This week has been a weird one. I’ve applied for a few roles I was genuinely excited about, the kind of jobs where I thought, “Yes. I could bring something really worth while to this.”
I tailored each application. Updated my CV. Wrote a proper cover letter. Attached a portfolio with not just finished design work, but QR codes that link to detailed case studies, showing process, research, outcomes, and project results. Everything you’d expect to help show you care about your craft and want to be taken seriously.
And yet, I got an instant “Not selected by employer” notice, and I mean instant, like milliseconds after submitting. Not even exaggerating.
At first, I thought, surely that’s a glitch. No human could review that much content in that little time. So I rang one of the companies directly, just to make sure there hadn’t been a tech issue. The person on the phone was polite, but it was made clear: yes, the application had been looked at… and no, I wasn’t selected.
And here’s where I pause.
Because honestly? I’m not writing this because I didn’t get the job. Rejection is part of the game, I accept that fully. What doesn’t sit right with me is the way applications are being handled now. It feels like hiring has become so rushed, so filtered, so impersonal, that even the most tailored effort often doesn’t get past a first glance… if it even gets that far.
Are We Still Treating Job Seekers Like Humans?
It’s starting to feel like a bit of a numbers game. Applications are scanned (maybe automatically), and some are filtered out without context. Cover letters get ignored. Portfolios are probably opened after decisions have already been made. There’s rarely feedback. Rarely even acknowledgement.
It’s like shouting into the void.
And when you’re someone who cares about your work, it does sting. You wonder, Was I ever actually seen? Not because you expect hand-holding or special treatment, but because you want to know your time and effort mattered. Even a short line like, “Thanks for applying, but we were looking for XYZ,” would go a long way.
Where’s the Line Between Efficient and Cold?
I get it, companies are busy, people are stretched, roles can get hundreds of applications. But that shouldn’t justify brushing applicants aside so fast that they don’t even feel considered. Especially when job seekers are going out of their way to show they’re serious.
This isn’t a one-off either. I’ve spoken to others, friends, people in creative industries, even those outside of design, and the pattern’s the same. Automation. Silence. Instant rejection. No explanation.
Some of us are working with employment programs. Some of us are career-switchers, re-entering the workforce, or just trying to find a fit where we can thrive. The least we ask for is some kind of transparency. Or dignity.
What I’d Love to See More Of
Not a rant. Just a few ideas that could help shift things, even slightly:
Give applicants 10 seconds of your time
If they clearly made an effort. Especially if they submitted actual design work, full case studies, or custom content.
Let people ask why
Or offer an optional follow-up route for feedback. Some will take it, others won’t. But just having the option shows respect.
Remember there’s a person on the other side.
It's someone hopeful, someone nervous, someone trying for days, weeks and sometimes months and longer! That deserves something back, even if it’s small.
Final Thought
This blog isn’t about one job or one company, which is why I’m not naming anyone. It’s about a bigger trend. A creeping sense that the hiring process is losing its humanity.
And I think we can do better.
So if you’re hiring, or work in recruitment, or even just someone who remembers what it’s like to apply, maybe take a second next time.
Because trust me: on the other side of that CV is a person who just wants to be seen.
— Jarrid
