A massive new study scanned more than a million scientific papers for signs of artificial intelligence, and the results were overwhelming: AI is everywhere.
The study, published this week in the journal Nature Human Behaviour, analyzed preprints and papers published from 2020 to 2024 by searching for some of the signature traces that AI-generated tools leave behind.
While some authors deceptively using AI might slip up and leave obvious clues in the textchunks of a prompt or conspicuous phrases like regenerate response, for instancethey have become savvier and more subtle over time.
In the study, the researchers created a statistical model of word frequency using snippets of abstracts and introductions written before the advent of ChatGPT and then fed them through a large language model. By comparing the texts, the researchers found hidden patterns in the AI-written text to look for, including a high frequency of specific words such as pivotal, intricate, and showcase, which arent common in human-authored science writing.
Some research areas rely on AI, others dont
The authors found widespread use of large language models across research topics, but some fields appeared to rely on AI much more heavily than others. In computer science abstracts, an estimated 22.5% of sentences showed evidence of AI usage, compared with 9.8% for physics papers and 7.8% for mathematics papers.
We see the biggest increases in the areas that are actually closest to AI, co-author and Stanford computational biologist James Zou said. Shorter papers and papers in crowded fields of research showed more signs that they were partially written by AI.
Many academic journals have added rules requiring authors to disclose the use of generative AI tools like ChatGPT. Prominent journals including Science and Nature explicitly state that AI cannot author a paper, but AI can be used for more minor processes like copyediting and grammar. For some journals, the AI prompts used in crafting a paper must be detailed in depth in a papers methods section.
If the threat of introducing hallucinations into a paper isnt enough of a deterrent, authors trying to use AI stealthily run the risk of getting called out by databases dedicated to documenting AI transgressions in research.
Machines play an important role, but as tools for the people posing the hypotheses, designing the experiments, and making sense of the results, Science editor-in-chief Holden Thorp wrote in a letter on AI use in research. Ultimately, the product must come fromand be expressed bythe wonderful computer in our heads.
Sweetgreen is about to make some major changes amid slumping sales. Sadly, that includes ditching its newly introduced, yet mega popular menu item: Ripple Fries.
Sweetgreen’s shares dropped more than 25% Friday, after the chain slashed its full-year outlook for the second time in recent months. Back in February, the brand predicted revenue of $760 million to $780 million, before cutting projections to between $740 million and $760 million. Now, Sweetgreen says it expects revenue of between $700 million and $715 million for the 2025 calendar year.
On an earnings call Thursday, CEO Jonathan Neman expressed dissatisfaction with the numbers and laid out what the recent challenges have been for the brand, citing the “convergence of several external headwinds and internal actions”. In addition to more cautious spending by consumers, Neman said that last year’s steak launch made for a “tough comparison year.”
The CEO also noted that there have been issues with the company’s points-based loyalty program, which replaced its tiered subscription system in April. Neman said that while the brand saw revenue falloff as a result of the transition, he believes the impact of the loyalty program is only temporary.
Still, in light of the lower than expected sales, Neman said Sweetgreen will make a number of changes such as increasing portions, adjusting recipes, additional seasonal menus, and discounted items. Specifically, he mentioned a “loyalty exclusive $13 menu bowl”. Most bowls run about $16 to $20.
Farewell, fries
While customers may not complain about heftier portions, or discounted bowls, one change may not be as well received. On the call, Neman said the chain needs to focus on its “core” menu items, meaning its salads. With that in mind, he announced Sweetgreen will no longer sell Ripple Fries, in spite of the fact that they were a popular menu item that “consumers love”.
Earlier this year, the CEO told Fast Company about the brand’s excitement over adding Ripple Fries to the menu. Its the first time we have a truly signature side, Neman said. The other sides were fine, but now we have this staple. And theyre really addictive. Not only were the fries tasty, but they aimed to be a healthier fry, too, as they were made without seed oil and used healthier alternatives.
In 2023, the brand announced it would reduce its seed oil use overall. And this year, began promoting its seed oil free menu items. In January, just before Trump took office, Neman posted a photo of himself in a “Make America Healthy Again” hat, which many interpreted as a political statement referring to RFK’s agenda. “We made these hats in 2016. Glad the long overdue discussion on food and health has gone mainstream,” he wrote. “We are on a mission to make America Healthy by connecting communities to Real Food.”
While Ripple Fries were both a hit and a healthier option for those looking for a crispy side, they’re now a thing of the past, as Sweetgreen will focus on better quality salads and a better customer experience overall. According to the CEO, there is plenty of work to be done.
“The fundamentals like sourcing, cooking, and throughput are there, but they’re not always delivered with the consistency our guests expect or deserve, Neman said. “Today, about one third of our restaurants are consistently operating at or above standard, while the remaining two thirds represent a meaningful opportunity for improvement.”
The number of older Americans getting scammed out of their savings has exploded over the last four years.
A new report from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) details how scams targeting adults 60 and older have proliferated, with that demographic being three times as likely to incur losses of more than $100,000.
Some people 60-plus have reported emptying their bank accounts and even clearing out their 401(k)s, the FTCs Division of Consumer Response and Operations wrote. While younger people report losing money to these impostors, too, reports of losses in the tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars are much more likely to be filed by older adults, and those numbers have soared.
Last year, 8,269 older adults reported a loss of $10,000 or more, which is more than four times the number the FTC received in the same category in 2020. In 2024, older adults who lost $100,000 or more through a scam reported combined losses of more than $445 million, up from $55 million in 2020.
Most of the scammers take a similar approach, reaching out to unsuspecting victims about a fake, time-sensitive problem that can only be resolved if they transfer moneywhich ultimately lands in the hands of these unscrupulous strangers. Those requests can be dressed up in a variety of ways, but they often rely on a phone call to kick things off, reeling the victim in with false urgency and keeping them chatting while setting up the scam.
Last year, 41% of older adults who lost more than $10,000 through scams impersonating businesses or the government were ensnared with a phone call as the initial contact method. An online ad or pop-up ad, often imitating a security alert, was the first point of contact for 15% of these victims, while 13% reported an email as the initial method of contact.
Even when they dont start with a call, reports show the goal is to get you on the phone, the FTC wrote. A call is still the best way to dial up the fear and the urgency so its harder for you to think clearly and check things out.
What are the scams?
Scams evolve constantly, but there are some consistent themes across high-loss scams that the new report highlights and says to watch out for.
First, scammers often impersonate banks or major companies, such as Amazon, and claim that your account is linked to suspicious activity. Second, they might claim to be a government official and warn you that your Social Security number or another form of official identification has been used for illegal activity, like drug smuggling or money laundering.
The third common approach is when fraudsters impersonate a company, like Apple or Microsoft, sending an on-screen security alert that your account has been hacked. In those attacks, the scammers provide a number for you to call, and they move the scam along after getting you on the phone.
The FTC also notes that scammers often pretend to be the government agency itself, requesting that victims transfer money, put cash into Bitcoin ATMs, or even complete in-person cash handoffs. Regardless of the fake story, the goal is generally the same: to get your money, the FTC report said.
Why are scams spiking now?
The FTC report didnt explore the forces behind the scams, but most signs point to technology as an accelerant.
AI is still a relatively new technology, but its already a powerful tool for scammers seeking to fool victims into handing over cash or personal information. With AI, scammers can smoothly impersonate the voice and even the appearance of someone you know, establishing trust easily. In one targeted attack, a Hong Kong-based finance employee transferred $25 million to scammers who posed as his companys CFO by using a deepfake video.
Beyond AI, cryptocurrency remains such a major vector for fraud that the FBI launched an operation last year to reach potential victims earlybefore they empty their savings into fake investments. Some victims have reported thatprior to being notified by the FBI about the scamthey were in the process of liquidating their 401(k), selling their home, or obtaining a sizable loan, according to the FBI.
In a recent FBI report on internet crime, the agency detailed how the attack surface for online scams has grown exponentially as the internet has become woven into every aspect of our lives. Scammers are increasingly using the internet to steal Americans hard-earned savings, wrote B. Chad Yarbrough, operations director of the FBI’s Criminal and Cyber Division. And with todays technology, it can take mere taps on a keyboard to hijack networks, cripple water systems, or even rob virtual exchanges.
To steer clear of scams online, you can follow a few basic rules that go a long way toward keeping your money in the bank. Blocking unwanted and spam calls can help screen out some of this communication to begin with. Never send money to anyone in response to a surprise message, call, or alertacting with a sense of urgency is always to the scammer’s benefit. If you get a call out of the blue that sounds fishy, hang up and verify the source by directly contacting the person or company through official channels, not via the phone number the person provided.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday that opens the door to allowing alternative assets like cryptocurrencies, private equity, and real estate into 401(k) retirement accounts. Here’s what to know.
What does the executive order say?
The executive order gives the Secretary of Labor 180 days to review the guidelines that determine the rules for 401(k)s under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, known as ERISA. In short, the order calls for the Labor Department to clarify its position on alternative assets. (Under ERISA, employers have a fiduciary responsibility to ensure 401(k) investments are both prudent and don’t have onerous fees.)
As Fast Company previously reported, during Trump’s first term, the Department of Labor issued a letter suggesting private equity options could be included in 401(k) and 403(b) defined-contribution plans as part of a target-dated fund or other managed fund.
Why is this concerning for 401k holders?
Traditionally, private market assets haven’t been included in 401(k)s, for the most part because their “high fees, lack of transparency, and longer lockup periods make them riskier investments,” according to CNBC. However, they have made their way into pension funds and university endowments.
Why is this a big win for fund managers?
This could give fund managers access to a staggering $12 trillionyes, trillionand create a new source of funding besides traditional stocks, bonds, and cash, per The Guardian.
Who stands to benefit the most from the order?
Trumps executive order is yet another example of this administrations support of cryptocurrencies and push to loosen the regulation around digital currencies.
Not surprisingly, the prices of some cryptocurrencies are up today on the news. By early afternoon on Friday, the price of Ether (ETH) jumped over 4%. Bitcoin (BTC), which jumped 1% on Thursday on the news, was down slightly by less than 1%. Meanwhile, stock in Robinhood (HOOD), which offers crypto products, was up 4.5%.
In the early 2000s, it was hard to pass through any major suburban center and not cross a Bed Bath & Beyond. The home retail stores were ubiquitous back then and so popular that one of the brands locations featured as a major plot point in the 2006 Adam Sandler comedy Click, which grossed nearly a quarter billion dollars worldwide.
But in the nearly two decades since then, Bed Bath & Beyond suffered the same challenges many major retailers have experienced: declining foot traffic, a shift in consumer shopping habits from physical to online stores, and rising costs due to inflation. The once ubiquitous chain ended up going bankrupt in 2023 and subsequently closed all its stores.
Now, however, one of those stores is back from the beyondand it’s even accepting old Bed Bath & Beyond coupons. Heres what you need to know.
BBB is back from the beyond
Shortly after Bed Bath & Beyond filed for bankruptcy in 2023, online shopping giant Overstock.com acquired the former retailers name and rebranded itself as Bed Bath & Beyond. And now, Overstocks owner, The Brand House Collective, Inc., has announced it will open its first physical Bed Bath & Beyond store again.
However, fans of the brick-and-mortar retailer shouldnt get their hopes up for a nationwide revival. As of now, The Brand House Collective has only announced plans to open one Bed Bath & Beyond. One.
The company also announced that the store would feature a slight name change. Instead of being known as Bed Bath & Beyond, the new store will be called Bed Bath & Beyond Home, likely to hammer home the point that the store is a home goods outlet.
Announcing the new store opening, Amy Sullivan, CEO of The Brand House Collective, said, “We’re proud to reintroduce one of retail’s most iconic names with the launch of Bed Bath & Beyond Home, beautifully reimagined for how families gather at home today.
She continued, “This isn’t just a store, it’s a fresh start for a brand that means something special to so many families. With Bed Bath & Beyond Home we’re delivering on our mission to offer great brands, for any budget, in every room.
Get your (old) coupons ready
The Brand House Collective has also chosen to implement a unique marketing gimmick for Bed Bath & Beyonds physical revival: the new store will accept old Bed Bath & Beyond coupons.
One of the big draws of former Bed Bath & Beyond stores was that they often offered customer coupons that could lead to significant deals and discounts. For the grand opening of the new store, customers with those old coupons will be able to use them again.
We encourage guests to bring in their legacy Bed Bath & Beyond coupons which we will gladly honor, the company said in its press release. It also confirmed the new store will issue new coupons to guests as well.
Where and when does the new Bed Bath & Beyond open?
The new Bed Bath & Beyond location opens today, Friday, August 8, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee.
As for The Brand House Collective, its unlikely the opening of the new physical store will do much for its bottom line. The companys stock (Nasdaq: TBHC) is currently trading down 3.1% as of the time of this writing to $1.21 per share.
Year to date, TBHC stock is down nearly 25%. Over the past twelve months, TBHC is down nearly 20%.
Under President Donald Trump‘s leadership, the United States has withdrawn from international negotiations and commitments, particularly around climate. But the U.S. is very much involved in treaty talks for a global accord to end plastic pollution.
Nations kicked off a meeting Tuesday in Geneva to try to complete a landmark treaty over 10 days to end the spiraling plastic pollution crisis. The biggest issue is whether the treaty should impose caps on producing new plastic, or focus instead on things like better design, recycling and reuse. About 3,700 people are taking part in the talks, representing 184 countries and more than 600 organizations.
Here is a look the U.S. position:
Why is the US participating in the negotiations?
Hours after he was sworn in to a second term, Trump pulled the U.S. out of the landmark Paris agreement to combat global warming. The United States didn’t participate in a vote in April at the International Maritime Organization that created a fee for greenhouse gases emitted by ships, or send anyone to the U.N. Ocean Conference in June.
Some wondered whether the United States would even go to Geneva.
The State Department told The Associated Press that engaging in the negotiations is critical to protect U.S. interests and businesses, and an agreement could advance U.S. security by protecting natural resources from plastic pollution, promote prosperity and enhance safety.
The industry contributes more than $500 billion to the economy annually and employs about 1 million people in the U.S., according to the Plastics Industry Association.
This is a historic opportunity to set a global approach for reducing plastic pollution through cost-effective and common-sense solutions and fostering innovation from the private sector, not unilaterally stopping the use of plastic, the department said in an email.
What does the US want in the treaty?
The State Department supports provisions to improve waste collection and management, improve product design and drive recycling, reuse and other efforts to cut the plastic dumped into the environment.
The International Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development estimates that 22 million tons of plastic waste will leak into the environment this year. That could increase to 30 million tons annually by 2040 if nothing changes.
The OECD said if the treaty focuses only on improving waste management and does nothing on production and demand, an estimated 13.5 million tons of plastic waste would still leak into the environment each year.
What does the US not want in the treaty?
The United States and other powerful oil and gas nations oppose cutting plastic production.
Most plastic is made from fossil fuels. Even if production grows only slightly, greenhouse gas emissions emitted from the process would more than double by 2050, according to research from the federal Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
The U.S. does not support global production caps since plastics play a critical role throughout every sector of every economy, nor does it support bans on certain plastic products or chemical additives to them because there is not a universal approach to reducing plastic pollution, the State Department said.
Thats similar to the views of the plastics industry, which says that a production cap could have unintended consequences, such as raising the cost of plastics, and that chemicals are best regulated elsewhere.
What has the US done in Geneva so far?
On the first day of the negotiations, the United States proposed striking language in the objective of the agreement about addressing the full life cycle of plastics. That idea was part of the original mandate for a treaty. Getting rid of it could effectively end any effort to control plastic supply or production.
Under former President Joe Biden’s administration, the U.S. supported the treaty addressing supply and production.
What are people saying about the US position?
Industry leaders praised it and environmentalists panned it.
Chris Jahn, president and CEO of the American Chemistry Council, said the Trump administration is trying to get an agreement that protects each nation’s rights while advancing effective and practical solutions to end plastic waste in the environment. He said his group supports that approach.
Graham Forbes, head of the Greenpeace delegation in Geneva, said the United States wants a weak agreement and is undermining the idea that the world needs strong international regulations to address a global problem.
Does the US think the world can agree on a treaty that will end plastic pollution?
The United States aims to finalize text for a global agreement on plastic pollution that all countries, including major producers of plastics and plastic products, and consumers, will support, the State Department said in its statement.
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The Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.
Jennifer McDermott, Associated Press
Ever since Shane Devon Tamura entered the Midtown Manhattan office building housing the NFLs headquarters with a high-powered rifle, killing four people on July 28, John Orloffs phone has been ringing more than usual.
I hate the fact that my phone . . . rings after a tragic event, Orloff says. Its not the first time its happened. An operations leader at security risk consulting group Jensen Hughes, Orloff heard the same ringing after Luigi Mangione allegedly shot and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December. In December, [companies] were saying, How do we protect our executives? Orloff says. Today, it’s, How do we protect our most important resource . . . our people?
Fast Company spoke to Orloff and other experts to understand how office building safety works.
Safety begins with design
The office security landscape constantly evolves based on the latest attack. Over the last decade corporate clients concerns have shifted from terrorist and bomb threats in the mid-1990s and 2000s (fueled by attacks like the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing and September 11), to events like mass shootings.
Safety design experts say that preventative techniques work best. Threat mitigation should begin with the building design process, says Peggy Phillips, who leads engineering consulting firm Thornton Tomasettis Protective Design and Security practice. Thats when you can control key aspects like entry points. Architects can balance the number of entrances with [convenience], Phillips says. Too many entrances require numerous guards to secure thema significant business expensewhile too few can create bottlenecks during both regular workdays and emergencies.
One approach for avoiding prison-like safety features, like fences and bars, is known as Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design, when designers use the natural environment to promote safety . . . through creating spaces where crimes dont happen, Phillips says. Abundant perimeter windows facilitate what she calls natural surveillance, while landscaping around a building can avoid offering hiding places to bad actors by not including, say, high hedges spaced about a persons length away from a building wall. Its like the difference between walking through a park [thats] well-lit [without] a lot of brush, Phillips says, and one thats overgrown, not well-maintained.
Strategic Access
Then theres prevention at the lobby level, which looks different depending on whether an office building houses one tenant, multiple enterprises, or publicly accessible retail clients on its ground floor. It’s all about, how do we make sure that the people who are intended to access the building can [do so, and] have their identity verified, says Phillips.
Dedicated elevator banks with access to different floors can limit workers and visitors movements. Badge readers can allow a tenant on the third floor, for instance, to swipe at a certain turnstile and reach an elevator that only leads to that floor. Dual authentication can further shore up these systems by having employees, after they swipe in, enter a specific pin number, or use biometrics to get through an entryway. A man trap, Orloff adds (when one perimeter door leads to an open space followed by a second, interior door opened only through specific credentials), lets security monitor visitors between the two doors before authorizing their entranceand trap them somewhere secure if they lack the necessary qualifications.
Essentially invisible to someone untrained in building security, this measure also makes an office building more comfortable for the people who work there. Companies don’t want their workspace to look like Fort Knox, Orloff says.
Layers of Security
Our clients talk about mitigation of hazards and threats, says Phillips. You’re not making [office buildings] criminal proof, because there’s such variability in these events. Instead, her firm focuses on layers of security, so if a threat bypasses one, they have another waiting to stop them.
For example, beyond considering access points, technology, like security cameras, should also factor into an office layouts initial planning. But in addition to putting cameras in enough places to avoid blind spots, companies must incorporate them effectively into processes involving the people who monitor their feeds.
Security cameras are a great thing to have, but they’re typically evidentiary in nature, meaning they’re post-event, says Orloff, who points out the widely viewed image of Tamura approaching the Manhattan office building where he let fire with rifle in hand. However, if they’re watched by someone in real time, they can be much more preventative. For example, if someone monitoring an office buildings camera feeds sees a threat, they can recall the buildings elevators to a mid-floor location, Orloff says, where nobody can get up or down.
His company advises corporations to train their employees on security awareness, so they know what to do in an emergency. Orloff also suggests companies partner with local law enforcement, who can then learn about their office buildings layouts.
Continuous monitoring
No matter how much work architects and security designers put into an office buildings safety, every layered system has vulnerabilities that a determined attacker can overcome, says Orloff. The Manhattan office where Tamura killed four people had state-of-the-art security: an off-duty police officer accompanied security guards presiding over long check-in processes, locked turnstiles, alarms, elevators with access to limited floors, and even safe rooms, reported CNN.
Orloff noted he couldnt comment specifically on what happened in the Midtown Manhattan building where the shooting occurred. However, he pointed out as a general best practice in the event of an incident the first thing that a building should look to do is lock down the perimeter . . . making it so that only authorized employees, guests, visitors and vendors can get in that front door.
Companies should also stay abreast of what their own activities might mean for their employees and executives security. Everything a company does impacts its risk level, Orloff says, including a negative news article, a financial report, or the latest buzz about the CEO. That also applies to updates from other companies sharing your office buildingsecurity working at a low-profile company sharing a complex with a high-profile enterprise could benefit from staying on top of the latters news.
That may sound like a lot of work, but Orloff warns corporations not to under-value investing in solid building security. I prefer my phone stop ringing, he says, in the aftermath of tragic events. I’d much prefer to have my clients adopting [a] preventative approach.
Beyond that, the problem may just come down to whos allowed to possess firearms and where theyre able to bring them.
Instagrams new location-sharing Map feature is raising privacy concerns among some users, who worry their whereabouts could be tracked or misused.
Meta announced the rollout this week, introducing a map that lets U.S. users share their locations and see location-based content from friendssimilar to Snapchats Snap Map or Apples Find My.
This feature is opt-in and off by default. Users also have the option to turn off location sharing “at any time,” Meta said in a release. Heres how to do it.
Accessing the Map feature
Open the Instagram app and tap the arrow icon in the top right of your home feed to open Messages. The Map option should appear at the top of your inbox.
The first time you open Map, youll see a screen labeled Who can see your location. You can choose to share it with:
Friends (followers you follow back)
Your Close Friends list
Selected users
No one
Updating your settings
To update your preferences, navigate to your profile, tap the settings icon in the top-right corner, select Story, live and location, then choose Location sharing. From there, you can adjust who sees your location.
On the Map, different icons indicate your status:
A blue arrow means you’re sharing your location with your selected audience.
A red dot indicates you’re not sharing your location.
An orange triangle means you need to enable location permissions on your device to share your location.
How to turn off location services entirely
To shut off location services for Instagram on an iPhone, open Settings and tap through from Privacy & Security to Location Services. Scroll to Instagram and select Never.
To turn off location services for Instagram on an Android device, open your phones settings and scroll to Apps. Select Instagram, then tap Permissions and choose Location. From here, you can select Dont allow to completely block location access, or opt for Allow only while using the app or Ask every time for more control. (You can also toggle off precise location if you prefer.)
Even with location sharing off, you can still see friends who share their location with you. If you enable it, your location updates whenever you open the app or return to it from the background, Meta says.
For teen users
Parents with supervision enabled can control whether their child has access to location sharing, see who theyre sharing with, and receive notifications if location sharing is turned on.
Well, Joe, I did it. I applied to all the jobs.
That is exactly how Sam opened our conversation. It made me laugh out loud, in spite of myself.
Let me set this up real quick.
Sam is a former vice president of product who came up through the project management ranks. Shes been out of work since being laid off at the end of last year, so about five full months now.
Sam is different. Shes not like you and me. Shes kind of a machine. Shes never been a developer, but she knows all the connective tissue between a developers brain and a successful production applicationincluding infrastructure, security, Agile and Scrum, QA, and every flavor of every process that brings good code to paying customers.
Sam will tell you that shes not an idea gal. She executes. With extreme prejudice.
I tell you all this to tell you that when Sam loses her job or wants another job, she immediately pulls out every stop, in an optimized and efficient manner, never for a hot second taking her eyes off the goal of getting Sams butt into a new seat.
Yeah. She went third person there.
Last week, to her surprise, Sam realized that in her six months of relentless execution, she had applied to all the jobs she was remotely qualified for. Every single one. There was nothing left to do. No job description she hadnt combed through, no company she hadnt researched and reached out to, no networking spoke left unbugged.
So she called me and invited me out for coffee.
Hyperbole aside, Sam has applied for hundreds of positions, maybe over 500, she says. She has been through dozens of screens and definitely more than 50 interview loops.
If theres a war for jobs underway right now, this is what Sam has learned from her stint on the front lines.
The ATS-Friendly Résumé Thing Is Bullshit
Her words. But I tend to agree.
Sam got on the ATS-friendly résumé train right away, because the company that let her go had been leaning into AI résumé screening for about a year, and she had a friend helping with the tech in the HR department.
It took a month before I realized that I was just throwing darts,” she said. “Then I thought about all the talks I’d had with [my HR tech friend] and it hit me that theres no single ATS-friendly format, and everyone is probably doing the screening differently.
The responses she was getting were from companies she didnt really want to work for anyway, usually for low-paying, low-culture jobs. Further, the next step after contact was almost always a series of vibe check interviews. Most of the time, these resulted in fun conversations with young HR reps followed by a brief rejection note a week later.
I felt like I was wasting my time and I needed to get out of that loop, she said. So I took a risk and just redid my résumé to speak directly to the person I would want to hire me.
That, she said, resulted in better initial contact.
There Is Nothing in the Middle
Sam immediately decided to apply for everything she could. She has almost 20 years of experience, so she applied to everything from midlevel jobs that required five years of experience all the way to the executive-level jobs that would serve as her logical next career move.
Fifteen years is the max theyll put into the JD, she laughed. What does that tell you?
Each time, she tweaked her résumé and application so as not to scare anyone off. I didnt lie. I was just selective about what I said.
What she noticed is that there were a lot of just above entry level jobsin other words, people who were already broken in but still cheap. And there were a fair number of director and up positions, less hands-on stuff.
They dont say youll need to be out there selling for those executive jobs, but they imply it pretty heavily, she said.
I take this to mean that there is a lot less emphasis on management. And in my own research, Ive also found this to be the case. Youve got labor, and youve got sales, and everything else is AI-driven.
And by the way . . .
AI Jobs Are as Dumb as You Think They Are
At first, Sam admits, I wasnt applying for AI jobs because I dont have the tech experience there, but after reading some of the requirements I said [WTF], I can use ChatGPT, and I applied for a couple and got responses.
Turns out, no one really knows what an AI job is, beyond the PhD-level math and machine learning that drive the AI platforms themselves. According to Sam, almost everything thats not that is just hiring managers who want to make sure that you can use ChatGPT to pretty stuff up, you know, documentation and presentations.
I am shocked that I didnt assume that.
Salaries Are Coming Down
This one sucks.
She said, I swearI didnt keep notes or anything on itbut, six months ago, salaries at my level were mostly $250,000 to $300,000, and now they are definitely in the $180,000 to $220,000 range, give or take.
It makes sense. A combination of continued economic uncertainty on one side of the hiring table and growing desperation on the other side. Something had to give.
You Need to Be Ex-BigCo
Ive touched on this in previous posts, and Sam confirms what Ive already been told.
It comes up. A lot, she said.
Many years ago, Sam spent some time at a multibillion-dollar big-name tech company. Now she was getting frustrated when interviewers would inevitably ask her about that position first.
I did a stint, she said. I didnt change the world or anything. Im really proud of what I did at my last job, but they were under $50 million and falling, so . . .
Money Men (and Women) Are Pulling the Strings
Theres a lot more oversight into org structure and hiring in general coming from investors and boards who traditionally dont play as much of a role in the company makeup below the C-suite.
This is something I asked Sam about, and her eyes lighted up.
Yes! she said. Ive had . . . three loops that went great, and right before the offer I got set up with some rando or a private equity guy and then whammo. Is that a thing?
Yeah. She said whammo. And, yeah, thats a thing. I know this because Ive been the rando. Ive been asked to vet executives multiple times this year by those very venture capitalists and private equity guys.
Theres No Confidence
Sam and I had a long and winding conversation, and Ive tried to put this in a format with a single cohesive thread. If I had to pick, that thread would be no confidence.
From a lack of confidence in résumé screening to a lack of confidence in how to put people to work to a lack of confidence in what kind of talent is needed to even a lack of confidence in executives making sound fiscal hiring decisions.
No one knows whats really going on or how to make it better.
And thus, according to Sam, this malaise has spread to every corner of the job market. Outside of a few lucky breaks or local connections, theres no good way to get from point A to point B, with point B being putting a butt in a seat.
And then one morning last week, I went to my laptop and there was nothing to do,” she said. “It took me some time to figure it out, but every job board, all my networking tracking, everything. I was up to date. It made me a little scared.
A few days later, Sam did text me to tell me that new jobs were coming in and chatter had picked up across her network. In my mind, this is a wave, and a necessary one, as companies continue to figure out what isnt working, and then try to figure out what will.
Or, at least, thats what my optimistic side says.
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By Joe Procopio
This article originally appeared in Fast Companys sister publication, Inc.
Inc. is the voice of the American entrepreneur. We inspire, inform, and document the most fascinating people in business: the risk-takers, the innovators, and the ultra-driven go-getters that represent the most dynamic force in the American economy.
