Weekly job search strategy, data-driven reality checks, must-have skills, and the kind of advice you text your friend at 11pm. Let’s go.

This week I had multiple conversations with leaders who are wildly qualified.

They’re applying.
They’re networking.
They’re tailoring.

And still… slow traction.

Here’s the pattern I’m seeing:

They have good materials.
But they don’t have portable assets.

At the senior level, it’s not enough to be impressive on paper.
Your story has to travel.

Because here’s how these roles actually move:

A recruiter forwards your name.
A peer sends your LinkedIn to a CEO.
A board member asks, “Do we know someone who can…?”
Your résumé gets attached to an email before you ever know the role exists.

If your story takes effort to understand, it won’t get carried.

Stop optimizing only for applications. Start optimizing for being passed around.

You need:

If someone had to introduce you in a meeting tomorrow, could they?

If not, your materials are working too hard.

Clarity is what gets you discussed.

Open your résumé.

Now ask yourself:

If this were forwarded to a CEO with no explanation, would they instantly know:

If the answer isn’t obvious in 10 seconds, tighten the top third of your résumé.

Your summary should do heavy lifting. Not warm-up laps.

Try this:

Ask a trusted colleague,
“If you had to introduce me for a senior role, what would you say?”

If they hesitate or ramble, your positioning isn’t sharp enough.

Senior hiring rewards clarity.

Not flexibility.
Not volume.
Not effort.

Clean messages win.

If your story requires explanation, it will stall.

Make it easy for someone to say,
“Talk to her.”

Hit reply and tell me:

I’ll tell you what I’d build first.

Thanks for reading!

Kate Wade, Get Her Hired

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