I arrived feeling like an outsider.
I spent years trying to fit in.
Only to find success by doing the opposite - standing out
"I believe in helping those who refuse to be held back by their accent, background, or anything others see as a disadvantage.
This is for you: the dreamers, the fighters, the ones who push forward every day in this country."
— Joanna Zhou
Get to Know Joanna Zhou
the voice behind the words
"Man, that hurt."
Born and raised in China. Life dropped me in the U.S. in my 30s.
A full year of job searching
- I spent the full year 2014 looking for jobs.
- My master degree and 5 years of experience meant nothing here.
- Three bad offers. All steps backward.
- I took one just to end the hell.
What I learned - US job search is NOT about what you know. It's about whether OTHERS CAN SEE what you know.
"Overnight, I lost the skills I was proud of"
The moment I arrived at the Chicago airport, I instantly lost my used-to-proud communication skills – from reading people to choosing which word to use, and the worse of all – my confidence. As a HR on the frontline, it felt like my mouth was sealed.
Learning to speak up again
Sad fact –
Many immigrants were great communicators back home.
Customer-facing roles, sales, marketing. Then they arrived
in the U.S. and their mouths were sealed, just like mine.
That's when I became an "unbeatable" job seeker
Years of recruiting taught me what employers want to hear and see. My regained communication skills taught me how to deliver it. I combined both and tested it on myself. It worked.
85% interview success rate achieved
- My resume was so good that hiring mangers wanted to see me even when they weren't hiring
- My fastest record to get a recruiter move me to the next round: 6 minutes from the first "hi."
- I applied to 23 positions, got interviews with 16 of them. That's 85% interview rate.
A tip for you - Often, people don't expect us to speak clearly and confidently. When we do, we stand out more than native speakers who sound the same. Psychology calls this "Expectancy Violation Theory." I call it "your hidden advantage".
Maybe I can help others become "unbeatable" too.
In 2020, I started with the Chinese community in the US, then Asian, then expanded to Africa, Middle East, Central and South America, the non-English speaking countries in Europe,.. I did this after hours. Paid or not. Independently or through NGOs
Teaching others what worked for me
- Those I helped started writing resumes and talk to interviewers differently. They told me what worked and what didn't.
- Then, I went back to research the "why" behind, especially the stuff never changes: psychology, persuasion, human nature.
- Each time I taught someone one, I used the improved version.
What works - TEST. LEARN. IMPROVE. REPEAT. This cycle helped me find the best format and words working for most people regardless of industry and background. This cycle continues today.
Finally, Something for people like me
Another 5 years passed. Still, nothing out there for people like me. I was sick of generic tips that kept ignoring our unique struggles.
Building the solution myself in 2024
- Almost all advice assumes you say AND think in
English. They assume self-promotion feels natural. They
assume you know what American employers need to
hear.
- If the solution doesn't exist, I will build it.
- In 2024, I turned this real-case-tested,
science-backed job search communication system into a
full-time mission.
To date:
1,700+ job seekers from 32 countries helped. 500+ of them
one-on-one. And growing every day.
Three ways I can be helpful
I answer those questions no one else answers all in here.
Get the step-by-step frameworks that helped 1700+ people land better roles.
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