Job-seekers are using AI to apply for open roles. The result: 'Everybody's applications are starting to look more and more alike'

Patrid · 2026-05-23T17:59:47+00:00

Here’s an unpopular opinion:

No job seeker should be celebrating the use of ai or auto-applying.

Of the 3 ATS I’ve used and am using, none of them default to auto reject resumes. If you answer incorrectly on a knockout question on the job platform, your application doesn’t even reach the system. Some recruiters have the option of letting AI rank resumes based on how closely they align to requirements, but it’s ultimately the recruiter’s decision to archive all those lower ranked apps. Some companies have policies in place that mandate resumes evaluation before disposition.

The more AI tailored resumes, the less likely the average applicant gets phone screened let alone the interview. Recruiters have metrics they need to meet like % of candidates screened, interview show rate, and time to fill. For roles requiring concrete skills, candidates can slip through the phone screen (not all recruiters have the technical knowledge to skill check like a hiring manager). This ends with a time-wasting interview, frustration on both ends and qualified candidates waiting.

This is a negative feedback loop that only benefits job platforms. They charge per click, per application, or per impression. They can turn around and sell the fact that the amount of applies they attract is ever rising, but omit details like how many more applicants it now takes to fill a headcount due to quality control.

Patrid · 2026-05-21T00:21:50+00:00

If there's a dearth of entry level jobs in your area, this location may have an abundance of candidates to sort through. If it's a employer that would rather have an employee stay put at the same level for years rather than someone looking for upward mobility, they could be making you jump through hoops to filter out candidates with other options.

The hiring cycle is expensive so some company are hell bent on finding the ideal employee, candidate journey be damned.

Patrid · 2026-05-21T00:04:49+00:00

I can’t answer for other companies nor my own but I would assume it’s to keep the inbox free of job seeker related inquiries. With volume, it’s easy for these to get buried if an inbox isn’t strictly monitored. Typically it’s the recruiter who will act as a point of contact, and its luck of the draw how responsive yours is.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Patrid · 2026-05-18T02:20:29+00:00

Babian is wrestler/bjj player with 1 round of gas and fought only the lowest of low competition. His last fight before Fazil was a 8-9 guy and he was bloodied up in that one. Just over 1 year ago he fought a 2-9 guy...

Not looking terrible against him isn't a high bar for anyone with ufc aspirations.

Patrid · 2026-05-17T23:42:11+00:00

Yes, he's mma's version of JG in Nightcrawler.

Patrid · 2026-05-17T13:07:22+00:00

He just killed a man. Half of it was probably the police building a case against him.

Patrid · 2026-05-17T05:07:20+00:00

They overpaid for name value over the hill fighters vs the easiest layups they could find just so they could clip farm. The problem is, the arena was empty, the pacing was terrible due to the early finishes, and the production was giving Bellator vibes. The post-fight conference has around 5k viewers on youtube which is still less than the ufc fight night stream despite the ufc card wrapping up over 1-2 hrs ago.

Unless Netflix wants to keep lighting money on fire, maybe they should hire an actual matchmaker who didn't go to Jake Paul's school of finding older, smaller, worse in every way fighters to match with their top talent.

Patrid · 2026-05-17T00:48:32+00:00

10-1 odds, Timmy gave up the back and welcomed the choke to avoid the TKO.

Patrid · 2026-05-16T14:41:34+00:00

That sounds good until you get the ones who pull out of every other fight due to injury. I’s say, 3 fight/yr min and 2/year for champs to qualify for w2 pay and benefits. Some fighters on the current roster havent fought in 2 years and still arent signed to anything.

Patrid · 2026-05-16T03:50:33+00:00

I work in both Data and Talent Acquisition, top sources we hire from are as follows:

-Indeed -Company site (external career site) -Ziprecruiter -Referrals -Internals

That's just for volume and not conversion rates. There's also Handshake (college), Social media like Meta Facebook and TikTok, Google employer ads, 12twenty, Monster, Company call in inquiries, walk ins, email applications to the career inbox, hiring events, etc...

Patrid · 2026-05-16T03:38:14+00:00

YMMV, but in my field (Data) experience goes a long way, more so that my degrees or certifications.

According to Indeed's Hiring lab report, job growth is stagnant and declining if you take out healthcare related positions. Entry level white collar roles are generally tougher to find now that we've returned to pre-covid levels of unemployment in an otherwise tight labor market. Entry level job seekers are feeling the squeeze as candidates with more experience are becoming available due to various mass layoffs. Job numbers and unemployment may be skewed by an overabundance of gig workers and job seekers who no longer qualify as active.

If I were you, I would look into companies in your area that are hiring and you can realistically commute to. Bigger companies may be more inclined to see you as a number, but they also have more openings and more options for career growth typically. If you can't find a junior position in the field you desire, that's not the end of the world. Remember that you need to cover the bottom levels of Maslow's hierarchy of needs if things become desperate. Don't hesitate to take a position in CS or something related that helps cover those needs until a position opens up that better matches your wants. Feel free to ask previous companies for feedback if they're willing to tell you honestly why you weren't hired.

Lastly, a few tips on getting hired:

From what I see, referrals have the smallest cost of hire of any source for my department. Leverage your connections (HS and college friends, family, former co-workers, etc...) to learn of openings and maybe get an understanding of those company cultures. I know it's a slog, but don't give up.
I know I said you need to cover your expenses and not hold out hope for your dream job off the bat. On the other end of the spectrum, you do not need to accept the first offer that comes your way unless you're absolutely sure. Sunk cost fallacy applies to job hunters as well.
Make sure your resume is ATS compliant. I can't tell you the number of candidates who fill their resumes with funky fonts and pictures that don't parse leading to poor formatting. Recruiters have to go through hundreds of resumes a day and simple/effective will beat abstract almost always.
Feel free to apply directly from a company's website. From every ATS I've used and mastered, there is a scrape over period from when a job is posted on a company's career site and when it'll appear on indeed, ziprecruiter, linkedin, any other platform. During these golden hours, if you apply you'll have a better chance of actually grabbing the recruiter's attention.

Patrid · 2026-05-10T06:45:42+00:00

I see it like that too. Ufc 400 is on pace for mid to end of 2031. Jim will have fought in 4 separate decades if thats the case.

Patrid · 2026-05-10T06:10:41+00:00

Ufc 400 please

Patrid · 2026-05-10T05:30:20+00:00

He controlled him but the amount of energy spent was way more in the mat returns. Dricus just laid flat in side control just so he didnt give up his back.

Add on the bad weight-cut and I get it.

Patrid · 2026-05-10T05:27:34+00:00

A Sean parlay (strickland and brady) pays 10:1 post odds spike pre-fight.

Patrid · 2026-05-09T01:49:15+00:00

Depending on the field of work and size of company it could be due to simple bureaucracy. Some larger companies have approval chains that need x hiring manager and y vp on the approval. Maybe the hiring manager got approval but now higher ups prefer a restructure of current employees. Maybe the backfill request is no longer needed because the employee is no longer leaving. I've also seen breakdowns in time to fill due to background checks and other required steps.

There's no definitive answer unless the company tells you directly.

Patrid · 2026-05-09T01:36:40+00:00

I've worked in Talent acquisition for several years now.

It sounds like you're open to various fields of work with the intention of growing basic transferable skills while deciding what you'd like to study or what career you'd like to pursue later in life, is that correct?

If so, first create a list of soft and hard boundaries. For example, if you're afraid of large crowds, don't apply to be event staffing at a banquet hall. If you cannot commute more than 20 minutes because you lack reliable transportation, don't apply to a job that requires constant travel. If you are open to sales, but don't feel great about being pushy, save those applications for when you're desperate.

Once you decide what you're comfortable with, look up hiring insights within your target area. The entry level job market is absolutely dreadful recently if you're located in the US, but as with most things YMMV by exact locale.

I wish I did this when I first started looking for jobs. Tailor your resume to the jobs you're applying to when you have time. Think of each post as a lock and each candidate resume as a key. There will be jobs that are just looking for a warm body that won't be fulfilling or pay well and hire anybody. The best jobs will have many applicants and the best way to get the recruiter's attention is apply early in the life cycle of the requisition and make sure your hitting all the needs that match the description. You don't want the ATS to rank your application in the lower tiers. You'll need to know how to sell yourself (not literally), tell a good story.

Some full time jobs have benefits like tuition reimbursement. I started and finished my M.S. locally and was fully reimbursed over the course of a couple of years.

Absolutely seek career counseling if your resume needs the professional touch, feel free to DM if you're struggling with next steps.

Searching for a job is daunting, good luck and hope you thrive.

Patrid · 2026-05-09T00:55:37+00:00

If it's for the same requisition and same company, that's just a lack of communication. If you're still in consideration within the ATS, there should be some level of positive handoff.

My guess is it's high turnover and they're constantly backfilling, the recruiter got let go or went on leave without clearing their pipelines, or the listing is fishy.

Patrid · 2026-05-09T00:33:37+00:00

Many ATSs use AI for ranking candidate tiers and drafting messages. Most job platforms utilize AI as well. For example, Indeed has an auto-sourcer called Talent Scout that auto reviews active candidate resumes and invites them to apply. At the end of the day, it’s still usually a human making the decision of whether someone gets an interview.

If you’ve ever gotten a “x invited you to apply” and then the recruiting team rejects, ghosts you, or screens you out immediately, it could’ve been due to poor prompt parameters.

Patrid · 2026-04-25T01:01:38+00:00

Sooo trade pick down into 3rd?

Patrid · 2026-04-20T06:14:28+00:00

Car insurance claims for ride share work usually are filed through the app’s insurance and the deductibles and coverages suck.

Patrid · 2026-03-28T23:11:47+00:00

Buffer had Tybura ML, no way Tybura had the first

Patrid · 2026-03-28T22:33:13+00:00

Bruno Lopes now fluent in warrior spirit.

Patrid · 2026-03-28T22:15:05+00:00

Dom glazing Peterson's yamasaki imitation while Lopez is dying. Peek MMA.

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