice radio. OK, welcome. Let’s talk about this feeling, shall we? The most frustrating part of the job search process.
You send out about a million applications and all you get are crickets. It’s like you are invisible. But what if the problem isn’t your experience? What if this is your entire approach? Today, we’re going to dive into a huge mindset shift.
Here’s the game plan. The most important idea is not to act like just another applicant in a pile. You need to start running like a business, a business that solves a very specific, very painful problem.
We will break it down into three core pillars. First, how to make yourself the obvious solution. Then we’ll show them what you think, not just what you do.
Finally, we’ll discuss how to reduce their risk and make it effortless for them to say yes to you. Okay, let’s jump right to the first pillar. It all depends on your foundation, your professional brand.
The goal here is simple. When recruiting managers see your profile, they shouldn’t guess everything about you. It should be an instant, ah, I understand.
See, obscure candidates are those who are haunted by ghosts. It’s really that simple. If your overall feeling is, I can do a little bit of everything, then what the recruiting manager is hearing is, I’m not good at anything.
So the key is to solve a single, painful, expensive business problem. We’re talking about issues like customer churn, chaotic operations, or high employee turnover. You have to pick one and make it your entire story.
This slide illustrates the difference. I mean, look at the old ways, bio, seasoned professionals, with a long history. That’s just plain fluff.
It can actually be anyone. But now look at the new approach. This is not a living thing.
This is a sales page. This is super specific. It has a number in it that tells the company exactly what value you bring to the company.
There is zero guesswork as to why they should pay you. Okay, so how do we apply this to your resume? Simple. Every point needs to follow this formula.
Questions, actions, proofs. You start with the pain that businesses feel. Then you say exactly what you did, and you end up with a hard, measurable result.
This is how you turn a boring chore list into a business-impact highlight. Forget about those clunky personal websites that no one has time to click on. What you really need is a simple one-page impact portfolio.
That’s it. Only one page. Maybe fill it out with three to seven short case studies that use the same formula we just talked about.
The question, what you did, and the results. Here’s a pro tip. Add visuals, screenshots, diagrams and more to make your work real.
Believe me, this is the document that is passed around the office that says, “We have to talk to this person.” So the biggest takeaway from the whole first pillar is this. Depth trumps breadth every time.
If your LinkedIn profile says you’re open to 12 different types of jobs, guess what? Recruiters will not contact you with these questions. You have to commit. Choose a core title, an industry.
That’s how you start attracting the right opportunities, the really good opportunities. Okay, great. Now they know what problem you solved, but that’s only half the battle.
Now we’re going to turn to the second pillar, which is showing them how to fix it. This is where you can really use your brain and go beyond what’s on your resume. What you need to do is create thinking artifacts.
I like this word. These are just things you post publicly to prove what you think. It shows your brain in action.
Really, it can be anything. By breaking down your company’s sales pipeline, you can rewrite the bad job postings you saw or create a better onboarding process. The point is, smart work gets noticed by other smart people.
This is a wonderful little psychological trick. Don’t just say, I improved the onboarding process. This is too general
Instead, give your process a name. Call it something like my three-step onboarding compression method. What does that do? It immediately shows that you are thinking within the system.
It tells them you have a framework, a framework that is repeatable and scalable, and wow, that’s valuable to employers. You have to practice solving real problems in public. You’re basically giving a public audition for your next job.
Strategic interview questions to ask
So find leaders in your industry on LinkedIn or elsewhere, and when they post something, don’t just leave a comment, great post, that’s not going to work. Leave a review with a real micro solution, a tiny valuable insight. You don’t know who’s watching, trust me, the decision makers are watching.
When you do this, keep your audience in mind. You’re not writing for your coworkers, you’re writing for their boss. So you have to talk about things that VPs and directors really care about.
We’re talking about risk, cost, time, growth, the big picture. When you frame your ideas this way, senior leaders will notice you and maybe even get into your DMs. Okay, our last pillar.
So far, you’ve shown them your approach and ideas. The last article is about employee psychology. Your only goal now is to make it as easy and as low-risk as possible for them to say yes and give you the job.
OK, the recruiting manager got in touch and they were interested. You can’t just respond with more promises. You need to hit them with evidence.
You should have a proof copy ready to send out at any time. We’re talking about three to five killer assets that you can start immediately. Quick loom video explaining the dashboard, before and after case studies, one page testimonials.
These things turn your claims into cold, hard evidence. What we’re trying to do here is eliminate something called mental friction. It’s just any little question or concern that pops up in the hiring manager’s mind that might slow down that “yes,” like, well, there’s an employment gap here, or, oh, they’re switching careers.
You have to get ahead of these things, proactively address them, and turn them into a positive, explaining why this experience will actually make you a better candidate. Next, this is a huge mindset shift regarding the interview itself. Don’t think of it as a test where you have to give the correct answer.
Instead, treat it like a work meeting, like it’s your first day. Ask smart questions about the challenges they face, and then brainstorm solutions with them during the call. Seriously, companies hire people who already feel like they’re part of a team.
You know, the best time to find a job is before you post it. And the way to do that is to create a warm feeling of closeness. I like this concept.
Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Your Work
You basically pick 20 to 30 targeted leaders, recruiting managers in your field, and then you engage with their work consistently and thoughtfully over time. This is not just a network problem. It’s about building real relationships so that you become a familiar face when needed.
See, when you do ask for help, you have to make it very specific and very easy for them. A vague query like, Hey, let me know if you hear anything, will be ignored. Why? Because it puts all the work on them.
But specific requests like the one you see here respect their time and give them a very clear, simple thing they can do for you. Your chances of getting a useful reply are very high. Well, let’s summarize all of this.
We’ve just introduced these three pillars that will radically transform you from an average applicant to a targeted, irresistible solution to your company’s biggest problems. Here it is, that’s the whole story in a nutshell. It’s all about focus, proving your value, making yourself a low-risk bet, and tying everything you do to real business pain.
When you build your job search around this idea, something amazing happens. Employers will not only notice you, they will start chasing you. So I’m going to leave you with one last question to think about.
As you move forward from here, keep asking yourself this question. The answer will determine your entire strategy and ultimately your success. There’s also lots of information to help you at jobsearch.community. Becoming an Insider gives you access to all my video courses, books, and career guides.
In addition, we review resumes and LinkedIn profiles and prepare for those important interviews. You can also order any of my content individually. This is on jobsearch.community.
The cost of long-term job hunting
About Big Game Hunter Jeff Altman
People hire big game hunter Jeff Altman to provide no-BS career advice around the world because he’s done so much in people’s careers Easier. These matters may involve job hunting, Recruit more effectively, manage and lead better, career transition, and advice on solving workplace problems.
He is the host of “No BS Job Search Advice Radio,” the #1 job search podcast on iTunes with over 3,100 episodes.
When follow-up backfires
You’ll find important information to help you with your job search on my new website, JobSearch.Community In addition to video courses, books, and guides, I answer members’ questions about their job search every day. Leave your job search questions and I will respond every day. Becoming an Insider+ member gives you everything you get as an Insider+ member, plus you can connect with me via Zoom call to get your questions answered. Become an Insider Premium member and we offer individual and group coaching.
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