'Spray and pray': How AI job applications can backfire

SO SOMEBODY FINALLY LOOKED INTO IT. HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT THIS YET? APPARENTLY GRADUATES ARE JUST USING AI TO SPRAY AND PRAY THEIR WAY THROUGH JOB APPS NOW! WHICH IS WILD BECAUSE THIS KID TOM, HE APPLIED FOR LIKE TWO HUNDRED JOBS BEFORE GETTING HIRED AS A MANAGER AND HE SAYS HE HAD TO USE AI JUST TO SURVIVE THE EXHAUSTING PROCESS. HE USED IT FOR COVER LETTERS AND TO FIND BUZZ WORDS THAT THE ROBOT SCREENERS LOOK FOR, WHICH HE THINKS IS TOTALLY HYPOCRITICAL BECAUSE THE COMPANIES USE AI TO SCREEN HIM ANYWAY! SOME EMPLOYERS ARE FINE WITH IT IF IT IS REASONABLE, BUT APPARENTLY DO NOT USE IT FOR INTERVIEWS OR TESTS! IS THE WHOLE SYSTEM JUST ROBOTS TALKING TO ROBOTS NOW? IT IS ALL JUST AN ENDLESS LOOP OF ALGORITHMS AND BUZZ WORDS! OK WAIT IS THIS OUR SONG?

RIGHT SO CONTEXT FIRST BECAUSE IT MATTERS. THE BBC RESEARCH SAYS PEOPLE ARE MISREPRESENTING THEMSELVES WITH AI ON JOB APPLICATIONS. AND THE THING IS, THIS GEOGRAPHY GRAD TOM SAYS HE HAD NO CHOICE BECAUSE APPLYING FOR TWO HUNDRED JOBS IS DEMORALISING AND HE COULD NOT PHYSICALLY DO IT OTHERWISE! HE NEVER USED IT FOR AN ACTUAL INTERVIEW OR ASSESSMENT THOUGH, WHICH IS A KEY DISTINCTION. HE JUST WANTED TO PASS THE EARLY SCREENING FILTERS SO HE USED AI FOR THE WRITING. BUT NOW EVERYONE IS FREAKING OUT ABOUT STUDENTS LYING ON APPLICATIONS WHILE COMPANIES ARE USING THE SAME TECH TO REJECT THEM AUTOMATICALLY! IT IS LIKE A WEIRD TIG GAME WHERE NOBODY WINS AND WE ARE ALL JUST TYPING INTO THE VOID. I NEED ANOTHER DRINK. ANYWAY I AM FINE, EVERYTHING IS FINE.

Graduates are using AI to write job applications and pass automated screening, though some experts worry about misrepresentation while candidates call company hiring practices hypocritical.

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