Reading Between the Lines: Positive Signs After Your Interview

On Today’s Launch

On today's issue of the Launchpad, I’m talking about:

• How to decipher positive interview signals

• A success story

• Dumb interview questions

• Worst job posting of the week

• Results of last week’s poll (would you rather fly or be invisible?)

• Watch out – your company may be watching what you do off the clock

• How to show success on a resume if you have no metrics to speak of

About the Author

I’m James, Cofounder of Final Draft Resumes. I’ve been in the career consulting space for 13 years, and before that, I was a recruiter for AECOM.

I’ve helped thousands of job seekers, from industries like software engineering, IT, sales, marketing, manufacturing, and more generate job opportunities through well-written resumes that translate unique backgrounds into coherent narratives.

If you’re struggling with your resume for whatever reason, reach out - I just might be able to help!

If you’re more of a DIY person, then check out Resumatic, my free-to-try resume builder.

Your digital footprint is worth millions (To your employer)

I came across this Reddit post yesterday that stopped me in my tracks. An IT insider revealed how United Healthcare’s company's DLP (Data Loss Prevention) system monitors everything from credit card numbers to job searches and even religious discussions.

If you recall, United Healthcare’s CEO was killed not too long ago.

Let that sink in for a moment.

As someone who's spent a few years in corporate I wasn't shocked by the monitoring – I was shocked by how few people understand what's really happening with their data.

If you're using company systems, your digital footprint isn't just being watched – it's being monetized.

Think your casual Slack messages disappear into the void? Think again. Every piece of data you generate is being collected, analyzed, and turned into actionable insights worth millions to your employer.

Let me break this down.

Major companies aren't dropping millions on DLP solutions just for security. They're investing in systems that can predict everything from when you're likely to quit to how engaged you are with your work.

Take WorkDay, for instance. It's actually a powerful analytics tool that can track your social media activity if you've connected your accounts.

But here's where it gets interesting: companies aren't just monitoring what you do – they're monitoring what you might do.

Modern DLP systems use predictive analytics to flag "flight risk" employees based on their digital behavior patterns. Visited LinkedIn too many times this week? That gets logged.

And it's not just about job searching. These systems track sentiment in your communications, your interaction patterns, and even your work hours variability.

Want to know what caught my attention in that Reddit post? The mention of tracking "specific phrases" related to current events. That's next-level monitoring.

So what's your data actually worth? Well, when you consider that replacing an employee costs about 0.5-2x their annual salary, your digital footprint becomes incredibly valuable for retention predictions alone.

But here's what you can do about it:

First, assume everything on company devices is monitored. Everything.

Second, keep your personal and professional digital lives separate. Those five minutes of Facebook on your work laptop? Not worth it.

Third, be strategic about your job search. Use personal devices, private browsing, and never connect social accounts to company platforms.

Remember: your employer's right to monitor doesn't override your right to privacy – you just need to be smart about where and how you maintain that privacy.

I'm not saying this to scare you. I'm saying this because knowledge is power, and in 2024's workplace, data privacy is currency.

Want to know the wildest part? This is just the tip of the iceberg. Next week, I'll break down exactly how companies use this data to make decisions about your career – often without you even knowing.

Until then, do yourself a favor: check your WorkDay profile and remove any connected social media accounts. Trust me on this one.

P.S. If this newsletter made you nervous, good. It should. But don't panic – just start being more intentional about your digital footprint. Your future self will thank you.

Measuring success without metrics…

Let's talk about the elephant in the room: how do you prove your worth when there's nothing to count?

I recently got this question from a client who works in a role without clear metrics. No sales targets, no revenue goals, and definitely no easy wins to point to on a resume.

Sound familiar? You're not alone.

Success isn't always about hard numbers. Sometimes it's about the subtle ways you make things better, smoother, or more efficient.

Think about it this way: if you're making people's work lives easier, you're creating value. Period.

For example. If you redesigned your team's onboarding process. No fancy metrics there, but new hires now get up to speed faster, and your team spends less time answering the same questions over and over.

That's success.

So how do you showcase these kinds of wins? Start by thinking about the "before and after" of your work.

Maybe you created a new system that reduced email chaos. Or perhaps you streamlined a process that used to drive everyone crazy. These are achievements worth highlighting.

A good question to ask yourself is this: What would happen if you didn't do your job? That's often where you'll find your value proposition.

Would communication break down? Would processes become more complicated? Would your team waste time on preventable issues?

These questions help identify your impact, even when you can't measure it in dollars and cents.

Let's break it down into something practical. Instead of saying "improved communication," try "implemented weekly sync meetings that eliminated recurring project delays."

See the difference? One is vague, the other shows clear impact.

Here's another example: instead of "helped with onboarding," try "developed comprehensive onboarding guide that reduced new hire questions by streamlining access to essential information."

The key is to focus on outcomes, not just activities. What changed because of your work?

Maybe your documentation prevented common mistakes. Or your relationship-building led to better cross-team collaboration. These are real achievements.

Think about feedback you've received. Has anyone ever said "things are so much better since you started doing X"? That's evidence of your impact.

Remember those emails where someone thanked you for making their job easier? Save them. They're proof of your value.

And don't underestimate the power of process improvements. Sure, you can't always quantify them, but they matter enormously to daily operations.

For instance, creating a clear project handoff process might not sound exciting. But if it prevents work from falling through the cracks, that's a win worth mentioning.

When it comes to your resume or interviews, frame these achievements in terms of problems solved.

• What was the challenge

• What did you do

• What improved as a result?

Even without numbers, you can tell a compelling story about your contributions. Focus on the change you created and why it mattered.

And here's a pro tip: start documenting these wins now. Keep a running list of problems you've solved and processes you've improved. It'll make updating your resume much easier.