Meeting Notes - Details

2026-03-04 @ 3:00-4:30pm
Seattle Library - Northeast Branch: 6801 35th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98115

Attendees & Introductions - who you are, what you were doing, what you’re looking for…  

• 8 attendees (largest meeting to date!)

  • Mark, Sharon, Tyler, Heather, Stuart, Shelli, Jon Michel, and Kelly.
    - Each person introduced themselves, as some hadn’t met.
    - Stuart provided an update on how his most recent job interview went.
    - Led to a short discussion on how it’s tough to know what to expect with each interview.

  • 2/25 meeting recap: Reminder that Wendy Hellar is taking resumes for her recruiting agency.

Deep Dive with Stuart Olson

• Stuart shared how he’s approaching the job search process and shared his:

  • Job Search Plan - link to an example

    • Very good and detailed set of steps to follow

    • He’s using AI for multiple job search activities

  • Resume

    • Thoughts from the group were positive

    • Led to a couple questions (listing skills / competencies? and the “6-second reviews” from recruiters?)
      See below for what we talked about.

  • LinkedIn profile

    • Stuart said he wants to do a more unique header image. What he has is good, but it’s helpful to have something that stands out.

    • We discussed LinkedIn posts. How we’re hearing you need to post to get seen, and how we are all seeing a lot of people posting “thoughts” on the job search, AI, marketing, etc.
      Stuart has some good posts highlighting what he knows.

  • Portfolio - he did a quick share of work he’s highlighting

Notes summarizing our discussions …

• Professional Branding & LinkedIn Conversation 

  • Specialization: Focus on creating a "super-specific" specialization for LinkedIn titles to improve niche targeting.

  • Content Strategy: For senior leadership, the primary goal is building thought leadership through likes and followers.

  • Linkedin Posting: mentioned above.

  • Visuals: Standard LinkedIn visuals often underperform; experiment with vertical images instead.

  • Engagement: Case studies are highly effective. While "emotional words" increase readability, there is an ongoing debate regarding the balance of

  • Emotion vs. Storytelling and how to best demonstrate value.

• Resume Optimization & ATS

  • The "6-Second Rule:" [from Google AI answer] Using eye-tracking, Recruiters scan in an "F" shape, checking for job titles, company names, employment dates, and educational credentials.
    - To pass, ensure your resume highlights relevant skills, includes keywords, and uses clear, formatted, and concise language to immediately demonstrate value. Resumes must be designed for instant pattern recognition to pass a human's 6-second initial glance. F pattern. 

    • Key Areas of Focus (6-Second Scan):

      • Current/Last Job Title & Company: Instant verification of role relevance and industry experience.

      • Dates of Employment: Scanned for career progression, duration, and potential gaps.

      • Education: Quick check for required degrees or certifications.

      • Top Third of Resume: This area is crucial, acting as a "hook" to prove your suitability for the role. 

    • How to Make the 6 Seconds Count:

      • Tailor for Keywords: Align your skills and terminology with the job description to pass both manual and automated scans.

      • Use Clear Formatting: Use headers, bullet points, and a clean layout to ensure readability.

      • Focus on Accomplishments: Use bullet points that quantify achievements, not just list duties.

      • Be Concise: Avoid fluff and ensure the most relevant information is at the top.

  • Strategic Bolding: Bolding does not affect ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) but is critical for getting a human recruiter's attention once you pass the auto-screen.

  • Title Matching: A useful tactic is putting the specific job title on the resume if at least 50% of the experience matches the role.

  • Internal Databases: Recruiters look at their internal database first. (Action: Wendy is adding Stuart’s resume to the database).

• Job Search as Marketing

  • Methodology: Treat the job search like a marketing plan.

  • Targeting: Create a target list of companies and leverage locations/roles where you have the most existing connections.

• Stuart’s Specific Updates

  • Passion Project: Successfully launched a project using Claude Code.

  • Interview Prep: Heather has a specific "takeaway story" to use during the "Tell me about yourself" portion of interviews (breath work project, built an app) 

  • Observation: Noticed a wide variety of different interview strategies being employed by companies, hard to tell what kind of personality we will encounter.

Next Steps & Action Items

• Next Meeting: March 11th @ 10am, a 1/2-hr earlier than ‘normal.’

  • Another Deep Dive

  • What companies are people targeting? (so we can figure out if other members have connections to make introductions)

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