What everyone gets wrong about the modern job search — and what actually works
What everyone gets wrong about the modern job search — and what actually works
Publish Date: 2026-07-05 09:20:00
Source Domain: theconversation.com
Job searching has never been more accessible — or more confusing. Platforms like LinkedIn, Indeed and employer career pages let candidates submit applications with just a few clicks. What happens after they click “submit,” however, has become fertile ground for misinformation.
Social media is filled with “career influencers,” resume writers, recruiters and companies promising insider knowledge of how hiring really works. Much of this advice focuses on misinformed claims about applicant-tracking systems (ATS) and artificial intelligence.
These services profit from job seekers’ uncertainty and convincing people they need specialized services, tools and products to “beat” the ATS and secure interviews.
The result is that many job seekers spend time and money following advice that has no basis in evidence. Here are four common myths about the job application process, and what the research actually says.
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Myth 1: 75 per cent of resumes are rejected
Perhaps the most widely repeated claim online is that 75 per cent of resumes are automatically rejected by an ATS before a human recruiter ever sees them.
The statistic originated from a 2012 sales pitch by Preptel, a resume optimization company that went out of business the following year. No methodology was ever published, yet the figure has spread widely.
In reality, an ATS is software that helps employers manage applications, and its capabilities vary widely. Some systems function as digital filing cabinets, simply storing and organizing applications….
