Author: April Ogden, Founder and CEO, It’s Your Outcome

Mei’s Job Search Was Failing—Until She Changed Everything

Mei gripped her coffee cup, staring at the screen. Another rejection.

She had lost count—50? 100? 200? Every email looked the same:

“We regret to inform you…”

She had spent months applying, tweaking her resume, perfecting her cover letters—only to be met with deafening silence.

The worst part? She wasn’t just running out of hope. She was running out of time.

Her severance would only last so long. Bills didn’t care that she was trying her best.

And for the first time in her 15-year career, she started to wonder if she had become unemployable.

That’s when she reached out to me for coaching.

During our first session, Mei uploaded her resume into my client portal.

And the moment I opened it, I saw the problem immediately.

But instead of telling her right away, I asked a simple question:

“Mei, if you were a hiring manager, would YOU call yourself for an interview?”

She hesitated.

“Maybe. I think so.”

That’s when I knew—she had no idea how much her own resume was hurting her chances.

I’ll get to that soon. But first, let’s talk about why she wasn’t even applying to the right jobs.

Step 1: Stop Applying to Everything—Here’s What Works Instead

Mei exhaled sharply, closing another job board tab.

The clock blinked 1:43 AM. She had told herself she’d stop at midnight. But what if the next application was the one?

She rubbed her eyes, hit ‘Submit’ on another job posting, and refreshed her inbox one more time—just in case.

Like many job seekers, Mei assumed more applications meant more chances—but the reality? She was just exhausting herself.

The first thing I asked Mei was, “What kinds of jobs have you been applying to?”

Her answer? “Anything I think I could maybe do.”

That was her first mistake. Casting too wide of a net made her applications unfocused, and recruiters could tell.

Why Mass Applying Doesn’t Work

• Companies don’t hire generalists—they hire specialists. A vague, one-size-fits-all resume won’t stand out.
• Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are filtering you out. If you don’t match the right keywords, your resume won’t even be seen.
• Applying for everything wastes time. A strategic job search is 10x more effective than a spray-and-pray approach.

What We Changed

✔ We identified three to five job titles that aligned with her experience and career goals.

✔ We researched industries still hiring instead of competing in oversaturated markets.

✔ We uncovered hidden job openings by leveraging networking and referrals.

Two weeks after focusing on quality over quantity, Mei landed two interviews—without applying online. More about this later.

But even after we stopped the random applications, there was another major problem—recruiters weren’t even seeing her resume.

Now, let’s talk about what I found in her resume upload.

Step 2: The Resume Upload That Revealed Everything

When I opened Mei’s resume, it hit me in seconds—this wasn’t a resume that would get past an ATS or grab a recruiter’s attention.

It wasn’t that she wasn’t qualified—her resume was working against her.

I scrolled through the document, catching all of the dense blocks of text.

No numbers. No impact. Just job descriptions stacked like an instruction manual.

If I, a career coach, found it exhausting to read, what would a recruiter think in the 6.3 seconds they spend reviewing resumes?

The Problems I Noticed in Seconds

❌ Too much detail on old jobs

❌ No measurable achievements

❌ A format that made it hard to skim

No wonder she wasn’t getting responses. Recruiters weren’t reading it—they were skipping it.

What We Changed

✔ Reworked her resume to highlight accomplishments instead of tasks.

✔ Optimized her LinkedIn profile with relevant keywords and a compelling summary.

✔ Started engaging on LinkedIn, which led to more profile views and recruiter outreach.

Two weeks after we updated her LinkedIn, recruiters started reaching out to her—without her even applying.

But even then, there was one thing left to fix—the way she was networking.

Step 3: Networking That Feels Natural (Even If You Hate It)

Mei hovered over the ‘Send’ button.

Her message was typed out, polite but direct.

Hey [Name], I hope you’re doing well. I wanted to reconnect and see if you know of any opportunities in [Industry]…

She read it again. And again.

What if they thought she was desperate? What if they ignored her?

Her finger hesitated over the trackpad. Then, taking a deep breath, she hit ‘Send.’

Like many job seekers, Mei assumed networking meant asking for favors—but the truth? The best jobs aren’t on job boards. They’re off them.

How We Fixed It

✔ We made a list of 15 people she could reconnect with.

✔ I gave her a simple message template so it felt natural, not awkward.

✔ She reached out to a former colleague—and within a week, that connection introduced her to a hiring manager.

Two weeks later, that conversation turned into a job offer.

But before she could secure it, she had to ace the interview.

Step 4: Nail the Interview—Even If You Haven’t Interviewed in Years

Mei adjusted her blazer, her heart pounding as she sat in the waiting area.

Three weeks ago, she would have been panicking—rehearsing answers in her head, dreading the moment her name was called.

But now? She knew exactly what she was going to say.

She had practiced. Prepared. Owned her story.

And when the hiring manager finally said, ‘Mei, we’re ready for you,’ she didn’t freeze.

She smiled, stood up confidently, and walked in—not hoping for the best, but ready to deliver it.

How We Fixed It

✔ We practiced answering, “Tell me about yourself,” so she didn’t ramble.

✔ I taught her the Confidence Framework—how to own the conversation.

✔ We prepared for tough questions, including how to discuss her layoff.

An hour later, she got the call—she was moving on to the final round.

Step 5: The Moment Everything Clicked

Mei sat at her desk, reading the email.

“We’re pleased to offer you the position…”

Her breath caught in her throat.

For months, she had been trapped in a cycle of self-doubt, frustration, and rejection.

But now? She wasn’t grateful for an offer—she was proud of it.

This wasn’t luck. This was the result of a strategy that worked.

She had stopped guessing. She had stopped hoping.

She had started owning her career.

And the biggest shift?

For the first time, she realized… she would never job search the old way again.

Because once you know how to position yourself, opportunities don’t just appear—you create them.

And that’s when it hit her:

This wasn’t just about landing a job.

This was about stepping into a new version of herself.

The version that knew her value. That didn’t settle. That didn’t wait for permission.

She had reinvented her career—and this was just the beginning.

The Crossroads Moment

Maybe you’ve been where Mei was.

Sitting at your desk, staring at your inbox, refreshing the page one more time—just in case.

Maybe you’ve tweaked your resume, sent out another application, told yourself you just need to try harder.

But deep down, you already know something isn’t working.

The truth? Most job seekers don’t fail because they aren’t qualified. They fail because they don’t know how to position themselves for success.

Mei’s biggest regret? Not changing her approach sooner.

She spent months struggling, waiting, hoping.

But the moment she stopped guessing and started following a plan, everything changed.

And it can change for you, too.

You don’t need to waste months wondering why no one is responding.

I already know why.

And I know exactly how to fix it.

If you’re ready to stop waiting and start landing interviews,

let’s talk.

And if you know someone struggling to find a job, share this with them—it might change everything.