Follow for posts on getting hired & hiring better | CEO @ Lander Talent | IT + ERP + Digital Transformation | People > Buzzwords

Before I helped people get hired, I helped them get famous.

I cast 250+ episodes of reality TV for:

Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max.

Now I help overlooked tech talent get hired.
And help hiring leaders build teams they’d fight to keep.

I run a staffing firm that focuses on ERP and enterprise IT.

But my content?

It’s about giving you the playbook no one’s handed you:

✅ Job Search Strategy
↳To get hired faster, without burning out

✅ Career Frameworks
↳To find roles that fit you, not just pay you

✅ Hiring Insights
↳To build teams that scale with purpose

✅ Dad-Level Real Talk
↳ To explain ‘the cloud’ isn’t where planes live

If you’ve ever felt stuck, ghosted or burnt out,
or if you’re just ready for better…

➕ Follow for tools to make your next move your best one.
🔔 Click the bell so my toddler doesn’t get mad.

Jonathan  Whipple

The right people always recognize your value.

The wrong ones never will.

If you feel ignored, it's not you. 
It's the room you're in. 

Some jobs reward politics over results.
Others confuse seniority with skill. 

When you step into the right room:

1. Your ideas get oxygen
2. Your effort turns into trust
3. Your potential finally has runway

Your value isn't invisible.
It's just waiting for the right place to shine.

Agree?
Let me know in the comments. 👇

———

♻️ Repost to your network their value isn't negotiable.

Follow Jonathan Whipple for more.

AI rewrote the rules. 

Most resumes never updated.

Half of resumes read like it's 2010:
❌ Dense walls of text
❌ Duties instead of wins
❌ Zero keywords

Those resumes don't make it past AI filters.

Modern resumes aren't about flashy design.
They're about proof you can deliver results.

Here's the difference:

1.
❌ Old: Text blocks everywhere
↳ They look impressive, but no one reads them.

✅ New: Short bullets with results
↳ Clarity beats clutter every time.

2.
❌ Old: Responsibilities listed
↳ “I was responsible for X, Y, Z…”

✅ New: Wins highlighted
↳ “Cut costs 20%” gets remembered.

3.
❌ Old: One-size-fits-all
↳ Same resume sent everywhere.

✅ New: Tailored for the role
↳ A custom resume shows you want THIS job

4.
❌ Old: Fancy formatting
↳ Pretty fonts that ATS can’t even read.

✅ New: Simple, scannable design
↳ Pass the filter, then impress the human.

5.
❌ Old: Buzzwords with no proof
↳ “Team player. Strategic thinker.” Empty words.

✅ New: Keywords with context
↳ Mirror the job post and back it with examples.

6.
❌ Old: Education front and center
↳ Degrees treated like the headline act.

✅ New: Impact leads the page
↳ Results mean more than where you studied.

Hiring managers don't need a history lesson.
They need a reason to call you back.

Your resume isn't a timeline.
It's your highlight reel of proof.

What outdated resume line do you see too often?

Let me know in the comments. 👇

———

♻ Repost to remind your network that adaptation wins offers.

And follow Jonathan Whipple for more.

Old vs New Resume by Jonathan Whipple

You can teach skills.

You can't teach kindness. 

Skills can be taught, and experience can be gained.

But kindness, empathy, positivity? 

Those rarely can.

After placing hundreds of candidates, I've watched brilliant resumes crumble under toxic behavior.

And I've seen average ones shine with humility and emotional intelligence.

The truth is: hiring the wrong attitude is far more costly than hiring less experience.

Skills compound.
But toxicity spreads.

Agree?
Let me know in the comments. 👇

———

♻️ Repost to remind your network that kindness is foundational.

Follow Jonathan Whipple for more.

(h/t @Steven, for sharing this experience)

Local World Inc.

Client acquisition and business development, targeting mid-market and Fortune 1000 companies across the U.S.

Facilitate recruitment efforts to meet client requirements in support of their SAP, Salesforce and ERP initiatives.

Foster deep relationships with key stakeholders by delivering critical SAP and Salesforce talent in support of digital transformation objectives.

Act as a trusted advisor by leveraging massive technology network in support of strategic initiatives for clients, consultants, partners and team members.

Partner and Channel Lead - Business Development | SAP & Salesforce Contract Recruitment

Connect to Evolve 

We are all programmed for progress – it’s in our DNA. In the SAP / ERP world, this means connecting the market’s best talent with its most innovative clients to facilitate personal and professional evolution.

Local World builds the bridge between trusted ERP / CRM resources and those clients transforming their ERP landscapes to thrive in the digital age. 

As a client, choose from our pre-qualified, national talent pool of SAP Trusted Advisors on both a temporary and permanent basis. 

As a candidate, cut through the noise and find the role that will truly transform your career. 

We’ve raised our expectations. Isn’t it time you raised yours?

Managing Partner

Strategic Account Partner

Reutax Corp.

• Reutax Corp. is the U.S. subsidiary of Reutax AG, a privately held Professional Services and Consulting firm headquartered in Heidelberg, Germany.  

• With a pool of over 100,000 candidates globally, Reutax employs over 300 internal employees in the areas of sales & recruiting, human resources, finance, IT, and marketing in 9 different countries spanned across three continents and is currently planning further European and US locations, along with developments in South America and Asia.  

• Key Account Manager - North America

• Developing and Managing Current / New Contracts for SAP Professional Services Placement

• Taking a Consultative Approach to Placing High Level IT Consultants for SAP / Oracle Configurations and Development

Key Account Manager

Interprise software solutions, Inc

•  Account Manager / Business Development

•  Assistance in many areas of business development, including sales, administration, partner management, training, etc.

•  Work directly with the Executive Management Team to seek and gain new avenues of business

•  Acted as a Liason between Executive Level Management, Clients, the Development and Sales Teams Located in Philippines.  

•  Assistance with Process Improvements, Implementations, Partner Management, and Administrative Documentation.

Business Development Manager

DATAVO Communications

•  Acted as an Account Executive bringing in new accounts in the greater Los Angeles area through cold calling, prospecting, and partnering / networking with vendors affiliated with telecommunications.  

•  Worked closely with the Managing Director to map out sales strategies increasing overall team performance.

•  Acted as team lead for new associates, training in the field, and assisting in the close for new accounts.

Account Executive

Celtic Leasing Corp.

•  Managed entire sales process from cold call to close.  Worked with C-Level Executives to provide Lease Financing for Capital Equipment ranging from Desktop Computers to Medical Equipment.

Campbell-Ewald

• Full-Time, Paid Intern

• Campbell-Ewald is a full service Advertising Agency for both the Public and Private Sectors.

• Acted as Account Coordinator.  Participated in brainstorming, routing ads for approval, communications between account management and creative departments to ensure advertisements were delivered on time and under budget.

• Print & Digital Media for National City Bank, GM, XM Radio, Trip Rewards, Navy, and AC Delco.

• Extensive exposure to the creative process from round table meetings to Ad Placements. Worked directly with the Account Management and Creative Teams to meet deadlines.

• Assisted with organizing and presenting new ad campaigns to clients for approval.

Account Coordinator - Full-Time Intern

Helping hiring managers get the best SAP & Salesforce Talent the market has to offer | Taking SAP & Salesforce Recruiting to the next level for our growing list of clients

Struggling to find qualified, platinum level consultants, project / program managers, architects, etc for your digital transformation objectives?

Looking to build a strong and stable Center of Excellence for your SAP, Salesforce or IT environment?

Feeling over leveraged by your chosen Systems Integrator?

Having trouble building high performing SAP, Salesforce or IT teams? 

Struggling with navigating your internal recruitment process to get the best talent the market has to offer? 

Planning your S/4HANA journey and need helpful insights on how to navigate getting talent onboard within your organization to make it a success?

Let's Talk!

Who am I?

Founding Partner of a fast growing SAP and Salesforce focused Recruitment and Professional Services Firm delivering the absolute best talent the market has to offer.

What do we do?

Our focused efforts and dialed-in process for delivery has helped our growing list of clients meet their project specific goals and hiring needs for Contract, Contract-to-Hire and Permanent Requirements.

How do we do it?

Our rigorous qualification process includes a 14 point qualification, extensive screening, assessment of skill set to match requirements, and completed references prior to any of our resumes hitting the desks of our clients. This process eliminates many of the hurdles that our clients face in finding the proper talent for their challenging projects. 

What brought me here?

With a background in ERP Software Solutions and a complex understanding of business processes in the Information Technology capacity there's nothing I love more than working with people. There is no greater satisfaction than finding the right person, the right project while delivering on our promise to support our clients in their digital transformation initiatives.

What is my mission?

Networking and building relationships with IT Executives and Consultants is my specialty.  I take great pride in assisting SAP, Salesforce and IT Leadership Consultants in finding work that fit their qualifications by building quality relationships with Executives and Hiring Managers, understanding their greatest challenges to hiring the right people into their team and delivering.

Why we should talk?

If you're in the planning phase or in the heat of a Digital Transformation and you're worried about having the right partnerships in place to engage just in time staffing for your critical objectives and milestones, I know that a conversation will bring value to you.

Ping me and we can setup a discovery call that will support your goals.

Matthew Frieling

Where SAP Programs Start Drifting Long Before Anyone Notices

Every troubled SAP program has a moment when things begin to drift.
It almost never starts with a major event.
It begins quietly, in places that do not get much attention.
And by the time leaders notice the symptoms, the root issues have already spread.

Picture a program where everything looks fine on paper.
Config is progressing.
Workshops are closing.
Status reports show green.
Leadership feels confident.
The SI is pushing ahead and keeping momentum.

But below the surface, small cracks begin to form.

📌 A business decision gets delayed because the right people were not involved.
📌 A design choice works for the project team but creates long term pain for operations.
📌 An integration dependency shows up, but nobody circles back to validate the impact.
📌 Data ownership between the client and the SI is blurry.
📌 Functional teams assume another group is handling a critical detail.

None of these cracks are dramatic.
They live in side conversations, task trackers, and the natural urgency to stay on schedule.

But little issues grow.

🔶 The business starts losing clarity on how future processes will actually work.
🔶 Functional leads feel pressure to accept design decisions they do not fully agree with.
🔶 Testing becomes the moment when hidden problems finally surface.
🔶 Leadership begins to feel surprised instead of informed.

By the time this drift becomes visible, it is often expensive and extremely disruptive to fix.

This is why top performing SAP programs make a key decision early.
They bring in independent experts whose only focus is protecting the client’s interests.

Strong independent SAP leaders can spot misalignment before it becomes a problem.
They slow down confusion before it speeds up risk.
They make sure decisions are made with business clarity.
They connect teams that have started to work in silos.
They keep the future state aligned to reality, not assumptions.

✨ This protects timelines.
✨ It protects quality.
✨ And it protects the client’s long term ownership of the solution.

Local World supports this approach by helping clients bring in independent SAP talent that sees issues early and keeps the program steady before drift becomes damage.

Why SI-Led Testing Misses Real Business Risk

Most SIs test to prove the system works.

But your business needs testing that proves your world works.
Here’s what usually gets missed when the SI owns testing:

➡️ Real business scenarios
They test what they built, not what you actually do.

➡️ Cross-team handoffs
SIs test by module… your users work by process.

➡️ Edge cases
Discounts, exceptions, approvals, corrections, returns… the messy stuff.

➡️ Business risk prioritization
 The SI sorts defects by “severity.”
Your world sorts them by “impact.”

This is why so many teams get to UAT and realize:
 
“Wait… we never tested how we actually run the business.”

👉 An independent testing lead fixes this by bringing your business reality into the center of the test strategy.

How Early Design Choices Turn Into Hidden Technical Debt 🚧 

One of the biggest risks in any SAP program is the quiet moment when a design decision gets made without the right voices in the room.

It might feel small at the time.
A shortcut to keep momentum.
A compromise nobody pushes back on.
A detail that gets labeled as “to be refined later.”

But these little choices can turn into long term technical debt that follows the business for years.

Imagine a team debating how a core pricing rule should work.
The SI recommends a structure that is easier for them to deliver.
The business has concerns, but they are not fully represented during the decision.
To keep the project moving, the team approves it.

Months later, during testing, the downstream impacts appear.

🔸 Sales cannot maintain pricing without IT help
🔸 Finance struggles to reconcile numbers from multiple streams
🔸 Custom workarounds get introduced to fill the gaps
🔸 Enhancements pile up before the system even goes live

What felt like a small decision becomes a long term burden.

This is where independent SAP architects and functional leaders make a huge difference.
They look beyond the build and ask how the decision will hold up after go-live.
They challenge quick answers.
They push for clarity in the process design.
They consider how the business will actually use the system every day.

Their goal is simple.
Protect the client from inheriting a solution that becomes more expensive and harder to maintain with each passing quarter.

✨ Clean design is not just good practice.
✨ It is risk prevention.
✨ It is cost prevention.
✨ And it is culture protection because nothing hurts morale like a system that fights the business instead of helping it.

Local World supports this approach by connecting clients with independent SAP talent who protect design integrity from the beginning, not after the damage is done.

The Hidden Cost of Skipping Real Change Management

One of the quietest risks in SAP programs is weak change management.
On paper, it looks like a communications plan, some training sessions, and a few newsletters.
But real change management is much deeper than that.
It decides whether the new system becomes part of the business or something the business constantly fights.

Picture a team rushing toward go-live.
The SI is focused on configuration and delivery.
Technical teams are burning through defects.
Leadership is asking for cutover plans.

Meanwhile, the business is still trying to understand what is coming.

People know their old processes, but they don’t fully understand their new ones.
They have seen demo slides, but not real end to end flows.
They have been trained on transactions, but not on how decisions will change.
They are aware of deadlines, but not entirely sure what their new responsibilities will be.

This gap creates real cost.

📌 Resistance that shows up late
📌 Defects that stem from misunderstanding, not design
📌 Workarounds that become permanent habits
📌 A system that looks ready but is not truly adopted

This is where independent change leaders make a huge impact.

They walk the halls. They listen to concerns that never make it to a status report.
They translate the new process into business reality.
They push the project to explain decisions in plain language rather than technical terms.
They build confidence rather than compliance.

Their influence is subtle, but the results show up everywhere.

⭐ Smoother business readiness
⭐ Stronger user confidence
⭐ Fewer escalations at go-live
⭐ Faster stabilization
⭐ A culture that feels prepared, not blindsided

Local World supports clients by connecting them with independent change and training leaders who protect the human side of transformation, which is often where the real success is determined.

Why SAP Programs Fail When Clients Don’t Control Their Talent Mix

There’s a pattern that shows up in SAP programs across every industry.

A company kicks off a transformation. The SI brings a polished methodology. Teams look full. Everyone feels confident.

Then something shifts.
Timelines slip.
 Scope grows quietly.
 Quality gets uneven.
 The business feels unheard.
 Leadership gets surprised instead of informed.

Most people blame complexity or change resistance... But there’s a deeper reason that rarely gets talked about.

The client never controlled the talent mix.

When the SI supplies almost everyone, the program naturally leans toward what the SI is measured on, delivery speed, scope progression and hitting milestones on paper. 

That isn’t wrong, BUT it just isn’t the same as what the client cares about.

Clients care about long-term ownership, clean data, adoption, stability, and a system that won’t collapse under real-world use.

Those priorities need their own voice in the room.
If the client doesn’t build that voice into the team design, no process in the world will fix it later.

Here’s what actually keeps SAP programs balanced:

👉 Client-side leaders with the authority to set direction
👉 Independent specialists who protect business outcomes
👉 SI teams that focus on execution instead of self-review
👉 A talent structure where no single group controls the entire narrative

When these pieces are in place, everything works differently and risks surface earlier.

Design choices get challenged before they become technical debt. Testing feels real instead of rushed.

Go-live becomes a transition, not a rescue mission.

Most importantly, leadership gets a clear view of what’s really happening.

Local World supports this approach by helping clients bring in independent SAP experts who keep the program anchored to the client’s goals. Quietly. Professionally. Without noise.

This is the start of a bigger conversation about building balanced delivery teams.

What does your SAP talent mix look like? Are you owning your digital transformation?

When One Team Controls the Whole Story  😬 

When a single delivery team controls requirements, design, testing, and sign-off, the client eventually loses visibility into what’s real and what’s assumed.

Risks get softened and with time, the scope shifts slowly. Delays get reframed as “tradeoffs.”

No one is misleading anyone. The story is simply being told from one perspective.

When there is an independent voice at the table, you get:

↳ Clearer transparency
 ↳ More grounded expectations
 ↳ Alignment based on actual progress, not optimism

It’s not about challenging the SI.

It’s about protecting clarity and your company's objectives.

👉 Local World helps organizations place independent SAP leaders who ensure transparency stays intact from kickoff to go-live.

When Testing Becomes the Moment of Truth

Every SAP program eventually reaches the point where the system must prove itself.
That moment is testing.
And it is often the first time the business sees what was actually built.

This is where misalignment finally shows its face.

A process that sounded fine in a workshop suddenly breaks when multiple functions try to run it together.
A design that looked clean on a slide fails under real data.
Two teams discover they had completely different assumptions.
A workflow that worked perfectly in a silo collapses when integrated with the next step.

You can feel the tension shift.
Leaders start asking tougher questions.
Business users get nervous.
The SI scrambles to keep the schedule intact.

Testing becomes the mirror. It shows everything.

Here is the part most leaders do not expect.
By the time problems appear in testing, the root cause usually started months earlier.
Somewhere in design.
Somewhere in ownership.
Somewhere in communication.
Somewhere in the talent mix.

Independent testing leadership changes this dynamic entirely.

A strong independent testing lead does not wait for issues to explode.
They validate process clarity during design.
They retire assumptions before they harden.
They challenge handoffs that feel incomplete.
They push for end to end visibility instead of “module by module” thinking.
They make sure data, roles, and integration are part of the conversation early.

This reduces risk long before the first test script is executed.

⭐ Better test scripts
⭐ Clearer scenarios
⭐ Cleaner handoffs
⭐ Realistic business flows
⭐ No surprises that the client cannot afford

Local World helps clients bring in independent SAP testing leaders who focus on what truly matters. Not just proving the system works in theory, but proving it works in the real world.

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The Battle

Jonathan Whipple

Matthew Frieling

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taplio

The Battle

Jonathan Whipple

Matthew Frieling

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Jonathan Whipple's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreMatthew Frieling's LinkedIn Performance

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Performance ScoreJonathan Whipple's LinkedIn Performance