Resistance is data, often mused about as failure or fault.
You’re not failing your career search. Your search is failing you.
If you’re frustrated and confused after sending 50+ applications or networking with no success, stop blaming your resume, AI, ATSs, age, skill set, or broken recruitment. The problem isn’t your past experience; it’s your current process.
Most mid-career professionals get trapped in
The Status Quo Search Cycle:
1. See or hear about an Open Role: Excitement spikes.
2. Tweak Resume: You spend hours changing keywords (for the ATS).
3. Apply & Wait: The Black Hole of Silence swallows your application.
4. Feel Defeated: Confusion, burnout, and resistance set in.
This is the cycle of Outside-In searching. You’re letting the job boards dictate your value, instead of starting with your own.
The Shift: From Frustration to “Inklings”
The secret to breaking this cycle and ending the confusion is to listen to your Resistance Data—that feeling of being stuck is data that tells you where your values and the role are misaligned.
The “Inklings” Rule for Clarity (Do this for your next 3 applications):
Step 1: Stop Searching. Start Defining. Before you look at any listing, spend 30 minutes defining the feeling of the role you want. (Is it autonomy? Impact? Creativity?) This is your Inking.
Step 2: Use the Job Description as Data. Don’t try to fit your experience to their words. Use their words to see if they align with your “Inking.” If the alignment is less than 80%, delete and move on.
Step 3: Lead with the Human. Instead of the online application, find one person at the target company (Hiring Manager or former alumni) and send a 3-sentence message referencing your Inking (e.g., “I’m looking for a role with high strategic impact in the FinTech space…”) to open a conversation.
You don’t need a new resume. You need a new lens.
If you’re tired of being confused and ready to turn those inklings into a tangible opportunity, book a call or DM me on LinkedIn. Let’s look at your Resistance Data and build a path forward that actually works.
