How to Use Strengths in a Job Search

I used to bomb interviews. Not because I wasn’t smart enough. Not because I lacked experience. But because I said the WRONG things to the RIGHT questions. Let me explain. I thought saying “I’m a hard worker” or “I just push through” would impress interviewers. I thought “I don’t fail often” made me sound strong. I thought “I don’t know yet” showed humility. It didn’t. It made me sound generic. Forgettable. Like 90% of other candidates. The truth? Interviewing is a skill. And just like any skill, it can be learned—or unlearned. Here’s how I flipped the script and started getting callbacks that turned into offers 👇 🟥 What’s your greatest strength? Old Me: “I’m hardworking.” New Me: “I excel in stakeholder communication, like when I led a cross-functional team through a delayed startup and realigned timelines in under 3 days.” ↳ Strength + Proof = Respect 🟥 What’s your biggest weakness? Old Me: “I work too hard.” New Me: “I used to struggle with delegation. Now I use a priority matrix and coach junior staff weekly to build their independence.” ↳ Vulnerability + Growth = Trust 🟥 Why do you want to work here? Old Me: “It seems like a good company.” New Me: “Your focus on rare disease trials inspires me. I want to apply my experience in patient recruitment to help your team reduce enrollment timelines.” ↳ Research + Relevance = Impact 🟥 Tell me about a time you failed. Old Me: “I don’t fail often.” New Me: “During a protocol deviation audit, I overlooked a report deadline. I owned it, revamped our tracking system, and cut repeat errors by 40%.” ↳ Accountability = Leadership Most people bomb interviews not because they’re unqualified… But because they’re unprepared to sell their story. This image 🔗 (save it) shows the exact pivot I coach people on daily. If you’re tired of getting ghosted after interviews… Stop rehearsing cliches. Start preparing impact stories that prove you’re the solution. Follow Rudy Malle for real talk on interviews, job search strategy, and breaking into clinical research with confidence. Thank you Justin Mecham for putting this together. I don’t teach “what to say”—I teach how to mean it. #jobsearchstrategy #interviewtips #clinicalresearchcareers #careercoaching #landthejob

Next time you're feeling stuck in your job search with zero interviews, try THIS resume strategy. Ask yourself these deep-dive questions: 1. What do you do better than anyone else? 2. What are you known for no matter where you work? 3. What do others come to you for? Finding these themes across your career reveals your signature strengths—the exact qualities hiring managers are searching for. This strategy transformed my client Kathryn's job search. As a global communications executive who worked 18-hour days and built departments from scratch, she thought her experience would speak for itself. But after four weeks using a template resume, she had zero interviews. When we dug deeper using these questions, we discovered her unique strengths and competitive advantages that weren't coming through on her resume. We restructured her resume to highlight these differentiators and showcase her accomplishments using the C.A.R. format (Challenge, Action, Result). The result? Five interviews with top Silicon Valley companies, including Amazon and Facebook. She accepted a VP role at Amazon within 30 days and was promoted again just eight months later. Your experience alone isn't enough—you need to communicate what makes you uniquely valuable. What patterns do you see across your career? What are your signature strengths? Those are your differentiators! If you're nodding along because you know you bring more to the table than your resume shows, I'd love to help you 1:1. Message me to discuss your executive resume. #LinkedInTopVoices #Resumes #Careers #PersonalBranding

Client Win: 2x Promotion and 2x Salary Increase in 4 Months! My client went from a Manager to a Director-level role and doubled her salary. She transitioned from a hybrid role to an all-remote position and moved from a male-led company to a women-led organization. This shift aligned perfectly with her professional and personal values. She is a total badass and worked hard to make it happen! When we started working together, she already had a great resume, LinkedIn profile, and relevant experience but couldn't get past the 2nd or 3rd round of interviews. She was also applying to roles cold via job boards and working with recruiters to speed up the process of leaving her current role, but it wasn't yielding results or aligning with her values. Let's break down what she did to turn it around: ➡ Intensive Interview Prep: Since she was getting stuck in interviews and not making it to the final rounds or receiving the offers she wanted, we focused heavily on interview preparation using my interview prep and audit strategies. She practiced rigorously, reflected on past interviews, and continuously improved her responses. ➡ Maximizing Strengths: We identified her strength in conducting thorough research. She leveraged this strength to prepare extensively for interviews, showcasing her value and aligning her experience with company needs. ➡ Effective Networking: Instead of applying for roles she wasn't fully excited about or having recruiters send her in for roles she wasn't passionate about, we developed a targeted networking strategy. She identified her top companies, reached out with curiosity, and initiated conversations. This proactive approach led her to a meeting with a CEO for a role that hadn’t even been posted yet. ➡ Persistence and Adaptability: When the process became tough and frustrating, she continued to adapt. Despite setbacks, she adjusted her strategies as needed. In the end, she secured a role that offered a 2x promotion and doubled her salary. Now, I get to coach her as she steps into her new leadership position, reporting directly to the CEO of her new company. She is beginning to map out processes, and systems, and define her version of leadership. She is a testament to the power of persistence, strategic networking, and self-belief. #careergoals #careercoaching #careerdevelopment