With floods of A.I.-generated resumés reshaping hiring, what can real candidates do to rise above the noise?

Tyler Schaller

AUGUST MARKS SIX years since I joined First Orion—and more than a decade in the talent acquisition world. In that time, I’ve seen the landscape shift dramatically: from times when you had to beg for applicants, to years when we were flooded with resumés, to stretches where it felt like no one was moving at all. But what’s happening now is unlike anything I’ve seen before.

At First Orion, we’ve had our share of hiring highs and lows. A few years ago, we were growing at rocket speed. We’d post a job and then promote, promote, promote to make sure people saw it. Then came 2020 and the “Great Resignation”—when the world changed, and so did the job market. Suddenly, applications came pouring in. That was followed by the “Great Stay” when people hunkered down, and applicant volume dipped. We had to start seeking out the right candidates, even hiring a full-time sourcer (whom I lovingly refer to as our “sorcerer”) to proactively reach out to talent.

But over the past eight months? A whole new wave has arrived, and it’s not what you think. We’ll post a software engineering role and get 600 applications overnight. In some cases, we’ve hit 1,200. At first, we thought, “Wow! That’s great!” But then we looked closer. The applications were eerily similar in format, content, structure, and language. That’s when it clicked: We’re not just seeing more applicants—we’re seeing more bots.

Some of this surge is expected—tech roles and remote postings tend to attract more attention. But lately, many of those “candidates” aren’t real people. They’re A.I.-generated resumés, swamping our system and making it harder than ever to find the real humans behind the job hunt.

So, what can we do? And more importantly, what can you—legitimate candidates—do to stand out?

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ONE TACTIC WE’RE exploring is adding simple human verification to our application process, like a CAPTCHA prompt on our careers page. It’s a small friction point for real applicants, but a major barrier for bots.

We’re also using First Orion’s Branded Calling solutions to ensure that our outbound recruiter calls are clearly labeled, so candidates know it’s us. In a world full of scam calls and even recruiting scams, this added trust and transparency is an important part of how we protect candidates and even add efficiencies to our recruitment strategy.

But even as we explore new tools, we’re balancing one thing carefully: keeping the human in the hiring process. Because that’s the piece we can’t lose.

At First Orion, People First isn’t just a poster on the wall—it’s one of our core culture competencies, and it’s how we approach every part of our candidate experience. We know job searching can be overwhelming, especially in a landscape full of automated rejections and black-box algorithms. That’s why we’ve made an intentional decision not to automate candidate interactions with A.I. We believe every applicant deserves a personal, respectful, and human touchpoint—because behind every resumé is a person taking a risk and putting themselves out there. That deserves care.

We also bring every new hire on-site for their first week—even if they’re remote long-term. That first week of in-person connection helps people feel our culture in real life, build relationships, and understand who we are as a team. It’s part of how we live out People First from day one.

But what about you? If you’re job hunting in this A.I.-flooded market, here’s how to make sure you rise above the noise:

• Use A.I. to polish, not fabricate. Yes, it’s fine to have ChatGPT help proof your resumé. But beware of over-embellishment. We’ve had candidates list skills that they couldn’t explain in the interview, and often it turns out that A.I. added those lines on its own.
• Keep your LinkedIn current and active. Make it easy for recruiters to verify that you’re real. Post your work, engage with companies you admire, and stay present online.
• Reach out directly. A personal note to a recruiter or hiring manager on LinkedIn or email still goes a long way, especially when we’re swimming in a sea of 600 applicants overnight.

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THERE’S NO SHORTAGE of A.I. tools for talent teams. And while some of them are helpful, I’m cautious about letting automation replace connection. Because the hiring process should be human.

It’s not just about checking a list of qualifications—it’s about effort, attitude, and potential. You can’t always measure that with an algorithm. Sometimes, it takes a conversation. At First Orion, we often say: “You’re not a culture fit, you’re a culture add.” We’re looking for what makes you, you—not just how you mirror everyone else. That belief is at the heart of our hiring, and it’s why People First guides us through every step.

A.I. might be changing how we hire. But it hasn’t changed who we’re looking for. So, whether you’re on the hiring side or the candidate side, keep the human element front and center. Because in the end, that’s what makes all the difference.
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Tyler Schaller is Director, Talent Management, at First Orion.