What do hiring managers even want from job applicants anymore?

A lot of advice about looking for a job comes down to knowing how to play the game. An applicant learns how to tweak their resume to every job description, making it engaging enough for a person but also simple enough to be processed by AI; they coach themselves on common interview questions and do their research into the company so they can make some engaging questions of their own. They sink hours of their time into applying and networking and trying to land a new role, but often, they find no luck. It’s rough out there.

It is not uncommon for somebody seeking work to feel like they are doing everything right, but not seeing any results for it. There always seems to be a better applicant, a company changes its mind, or maybe the job they were hoping to get didn’t even exist in the first place. It is almost inevitable that they start to wonder if they have a problem.

While it is true that everyone has their flaws and they can prevent them from being hired, it is fair to say that some employers have standards that are ridiculous. They seem to chase an ideal candidate who doesn’t really exist, and leave behind those who may not conform 100% to their strict criteria, but who would be a worthwhile employee. When they get so many applications, though, they don’t want to broaden those horizons. It is just too much work.