Job Hunting: Why I Was Shocked by the Robot Takeover!
After years navigating the wild waters of freelancing, it hit me like a freight train: it was time to seek out a more stable gig. The once-thriving freelance landscape had turned rocky—jobs were vanishing, hustle culture was weighing me down, and frustration was creeping in like an unwelcome guest. When a potential interviewee turned me down, claiming my request “does not spark joy,” I had a lightbulb moment—I realized that freelancing wasn’t lighting me up anymore, either.
Suddenly, the lure of a consistent paycheck, benefits, and maybe even some complimentary coffee (and let’s dream big—how about a Monte Carlo?) had me scouring job boards like a hawk on the hunt for a perfect opportunity. But reality check: I quickly learned I’d need to temper my expectations—no more dreaming of fancy cars; it was time to settle for something a bit more grounded.
Searching for a job day and night is one thing. Being answerable to a robot is another thing entirely.Credit: Getty Images
Fast forward six years since my last job search, and boy, have things changed! The economy was sluggish, the communications industry was morphing faster than I could keep up with—thanks, AI—and the competition was off the charts. After months of sending out applications and receiving radio silence, my self-esteem took a nosedive. Then I stumbled upon “how you compare” analytics. Turns out, one role I applied for received a staggering 545 applications, while another had over 643 candidates vying for the same spot. Talk about a reality check!
But I wasn’t ready to back down. I kept pushing through, applying for positions that were either way above or below my qualifications, and everything in between. Night after night, I fell asleep scrolling through job alerts, and the first thing I did each morning was check for new listings. I poured countless hours into perfecting my cover letters and tailoring my resume for each role. I was prepared for that. What I didn’t see coming were the bizarre new hoops recruiters expected us to jump through.
Let’s talk personality tests—my absolute pet peeve! One day, after applying for a job, I got an email from the recruitment team within the hour. “Exciting news!” they said. I thought I was moving on to the next round, but no—this was a “virtual interview” where an AI fired off behavioral questions at me while I dutifully typed out 50-character responses, like a well-trained parrot.
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Afterward, I received an email containing the chatbot’s assessment of my character: “You love change (not true), you have high expectations (also false), and you thrive in fast-paced environments (absolutely not!).” The cherry on top? It included tips on how to improve myself. I began to understand why Sarah Connor was so adamant about taking down all AI in Terminator 2.
Then came the digital skills assessment. I had to complete an online module to prove my basic computer skills before being considered for an interview. One moment, I was proudly listing “20 years of communications experience” on my resume, and the next, I was staring blankly at a photo of a phone, a mouse, and a joystick, forced to identify which one controlled the cursor. Spoiler alert: I clicked the mouse, cursing myself all the while.
And let’s not forget the notorious fake job ads. There’s a special place in hell for anyone who makes candidates pour their heart into applications for positions that don’t even exist. A 2024 study revealed that a staggering 81% of recruiters post these misleading ads, whether to create a facade of company growth, keep employees on their toes, or simply collect data.
