Most people leave this too late.

They wait until things feel urgent.

Then they update résumés.

Apply harder.

Hope something clicks.

But effort isn’t usually the problem.

Signal is.

I saw this clearly with Lance.

He was laid off unexpectedly and wasn’t getting interviews. On the surface, it looked like a volume issue or a timing issue. It wasn’t. What he was putting out there didn’t give hiring managers a clear read on who he was or where he fit.

Once he slowed down and cleaned that up, the response changed.

Within about a month, a recruiter reached out. An interview followed. Then an offer. The role landed because his experience finally told one coherent story instead of competing ones.

Nothing about that required working harder.

It required removing noise.

That’s what we fix first.

Before more applications.

Before more outreach.

Before more second-guessing.

If this feels familiar and you want to talk through it, DM OBVIOUS HIRE.

Don’t wait until January to realise you should’ve done this in December.