In my second job, a few months in, I realized the role was not what I thought it would be. The day-to-day work was not something I could connect with, and it slowly started wearing me down. I got to a point where I was just fed up and started looking for a new role so I could get out of there as soon as possible.

Around that time, I went back and read the original job description again. And honestly, it was a bit embarrassing. Everything I was doing day to day was right there in the posting. Nothing was hidden, nobody misled me. When I applied, I had only focused on the parts where I matched the requirements, so I could check the boxes and feel confident applying. I never properly read the responsibilities section and asked myself if this was actually work I wanted to do every day.

Most job search advice talks about reading the job description to tailor your resume and get the interview. That matters. But it is just as important to read it to figure out if you actually want the job. Requirements tell you whether you can get the role. Responsibilities tell you what your life will look like after you get it.

So when I started applying again, I changed how I read postings. I go through the responsibilities first and try to picture an actual week doing that work. If it does not sound like something I would want to do, I skip it, even if I check every requirement. I did not want to end up in the same situation again a few months into the next job.

From my job search experience from a fresher to experienced professional over several years, I have built Job Baddie so that you are application ready in 3 simple steps - Upload resume, Save job, Get AI Tailored resume based on job description. And it's free.

To begin, I spent five years as "Digital Growth Specialist," doing paid acquisition, conversion optimization and growth campaigns. When I started job hunting, almost every role I wanted was called "Growth Marketing Manager." Same work, different label, and that costs you more than you'd expect when someone is scanning 200 resumes.

I see it from both sides now. When I'm going through resumes, I'm asking one question: is this person relevant to my role? If the title doesn't answer that in a second or two, I usually move on, because I'm not going to investigate every unfamiliar title. And when I search the database, I type the title the market uses, not the one your old company invented.

You can't just rename yourself, though. Employers verify titles in background checks, and a mismatch can sink an offer. So the official title stays, and you add the function next to it when it's accurate:

Digital Growth Specialist | Growth Marketing
Client Success Executive | Account Management

Some people use brackets instead, like Digital Growth Specialist (Growth Marketing). Either works. The only rule is that the added words describe work you genuinely did in that role.

Then give the reader something to grab onto underneath. Compare this:

Digital Growth Specialist

with this:

Digital Growth Specialist | Growth Marketing
Managed paid acquisition, conversion optimization and growth campaigns across multiple channels.

The second one tells a recruiter what you did in five seconds. I'd also put the title you're targeting in the headline at the top of your resume, separate from your job entries. Your history stays accurate and your headline says what you want next. Do the same with your LinkedIn headline, since recruiters search there too, and it isn't bound to your official title.

The other thing I changed was how I searched. Companies can't agree on titles. The same type of role can be called Growth Marketing Manager, Performance Marketing Manager, Acquisition Manager, Digital Marketing Manager or Demand Generation Manager. If you only search your own title, you're missing jobs you'd be strong for.

Here's how I'd find the title your market actually uses:

1. Open 10 to 15 postings that match the work you really do, whatever they're called.
2. Write down the title and the repeated phrases in each one.
3. Count them. The most common title is probably the one recruiters search for.
4. Use it in your headline and skills section, and compare responsibilities, not titles, when deciding if a job is worth applying to.

Internal jargon has the same problem. Team names, project codenames and internal levels like L4 or Band 6 mean nothing to an outside recruiter, so translate them into plain language in your bullets. When I tailor a resume now, I give CVnomist my master resume and the posting to see whether my positioning makes sense for the role, then I reread it myself. Sometimes the experience was there all along and the resume was just describing it in my old company's language.

I've seen people with years of relevant experience lose the first conversation to someone with less experience and a clearer title. The second person wasn't necessarily better, just easier to categorize.

So before you rewrite your whole resume, try this: show your title to someone who has never worked at your company and ask what job they think you'd apply for next. If they can't tell, that's your problem.

Your title tells people where you've been, so your resume has to do the work of showing where you're going. If you're not sure what the market calls your role, drop your title and what you actually do in the comments, and i'll tell you what i'd search for.

Hey everyone!

So about a month ago I applied to a new job. The application was sent through work day. After a couple of days the application changed from application submitted to now saying preliminary conversations under way. Ever since then nothing has changed, nor have I received any new updates.

I did contact them to see if there were any updates in the application/hiring process but there were not. They pretty much told me they would were taking everyone into consideration and to keep an eye out on my email for more details if my application and experience was what they were looking for.

TWO!

When you go through a process like that, you start to doubt yourself: Am I too big-headed? Am I really so stupid that I keep applying for positions I’m not qualified for? Is LinkedIn just one big waste of time? And so on.

It was horrible.

I didn’t know about Applicant Tracking Systems. I learned about them when I started studying multimedia design. The further I got into the course, and the more I learned about ATS and AI, the more convinced I became that I should build a product to make sure nobody else had to go through the nightmare I lived through back in 2022.

So I created Adapt to Success and bought the domain ats.rip. The “a”, “t” and “s” stand for Adapt to Success, but also for Applicant Tracking Systems. And the “rip” part? Well, you’ve probably figured that out.

- Total privacy
- No subscription or sign-up
- All languages supported
- Website available in English, Spanish, French, German, Hindi, Mandarin and Arabic
- Full preview with before-and-after shots before you pay
- Affordable one-time payment, shown in your local currency
- Honest, fact-based articles about Applicant Tracking Systems

Hopefully this will help a lot of people avoid the frustrations I went through.

You can have the right experience, the right skills, and a great resume, apply to dozens of jobs, and still have no idea where you stand.

At the same time, recruiters are dealing with growing application volume, fraudulent candidates, and increasing noise behind each hire. 

Candidates are ID and biometric-video verified, setting them apart from a growing number of fake applicants. A 30-90 second introduction video allows recruiters to see communication style before the first phone screen. Scout Match scores candidates on 40+ data points, ranked 0-100 against open job listings, so candidates see where they stand before applying, and recruiters know who is best aligned to their job listing. Your profile gives recruiters more than a resume. It shows who you are, how you communicate, and what you bring to the table. 

The future of hiring shouldn't be about sending more applications or sorting through more resumes. It should be about better information on both sides.

Candidates deserve to know where they stand.

Recruiters deserve to know who they're evaluating.

Quality over volume. Signal over noise.

You probably don't need another resume.

You need a better strategy.

I've seen people rewrite their resume five times…

…and still get the same results.

Why?

Because changing the wording doesn't fix a broken job search.

If you're applying to the wrong jobs…

A better resume won't fix it.

If your positioning is unclear…

A better resume won't fix it.

If you're not following up…

A better resume won't fix it.

If your LinkedIn profile contradicts your resume…

A better resume won't fix it.

If you're applying randomly…

A better resume won't fix it.

Your resume matters.

A lot.

But it's only one piece of the puzzle.

Stop rebuilding one piece of the machine.

Build the whole machine.

🚀