How To AI-Proof Your Resumé

Authored by Autumn Spredemann via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a critical threshold that online job seekers must cross, but the technology has presented a unique challenge.

Illustration by The Epoch Times, Shutterstock

As employers increasingly lean on AI systems to screen, schedule, and evaluate candidates, applicants must learn how to get past the algorithm before reaching human consideration.

More hiring and recruiting professionals are using applicant tracking systems, many of which involve generative AI, according to a report from the International Research Journal on Advanced Engineering Hub. At a glance, these systems help overwhelmed employers sort and prioritize resumes, schedule interviews, and more.

Last year, nearly 98 percent of Fortune 500 companies used some type of applicant tracking systems, according to a Jobscan analysis. Research from Select Software Reviews found that 70 percent of large companies are using an applicant tracking systems, as well as 20 percent of small- to mid-sized businesses.

This has given rise to fears that resumes are being filtered out without any human judgment. Critics have brushed aside these concerns as myth or a misunderstanding of how an applicant tracking systems works, according to findings from Enhancv.

However, an EDLIGO analysis of 1,000 resumes from qualified candidates across multiple industries showed 43 percent of applicants were rejected for reasons that had nothing to do with their skills. The independent study ran selected, verified resumes through the top three applicant tracking systems platforms: Workday, Taleo, and Greenhouse. The 43 percent rejection rate was due to “formatting, parsing, or arbitrary filter failures.”

People who work in hiring say job seekers’ fears of an applicant tracking systems rejecting their resume aren’t unfounded.

“This isn’t just a claim; it is the fundamental reality of modern hiring,” Gloria Espina, founder of Recruitment Gal, told The Epoch Times.

Espina said job hunting has become a type of “algorithmic audition” that was born out of necessity.

“The ‘easy apply’ button has effectively broken the top of the hiring funnel. It turned applying for a job into a mindless, low-friction swipe,” she said. “As a result, recruiters are flooded with thousands of applications that aren’t even remotely suitable, which completely buries the highly qualified candidates under a mountain of digital noise.”

An employee sets up a laptop for a job application page during a hiring fair for postal workers and mail carrier assistants at a U.S. Postal Service facility in Inglewood, Calif., on July 18, 2022. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

Espina acknowledged that an applicant tracking system is an essential gatekeeper to manage applicant chaos, but it’s also a rigid one.

“Most legacy systems are painfully literal. They scan for keywords but completely fail to identify entities or context. An algorithm might check the box for the word ‘leadership,’ but it misses the contextual power of ‘scaled a remote team across three time zones during a merger,’” she said. “Context is where the actual value of a candidate lives, but our systems are still grading them on a basic vocabulary test.”

Digital Tripwire

The problem of software rejecting a job applicant without human consideration isn’t a new one.

A 2021 Harvard Business School study found that 88 percent of job candidates were rejected by an applicant tracking system because their resumes didn’t match the posted criteria closely enough. However, the study authors stated the same applicants were capable of performing the necessary tasks at a “high level” with proper training.

And therein lies the nuance. The sheer volume of job applicants for most posted openings has created the algorithmic audition.

“Many candidates likely don’t realize how many applications the average job posting receives. We often receive 300 [to] 500 applications within a week of posting a mid-level professional role, and using an ATS [applicant tracking system] helps us sort them by relevance and prioritize the queue,” Matt Erhard, managing partner at Summit Search Group, told The Epoch Times.

Erhard said the issue isn’t software. He said the real problem is that many resumes are “unclear, generic, or misaligned with the role,” which makes it challenging for a reviewer to identify candidates who are a good fit.

Alex Chepovoi, CEO of the job search platform Global Work AI, said the first thing to read your resume “is an algorithm.”

A hiring ad is displayed at a store in Columbia, Md., on Sept. 18, 2025. Experts say job seekers must optimize their resumes for relevant skills to pass automated screening systems and reach employers. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times

“Applicant tracking systems scan, filter, and reject resumes in seconds based on keywords, education, and experience specifics, and sometimes even demographic indicators,” Chepovoi told The Epoch Times.

He said to pass the “AI gate” and catch the attention of an employer, a savvy job hunter must first optimize their resume for skills.

“Make sure your experience section clearly reflects the keywords used in the job description. If the vacancy says ‘project management,’ don’t just say ‘led initiatives,’ say project management,” he said.

Another recommendation Chepovoi offered was minimizing personal data on the resume.

“Age, exact address, even gender indicators can unintentionally trigger filters. Focus on professional value.”

Gregg Podalsky, president of American Recruiting & Consulting Group, said candidates should focus on creating tailored resumes that match the job description.

“The real issue is alignment. If a resume does not clearly reflect the skills and requirements outlined in the job description, it may rank lower and never get serious consideration. That is not a flaw in the technology; it is a mismatch in presentation,” Podalsky told The Epoch Times.

He noted it’s critical to mirror the language of the job description where appropriate, clearly list measurable accomplishments, and make skills easy to identify.

“Avoid overly creative formats that [applicant tracking] systems cannot parse properly. Clarity, structure, and relevance matter more than design,” Podalsky said.

Getting past the initial AI gatekeeper and not ending up at the bottom of a list is a challenge that’s recognized across the board. In January, the job search engine Indeed published a list of best practices for “beating” an applicant tracking systems, which includes things like avoiding acronyms, adding a skills section, using relevant keywords, and submitting the correct file type.

In the EDLIGO study, 23 percent of resumes were rejected due to the inability to read the file, and another 12 percent were declined due to formatting issues.

Microsoft Bing is displayed on a monitor during an event introducing AI-powered Bing and Edge at Microsoft in Redmond, Wash., on Feb. 7, 2023. As generative AI becomes more common in hiring, specificity has grown more important for job applicants. Jason Redmond/AFP via Getty Images The Details

Sleek, clever formatting can actually do more harm than good when it comes to getting your resume in front of an actual person.

“To survive the filter but stand out to the human on the other side, you must anchor those keywords to measurable outcomes,” Espina said.

“Eliminate the fluff, the generic soft skills, and the complex formatting. Nobody cares that you are a ‘highly motivated team player.’ Take out the objective statements, the heavy graphics, and the columns. Those break in the [applicant tracking system].”

Podalsky said, “In 2026, strong resumes will focus on impact. Quantifiable results, specific tools used, and clear examples of problem-solving stand out.”

He agreed job seekers should eliminate vague phrases like “team player” or “results-driven” and replace them with evidence.

“Authenticity, relevance, and measurable contribution will always outperform keyword stuffing or AI-polished fluff,” he said.

Erhard concurred, saying, “Hiring managers today want evidence of impact. Candidates should add quantified achievement, including the scope, metrics, and outcomes.”

As an example, Erhard said, “led a team of eight and reduced project delivery times by 20 percent,” was better than just listing responsibilities on a resume.

Read the rest here...

Tyler Durden Fri, 03/06/2026 - 23:00

Minnesota State Employee Who Vandalized Teslas Last Year 'Punished' With 1-Day Suspension

Authored by Debra Heine via American Greatness,

A Minnesota state employee who vandalized six Tesla vehicles last year, causing up to $21,000 in damage, received no jailtime and just a single-day suspension from his job, state records show.

Dylan Adams, an employee with the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS), was caught on Tesla security cameras keying the vehicles in March and early April 2025, amid a rash of anti-Tesla vandalism and firebomb attacks throughout the nation.

The anti-Tesla attacks coincided with nationwide “Tesla Takedown” demonstrations organized by ActBlue-funded groups to agitate against Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s role in the Trump administration as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

As the Fiscal Policy Analyst and Compliance Lead on DHS’s Program Integrity Team, Adams is reportedly responsible for preventing  waste, fraud and abuse in public benefit programs in a state that has recently seen an estimated $300 million in child nutrition funds and $9 billion in Medicaid funds lost to waste, fraud, and abuse.

According to a report on the Minnesota DHS investigation, Adams indicated that he was “concerned” about Musk making a “Nazi salute” during a 2024 campaign event, a malicious smear propagated by Democrats and their allies in the media.

He also admitted that he vandalized the Teslas “in hopes the owners would disassociate themselves from Elon Musk and Tesla.”

Adams told investigators he was “on a break” or “out sick” during the times he was out keying Tesla vehicles, however Adams’ state time card, obtained by Alpha News, shows he logged a full eight-hour workday during the time period he was committing some of the crimes.

Regardless, he was “punished” with just an unpaid, one-day suspension on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026.

“You are reminded that you are expected to comply with all Enterprise and Agency policies and fulfill your responsibility of maintaining public trust; failure to do so could result in further disciplinary action up to and including termination of your employment,” a letter sent to Adams on Jan. 20 reads.

Adams was informed that he had the right to appeal the day off, but there is no indication that he objected to the minor slap on the wrist.

Minnesota House Republican Leader Harry Niska said:

“the message is clear: if you belong to a certain class of state employees, Gov. Walz and Minnesota Democrats will protect you.”

Soros-backed Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty (D.) announced last year that the vandal would not be charged with a crime and would instead opt for a “diversion program” for him.

“We offered diversion as we often do with property damage cases when the person has no record,” Moriarty’s spokesman said.

“Mr. Adams will have to complete the requirements of the program. He will also have to pay every penny in restitution to the victims. If he does not meet those requirements, we will proceed through the criminal legal system process.”

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara expressed frustration with the decision not to pursue felony charges, noting the significant damage and impact on multiple victims.

“The Minneapolis Police Department did its job. It identified and investigated a crime trend, identified, and arrested a suspect, and presented a case file to the Hennepin County Attorney Office for consideration of charges,” O’Hara said in a statement to media outlets last April.

“This case impacted at least six different victims and totaled over $20,000 in damages. Any frustration related to the charging decision of the Hennepin County Attorney should be directed solely at her office. Our investigators are always frustrated when the cases they poured their hearts into are declined. In my experience, the victims in these cases often feel the same.”

Tyler Durden Fri, 03/06/2026 - 22:35

California May Flip 50-Year Nuclear Moratorium

California, long a leader in aggressive renewable energy mandates, is showing early signs of softening its decades-old ban on new nuclear power. Bloomberg reported cracks are appearing in the state’s 1976 moratorium, driven by surging electricity demand from AI data centers and the challenge of hitting absurd climate targets like 90% clean electricity by 2035 and 100% by 2045.

At the center of the development is Assembly Bill 2647, introduced last month by Democratic Assembly Member Lisa Calderon with Republican co-sponsors. The legislation would exempt “advanced nuclear reactors”, defined as systems licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission since 2005, from the state’s long-standing prohibition. Calderon stated the bill keeps nuclear “on the table” as an essential tool for reliable, low-carbon power.

The move aligns with a broader U.S. resurgence in nuclear interest, but in California it comes against a backdrop of chronic grid strain.

The state has already leaned on its sole remaining nuclear facility, Diablo Canyon, to avoid worse outcomes. In 2022/23, Governor Gavin Newsom pushed through lawsuits for an extension of the plant’s operations past its original 2025 closure date after warnings of rolling blackouts. It was a glaring admission that electric grids are far from being sustainable with just wind and sunlight. 

PG&E Launches $73B California Grid Plan To Feed Starving AI https://t.co/tsmtfalX1K

— zerohedge (@zerohedge) September 30, 2025

Just last week, Diablo Canyon cleared its final state permitting hurdles, paving the way for continued operation through at least 2030 and potentially longer pending federal relicensing.

We’ve chronicled these pressures for years. As far back as 2023 we detailed the legal battles surrounding Diablo Canyon’s then-planned shutdown. Last year, we also noted Newsom’s clean-energy claims and how extensions of both Diablo Canyon and natural-gas plants were critical to preventing blackouts during peak summer demand.

Even with massive investments in solar, wind, and batteries, California’s grid has repeatedly flirted with instability, especially when intermittent renewables fall short during heat waves or evening ramps. The AI boom has only accelerated the problem; data centers are projected to drive unprecedented load growth nationwide, and California utilities are scrambling to keep pace.

The bill does not mandate new reactors or repeal the moratorium outright. It simply removes a regulatory barrier rooted in 1950s-era technology concerns and unresolved federal waste-storage issues. Whether it passes and whether utilities or tech firms actually pursue advanced nuclear projects remains to be seen. 

Tyler Durden Fri, 03/06/2026 - 22:10

Why'd The US Temporarily Waive Sanctions On India's Purchase Of Russian Oil?

Authored by Andrew Korybko,

The “politically inconvenient” truth is that the US is unilaterally reshaping the world order in a bid to restore unipolarity, and regardless of one’s opinion about this, it’s objectively achieved some tangible progress as of late.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bennett announced that Indian refiners had just been provided with a 30-day waiver to purchase Russian oil, but only if it’s that which is already stranded at sea, thus ensuring “no significant financial benefit to the Russian government”. The stated purpose is “To enable oil to keep flowing into the global market” due to disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz caused by the Third Gulf War, which the US initiated as part of its grand strategy against China as explained here.

Depriving China of the 13.4% of its oil imports that it received from Iran last year is designed to give the US enormous leverage ahead of Trump’s upcoming trip at month’s end with the hope of then coercing the People’s Republic into agreeing to a lopsided trade deal for derailing its superpower rise. It’s beyond the scope of this analysis to critique that strategy, but the point in referencing it is to draw attention to how India could have suffered collateral damage had the US not temporarily waived its sanctions.

After all, Trump threatened last month to reimpose his punitive 25% tariffs on India for these purchases if they’re resumed after claiming that Modi agreed to zero them out as part of the Indo-US trade deal, which India denied. Nevertheless, India did indeed reduce its imports under what top Russian expert Fyodor Lukyanov described as “US pressure”, though he also clarified that this doesn’t mean that India isn’t a sovereign state despite the US unofficially exerting influence over its energy security.

In his words, “India’s understanding (of sovereignty), like that of many other states, is different (than Russia’s). Sovereignty does not necessarily mean refusing to bend under pressure; it means finding ways to realize one’s interests under less-than-ideal conditions…This is the practical reality of what is often called a multipolar world…look after your own first.”

This insight frames the rest of Bennett’s announcement about how “we fully anticipate that New Delhi will ramp up purchases of U.S. oil”.

Trump 2.0 weaponized tariffs to re-engineer India’s energy ties in order to place more long-term financial pressure on Russia while reaping more profits for US companies. Even though the Supreme Court ruled that some of its tariffs were unconstitutional, it was explained here how that only slightly complicates Trump 2.0’s foreign policy, while this analysis here argued that India is unlikely to defy Trump on Russian oil. Simply put, it doesn’t want to face Trump’s wrath no matter what form it takes, which is reasonable.

Be that as it may, it would be inaccurate to describe India as a US vassal in spite of the newfound influence that the US now wields over its energy security since “India’s New Multi-Alignment Trend Prioritizes Middle Powers For Tri-Multipolarity Purposes”. In simple English, India’s partnerships with similarly positioned countries in the emerging world order are aimed at collectively balancing the influence of the American and Chinese superpowers therein, thus preserving some of their sovereignty.

The “politically inconvenient” truth is that the US is unilaterally reshaping the world order in a bid to restore unipolarity, and regardless of one’s opinion about this, it’s objectively achieved some tangible progress as of late. The new world order that it envisages has India playing a prominent geo-economic and geopolitical role, especially vis-à-vis China, ergo why it temporarily waived the sanctions on Russian oil purchases in order to avoid India sliding into turmoil and possibly offsetting this scenario if it didn’t.

Tyler Durden Fri, 03/06/2026 - 21:45

These Are The Retailers That Change Prices Most Often...And When They Offer The Largest Discounts

Dynamic pricing is becoming a defining feature of modern retail, with more of America’s best-known brands adjusting prices in real time based on demand, timing, and market conditions, according to Decodo. 

A new report from Decodo, which analyzed more than 1.5 million data points across 120 global eCommerce retailers, reveals which companies are changing prices most often — and when shoppers are most likely to find a deal.

At the top of the list is Amazon, which recorded 116,509 price changes over the past year — far more than any other retailer analyzed. The online marketplace also offered the deepest average discounts, with prices dropping by 35.3% on average. According to the data, Wednesday is the best day for shoppers to find bargains on Amazon. Walmart ranked second with 68,926 price adjustments and an average discount of 10.6%, while Kroger came third, making 55,601 changes with an average 9.1% reduction. For both Walmart and Kroger, Monday emerged as the most favorable day for deals.

Other major retailers also showed significant pricing activity. Target recorded 39,386 changes, with Saturday offering the best savings. In electronics, Best Buy posted over 30,000 price shifts, with Friday standing out for discounts. Fashion brands were particularly active, with companies such as H&M, Uniqlo, and ASOS frequently adjusting prices to keep pace with trends and demand.

The United States leads the world in dynamic pricing activity, accounting for 542,946 price changes — far ahead of Germany, India, the United Kingdom, and Korea. Notably, U.S. price shifts were almost evenly split between increases and decreases, reflecting a highly competitive retail environment. This challenges the perception that dynamic pricing primarily pushes costs upward, as roughly half of all recorded adjustments were price reductions.

Decodo found that that by sector, fashion experienced the greatest volatility, with 427,340 pricing changes over the past year. Electronics followed with more than 351,000 adjustments, and groceries saw nearly 319,000 changes. Health and beauty, DIY and home, and online marketplaces also recorded substantial fluctuations, underscoring how widespread automated pricing strategies have become across industries.

The report comes amid growing political scrutiny of dynamic pricing practices in several U.S. states, where lawmakers are questioning whether constantly shifting prices disadvantage consumers. Decodo’s leadership argues that the approach allows businesses to respond quickly to demand, manage inventory more efficiently, and remain competitive in fast-moving markets. Company representatives also note that about half of all price changes tracked in the study resulted in lower prices, meaning shoppers regularly benefit from real-time discounts.

The findings are based on a year-long analysis conducted between January and December 2026, during which researchers monitored 12 products on each of more than 120 eCommerce websites across 40 countries. Prices were recorded every four hours, generating more than 1.5 million data points. As dynamic pricing becomes increasingly common, the data suggests that shoppers who pay attention to timing — particularly specific days of the week — may improve their chances of securing better deals.

Tyler Durden Fri, 03/06/2026 - 21:20

'Victory' In Iran Will Look Nothing Like 1945

Authored by James Howard Kunstler,

You probably wonder what the end of this war will look like. It won’t look like V-J Day in Times Square, 1945, with sailors kissing girls they met five seconds ago. Our country is way too divided and disturbed with politically-inflected mental illness for love to bloom in the streets like it did then. If you happen to catch the glum crew on CNN you will detect that they really want this operation to fail because, you know, Trump.

Terminally Depressed on CNN

The war will be over when Iran loses the ability to spray missiles and drones all over the place — and notice how they are pouring it on the Emirate states, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, and even Azerbaijan, for Gawdsake, turning would-be bystanders into pissed-off additional enemies they need like a hole in the head.

At some point they will run out of ordnance, or the will to roll them out of the supposed 10,000 bat caves their weapons are stashed in. Our side apparently has an uncanny knack for seeing the launchers creep into daylight and efficiently blowing them up. Creates a disincentive to even think about launching. Of course, Iran might have some spectacular last-ditch thingie they can unleash to horrify the world — perhaps a “dirty” bomb that uses the 460 kilos of 60-percent enriched uranium they bragged about at one of the last negotiation sessions before the war with Witkoff and Kushner. Standing by on that.

But, at some point a week or so hence, a stillness will fall upon the earth and sky above Iran, and that will be all she wrote for sheer havoc. Victory will not look much like anything. Just that stillness. The body politic in Iran is another matter. Expect awful turmoil. Iran’s command structure is shattered. Officials don’t dare pick a room in some building to meet in. The Internet is down and most communication with it. Nobody knows who is really in charge, and nobody may be in charge, not for quite a long time to come.

Let’s hope we have the patience to let the Iranians sort out their own governing structure, and that it will be made up of people who are not insane, not fanatics of the martyrdom cult that has ruled the place for fifty years. It’s probably not part of the US plan to slaughter the Revolutionary Guard, or Sepah, the chief apparatus of despotic control in the country. Or the Basij, (Sâzmân-e Basij-e Mostaz’afin, which means “Organization for the Mobilization of the Oppressed”), an auxiliary volunteer paramilitary militia that acts as the “morality police” and cracks down on dissent. Hundreds of thousands are employed by these groups.

You might imagine circumstances in which the members of those dastardly outfits decide to peel away from them, sensing a loss of legitimacy and danger in remaining on-board. Surely, a lot of Iranians will have blood in their eyes, looking for scores to settle, just as the people took revenge on members of the Shah’s secret police, the Savak, after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Even now with the bombs still falling in Tehran (perhaps even because of them), many ordinary Iranians are dancing in the streets. You must suppose there is massive opposition to the regime. But first, chaos.

Why would we feel any necessity to put “boots on the ground” in there? Why expose American troops to the factional fighting that is apt to break out, as it did in Iraq? Did we not learn the lessons of Fallujah? Wouldn’t it be enough that Iran just loses its ability to fire weapons at anyone? Loses its ability to mess with shipping in the Persian Gulf? And loses its ability to foment mischief in other countries, including any ideological influence it might still have, or any financial mojo for sponsoring terrorism? Can we not just stand by and let the Iranians figure out their own future?

Try imagining a peaceful Iran not bent on exporting Jihad (just like you might imagine a peaceful Ukraine, not making itself a problem for the rest of the world). Forgive the cliché, but Iran (a.k.a. Persia), is an old and durable culture, with a highly educated population, one of the world’s largest oil-and-gas reserves, and plenty of other resources. Iran could be somebody. It doesn’t have to be a bum with a one-way ticket to Palookaville.

As for our own country, too many people here are busy wolfing down the black pills with their Adderall and their Starbucks iced lavender cream chai. It’s actually possible that there is a satisfactory outcome to this Iran operation. Would that disappoint you — as it apparently disappoints the glum crew at CNN? As with Iran, it doesn’t pay to be insane, and something close to half of America is insane. That perturbation is mostly lodged in the American Left these days, the Democratic Party, devoted to a long list of ideas and propositions at odds with reality and locked into a strange willful hysteria that regards any kind of good faith as poison. That is exactly why we can’t have clean elections. How about fixing that?

Tyler Durden Fri, 03/06/2026 - 20:55