From Unemployed for 6 Months to a Job Offer in 2 Weeks: The Importance of How You're Telling Your Story

How Negative Bias and Adjective Overload Are Holding You Back in the Job Search (And How to Fix It)

It’s no secret that the job market is rougher than ever right now. Articles in recent months have claimed that the tech industry is in a “white-collar recession.”

Hundreds of candidates are applying to jobs on the first day a posting goes live, and competition is fiercer than ever due to ongoing layoffs, financial uncertainty, and the increasing influence of AI in hiring processes.

This was the case for a friend and client of mine (I’ll call her Tina to protect her privacy). Read on to learn how I helped her adjust her job search approach to go from unemployed to getting a job offer.

Tina’s Story: From Unemployed & Stalled Interviews to a Job Offer in Two Weeks

Tina was a highly qualified business development leader with a history of building partnerships with top healthcare companies. We worked together 8 years ago and she was one of the founding members of our partnerships team.

Early on in her career, she worked for an emerging genetics company where she had been promoted four times, moving from Account Manager to Senior Director of Business Development reporting to the CEO.

But during this recent economic downturn, after being laid off, she hit a frustrating wall. She had made it to five final-round interviews—yet she still hadn’t received a single offer.

She was feeling dejected, stuck, and questioning what she was doing wrong or whether she was really as good at her job as she thought she was.

When Tina approached me, she couldn’t figure out why she wasn’t making it to the offer stage. On paper, she looked like an ideal candidate. But something wasn’t clicking.

Problem # 1: Negative Bias

When we dug into it, the issue became clear: Tina was underselling herself.

But not in the way most people think.

When she talked about her nine-year run at a startup, where she went from Account Manager to Senior Director of Business Analytics reporting directly to the CEO, she’d casually say:

"It was kind of like getting my MBA."

No. It wasn’t.

Because let’s be real—very few people who just get an MBA are promoted four times. Very few MBA grads go from managing accounts to leading strategy at the highest levels of a company.

But Tina didn’t see it that way.

This is something I see all the time. People downplay their accomplishments because they don’t feel as impressive as they actually are. And the way they describe their experiences reflects that internal bias.

When Tina spoke about her career, she framed it as a learning experience, rather than positioning herself as a leader who had driven real business impact.

The result? Her resume and interview answers weren’t landing the way they should. She was making it to final rounds, but she wasn’t converting offers.

Why? Because hiring managers weren’t hearing about her value—they were hearing a story about someone who "learned a lot," not a leader who built and scaled a business function that contributed to a $700M exit.

Problem # 2: Adjective Overload

Tina was also using too many adjectives and not enough proof.

When she described her career in the executive summary of her resume, it read:

Versatile, authentic, dynamic, and mission-centric complex problem-solver with solid experience building internal/external strategic partnerships and growing/managing business relationships.

Proficient in all aspects of customer success, including coaching and team building, customer advocacy, strategic thinking and data-driven decision making, and cross-functional collaboration.

True bi-directional ambassador who is hard-wired to take responsibility, think like a business owner, and serve as a trusted advisor to business units and executive leaders.

Strong, consistent communicator up, down, and across organizations.

Here’s the problem: none of these phrases actually tell hiring managers anything.

This is what I call adjective overload—when people try to impress with buzzwords instead of substance.

Hiring managers don’t read these words and think, “Wow, what a leader.” They think:

"Pass… does this person speak like this? Is this what I can expect from them in how they communicate their vision and ideas? What does that paragraph actually mean?"

This mistake sets job seekers up to fail because it forces hiring teams to do the mental work of figuring out what problems you solve, what value you bring, and what differentiates you from other candidates. And in a highly competitive market, no one is going to spend the additional time to try and figure out the answer to all of these questions.

You’ve created too much work for your audience and created a poor user experience.

Why Language Shapes Perception

The way you describe yourself shapes how hiring managers see you.

There’s a psychological concept called social expectancy effects, which shows that people respond to you based on the cues you give them.

This was demonstrated in a 1977 study by Mark Snyder, Elizabeth Tanke, and Ellen Berscheid.

In the study, male college students were told they were about to have a phone conversation with a female student. Before the call, they were each given a photograph of the woman they’d be speaking to—but here’s the twist: the photographs were fake.

Some of the men were given a picture of a woman who had been rated as highly attractive. Others were given a picture of a woman who had been rated as less attractive.

Even though the actual woman on the phone had no idea what photo the man had seen, the expectation of attractiveness changed how the men spoke to her.

The men who believed they were speaking to an attractive woman were more engaged, warm, and positive in their tone.

And here’s where it gets really interesting: the woman on the other end—who had no idea about the photos—subconsciously responded in a warmer, friendlier way.

In other words, the way she was perceived before the conversation even started shaped how the conversation unfolded.

The same thing happens in job interviews.

If you present your experience with credibility, articulate the problems you solve with clarity, and the value proposition you bring to an organization, hiring teams will more likely spend the time to learn more about you and say yes to the interview.

If you present yourself gaming for an AI bot filled with keywords but no context, you will be immediately passed over.

This is exactly what was happening to Tina.

She framed her experience gaming for the applicant tracking system and not the CEO who she would be interviewing with, unintentionally dumbing down the impact of her work.

How We Fixed It: Flipping the Narrative & Bringing It to Life

When we sat down to rewrite her resume and personal pitch, I had her create a powerful statement about her experience, her unique abilities, organizations that she partnered with, and the revenue she generated as a business development exec.

Instead of saying:

"Versatile, authentic, and dynamic leader with expertise in customer success, strategic partnerships, and team development."

We rewrote her summary into something concrete:

"I’ve been a Business Development Executive at three high-growth technology-driven healthcare companies, including Roche, Alto Pharma, and Teladoc.

I bring a unique ability, combining my expertise in analytics, growth marketing, and product development, to build true win-win partnerships with large organizations (e.g., Apex Health Solutions, Veridian Medical Group, Horizon Life Sciences, Crestview Health Partners, and Summit Biotech), lead successful business development teams that drive millions of dollars in revenue, and improve the operational infrastructure within companies."

But we didn’t stop there.

We built a visually compelling deck that showcased Tina’s experience in a way that hiring managers couldn’t ignore.

Instead of just hoping that interviewers would "get it," we designed a clear, narrative-driven presentation that walked them through her journey, key wins, and impact.

When Tina went into her next interview, something remarkable happened.

As she walked into the office, she noticed that everyone in the room had her deck pulled up on their computer screens.

The conversation immediately changed. Instead of grilling her with skeptical questions, they treated her like a high-level executive and it completely changed the interview experience.

The narrative had already been set before she even said a word.

By the time she walked out, she knew the entire dynamic of the interview process had shifted.

Two weeks later, she had an offer.

What This Means for You

If you’ve been struggling in your job search, I challenge you to take a hard look at how you’re describing yourself.

Ask yourself:

❌ Are you using buzzwords instead of proof?

❌ Are you listing adjectives without backing them up?

❌ Are you downplaying your impact with vague descriptions?

Because here’s the truth:

✅ Hiring teams don’t want to hear about your leadership skills without context—they want to see them in action.

✅ If you sound like a leader, you will be treated like one.

✅ And if you bring your story to life with the right materials, you change how people see you before you even speak.

Want help making sure you’re positioning yourself the right way?

If the answer is yes, it’s time to flip the narrative. You don’t need more adjectives—you need a clearer, stronger inspiring story that truly reflects the value you bring.

Because let’s be honest—your success isn’t just “like getting an MBA.” It’s a hell of a lot more than that.

Stay Connected

Here are a few ways I can help you:

• Free tips on navigating career transitions and succeeding on your career path in my biweekly newsletter (subscribe here)

  
  

• The Ultimate Resume Playbook for Job-Seekers, a 30+ page digital guide filled with exercises to define your unique career story and articulate your value, a premium resume template, LinkedIn networking tips, and more

  
  

• 1:1 and group coaching for job-seekers through my executive brand suite

  
  

• 1:1 offer advisory to help you negotiate one or multiple job offers

  
  

• Leadership development coaching to help you thrive as a leader, elevate your executive presence, and ace that next promotion

You can learn more about all of my services or contact me if you have any questions.

Thanks for reading!