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Oct 28, 2024

CEO slams embarrassing Gen Z job application trend

Business success story Jane Lu has shared an awkward job application from a Gen Z hopeful that appeared to be written by AI. Ms Lu, who founded the popular online fashion retailer Showpo and panellist

Business success story Jane Lu has shared an awkward job application from a Gen Z hopeful that appeared to be written by AI.

Ms Lu, who founded the popular online fashion retailer Showpo and panellist on Channel 10’s Shark Tank, recently received a job application to assist with her business course.

However, upon reading it, the executive couldn’t help but notice a cacophony of blatant errors littered through the application.

Ms Lu likening it to “ChatGPT copy and paste”.

“I think this is potentially the worst job application ever,” she said in the Tiktok video.

Reading the application out loud, Ms Lu highlighted the lack of attention to detail in the letter. “I am confident that my experience in [relevant experience/skill] positions me as a strong candidate,” the application read. Throughout the document, other important details such as their skills on “specific projects, courses or initiatives” were left blank, further signalling this applicant failed to proofread before submitting.

To make matters worse, at the top of the applicant’s cover letter, they forgot to remove part of the prompt generated by the AI platform.

“Here is a more polished and articulate version of your cover letter,” the cover letter read, leaving Ms Lu shocked.

“(They’ve) copy and pasted this thing that’s, like, half-filled,” she laughed.

While apologizing to the applicant for failing to make it through to the next round of interviews, Ms Lu reminded her followers applicants “have gotta use a little bit of this”, pointing to her head.

Data from YouGov showed that almost half (48 per cent) of Australians were aware of AI platforms such as ChatGPT, it doesn’t mean they’re as likely to use them.

However, the study found younger generations were the most likely to use AI platforms, with two-fifths of Gen Z (40 per cent) and millennials (37 per cent) using ChatGPT at least once.

Online, others shared their experience dealing with AI-generated job application, a popular move from young millennials and Gen Z.

“I had someone send me an application for a ’medical administration position’ – I was hiring for airport workers in aviation,” read a comment.

Another argued the applicant “used a Google template and didn’t follow the prompts just left them there”.

Who is Jane Lu?

Fashion guru Jane Lu started web fashion retailer Showpo in 2010 in her parent’s garage.

It has since grown into a global powerhouse.

The idea for Showpo was born out of Lu’s hatred of hauling herself down to the shops when she needed a new outfit.