By Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter
Your career today is often about solving complex problems, driving measurable impact, and being fluent in relevant technology. Your resume needs to be a dynamic summary of your value.
Context is King, but Keywords are Queen
Job Titles vs. Company Context: You still need to give context. Instead of just your department, focus on the scope and scale of your work. Were you on a global team? Did you manage a cross-functional initiative?
The Keyword Game: Every modern resume is filtered by an Applicant Tracking System (ATS).
Action: Ensure the skills, technologies, and jargon from the job description are mirrored in your resume (e.g., Agile, Python, Salesforce CRM, Data Visualization).
Tip: If you’re a recent graduate or making a career change, use a Skills Summary section at the top to highlight these keywords immediately.
The Project Pitch: From Problem to Impact
The core idea of showcasing projects remains essential, but the presentation needs to be instantly digestible, especially for recruiters who spend mere seconds on the first pass.
Use the STAR/CAR Method (or a variation) to structure your bullet points, but make the impact the opener:
The Formula: [Bold Metric/Result] + [Action Taken] + [Context/Challenge]
The Old Way: Spearheaded project to integrate new finance software.
The Modern Way (Impact First): Reduced quarterly reporting time by 40% (20 hours) by designing and implementing a cloud-based integration layer between SAP and PowerBI.
Metrics Matter More: Express outcomes not just as saved or earned, but also as efficiency gains (time saved, processes automated) and user/customer impact (NPS increase, error rate reduction). Quantify everything possible.
The Modern Interview: It’s a Conversation, Not an Interrogation
The interview process has expanded to include video calls, technical assessments, and complex behavioral questions. Preparation is key to a flowing conversation.
Master Your Stories, Not Just Your Resume
The advice to “learn your resume” is spot-on, but you need to go further.
Develop a “Story Bank”: For every major project or challenge on your resume, prepare a concise, detailed answer that hits the key points (Challenge, Action, Result).
Focus on the “Why”: Be ready to discuss the decisions you made. Why did you choose that technology? Why did you involve those team members? This demonstrates critical thinking and judgment.
Being Concise is a Superpower
The forty-five-second rule is excellent, but for today, think in terms of the “Two-Minute Deep Dive.”
The Short Answer (The Hook – 30-45 seconds): Start with the high-level impact and your main actions. Stop and check for engagement. “Would you like me to walk you through the technical steps we took, or should I move on to the project’s long-term implications?”
The Deep Dive (The Detail – Up to 2 minutes): Only proceed with the full technical/process details if prompted. Always be ready to stop and pivot.
The Whiteboard and The Screen
In-Person: A whiteboard presentation is still a powerful move, but re-frame it. It’s often a Design or System Architecture challenge now. Only offer it if you are prepared to fluently solve a hypothetical problem on the spot—a good litmus test is “Can I draw and explain this system in less than 5 minutes?”
Virtual: For remote interviews, be ready to screen-share a simple document, mind map, or flow chart to explain a complex process or system. Test your setup beforehand.
Finding The Hiring Manager’s Pain Point
The best interviewers hire people who will make their life easier, which means solving the biggest problems on their plate.
The Problem-Solving Question
Your modernized version of the old question is perfect for today, but try to ask it in a way that shows you’re already thinking about the job’s core challenges:
“Looking 12 months out, if I’ve been tremendously successful in this role, what is the single biggest, most complex problem I would have solved for the team, and what measurable impact would that have had on the business?”
Modern Recovery and Reflection
The advice to use breaks for a mental reset is brilliant and still highly effective.
Digital Reflection: If you have back-to-back virtual interviews, take the 5-minute break to quickly jot down two things you think you nailed and one thing you need to clarify or fix in the next session. This focused reflection is more valuable than trying to replay the whole interview.
The “Loop Back”: If you realize you missed a key point in a prior interview, you can start the next one by saying, “Before we jump in, I was thinking about my conversation with [Interviewer’s Name] and realized I could offer a more precise detail on the [X Project]. May I take 30 seconds to clarify that?” This shows self-awareness and attention to detail.
Ⓒ The Big Game Hunter, Inc., Asheville, NC 2025
ABOUT JEFF ALTMAN, THE BIG GAME HUNTER
People hire Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter to provide No BS job search coaching and career advice globally because he makes job search and succeeding in your career easier.
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You will find great info and job search coaching to help with your job search at JobSearch.Community
Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/TheBigGameHunter
Schedule a discovery call to speak with me about one-on-one or group coaching during your job search at www.TheBigGameHunter.us.
Should I Connect With People on LinkedIn Who Rejected Me for a Job?
He is the producer and former host of “No BS Job Search Advice Radio,” the #1 podcast in iTunes for job search with over 3000 episodes over 14+ years.
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