In this live “apply with me” workshop, I teamed up with Lindsey Mattinson (a resume/LinkedIn/interview coach who does this full-time) to walk through what it actually looks like to find real instructional design jobs and apply strategically. My original plan was to just screen-share and search LinkedIn together, but Lindsey brought deep, practical resume insights—especially around readability (recruiters skim fast), ATS-friendly formatting, and how to make your experience look like the job you want (even if you haven’t held an official “instructional designer” title yet). We broke down what to look for in job postings, how to identify core competencies/keywords, and how to tailor your resume without turning it into a total time sink. Lindsey showed a clean resume structure: strong summary up top, a fluid “core competencies” section that changes based on the job description, and bullet achievements that lead with outcomes. We also talked about what to do when you don’t have metrics—using conservative estimates, focusing on scope (audience size, assets delivered, channels), and even asking ChatGPT for KPI ideas. Finally, we zoomed out to job search strategy: don’t just spray applications. Target 15–20 companies, apply to 1–2 high-quality roles per day, optimize LinkedIn (headline, banner, call-to-action to your portfolio), and follow up with recruiters/hiring managers within 24 hours while also building visibility through networking and engagement.