If you’ve spent an evening scrolling job boards, clicking “Apply” on anything that vaguely matches your title, and moving on without a second thought — you’re not alone. But you might be sabotaging your own job search.
It’s a habit now being called “doomjobbing”: endlessly scrolling employment platforms and firing off applications with little thought, no customisation, and no real strategy behind them. It sits alongside other now-familiar workplace terms like “quiet quitting” — another symptom of a job market that feels increasingly overwhelming for candidates.
Why Jobseekers Are Doing It
It’s easy to understand the appeal. In an uncertain economy, applying to everything can feel like taking control — casting a wide net in the hope that something lands. One-click applications and job board technology have made it easier than ever to apply to dozens of roles in the time it used to take to tailor one.
The result? Application numbers are climbing. Seek’s Employment Report for June found the number of Australians applying to each job listing had hit a record high, and Robert Half research found a majority of hiring managers had noticed a rise in overqualified applicants — a clear sign of the “apply-to-everything” mindset at play.
The Problem: It Doesn’t Work
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: doomjobbing rarely gets people hired. Casting a wider net doesn’t automatically improve your odds — in many cases, it actively works against you.
Recruiters and hiring managers can spot a generic, untailored application almost immediately. In today’s market, employers aren’t just asking “could this person do the job?” — they want to understand why a candidate wants this specific role, and why their experience genuinely fits. When someone applies indiscriminately, it shows: their motivations are vague, their CV reads like a template, and they struggle to explain their interest in the role if they do land an interview.
It’s also creating a knock-on effect for employers, with many now reporting that high application volumes are making it harder to properly assess every candidate — which isn’t good news for anyone genuinely well-suited to a role, buried in a pile of applications that were never a serious fit.
A Broken System, or a Broken Approach?
To be fair, job seekers’ frustrations aren’t unfounded. Many feel like their applications disappear into a “digital dustbin,” never to be acknowledged. Some of that frustration stems from roles that appear duplicated across multiple job boards, making the market look more saturated with “new” opportunities than it really is. And while it’s simply not feasible for an employer to give individual feedback to hundreds of applicants for a single role, there’s no excuse for candidates being ghosted after an actual interview — a legitimate pain point that seems to happen more than it should.
What to Do Instead
The good news is that the fix isn’t complicated — it just requires a shift back to basics. Rather than mass-applying, job seekers are better served by:
- Leaning on your network. Advice and referrals from people who know the industry (or the company) carry far more weight than a cold application.
- Applying early and selectively. Well-targeted applications submitted early in a listing’s life tend to perform far better than a late, generic submission.
- Tailoring every application. Take the time to make it obvious why your specific experience makes you the right fit for that particular role.
- Investing in upskilling. If you’re not landing interviews, that time might be better spent building the skills that will get you shortlisted.
- Using AI carefully. AI tools can help polish structure and check grammar — but they shouldn’t do the thinking for you. Employers are increasingly noticing CVs that sound polished but generic, or contain claims candidates can’t back up in an interview. AI should be your editor, not your author; the experience, achievements and examples still need to be genuinely yours.
The Bottom Line
In a competitive market, it’s tempting to believe that more applications equal more chances. But quality beats quantity — every time. A handful of well-researched, genuinely tailored applications will always outperform a hundred rushed ones.
If you’re finding the job search overwhelming, that’s exactly where a good recruitment consultant earns their keep — matching you to roles that genuinely fit, and helping you put your best foot forward for the ones that count.
Iceberg is Melbourne’s go-to recruitment company! Specialising exclusively in recruiting for digital, marketing, PR, digital, experiential & advertising jobs. Permanent, freelance and contract roles are available! Sign up for our weekly newsletter HERE.
