Hey Reader,

​
One of the hardest things to watch as a career coach is amazing people getting knocked down in their job search because they can’t figure out how to adapt to this crazy new job market.

​
Because here’s the truth: these days, you can be the perfect match on paper for a role… and still not get anywhere. 😐

​
That was the situation A.P. was in when she first reached out.

​
She came to us after months of applying, with only two interviews under her belt. She kept saying, “But my background is exactly what they’re asking for.”

​
And she was right.

​
But here’s the thing most job seekers don’t realize: matching the bullet points on a job description isn’t enough anymore.

​
Employers want to see proof that you’ve done your homework – that you know their customers, understand their value prop, and can clearly explain why this company and not just any company.

​
At first, A.P. struggled with that:

​
🫤 She leaned too heavily on keyword stuffing and “ATS hacks.” (We had to lovingly smash that belief into a thousand pieces because no, an ATS is not a magic gatekeeper you can trick.)

​
🫤 Her answers to “Why do you want to work for us?” sounded… well, like they could’ve been copied and pasted for literally any SaaS company. (And hiring managers can smell that a mile away.)

​
🫤 She thought networking was just sending a few generic LinkedIn messages and waiting for something to happen. Spoiler: nothing happened.

​
So we dug in together.

​
We coached her to do targeted outreach that added value – not just “connect and hope,” but genuinely demonstrating she knew the role, the company, and the industry.

​
We helped her refine her personal summary so it highlighted the skills and accomplishments that were actually transferable to the jobs she wanted.

​
We worked on interview answers that included language from the job description, but in a way that was specific and authentic, not robotic.

​
And most importantly, we practiced doing meaningful research – not just reading the mission statement and stopping there, but digging deeper into what would make her stand out to the hiring team.

​
The result?

​
She landed an Enterprise CSM role at Stripe (yes, that Stripe 👀) — with a 63% increase in OTE.

​
When she told us the news, my team and I went absolutely nuts in our team Slack channel.

​
Because wins like this aren’t just about salary numbers (though, let’s be honest, that’s a TON more money she bagged 🤑).

​
They’re about helping someone go from stuck and doubting themselves… to landing at a company they once thought was completely out of reach.

​
And the best part? A.P.’s story isn’t rare.

​
That same week she landed this job, another one of our clients got an offer from Notion with a similar compensation package. 🤩

​
This is what happens when you stop trying to “hack” the job search and get the help you need to learn how to show up with strategy, confidence, and intention.

​
So remember, Reader: if you’ve been applying nonstop for months and still not getting consistent interviews, you’re not doomed, and you’re not a failure.

​
You just need to learn how to succeed in this new, challenging job market.

​
​My team and I can help whenever you’re ready.

​
To your success,

​
Carly