I just reviewed 286 job applications for a role I needed to fill. Yep, that’s right. Every single one.

LinkedIN is full of horror stories from job hunters. It’s time for a change. I don’t know if this is it, but I felt I needed to do something different.

And I’m glad I did.

Not because I'm a sucker for punishment. But because behind each CV and cover letter was someone who took the time to apply, so the least I could do was give them the same attention in return.

Buried in the details were small but meaningful signs - a specific achievement, a phrase that showed grit, a side project that revealed passion. Things no algorithm would catch. Things that tipped the scales.

Sure, I used AI. But as my assistant, not my decision-maker.

Here’s how:

Promotion via LinkedIN
Human brain for longlist (and yes, I actually notified the no’s)
ChatGPT to build interview questions and scoring framework
Cal.com for scheduling 30-min chemistry calls
Otter.ai to record conversations
ChatGPT to analyze transcripts against the framework (to back up my gut)
Human judgment for the final cut

The kicker? Attitude trumped everything. You can teach skills. You can't teach giving a damn.

And four observation for job seekers:

Make it easy for us to say yes, rather than no. Bring outcomes and key achievements to the top.
Stand out or stand aside. Many had more creative CV formats (this was a Content/Social Media role, so made sense). Guess who got noticed?
Typos = instant death. If you can't be bothered to spellcheck, why should I trust you with our brand?
Use AI to enhance, not replace. I expect you to use it. But total AI generation? You can smell it a mile off.

Here's the thing: in our rush to automate everything, we've forgotten that hiring is fundamentally human. It's not about efficiency at the expense of connection. It's about using efficiency to create MORE connection.