In the last installment, I talked about the silence – the void so many of us feel after submitting a job application and hearing absolutely nothing. No “yes,” no “no,” just… nothing.
And when you sit in that silence long enough, you start to do what humans have always done when faced with broken systems.
You adapt.
You improvise.
You try to game the game.
And suddenly, you’re not just a job seeker anymore. You’re a strategist.
Over the past few months, I’ve heard stories—some whispered, some bragged about—of people doing whatever it takes to get an interview.
Keyword stuffing. Buying resumé rewrites optimized for ATS systems. Using browser extensions to auto-apply to hundreds of jobs. Leveraging AI to answer screening questions in real time. Fudging titles. One person even said they had a friend pretend to be them on a Zoom screen while they read answers off-camera.
And again, I’ll be honest—I don’t blame them.
Because the system rewards those who play it. Not necessarily those who are the best fit. Not those who’ve done the real work. Just those who know how to manipulate the front end of the process to get through the digital gatekeepers.
Is that unethical? Or is it just survival?
We’ve built a hiring ecosystem that pushes people to the edge, then faults them for getting creative.
And for every person trying to bend the rules, there’s someone else who plays it straight—and gets buried under a pile of bots, buzzwords, and brand-name resumés.
This isn’t a call to justify every tactic. But it is a call to examine what this system is doing to us—and what it’s quietly encouraging in return.
What happens when we reward optimization over authenticity?
When a resumé becomes a performance piece instead of a reflection of your work?
When we stop being honest—not because we’re dishonest, but because the process punishes honesty?
This series isn’t about blaming job seekers. It’s about understanding the ecosystem that makes people feel like they have to outsmart it just to survive.
And if that’s not a broken system, I don’t know what is.
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If you’ve ever had to “get creative” just to be seen, I want to hear your story.
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📉 Coming Next Week: The Machines
In Part 3, we look at how algorithms—not people—are deciding who gets a chance.
From ATS filters to résumé rankers to AI interviews, we’ll dive into the tech that decides your worth before anyone reads a word.
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