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Getting a job in the AI resume mass era

"The problem wasn't using AI. The problem was letting AI remove the only thing that could actually make me stand out. Me."

I've been on both sides.

The one sending resumes, trying to cast a wide net.

And the one receiving many resumes. And let me tell you: it was a TERRIBLE experience.

From the hiring side, it seems like people don't read job descriptions anymore. They get a pure AI-written resume and send it to everyone.

For the person who's hiring, it's a tiring job. Sometimes you think, "Okay, this is a perfect candidate," and then you have a call and can clearly see the resume was mostly made up.

Now, on the other end, the whole hiring system is so automated that if you don't send many resumes, it feels like you'll never get seen.

So then, of course, you start optimizing.

You use AI to improve your resume, make it sound more aligned with the job description, add the right keywords, and then send it to as many places as you can.

Yeah, I get it.

When the system feels like a black hole, applying to fewer jobs feels almost irresponsible.

Like, if nobody is going to read this anyway, maybe the only way to increase your chances is to send more and more and more.

Been there.

I spent many years without updating my resume or even sending it anywhere. But when I finally had to do it again, I also thought:

"Nobody is going to read this. It's probably just AI filtering AI words."

Right?

Well.

Nope.

So it turns out I got called out on LinkedIn by the co-founder of an AMAZING company I really wanted to work at lol

LinkedIn message calling out my AI-optimized resume

He was so blunt and direct that it made me rethink what I was doing.

Because he was right.

I had optimized the thing so much that it stopped sounding like me.

And that's when I realized the problem wasn't using AI. The problem was letting AI remove the only thing that could actually make me stand out.

Me.

— My advice

  1. Be direct and show your work through your own voice. I decided to create this website because I wanted a space to write whatever I want, but also to share my work with whoever wants to see it.
  2. Spend more time picking exactly what and where you want to work. I promise you'll end up saving a lot of time if you go for your dream job, aligned with your experience.
  3. Try to add something personal. Try to record a Loom and send it with your application. Tell them why you're the person for that job.
  4. More importantly, go straight to your network. Go talk to them and see if they're hiring. Or even better, see if they need help.
  5. Lastly, try to look for jobs outside of LinkedIn (too). Hacker News, Web3 Jobs, PostHog, Y Combinator.

— The Takeaway

I hope this helps or inspires you if you're in the middle of (or about to start) the job-hunting chaos.

It helped me rethink what I was doing.