This week, I want to name two forces that are making job search harder for experienced professionals.
The first is noise.
The second is misinterpretation.
By noise, I mean the sheer volume of applications, automation, poor process design, and AI-assisted clutter that is making hiring harder for both candidates and recruiters. Patrick Dunlop described a hiring market where systems are getting clogged, recruiters are overwhelmed, and candidate experience is suffering as a result.
By misinterpretation, I mean this: many candidates assume there is a sophisticated, seamless hiring machine judging them from behind the curtain. But Patrick’s research suggests the reality is often much messier, more manual, and less consistent than people think.
If you are an experienced professional looking for work, this matters.
Because once you understand what is really happening, you can stop wasting energy trying to “beat the system” and start focusing on what actually improves your odds.
That’s what this newsletter is: a 4-part plan to help you navigate a hiring market that feels more opaque, more crowded, and less human than it used to.
The hiring process is not as advanced as people assume
One of the most useful insights from my conversation with Patrick was this: there is often a big gap between the hype around hiring technology and what recruiters are actually doing day to day.
He spoke about surveying Australian recruiters during COVID, expecting to find widespread use of advanced AI tools, only to discover that many were still relying on spreadsheets, basic sorting tools, or manually reviewing printed resumes.
That is important because many job seekers are building their entire strategy around an imagined system.
They assume:
- An algorithm is reading every line with precision.
- AI is making most of the decisions.
- Every employer has a polished, well-designed process.
Often, none of that is true. Some employers are sophisticated. Some are not. Some are still experimenting. Some are overwhelmed. Some are using old systems that were never built for the scale they are now dealing with.
That does not make the process fair. But it does mean this: You should not overcomplicate your strategy based on hype.
Candidate experience is getting worse for structural reasons
When clients tell me they feel ghosted, ignored, or drained by recruitment, they are not imagining it.
Patrick made the point that many applicant tracking systems are legacy systems, not designed for a world where people submit huge numbers of applications and where recruiters are also dealing with AI-generated clutter and mass-application behaviour.
What that can look like in practice:
- You upload your resume, then have to manually re-enter the same information into multiple fields.
- You complete a long application and hear nothing.
- You receive generic communication that feels impersonal or even insulting.
- You get asked to complete assessments that seem disconnected from the actual job.
This is not just bad manners. It is often a combination of poor UX, overloaded systems, and recruitment teams that are under-resourced or not treated as strategic internally.
The takeaway is not “be more understanding.”
The takeaway is this: You need a job search strategy that works in a market where process quality is inconsistent.
More applications is not the same as more opportunity
Another point from the conversation that I think matters a lot for my audience: mass applying may feel productive, but for experienced professionals it is often a trap.
Patrick acknowledged that recruiters are now dealing with scattergun AI-generated applications and third-party services that encourage volume over strategy. He also understood why candidates get desperate and default to that behaviour.
But that does not mean it works well for senior people. In fact, for mid-career and senior professionals, the opposite is often true.
The more senior you are, the more risk-sensitive employers become. And the more likely it is that reputation, referrals, context, and relevance matter. Patrick put it plainly: as you move up the hierarchy, who you know matters more, and recommended candidates often do outperform unknown applicants because someone is putting skin in the game when they refer them.
That may feel uncomfortable. It may even feel unfair. But pretending it is not true does not help.
Assessments are increasing because employers need new bottlenecks
Many experienced professionals tell me they are seeing more assessments than they did 10 or 15 years ago, and Patrick agreed that assessments are now much more common beyond graduate recruitment.
Why? Because once resumes and cover letters become easier to generate, employers need other ways to differentiate candidates.
Patrick explained that psychometric testing exists because human judgement is inconsistent. Standardised assessment is an attempt to create a more reliable way to compare people.
That does not mean every assessment is good. Far from it.
He also made the point that a well-designed process should begin with job analysis: first identify what success in the role actually requires, then choose the right assessment methods. Too many employers skip that step.
And when assessments are poorly chosen, senior candidates can feel frustrated, patronised, or badly judged. Patrick noted that candidates value opportunities to demonstrate relevant capability, which is why many senior applicants dislike abstract reasoning tests that feel disconnected from the work they would actually do.
So yes, assessments are likely here to stay.
The 4-part plan to navigate a noisier hiring market
Part 1: Stop guessing how hiring works
Your objective: replace hype with a grounded view of the process.
This week, do these three things:
- Pick 10 roles you are genuinely suited for and review the application steps carefully. Notice the patterns. Are there forms, screening questions, psychometrics, or video asks?
- Audit your assumptions. Ask yourself: am I reacting to what this employer is actually doing, or to what LinkedIn says employers are doing?
- Tighten your resume for clarity, not cleverness. Patrick called resumes one of the most widely used and least well-understood tools in hiring. They are still heavily relied on, even though they are far from perfect.
This means your resume needs to do one job very well:
- Make your value obvious quickly.
- Focus on:
- Clear positioning
- Evidence of outcomes
- Relevant keywords
- A top third that tells the reader why you fit
- Do not assume a brilliant background will “speak for itself.”
Worried your resume is not signalling the right things? You can purchase Reset Your Career, a course I have developed with recruiters to teach professionals just like you how to present well in your job search. It includes resume samples that recruiters love.
Part 2: Prepare for assessments before you need them
Your objective: reduce shock and improve performance.
If assessments are showing up more often, then preparation should not begin the night before.
Start with this:
- Get ready for the interview assessment: Create 5 short career stories using CAR or STAR. Focus on leadership, problem-solving, stakeholder management, communication, and delivering outcomes.
- Practise answering assessment questions. Patrick recommended this especially for one-way video interviews, where rambling quickly works against you. The goal is not to sound rehearsed. The goal is to sound clear, credible, and relevant.
- Get familiar with the main assessment test formats: cognitive, personality, strengths, skills-based, aptitude, behavioural, structured interviews, case studies, or simulations.
Need help preparing for interviews, selection processes, or psychometrics? A focused one-hour session can make a big difference when you have a real process underway. Pair it with my favorite Strengths Assessment to see what the report looks like and learn more about your strengths, values, and career drivers.
Part 3: Adapt faster than your frustration
Your objective: stay flexible without feeling like you are losing status.
One of the most striking parts of the conversation was around asynchronous video interviews.
I shared the story of two very senior executives who were both asked to submit a video for CEO roles. One resisted the format and performed poorly. The other adapted quickly, did it brilliantly, and got the role.
Patrick’s view was nuanced. He is wary of vague “upload a video about yourself” requests because they can be badly designed and highly biased. But he also pointed out that a properly structured asynchronous interview can be fair in important ways: same questions, same timing, same rating criteria.
His advice for candidates was practical:
- Practise speaking into a webcam
- Rehearse key examples
- Get your answers under two minutes
- Expect some awkwardness and train through it
This is the mindset shift I want for you: Adapting to new formats does not lower your status. It shows professional range.
If video interviewing, or modern interview preparation feels uncomfortable, that does not mean it is beneath you. It means it is new. And new can be learned.
If interview delivery is the part you keep avoiding, my 1-1 consultations are built for exactly that kind of support.
Part 4: Build a search strategy that matches senior hiring reality
Your objective: trade volume for relevance.
Patrick made a point that I strongly agree with: as careers progress, networks matter more.
So this week:
- Make a list of 20 people you know professionally who are worth reconnecting with. Not to ask for a job immediately. To reopen the channel.
- Identify 10 organisations where your background is a logical fit.
Then ask: What is the business case for me there? - Aim for 2 warm conversations or introductions per week.
Consistent, low-drama outreach beats bursts of panic networking. - Use applications strategically. Tailor your resume and email to the role, but do not rely on online applications alone for senior opportunities.
The job market does not reward effort evenly. It rewards signal. And signal is built through relevance, relationships, and clarity.
If you want a structured system for doing this, look at my programs and coaching offers. They are designed to help experienced professionals move from reaction to strategy.
Time Out
- I'm reading Dr. Catherine Ball's new book, The Future of Sleep: A tech-fuelled field guide to the new rest economy. I am loving it. It sounds like her! And the content is of the utmost importance to my clients. Very keen to get her back on the podcast to discuss it.
- I'm in England for the next 3 months, and staying close to the very alternative London neighbourhood of Camden Town this week. So I am listening to a lot of punk and alternative rock, like The Cure, New Order, and The Smiths. Depeche Mode and Muse.
- You can follow my work-from-abroad trip on my Instagram Stories.
Until next week, and wishing you all the best
RB
