By Richard Edge, founder of Careerships
In April, I posted a LinkedIn advert for a Director of Strategy. Its first line said: “Please don’t apply, this is not a real job.” Within seven days, 350 people had applied.
I ran the same advert again in September. Around 400 people applied in the first 30 minutes. After six hours, the total had reached 920 and I took it down.
This was an informal experiment, not a controlled study, and I did not retain the applicant data. But as a former HR Director who now works with senior professionals, I wanted to see what the advertised jobs market looks like from the hiring side when applying can take a single click.
What the applications revealed
The first thing I noticed was where people were applying from. A large proportion were based overseas, while the rest were spread across the UK. Most had no tangible experience relevant to a Director of Strategy role.
More strikingly, not one application differentiated itself. Across both adverts, no application gave me a reason to look twice. Around 30 people sent connection requests to raise their visibility; some included notes that appeared AI-written, with several near-identical messages and some referring to another role entirely.
And nobody, in either round, pointed out that the job was fake.
Automation is hard to identify – but nobody read the advert
I cannot tell how many applications were automated. I did not keep the data and, from the recruiter’s side of LinkedIn, an automated application looks much the same as one made by a person.
What I can say is that the advert was not being read. Around 400 applications arrived in 30 minutes, leaving very little room for candidates to have considered a listing whose opening line asked them not to apply. Whether a person or a tool pressed the button, the outcome was the same.
“The volume is not a sign of a healthy talent pool. It is noise – and the strongest candidates are at risk of being lost in it.”
Richard Edge, founder of Careerships
What this means for screening
No hiring manager can read 920 applications in six hours with care. Screening therefore falls back on filters, keywords and increasingly AI tools. For senior roles, I do not believe traditional adverts and screening remain fit for purpose on their own.
There is an irony here. The first advert was removed by LinkedIn after being live for a week and attracting 350 applications. I suspect it was noticed because it openly said it was not real. In my experience, there is little meaningful auditing of whether every advertised job exists at all.
Three practical steps for employers and recruiters
- Plan for volume. Expect hundreds of applications within hours and decide how they will be handled before an advert goes live.
- Ask for one simple proof of reading. A specific question in the application can separate readers from clickers in seconds.
- Use people for the roles that matter most. For senior hires, referrals and direct approaches will often reach better candidates than an open advert.
Every applicant, whether ultimately suitable or not, forms a view of an employer’s brand from how they are treated.
What it means for senior candidates
If you rely only on advertised roles, you are competing in the most crowded part of the market. For many senior roles, the advert is no longer the front door; it is the last resort.
My ARC model reflects this shift. Core expertise still matters, but so does how effectively you use AI in your own work and whether opportunities reach you through relationships before they are advertised.
Three ways to stand out
- Connect for visibility, but write a considered note. A generic or AI-written message can do more harm than none at all. Make it specific to the person and the role.
- Take a route others will not. A thoughtful note to the hiring manager, a concise point of view on the organisation’s challenges or an introduction through a mutual contact can be remembered.
- Research more deeply than average. Find a meaningful insight about the organisation, market or role and show the work you have done.
The real lesson
The advert asked people not to apply, and 1,270 did. That is not simply a story about careless candidates. It is a sign of a system that has made applying effortless and getting noticed harder than ever.
Over the next two years, the professionals who do well will be those who build relationships before they need them, use AI to sharpen their thinking rather than multiply their applications, and give a decision-maker a genuine reason to remember them.
About the author
Richard Edge is founder of Careerships, an executive careers partner and former HR Director. A Fellow of the CIPD, he has worked with more than 400 professionals across 31 countries and has delivered two TEDx talks on career progression.
Submitted by Richard Edge, Careerships
