Many job seekers say the hiring process feels more frustrating than ever. New data from Gallup shows confidence in the job market has dropped significantly; 28% of workers say now is a good time to find a quality job, down from 70% in mid-2022. It's no surprise that nearly half of active job seekers describe the experience as negative, with many unable to even land an interview. So what is actually happening? The National Consumer Unit spoke with Farah Sharghi, an ex-Google recruiter and career coach, to get some answers and find out what can be done to improve your chances of getting hired. Myth: AI is automatically rejecting your resumeOne of the biggest fears among job seekers today is the belief that artificial intelligence is deciding who gets interviews. Sharghi says that is largely misunderstood. "No, AI is not auto-rejecting you," says Sharghi. She says most companies use Applicant Tracking Systems, also known as ATS platforms, to organize applications. "It's a system that tracks applicants like an Excel spreadsheet," says Sharghi. But applications are still reviewed by real humans. These systems help recruiters store resumes, track applicants through interview stages, organize hiring pipelines and filter for basic requirements. In many cases, filters are based on simple screening questions or qualifications set up by recruiters, such as years of experience, required certifications or work authorization requirements. If a candidate does not meet those baseline requirements, the application may be filtered out early to help recruiters focus on candidates who are actually qualified. The real problem: AlignmentSharghi says many job seekers apply broadly without asking whether their experience truly matches what the company needs. "If I could encapsulate job search in one word, it's 'alignment,'" says Sharghi. She says applicants often focus on what they want from the job, such as remote work or salary, instead of taking time to ask themselves why the company is hiring for that position in the first place, and what problem the company is trying to solve. "Roughly 75% of the people who apply to jobs should not be applying to that position because they are not qualified," says Sharghi. That does not mean people lack the skills. In many cases, candidates are not properly connecting how their experience aligns with the role. Sharghi says people should focus less on "beating the ATS" and more on clearly communicating their value. Why your resume might be working against you"The biggest mistake that I think people make on their resumes is that they don't realize that they're not the ones reading their resume." Recruiters often spend seconds scanning a resume initially to see what you did, who you worked with, what impact you had and how it relates to this role. Sharghi recommends building a master resume that includes all of your experience and then tailoring versions of it for different applications. Consequences of 'panic applying'Applying to hundreds of jobs may actually hurt you. "Panic applying" is a term that refers to applying to as many jobs as possible. But Sharghi says more applications do not necessarily improve outcomes. Instead, focus on roles where your background aligns and strategically customize your resume.And this is where AI can actually be useful. "Most of the time, people take the wrong approach. They will say, you know, 'This is the job description of a job I want to apply to. This is my resume. Tailor my resume to the job.' Boom, there you go. And then they apply. And sometimes we get callbacks. And most of the times, they don't," says Sharghi. She recommends using AI to take it one step further and ask it questions, such as, "Why is the company hiring for this role?" or "If they don't hire for this role, how will it negatively impact the team and the, the position?"Once you feed the AI tool more information, your results will be better. No. 1 interview tipOnce candidates finally land an interview, whether they are meeting with a real person or an AI platform, Sharghi says preparation matters, but bring that human element to the conversation. Instead of memorizing your answers and coming off as robotic, she recommends preparing key points and examples you want to hit naturally during the conversation. The goal is not perfection, it's clarity. The goal is to help the interviewer understand how you think, how you communicate, and most importantly, how your experience solves their problem. AI is changing jobs, but not always in the way people think AI is reshaping hiring and workloads, especially for entry-level roles. Some companies have redistributed work to existing employees instead of hiring junior staff. But she says many businesses are also realizing those workers are still needed. That aligns with recent reporting from our Get the Facts Data Team, which found AI is already shifting the types of skills employers value most, particularly in roles involving repetitive tasks and administrative work. At the same time, employers increasingly want workers with more flexible skill sets. That means adaptability matters more than ever, hybrid technical and communication skills are becoming more valuable, and learning AI tools is a must. "If you have to go out and learn those AI skills on your own, go learn them," says Sharghi.Rejection is not a reflection of your value"Well, it's your resume that's the problem. You are not a problem," says Sharghi. She encourages job seekers to take a step back and evaluate where they are getting stuck."If you're submitting resumes, not getting an interview, it's your resume. If you are failing when you are talking to a recruiter and you're not moving forward, well, then you're just talking about yourself, and you're not relating your experience to what they want," she says.