Andrew Seaman
Senior Managing Editor for Jobs & Career Development at LinkedIn News
The year is coming to an end, meaning a lot of people will soon hit the ground running to find new jobs or level up in their careers. If that’s you, I thought it would be valuable to revisit some of the lessons we learned in Get Hired from the past year — from “rage applying” to AI and beyond.
Leave “Rage Applying” in 2023
“Rage applying” took the internet by storm at the start of 2023. The basic idea is that people get fed up with their job and start applying — everywhere and anywhere. The approach isn’t new, but the catchy term helped the idea take off on social media.
Unfortunately, the results of rage applying are not just hit or miss; they're mostly misses. There is a chance that one of the many applications you send out hits the right employer at the right time, but the odds are small that it will happen. Instead, it’s still best to conduct a targeted job search to maximize the use of your time and your odds of success.
Focus on What You Can Control in 2024
One of the most common questions I receive is how people can “beat” or “get by” the applicant tracking systems (ATSs) that employers use during the hiring process. While these systems exist, what people know about them is usually more fiction than fact.
ATSs are like any electronic filing system. There are many different brands with many different capabilities. The basic functions are the same, though. The systems ingest information from job seekers — when you upload your resume, import your LinkedIn profile, or type in information. Then, recruiters take a look at the information to see if the job seeker is a match for the position. If they are, the person moves ahead in the hiring process, which is all tracked in the ATS.
You can’t control which ATS a company is using nor can you control how they will use the system. What you can control is making sure the materials you upload or put into the system show that you’re an excellent candidate for the role.
AI Is Here, Get Used to It
Generative AI has been around in different versions for several years. Yet, 2023 is the year it really burst onto the scene thanks to OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google’s Bard, and more. The public suddenly had these incredibly powerful tools at their fingertips. They aren’t going away.
Generative AI is not perfect, though. The technology is only as accurate as the information it ingests. Additionally, these AI systems have been known to make up information, data, and more. You’re perfectly within your right to use this technology to help craft resumes, cover letters, and other messages. However, the key is to just view AI as another tool — not your replacement.
Make sure your resumes, cover letters, profiles, and more capture what makes you uniquely you, such as your voice, style, and knowledge.