LinkedIn became more efficient.
Applicant tracking systems became more efficient.
Resume parsers became more efficient.
AI became more efficient.

And somehow… nothing actually improved.

Today, job searching isn’t human anymore. It’s artificial intelligence talking to algorithms that were updated by artificial intelligence, sorting resumes that were written for artificial intelligence. We’ve officially optimized ourselves out of the process.

The irony? We call this efficiency.

When “Efficiency” Stops Meaning Progress

On paper, the system looks brilliant.

A single job post can attract thousands of applicants in hours.
Algorithms instantly filter resumes based on keywords.
AI ranks candidates before a human ever sees a name.

But that efficiency created a new problem: volume.

Because it’s easy to apply, people apply everywhere.
Because people apply everywhere, employers get flooded.
Because employers get flooded, they rely even more on automation.

And now we’re stuck in a loop—AI filtering AI-generated resumes, while humans wait on the sidelines wondering why nothing ever comes back.

No rejection. No conversation. No feedback. Just silence.

That’s not efficiency. That’s abstraction.

We Didn’t Make Hiring Better—We Made It Distant

Hiring used to be relational.

Someone vouched for you.
Someone read your background.
Someone took a chance.

Now it’s transactional and invisible. The system doesn’t ask who you are. It asks whether you match a pattern.

And job seekers feel it.

It’s exhausting to fill out application after application knowing that 99% of the time, no human will ever read it. It’s demoralizing to know that your experience, growth, and perspective are being reduced to keywords and bullet points.

We didn’t remove bias. We didn’t remove friction. We just removed people.

So… Is It Time to Take the Job Search Public Again?

Here’s the uncomfortable truth:
Looking for work has become private, quiet, and lonely.

People are hesitant to tell friends and family they’re job searching. There’s still stigma. Still fear. Still the pressure to “appear fine.”

But historically, work was found in public.

People talked. They asked. They shared. They showed up.

And that raises an interesting question:
What if the next evolution of job searching isn’t more technology—but more visibility?

What If You Didn’t Whisper It… You Wore It?

In a world obsessed with personal branding, we carefully curate everything:
• Our LinkedIn headlines
• Our social posts
• Our professional bios

Yet the one thing that matters most—that we’re open to work—gets buried behind a green banner or hidden in account settings.

So what if we flipped it?

What if instead of hiding the job search, we made it visible?

Not desperate.
Not apologetic.
Just honest.

What if saying “I’m open to work” wasn’t something you quietly toggled—but something you stood behind?

What if you said it with a shirt?

The Shirt Isn’t the Point—The Signal Is

This isn’t about fashion. It’s about signaling.

Wearing “#OpenToWork” isn’t about begging for a job. It’s about reclaiming agency in a system that removed your voice.

It says:
I’m not waiting for an algorithm to decide my worth.

I’m open to conversations, not just applications.

I believe my story matters more than a filtered resume.


In a sea of automation, clarity stands out.

And sometimes, the simplest signal cuts through the noise better than the smartest system.

Maybe the Advancement Isn’t Smarter AI

Maybe the advancement is courage.

The courage to be visible. The courage to be human. The courage to say, “I’m looking—and I have something to offer.”

We don’t need faster resume sorting. We don’t need better filters. We don’t need AI talking to AI.

We need stories. We need context. We need connection.

And maybe—just maybe—it starts with wearing it instead of hiding it.

Because the future of work won’t be won by the best algorithm.

It’ll be won by the people who are willing to be seen.