AI Resumes and Ghost Jobs: A Ghostly Tale

So, today’s blog post comes from a place of frustration, so bear with me and be patient. While my focus shifted to AI resumes, it started with an article I read regarding job interviews, and it got me thinking about some of the bad interviews I’ve had.

Now, please share your stories in the comments section of my YouTube video, which you can access below. I want to hear some of the insanity everyone has gone through. I’ll start with mine.

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Key Points:

• Job hunting can be frustrating and time-consuming.
• Submitting AI resumes is becoming the norm, as well as AI reviewing applications.
• As much as twenty percent of job postings are ghost jobs.
• Be prepared for the challenges of the modern job market.
• Consider leveraging AI tools to your advantage.

The Toxic Masculinity Interviewer

In one interview with the hiring committee, one guy seemed combative and would ask questions like he was trying to have a “gotcha” moment. At one point, he mentioned traffic in the tri-state area. The university was located in Memphis, Tennessee, and there were more than one million people in the area. I responded that I’m from Miami, Florida, with over 4 million people. To me, a million residents is a small town.

Mind you, it wasn’t so much the questions but his tone. He continued to focus on the issue of my not being published. To put the issue to bed, I replied that I would get published if hired. Since the interview was during the coronavirus pandemic, it was done by phone. I shook my head in disbelief and rolled my eyes each time he interjected since he habitually interrupted others. No doubt he was a bully suffering from toxic masculinity. That vibe can be felt by the others present for the interview.

But he wasn’t done; he repeatedly said I had to get published. He finally asked why I wasn’t published. Well, I was honest. I explained that I’m a lawyer with clients to deal with. Should I write something and not get paid for it, ignoring my clients who are paying me? I have a business to run. When I’m done with the business, there’s plenty of time to write. But I told him, and the entire time I spoke in a professional manner and tone, that I would get published.

I know there’s a certain arrogance to just saying one would get published. It’s truly not that easy, but guess what? I did get published! More on that in a few minutes.

Applying for Jobs, AI Resumes, and Non-Existent Jobs

I’m the first to admit that applying for jobs is a horrible experience. I told my wife that this is so time-consuming. It takes about an hour to complete an application. The resume was supposed to populate into their system each time, but it never did. So now, endless time is spent editing all the errors.

I honestly don’t understand the logic of requesting to upload a resume and then having to put the same information from the resume into each section of the online application. In the end, I wouldn’t get a callback. I would always wonder out loud who applied that was more qualified.

Of course, factor in that 99 percent of these jobs didn’t even post the salary. So, it’s a double-edged sword: should an hour be spent applying if I don’t know the salary?

Nowadays, even more time is wasted as some employers also require a video presentation. And yet, there is still no salary posted. I don’t understand why they don’t just post the salary to filter out people who aren’t interested. Why the mystery? If I’m going to apply for a job, I want to know how much housing costs in the area. Researching the area takes time.

Of course, chasing someone down for that information is like sending a letter to the White House. Trust me, you’ll get a quicker response from the President.

Now, returning to the interviewer obsessed with me not being published. I told him I’d get published. When we were experiencing COVID, I decided to write a bankruptcy law textbook out of boredom. Guess what? It got published. My reaction to this person was partly arrogance, as getting published isn’t easy. But it happened to me. The stars aligned for me.

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I did think about sending that guy a copy, but I didn’t even know who he was by then. Revenge was on my mind, but then again, all this stems from the frustration of job applications. Now it gets worse.

The article I read talked about AI reviewing resumes. This means algorithms are deciding whether you get an interview. So it might even make more sense now why you didn’t at least get a call, especially if you’re qualified.

AI is becoming common, so that might be why our resumes are rejected or not even read by a human. Eventually, someone will create software that applies for you. It’s like the blind leading the blind at that point. I read about an individual who designed his software to apply for 1,200 jobs in a few hours while asleep. So now, put this in perspective. AI applies for a job on your behalf, and AI decides whether you get that job.

Besides AI and lack of salary details, there are ghost jobs. Yes, you read that correctly. I read an article where a headhunter said fake jobs are posted to make people call and gather their information. Some companies post jobs that don’t exist for other reasons, such as to give the appearance of growth or keep employees on their toes, keeping them in a constant state of worry that they are about to be replaced.

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Think about how messed up that is. With all the time and effort put in, it’s demoralizing. If you put in all the time and effort, like I said, one hour, at least for me, I’ve reached the point where if I don’t see specifics, I delete that posting and move on, especially if twenty percent of the jobs are non-existent.

So, knowing this, be prepared. If you can’t beat the system, figure out how to use AI to your advantage when applying for jobs. Do your research and be prepared. I will try using AI with my resume and see what happens.

Now, there are two more horror stories regarding interviews. Feel free to share your stories as well.

One time, I was told halfway through the interview what the pay was. This was for a well-known paralegal program, and it was a good opportunity to push my book since it focuses on paralegals. How much was the pay? $12 an hour. I remained professional, but seriously, “Are you kidding me?”

I guess I know why they didn’t post the salary, but honestly, that’s not a good barometer to guide yourself by. But again, how much time was spent on my end and their end to have this interview?

The final one, what a jerk! He asked me a question, which I had no idea what it was about. He repeated it, and still having no idea what he said, I replied that I would follow the university’s policy and employee handbook.

The committee chairperson then said he was referring to some specific administrative rule in the state, which had nothing to do with my applying as a professor. I guarantee that next time, I won’t be so cordial if someone wastes my time with nonsense.

The fact is, the universities that hired me did so without an interview. The call was to confirm if I wanted the job after they provided brief details. Those were the universities where I had the most fun, and the work environment was excellent, from faculty to students.

So, as I wrap up, good luck if you’re job hunting. If you have a job and are looking for another, good luck. I hope you continue toward your debt-free journey.

Colleges and universities can purchase my bankruptcy law textbook directly from Routledge Publishing. For paralegals and students buying single copies, you can do so via Amazon Books. To access my YouTube channel, click this link.

Need to look for prior blog posts or other categories? Click the links below or use the search feature at the top of the page:

• Bankruptcy
• Your Wallet

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