DAYTON — The average time that an unemployed person looks for a job is five months, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
News Center 7’s Xavier Hershovitz talked with a job seeker who said it’s not for the lack of trying. We’ve heard from people who have put in dozens of applications just to hear nothing.
Hershovitz has uncovered how artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the game for both job seekers and employers.
Kristen Beireis, of Springboro, was laid off from her communications and marketing job in April. She’s been searching for a new role ever since.
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“It’s like pounding the pavement every single week and hoping something comes through and then silence, crickets,” she said.
Beireis said she’s put in 56 applications and has had three interviews, but still has no job.
“What did I do wrong? Where am I messing up? Is it the resume? Is it the cover letter? Is it my experience? Like, what am I getting wrong?” she said.
According to Beireis, some roles she’s applied for show hundreds, even thousands of applicants.
“There’s just so much, so many people looking for jobs right now. It feels impossible to even be able to break through,” Beireis said.
According to data from Indeed, U.S. job postings have steadily fallen since a peak in 2021. Now, they’re slightly higher than pre-pandemic numbers.
Kyle M.K. is a senior talent strategy adviser for Indeed. He said recruiters and hiring managers are being flooded with hundreds, even thousands, of resumes.
“They’re being overwhelmed with a lot of resumes, and some of the employers I’ve spoken to say a lot of those resumes have nothing to do with the role,” Kyle said.
There are many AI tools out there that job seekers are turning to. Some help tweak resumes, write cover letters, and even send in applications, adding to the flood of applications out there.
With all these applications, employers are also turning to AI.
“It’s pretty impossible for a recruiter to go through that many resumes in a reasonable amount of time and so using AI to find the higher qualified talent. So that way, it’s easier for the recruiter to match up with the talent that they are looking for,” Kyle said.
With fewer job openings and so many more applicants, “the process is broken,” said Darcy Eikenberg.
Eikenberg is an executive and leadership coach and author of Red Cape Rescue: Saves Your Career Without Leaving Your Job.
She said, “We don’t have really great systems to match good people out there who want to be contributing and making a difference to the good companies who are looking to add and grow and continue to hire.”
Eikenberg said AI has long been a part of the hiring process with applicant tracking systems. But now, with so many additional tools available, people just aren’t using them correctly.
“They either over-trust it or they don’t use it at all. And I think the happy medium for today’s person looking for their next opportunity is a place in between using AI as a partner, as a thought partner,” Eikenberg said.
She suggests job seekers use AI to generate ideas, such as other job titles for skills you have.
“Some of the AI tools are fantastic for getting out of our own heads and being able to see ourselves in a different light,” Eikenberg said.
However, even with the latest and greatest technology, she wants job seekers to remember, “In the end, the decision makers are people, and people hire people.”
Eikenberg said networking is more important than ever.
“If you’re unemployed, somebody needs you out in your community, and you never know who you’re going to meet or what new insight you’re going to get just by being with other people,” Eikenberg said.
And, for Beireis, that’s been her focus.
“I’ve been doing a lot of networking and talking to people,” Beireis said.
Staying focused, holding her network close, and keeping hope.
“That’s the hardest part, keeping the hope alive. That’s why I have friends that I’m connecting with. That’s the only thing that keeps it going,” Beireis said.
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