AI Recruitment Leaves Student Frustrated as Over 100 Job Applications Get Rejected
Artificial intelligence is now being widely used in recruitment to sort job applications, and many candidates are reportedly being rejected within minutes of submitting their materials. This technological shift has created significant challenges for job seekers, particularly students and recent graduates.
Student's Struggle with Automated Systems
Bhuvana Chilukuri, a third-year business student at Queen Mary University of London, has applied for over 100 roles without success. She believes most of her applications were never seen by human recruiters, as automated screening tools often eliminated candidates early in the process. The system frequently replaced initial interviews with recorded video responses, creating what she describes as a detached and impersonal experience.
"There are moments where I applied and I got a rejection less than two minutes later, which is really horrible," the 20-year-old student explained. "The first step is AI screening your CV. You can get rejected pretty quickly at that stage. Then the next process would maybe be an AI video interview."
Changing Recruitment Landscape
Chilukuri's experience reflects broader changes in hiring practices during a period when graduate opportunities have become more limited. With fewer entry-level roles available and greater competition among applicants, employers managing large numbers of submissions have increasingly turned to artificial intelligence to assist with screening. These systems help sort CVs and reduce the workload involved in early-stage recruitment.
Denis Machuel, chief executive of Adecco, noted that recruiters are now dealing with extremely high application volumes, which has made automation more common in the hiring process. While such tools allow companies to reach more candidates, they also mean that a far greater number of applicants are rejected at an earlier stage without human review.
Public Reactions and Concerns
The situation has sparked diverse reactions from online commentators:
- Suspiciosoguy suggested: "Many are fake job listings for tax write offs."
- Chris_kapcia argued: "AI isn't the main issue. It's companies using AI in order to 'go through resumes.' It's lazy recruiting."
- Catsarecoolerthandogs noted: "It's not just students. I have over 13 years of experience and also can't land a job in this current market."
- Visjeelaj offered a different perspective: "If you're sending that many resumes, it's possible there's a quality control issue. Resumes require intentionality and specificity to the job being applied for."
Broader Implications for Job Seekers
The growing use of AI in recruitment raises important questions about fairness, transparency, and the human element in hiring decisions. As automated systems become more prevalent, job seekers must adapt their application strategies while companies face pressure to ensure their screening processes don't inadvertently exclude qualified candidates.
This development comes at a time when technological advancements are transforming multiple aspects of the employment landscape, creating both opportunities and challenges for those entering the workforce.
