Australian CEO slams worker's 'worst' email as Gen Z work trend emerges: 'Use your brain'

Shark tank Australia Judge and Showpo CEO Jane Lu was shocked when she received an application from a stranger. The work opportunity was to help the Australian boss with her business course and it soon became apparent that the candidate had been using AI to write his emails and hadn’t paid much attention to what he was sending.

Jovana Karajcic, owner of the Lula Group recruitment agency, said Yahoo Finance She has seen this countless times, particularly among young Australian job seekers. While she points out that sending out dozens of applications can take a lot of time, you need to get the basics right.

“We look at multiple applications and all you see is ‘Enter job title here,’ ‘Enter company name here,’ and all you can see is that it’s copy and paste,” she said.

“We’ve also had situations with a lot of attention to detail where they put in the wrong company name or the wrong person’s name, so you could tell they had simply applied for multiple jobs and were just sending out spam.”

Taking two seconds to read through your email or application to a potential employer can save you from ending up at the bottom of the pile.

Lu hit on a guy who sent in “the worst application” she’d ever seen.

The first thing that Shark tank The judge emphasized in the first paragraph of the application that the job seeker wrote: “I am confident that my experience in [relevant experience/skill] positions me as a strong candidate…”

The next problem was that in the email, before “Dear Hiring Manager,” the job seeker also included a line that said, “Here is a more polished and articulate version of your cover letter.”

Showpo’s CEO said it was abundantly clear that this candidate used ChatGPT or some other AI system to create the cover letter and didn’t even bother to add their own details or proofread the email before he clicked “send”.

She urged Australians to use their brains when applying for jobs.

Karajcic also said it Yahoo Finance Since many of these AI chatbots use American English, it’s easy to tell when someone hasn’t reread their work.

In this case, the job seeker used the word “realize” instead of “realize,” which was a clear indication that AI was being used.

“We know what terminology ChatGPT uses because it’s American, so they use a lot of Z characters, so that’s one thing I picked up on,” she said.

“The words they use, like spearhead… I can tell in a second just by looking at a resume whether ChatGPT was used or whether someone actually put some time into their resume.”

Data from job site Indeed shows that 55 percent of Generation Z use AI tools to apply for jobs, followed by 54 percent of Millennials, 36 percent of Generation X and 26 percent of Baby Boomers.

Shoshana Davis, a Gen Z career expert, told CNBC that she noticed that many different young job seekers were submitting the same word-for-word applications because they were all using the same tool.

“That’s why I talk to companies and employers who are hiring between 10 and 1,000 Gen Z people each year,” Davis said.

“And one of the biggest challenges I see right now is the use of AI, particularly ChatGPT, and it’s not being used properly and effectively.”

Karajcic said Australians shouldn’t necessarily shy away from using apps like ChatGPT to help them with their applications or cover letters, but should exercise a little due diligence.

“When you use ChatGPT, just personalize it,” she explained. “It’s okay to delete a sentence and change or rephrase it, but definitely personalize it and make it more personal.”

This is particularly necessary as we approach the busy Christmas period when many casual positions will emerge.

Data from consultancy group Praesidium Risk and Resilience found that the number of casual jobs at Christmas has risen by 11 per cent since July and employers are facing “unprecedented challenges in securing skilled staff”.

“It’s a whole new game,” said Scott Taylor, CEO of Praesidium.

“As candidates use AI tools like ChatGPT for resume and interview preparation, it is more difficult than ever for employers to identify candidates with the right intent and integrity.”

Karajcic said she had seen Australian job seekers, particularly for casual jobs at Christmas, submit the simplest applications containing a name, phone number and a very brief overview of their work history.

She explained that AI tools can then actually help augment that information and turn it into a suitable application.

The hiring manager understands that not everyone has the skills or know-how to create the perfect resume or application. However, it’s worth getting the right help to ensure you have the best chance of getting a job.

“I understand that some people don’t have time,” she said. “But personally, I would want someone who has that kind of attention to detail at the end of the day.”

“If they don’t put 100 percent effort into their resume, then I think that definitely has an impact on how they’re going to be in the job.”

Get the latest Yahoo Finance news – follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn And Instagram.

Australian CEO slams worker’s ‘worst’ email as Gen Z work trend emerges: ‘Use your brain’

Recent Posts