Less is More

This job market is ROUGH! That’s the message everyone is sharing right now. People are sending out hundreds of job applications in hopes of getting less than a dozen responses and maybe a few interviews. Some even seem to share their numbers as a badge of honor. “Look how hard I’M trying!” (Sorry, but all you’re doing is making others even more depressed.)

When you’re doing that much applying, if you want to align your resume and cover letter even slightly with each position, it makes sense that you need to use AI.

But here’s the thing…something written by AI can only make you blend into the crowd because what it creates is drawn directly from that very same crowd.

I co-teach a science communication course for the University of Arizona and we ask students to complete a quick application form. One question asks why they want to apply to be part of the project. We only ask for 1 to 2 paragraphs. But I can nearly always tell when students used generative AI to write their answer.

It sounds hollow. It feels like they’re trying to say what they think I want to hear by regurgitating my own words in the form of my project description back at me. It feels gross and it makes me question whether I want them on this team.

That’s why I take my career coaching clients through something I call the VAST Technique_©. This stands for Verb, Adjective Strategic Translation.

There are two parts. 

1. We think like an ATS (applicant tracking system) program. This is the computer program employers use to do the first round of screening applicants. We analyze the verbs in the job description, even throwing in some statistics terms from back in middle school (remember finding the mode of a number set?) Then, we strategically place the most important applicable verbs in your resume.

2. We then refocus with a human eye, looking at the adjectives in the job description and elsewhere on a potential employer’s website to connect through the ancient art of storytelling. We follow the journalist’s mantra of “show, don’t tell” with rich details.

The Renaissance Woman Approach

It’s through this approach, combining science and art, that we acknowledge the unique reality of today’s job market. We recognize the necessity to make it past the unfeeling technology designed to chop the pool down to a more manageable size. And we simultaneously embrace the fact that, in the end, this is a human (or humans) hiring another human to join them in their space.

Next month, I’m going to try an experiment inspired by my own career coach and I’d love to have you join me. I will be offering a free 40-minute masterclass on how to start using the VAST Technique. It will be a quick introduction to translating your own experience in a human way. I’m still figuring out the date and time, but if you’d like to stay updated, sign up here.

Yes, it will be more time intensive than having AI write something for you. But for the positions you really care about, it’s worth it. The time spent will help you get through the computerized culling process and make you stand out when your materials reach human eyes and minds.

When everyone else zigs (relies increasingly on AI), I encourage you to zag (tell your unique story).

Resource Roundup

I’ve decided to mix things up in this section of my newsletter and share a variety of types of resources.

• I was interviewed for the podcast Job Search for High-Performing Misfits hosted by Melissa Vining (my episode is hopefully coming out next month and I can’t wait to share it!) In the meantime, check out Melissa’s latest episode, Maximizing Your Strengths with Colleen DelVecchio. There’s some great ideas that align with what I discuss regularly in my newsletter.

• Looking for folks to follow on LinkedIn who regularly post job opportunities? Check out the list at the bottom of my newsletters from November 29, 2024 to January 16, 2025.

• Struggling after being laid off? Listen to the podcast, Proxy with Yowei Shaw. Yowei is the former host of the NPR podcast Invisibilia but was laid off in 2023. She started Proxy as a way of trying to understand why she felt so terrible. She began this new podcast with “The Layoff Trilogy”. This series does an amazing job of combining research and storytelling as it address a devastating situation with compassion and generous helpings of humor. This is a must-listen resource if you’ve been laid off or if someone you care about has been.

Hi! I’m Sara Kobilka, owner of Renaissance Woman Consulting.

I am a Renaissance Woman (what’s THAT? Good question! Here’s my answer). My wide-ranging background includes time as a TV meteorologist/reporter, non-profit leader, higher education program coordinator, curriculum designer, and now, business owner. During each leg of this journey, I gained new skills that I was able take with me in my next step. Now, I work remotely with clients to help them confidently tell their story and navigate the transition to the next leg of their career journey.

Take the Next Step

• Follow me on LinkedIn where I actively cross-pollinate impactful ideas across industries and disciplines (and regularly share job opportunities I come across)

• Check out my one-on-one career coaching program and work through my VAST Technique

• Purchase my workshop Building Community with LinkedIn

• Participate in one of my LinkedIn Sprints (August is for educators of all kinds)

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