🤖 AI vs. AI - Generated Resumes Battle Against Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)

🤖 AI vs. AI - Generated Resumes Battle Against Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)

What happens when resumes and cover letters that are generated by AI are assessed by Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) that use AI for searching, filtering, and sorting? Well, we’re already in that universe and it feels like something is about to break.

There are seemingly a vast number of job postings by companies across the board, but the narrative is commonly that the interview process is painstaking and tends to not bear any fruit at the end of the grueling journey.

AI appears to be exacerbating an already difficult job market trend. Job seekers are increasingly using tools that will optimize their resumes for each position (because why not?), and companies are employing more AI-powered tooling to assess these candidates. You can see that this bubble is not going to last for long.

So what’s going to happen in the near/medium term?:

1. Homogenization of Applications: As more candidates use AI to optimize their resumes and cover letters, there could be a trend towards a homogenization of applications, where many candidates present similar skills and experiences in similar formats. This could make it harder for individual candidates to stand out.

2. Increased Importance of Soft Skills and Personal Branding: With AI handling the basics of resume and cover letter creation, soft skills, personal branding, and networking may become even more critical. Candidates might need to focus more on how they present themselves online and in interviews to differentiate themselves.

3. Evolving Role of Recruiters: The role of recruiters may shift more towards interpreting AI data and making judgment calls on candidates that AI systems flag as borderline cases. Recruiters might also need to focus more on aspects of the hiring process that AI can't handle, like assessing cultural fit and potential for growth.

4. Bias in AI Systems: If not carefully managed, AI systems used for sorting and filtering candidates might perpetuate existing biases in hiring. These systems can inadvertently favor candidates from certain backgrounds if those backgrounds are overrepresented in the training data.

5. Rise of AI Literacy as a Skill: Understanding and effectively using AI tools could become a sought-after skill in itself. Candidates who can demonstrate AI literacy might have an advantage in the job market.

6. Greater Emphasis on Unique Experiences and Achievements: Candidates might focus more on including unique experiences, projects, or achievements in their applications that can't be easily replicated by AI, to catch the attention of human recruiters. Are we back in college again?!

7. Development of Counter-AI Tools: We might see the emergence of tools designed to help candidates understand and counteract AI biases or limitations in the recruitment process, ensuring their applications are fairly evaluated.

These second-order effects highlight some very problematic trends that lie ahead. How can companie believe anything a resume says anymore? And in the same vein, how can job seekers trust that companies will follow ethical hiring practices if they are monetarily incentivized not to?

🦿 How Do We Stand Out in an AI vs. AI Job Market?

In an environment where AI plays a significant role in the recruitment process, there are still a few areas that you can gain some control:

1. Understand How AI in Recruitment Works and Optimize for It: Gain a basic understanding of how AI is used in the recruitment process. This includes how resumes are scanned and what AI looks for in terms of keywords, skills, and experiences. Tailor your resume with relevant keywords and clear, concise language that aligns with the job description. Ensure that your resume is structured in a way that is easily readable by AI, with a clear hierarchy and standard formatting.

2. Build a Strong Online Presence: Establish a professional online presence on platforms like LinkedIn. Share your expertise, participate in relevant discussions, and network with industry professionals.

3. Leverage the Network: ✨THIS✨. From all the variables and trends out there, this is the most important and one that is within your control. Utilize personal and professional networks. Referrals and personal connections can often bypass initial AI screening, getting your resume directly in front of a human recruiter.

4. Prepare for AI-Enhanced Interviews: Some companies use AI tools in video interviews to analyze candidates' speech patterns, expressions, and more. Practicing for these interviews can help you present yourself effectively.

5. Understand and Address Potential Biases: Be aware of potential biases in AI systems and find ways to address them in your application. This might involve being more explicit about your skills and experiences to ensure they are not overlooked.

6. Focus on Cultural Fit: Show how you align with the company's culture and values in your application and interviews. AI can screen for skills, but cultural fit is often assessed by human recruiters.

7. Use AI to Your Advantage: This one may have a time limit on it as the AI vs. AI bubble doesn’t seem very stable, but utilize AI tools yourself to improve your resume, prepare for interviews, and even identify job opportunities.

Keep these points in mind so that you can better navigate the AI-influenced recruitment landscape and increase your chances of standing out in both AI and human evaluations.

🛠️ Job Seeker Tools

ADP List

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Carrus

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Get 1-1 interview preparation from the top 1% of tech coaches. Work with former hiring managers and recruiters.

📉 Notable Layoffs this Week

• Spotify has announced a third round of layoffs, cutting around 17% of its staff or 1,500 people, the company announced in early December.

• Twilio is laying off 300 employees, or 5% of its headcount, primarily in its data and applications business following activist investor pressure, CNBC reports.

• Music streaming service Tidal has laid off 10% of its employees, or roughly 40 people, Variety writes. Tidal is majority owned by Jack Dorsey's payment company Block, which is seeking to cap its overall headcount.

• Craft marketplace Etsy has laid off 11% of its workforce, or about 225 employees, CNBC reports.

• Online retailer Zulily is shutting down its Seattle operations and laying off 292 workers, effective next February, The Seattle Times reports.

Have questions about Interview Prep? Need your resume reviewed? Head to the Offboard community to join a network of jobseekers. 🥳

The Offboard Community offers an alternative to LinkedIn, providing a unique space tailored for job seekers in tech. It’s not just a platform for networking; it’s a resource designed to help you regain your footing and advance in your tech career, supported by the knowledge and experiences of your peers.

Below are some of the community features:

1. Create an anonymous account or join as yourself

2. Discussion or ask for help re: layoffs, interviewing, resumes, money & finance, upskilling, and more!

3. Jobs: Find or refer jobs, and engage in our live job chat space

4. Watercooler Chat: Just looking for a general place to chat with other job seekers? Jump into the Watercooler.

5. Join Virtual Events (Coming Soon)

Build your personal brand. Get hired.

Building a strong personal brand after a layoff and during your job search is crucial for several reasons:

1. Visibility and Memorable Impression

2. Increased Exposure to Opportunities

3. Professional and Personal Development

4. Crafting a Specialized Identity

5. Strategic Networking

It’s not necessarily easy to do, but with the right strategy and guidance, you’ll be well on your way to making companies the ones coming after you. Enter Decoded Strategies:

Whether you’re job-seeking, leading a marketing team, or building your personal brand, great marketing is the key to success. But sometimes it’s just tough to say what sets you apart from the competition. Decoded Strategies is a messaging and marketing strategy firm that specializes in simplifying even the most complex ideas. They use the StoryBrand framework to help individuals and businesses communicate in the way their audiences need to hear.

Sign up for the Decode Your Messaging newsletter to get actionable tips you can put into practice right away!

Curious if your company has a layoff planned?

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