Move over doomscrolling – ‘doomjobbing’ is the latest workplace trend frustrating both job seekers and employers.
While doomscrolling refers to the prolonged trawling of negative content on social media, doomjobbing describes a growing tendency among jobseekers to take a scattergun approach to applications, applying indiscriminately to a high number of jobs regardless of suitability.
“Doomjobbing reflects the frustration and fatigue many candidates are feeling in a competitive job market,” Robert Half director Tom Ward told Information Age.
“When job seekers are not getting responses, it can be tempting to apply for as many roles as possible with the same CV and little tailoring.
“But this approach can actually reduce their chances of success because employers are looking for clear relevance, intent and fit.”
New research suggests many job seekers are submitting large volumes of applications with minimal customisation or strategic focus.
While candidates may be applying for more roles than ever, they are often doing little to differentiate themselves or assess whether the positions are a genuine match for their skills and experience.
The result is a surge in applications for employers to process, making it more difficult to identify suitable candidates.
It has also contributed to an increase in vastly overqualified applicants pursuing roles that are unlikely to be a good fit, wasting time for both candidates and hiring managers.
Quantity over quality
According to a Robert Half survey of 500 Australian hiring managers, more than four in five employers have seen an increase in overqualified applicants.
The recruitment firm says this points to a growing “apply-to-everything” mentality among job seekers.
“Applying broadly may feel productive, but hiring managers can usually spot a generic application quickly,” Ward said.
“Candidates who apply for roles that are clearly not fitted to their skills and experience, or not genuinely interested in, may find it hard to be taken seriously.
“A smaller number of well-targeted applications is usually more effective than a high volume of low-effort ones.”
More than a third of the hiring managers surveyed said the growing volume of applications is making it increasingly difficult to properly assess candidates.
“The volume of applications is creating a real challenge for employers,” Ward said.
“Strong screening processes, clear role criteria and structured interviews are becoming even more important.”
AI making it worse
The rise of generative AI tools seems to be turbocharging the doomjobbing trend.
According to the survey, 37 per cent of employers said that AI-generated CVs are reducing the overall quality of job application.
These factors are making it harder for candidates to stand out and more difficult for employers to identify the best fit for a role.
Ward said job seekers should be cautious about submitting applications that are overly generic or disconnected from their actual experience.
“Candidates can improve their chances by being selective, tailoring their CV to the role, and clearly explaining why their experience is relevant,” he said.
“A concise, customised application will usually stand out more than a polished but generic AI-generated CV.”
The findings follow earlier reports suggesting tech job seekers were more likely to be overqualified than applicants from other sectors.
