Job Search Triage
Quick Tips for SacJobs Career Fair Attendees
Small steps create big movement.
Choose what’s blocking traction today and take the first step.
Job Search Challenge #1:
Unclear on the Roles I’m Targeting
Feeling unsure about what roles to pursue is common, especially if you have a broad background, strong transferable skills, or multiple interests.
With clarity on roles you’re targeting, other actions in your job search tend to get much easier: resumes feel focused, LinkedIn clearly conveys your direction and strong fit, networking conversations feel streamlined, and preparation for interviews becomes far more straightforward.
Clarity here isn’t about locking yourself into one job forever. It’s about choosing a clear direction at this point, so your job search has intentionality, focus, and momentum, and you feel more confident.
A Role Clarity Tune-Up
1) Answer these 5 questions to surface rough target ideas:
What are you good at doing? (List both hard skills + soft skills.)
What are you qualified to do? (Credentials, titles, industries, work experience, and years of experience.)
What do you actually enjoy doing? (Activities you’d be happy doing most weeks and that you would be happy to face on any given Monday morning.)
Where do you want to work geographically?
What are your salary requirements?
Quick match check: Circle what overlaps between (1) what you’re good at, (2) what you’re qualified for, and (3) what you enjoy. That overlap is your best starting point.
2) If nothing is jumping out, research to generate options.
Use what you wrote above as keywords and conduct some exploration:
Search job boards/LinkedIn with skills + activities you enjoy (use AND / OR / NOT, quotes, parentheses).
Save up to 8-10 roles that repeat and look aligned.
Read 2–3 job descriptions for each and note: what you’d actually be doing, required skills, geographical match, and typical salary range.
One of the best ways to narrow if your list is still too long is to have one 10–15 minute conversation with someone in or adjacent to the role.
3) Once you’ve narrowed to 1–3 roles, write your target role statement.
Use this as your job-search compass (resume, LinkedIn, networking, interview prep):
“I’m seeking a position as a [target role or job family] in the [general geographical location, in the [industry] (optional), with an expected income of [$ range].”
Example:
“I’m seeking a position as a Customer Success Manager in the greater Sacramento area in the tech industry with an expected income of $65,000 to $80,000.”
Clarifying your target role and goal statement creates clarity and intention, which will streamline the rest of your job search activities.
Download: Target Role Clarity Guide
A deeper-dive guide to help you:
identify patterns from your strengths and experiences
narrow from many options to 1–2 role targets
write clear target role statements you can use across your job search
Job Search Challenge #2:
Applying, But Not Getting Interviews
If you’re applying to roles that should be a fit but aren’t hearing back, it’s rarely about your qualifications. More often, it’s a resume visibility issue.
Quick Resume Visibility Checks
Can a recruiter see your fit in 10 seconds or less?
Look at only the top third of page one of your resume. In 10 seconds, can someone tell:
—the exact role you’re targeting,
—3-5 relevant strengths/skills, and
—one proof point (a number or result)?
If not, your resume may be getting skipped - even when you’re qualified.
Does your resume clearly match the role you’re applying for?
Tailor your resume to each application. Most companies use an ATS (applicant tracking system) to read and filter applications for fit, and recruiters scan fast. Your resume needs to “speak the same language” as the job description.
Along these lines, make sure your target role is obvious near the top. If your title/headline reads generic or doesn’t match the role you’re applying for, recruiters may assume you’re not aligned.
Keep it clean and easy to scan: clear section headings, simple formatting, and readable spacing. If it feels crowded or hard to skim, key details get missed. Often times, concision drives impact. Also, avoid special formatting so that ATS programs can read and parse your resume cleanly.
Is your resume easy to skim fast?
Download: Impact & Metrics Finder Worksheet
Most resumes are light on measurable results and this is a critical element to standing out and creating more visibility. This one-page worksheet helps you quickly pull proof points you can quantify, so your experience reads outcome-first.
Want to increase impact and
visibility fast?
Getting in front of recruiters and hiring managers in today’s job search is crucial. Keep attending job fairs! But when it comes to online applications, your resume often has to pass screening systems, including new AI algorithms, and stand out in a quick human scan.
Book a Resume Visibility Audit to receive a 1-page action plan with clear recommendations to align your resume to your target role, strengthen your summary and top bullets, and adopt an ATS-friendly format, all optimized for the latest screening tools. Make your value clear in 10 seconds, without a full rewrite.
Job Search Challenge #3:
Recruiters Aren’t Finding Me
LinkedIn is one key place recruiters and hiring managers look to find candidates first - sometimes before they ever see a resume. When they land on your profile, they scan quickly for these things: target role clarity, relevant skills and experience, and proof of impact.
The goal here is simple: make your value easy to find and easy to understand - fast.
Quick LinkedIn Visibility Checks
Before updating content, confirm your visibility settings, location, and “Open to Work” preferences match the level of privacy you want—and support recruiter search.
1) Are you searchable?
2) Is your target role obvious at a glance?
If a recruiter can’t tell what role you’re targeting in the first few seconds, they may move on - even when you’re qualified.
3) Does your profile look current and professional?
Use a recent, clear headshot (shoulders-up, good lighting). Swap the default banner for something simple and aligned with your industry.
Make sure the skills you want to be known for show up naturally across your profile, not just in one section.
4) Are your skills easy to spot?
5) Do you show proof (not just responsibilities)?
Recruiters look for outcomes: scope, numbers, and results. If the bullet points in your experience section read like a task list, it’s harder to trust your impact.
Download: Recommendations and Credibility Builder
Use this one-page worksheet to help you request 2–3 LinkedIn recommendations
(manager, peer, cross-functional partner—and direct report, as applicable) and strengthen credibility fast.
Want customized strategies for updating
the top 3 critical areas of your LinkedIn profile?
As AI reshapes how recruiters search and how candidates get discovered, your profile needs to send clearer evidence that you’re a match fast. With LinkedIn rolling out AI-powered search, the right keywords still matter, and now, so does context.
Book a LinkedIn Visibility Tune-Up (30 minutes) and we’ll improve the three highest-impact sections of your profile: your Headline, About, and Experience, built for the latest search practices. Show up more often to recruiters and hiring managers, and read as a clearer fit.
Job Search Challenge #4:
Networking Feels Awkward
A lot of people think networking when in a job search means “asking people for a job.” It doesn’t. More often, networking usually means asking for a short conversation and perspective.
Networking is simply connecting with people you already know and with new people you’re getting to know. It’s staying in touch, sharing what you’re exploring, learning what they’ve been up to, and being open to where the conversation goes.
If networking feels vulnerable or uncomfortable, this distinction matters: Networking is rooted in connection and reciprocity. Yes, you have goals for networking when you’re in a job search. But when it comes to the conversation itself, it’s about the human element of engaging with another person in authentic ways, receiving support and offering it when you can.
Most jobs come from networking, whether it’s with someone on the hiring team, someone you know, or someone in your field who can point you in the right direction. The goal is to make it feel short enough, warm, respectful, and natural. Start with very small steps that build confidence.
A Simple Networking Warm-Up
1) Start at the easiest level. Traction is often gained more quickly by starting with smaller steps. Begin with easy, low-stakes connections (people who already know you and want you to succeed), then move into warm outreach (friends of friends) and career conversations (people you want to learn from) as these initial conversations become easier.
2) Use the following 3-sentence outreach formula to schedule a quick catch up. Use the examples provided as inspiration, changing the language and tone to fit your voice and the nature of the relationship.
Sentence 1 — Reconnect briefly (warm opener). Example: “Hi, Larry. It’s been a while, and I hope things are going well for you.”
Sentence 2 — Share your direction (“I’m exploring…”). Example: “I’m taking a look at [target role] opportunities in the Sacramento area, and I’m focused on teams doing [specialized area].”
Sentence 3 — Extend an invitation (a quick call to catch up). Example: “If you’re open to it, I’d love to schedule a brief chat to catch up. How’s Tuesday at 12:30 or Thursday at 4:00?”
People respond well to ease and clarity.
3) Set simple goals so it feels manageable.
Ease into networking. Start where you are most comfortable and build confidence and momentum from there. If new to networking, you might begin with 2-3 warm emails/texts/LinkedIn messages per week with 1 brief weekly conversation).
In a few weeks, you’ll have the confidence to add more outreach and calls to your weekly plan, before moving into friends-of-friends outreach and career conversations with people you would like to get to know.
If self-doubt creeps in, remember: networking in a job search isn’t asking for a job. It’s a human conversation that compounds over time.
Download: Connection Starter Worksheet
A short worksheet to help you:
choose your “level” (start easy)
write warm outreach messages using the 3-sentence formula
plan a simple 15-minute conversation (with 2 questions)
set a small weekly networking goal
If you’re getting interviews but not landing offers, it can feel confusing, especially when you know you’re qualified.
The common thread for enhanced interviewing is the same as that for an intentional job search: clarity in your strengths, actions, and outcomes - and the ability to communicate that clearly.
This foundation, together with strategic preparation. will help you answer questions more clearly, with more alignment, and with more confidence.
A Simple Interview Prep Refinement
1) Build a small library of SOAR stories (5-6). Use the “SOAR” approach to break down accomplishments so you can clearly identify the actions you took and the results you created. These stories will help you respond to behavioral interview questions that typically begin with, “Tell me about a time you …”
When drafting your SOAR stories, you’re capturing: the situation, the obstacle or challenge you encountered, the actions you chose including the skills/strengths you leveraged, and the measurable results. One SOAR story can typically answer a number of different behavioral interview questions.
2) Practice in a way that builds confidence. The point of practice is confidence before you need it. Choose one simple practice method:
record yourself answering interview questions (phone, Zoom, etc.)
use an online interview prep app such as Yoodli for custom practice
enlist a friend or family member for a mock interview
use AI to serve as an interviewer and prompt it to provide feedback
3) One strategic way to build SOAR stories: Lead with your skills/strengths. Confirm 2-3 relevant skills that make you a great fit for your target role, and pair each with a SOAR story.
Bonus: SOAR stories can be condensed into high-impact resume/LinkedIn bullets and it can be a great tool for stronger positioning.
Download: Interview Prep Worksheet
A short worksheet to help you draft SOAR stories, compress them into interview-ready answers, choose a simple practice method, and capture quick reflections. Your interview responses will be more on-point and you’ll feel more confident.
Interviews Aren’t Converting Into Offers
Job Search Challenge #5:
Job Search Challenge #6:
Feeling Overwhelmed or Inconsistent
One of the hardest parts of a job search isn’t knowing what to do — it’s staying consistent while balancing life, work, emotions, and uncertainty.
When everything feels urgent, it’s easy to either overdo it one week or stall the next. That inconsistency can quietly drain momentum and confidence.
The goal here isn’t perfection or grinding. It’s steady, intentional progress built around a rhythm that actually fits your life.
A Simple Weekly Rhythm for Momentum
1) Anchor your week with a small number of priorities.
Rather than trying to do everything at once, choose a few core activities that move your search forward. This creates focus and reduces decision fatigue.
2) Work in short, realistic blocks.
You don’t need hours every day. Consistency comes from choosing time blocks you can actually protect — even if they’re brief.
3) Separate “thinking” from “doing.”
Planning and execution serve different purposes. When they blur together, overwhelm increases. A simple weekly plan helps you move from intention to action.
4) Build in reflection to reset your starting point.
A short weekly review helps you notice what worked, what didn’t, and where to begin next week — so you’re not starting from scratch every time.
The most effective job search rhythm is one that feels supportive, not punishing — and one you can return to, even after a tough week.
Download: Weekly Job Search Planner
A simple, fillable template to help you:
choose weekly priorities
map realistic time blocks
separate planning from execution
reflect briefly so momentum carries forward
Want additional support?
Whether you’re leaving the career fair energized or still unsure what to do next, you don’t have to work through your search on your own.
I help job seekers create clarity, visibility, and traction with practical, high-impact coaching.
Best next step: Book a quick Clarity Call and we’ll pinpoint your next 2–3 moves and the right service/package for you.
$80 | 30 minutes (credited toward a coaching package if booked within 7 days after the call)
Have a quick question?
Email judy@acclifecoaching.com and I’ll point you in the right direction.
— Judy Young (Gielniak), Career Transition & Leadership Coach
