If you’re encountering frustration and irritation during your job searches, which seem unproductive, it’s important to realize that you’re not alone in this struggle. Many job seekers are becoming increasingly exasperated with the challenges of navigating through automated resume screenings and algorithm-driven processes common in today’s HR practices. Fortunately, there’s an expert offering valuable guidance.
A TikToker has begun sharing tips aimed at improving your chances of securing an interview. This advice might inspire you to revisit and update any resumes you’ve submitted so far.
TikToker Mackenzie McNelis (@thatmessismack) advises her audience to omit specific dates from their resumes. This strategy, she suggests, can help circumvent resume-scanning algorithms and outdated HR methodologies. Her video, posted in November 2023, has already garnered over 753,100 views.
McNelis bases her advice on a discussion with an HR manager. She highlights that particularly younger job seekers are up against algorithms that filter out resumes not matching pre-set criteria.
In her video, McNelis notes that the HR manager she spoke with praised her for only including the years of her employment history, not the specific months. She argues that if a candidate has the requisite experience and can articulate it well, the exact dates are unnecessary.
McNelis also cautions against including dates of academic qualifications to counter potential ageism in hiring practices.
Despite her focus on younger job seekers, McNelis acknowledges that older applicants often face age discrimination too. A survey from iHire in August 2023 found that around 33.6% of workers over 50 believed they had experienced ageism in their job search.
McNelis’ post has struck a chord with many job seekers expressing their frustrations in the comments.
One commenter lamented the need to constantly modify their resume, calling it a tiresome game. Another spoke about the despair of sending out numerous resumes without getting responses, while a third shared their disappointment in following traditional job application advice with minimal success.
Responding to these comments, McNelis has posted a series of follow-up videos, expressing hope that the current generation of job hunters will break these outdated norms.
@thatmessismack algorithms & anyiquated HR thinking…take specific dates off your resumes! #jobtips #resumetips #fyp