While Job Hunting

Sharing my most unrefined, draft thoughts on this personal website, I keep in mind—somewhere in the back of my head—the possibility that an HR professional or a technical lead researching a potential team member might just read this. I hope this awareness doesn't force my mind into self-censorship from a standpoint of defending the idea of "marketing oneself."

First of all, there are a few major, market-dominating AI-powered HR applications. I have this "hunch" that the companies selling these services don't create separate profiles for each company; rather, they combine the applicant's same data into a unique profile shared across all their clients (the companies that have purchased the AI HR service).

While I used to get responses to my initial applications, following second and third stages that didn't progress, I began receiving much faster rejections and automated "we will be moving forward with other candidates" replies. When I personally ask AI about the match percentage between my CV and the job description, I get feedback suggesting I should at least secure that initial phone call, but in reality, that's not what happens.

Another situation that comes with AI is having it join meetings to take notes. I seem to have a tendacy need to approve such requests, almost as a way to prove i am open to utilizing AI and embracing innovation. However, judging by the body language of the HR representative in the meeting, I can clearly observe that they aren't actively listening to me (figuring the AI will generate a summary anyway).

This is a factor that directly affects my motivation during the interview. I've actually communicated this situation as feedback a few times to the people—the one who replied with their personal email addresses from beyond the "no-reply" wall. I firmly believe that an HR professional, whose actual job is to observe and understand the behavioral traits of the person across from them, shouldn't be sitting in a meeting with their perception so entirely switched off just because they rely on AI.

Then there are the people I reached out to directly. Yes, everyone's time is valuable, but I truly wonder what kind of professionalism leads someone to slip into total silence after a few positive email exchanges and even a direct video conference.

For now, my job hunt continues. I am genuinely exhausted from playing the market's "game." I don't have that kind of temperament, nor do I have the experience for it. But that is the advice I'm given. There is a saying in Turkish: "calling the bear as an 'uncle' until you cross the bridge." I suppose it aligns closely with the English phrase "fake it until you make it."

Forgive me, but if someone tells me, "Well! You just have to call the bear 'uncle' until you cross the bridge, that's how it is," or "Dude, just fake it until you make it," I immediately put a significant distance between myself and that person in my mind. This is a state that requires me to compromise too much of who I am, and it certainly isn't helping me find a job.

So be it! Let's keep this between us: I am not actually looking for a job! I am looking for a place where I will take pride in collaborating, where I truly believe I am creating value. And neither an AI wall nor an HR representative who refuses to listen to me with an open ear can prevent that!

And if Allah should touch you with harm, there is no remover of it except Him; and if He intends for you good, then there is no repeller of His bounty. (Yunus 10:107)

With peace,