Job seekers are faced with repeated rejection, little acknowledgement and almost no human contact in a challenging, technology and AI-driven job market.GETTY IMAGES
Leanne Elnicki says she applied to more than 200 jobs over roughly six months. As a journalist-turned-communications manager with more than 30 years of experience, Ms. Elnicki is a stickler for a well-written cover letter. She crafts a new one for each application she submits and doesn’t use tech to take short cuts with her writing. Despite painstaking effort, Ms. Elnicki says she’s landed only three interviews.
Most of Ms. Elnicki’s applications have gone unacknowledged. When responses do come, they’re similarly worded. They mention the “careful consideration” her application was given and the fact that the company is advancing other candidates who “more closely match” the company’s requirements.
“The process has been soul-sucking,” Ms. Elnicki says.
“My friends will tell you I am a confident person, and not without merit. These days I feel like a shadow of my former self because this has knocked me down so many pegs. I haven’t been applying for [roles] I’m not qualified for.”
Canada’s unemployment rates have been bleak, with youth unemployment skyrocketing and overall unemployment rates nation-wide at 7.1 per cent in August – the highest unemployment rate in four years. As competition for jobs becomes fiercer, the job-hunting terrain is increasingly riddled with digital gatekeepers. On one side, exasperated applicants are searching for signs of human life behind a job ad. On the hiring side, AI filters and the sheer number of applications have drastically changed the process for companies to find new talent.
“In the last year or two, with the rise of more accessible AI for job seekers, the volume of applications that are being sent out has increased,” explains Calgary-based career coach Ariel Hennig Wood.
“Employers used to get a couple hundred applications, and now it’s 500 to 1,000 because it is so easy for people to use AI to adapt their resume, in a matter of minutes, to any job that is slightly relevant to them.”
Ms. Hennig Wood explains that the use of AI on applications makes it harder to distinguish between favourable candidates and the rest of the applicants. Reasonably well-written cover letters are now much easier to compose.
The consequences of this dilemma, according to Resume.org, isn’t lost on hiring managers. A 2025 survey revealed 57 per cent of people in hiring roles worry AI screens out qualified candidates, yet 74 per cent of respondents still plan to increase AI usage over the next year, with 62 per cent predicting AI could be running the full hiring process as early as next year.
Sangeetha Dikshit, founder of POD Transformations and a career coach with Toronto Public Library, says it is not uncommon to hear of people applying for hundreds of roles with no response. Her advice is to remember the importance of one’s personal network when applying for work as well.
“Most candidates aren’t aware that much of the job market in Canada is hidden,” says Ms. Dikshit. According to Statistics Canada, 72.5 per cent of job vacancies in the fourth quarter of 2024 were filled through personal contacts, referrals and informal networks.
“What that means is that these jobs aren’t posted on social media, LinkedIn or job boards. These positions are filled through building a genuine reference system and internal promotion.”
Ms. Hennig Wood also coaches her clients to remember that online applications are only one strategy available to candidates. Coffee meetings with people who work at organizations of interest and personalized outreach such as video introductions are worthwhile considerations, she says.
“Relational hiring is still the No. 1 way people get hired. We can’t just sit behind our screens and send out resumes. It’s equally important to go lean into your network,” she says.
“Don’t just ask ‘Do you know anyone hiring?’ Get specific about what you want to do and where your values lie and then ask what company you should be talking to.”
For Ms. Elnicki, the burden of the job search feels heavy and she fears her age may be a factor.
“I got a response from one job, and the woman said she was touched by my cover letter,” Ms. Elnicki says. While Ms. Elnicki hasn’t landed the role, the personal response brought some relief.
“Part of it for me now is just feeling seen. I’m not even convinced that a human is involved anywhere in the process anymore and that’s sad.”