The Hidden Dangers of 'Rage Applying' and How to Spot the Warning Signs, According to a Veteran Career Coach Donna Shannon, founder and president of Personal Touch Career Services, reveals how to improve your work situation the right way.
By Amanda Breen Edited by Jessica Thomas
Key Takeaways
- Employees dissatisfied with their current role are "rage applying" in search of a better fit.
- Career coach Donna Shannon says rage applicants could find themselves in an even worse position.
- Pay attention during the interview process to avoid falling for false promises, Shannon suggests.
"Rage applying" is, well, all the rage right now: Employees who are dissatisfied with their current position for some reason — perhaps they were passed over for a promotion or denied a raise, for example — fire off a slew of job applications in search of a better fit.
The strategy seems especially popular among young generations, who coined the term on social media; viral TikToks feature Gen Z and millennial creators who successfully rage applied their ways to better opportunities and higher salaries.
@successbysanjna I didn't get promotef at my Big4 job! #rageapply #career #big4 #kpmg #audit #banking ♬ She Share Story (for Vlog) - 山口夕依
Donna Shannon, who worked as an HR recruiter before founding Personal Touch Career Services in 2004 "to teach job seekers how to get past the guard dogs like herself," understands the appeal. "It can be very satisfying to blaze out a stack of resumes in response to a bad situation at work," Shannon says.
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It's tempting, to be sure. But rage applying comes with its own set of dangers too, Shannon warns. The biggest one? Failing to properly vet potential new employers, particularly when the promised salary seems too good to be true.
"Job seekers can easily step into a situation that is as bad — or worse — than the one they left," Shannon explains. "Whether it is because of a toxic boss or a negative culture, there could be a reason why the new company is offering such a large salary."
Shannon cites last year's "Great Resignation" turned "Great Regret" among job seekers as an example of the grass not always being greener on the other side. According to a 2022 Paychex survey, 80% of people who left their roles between 2021 and 2022 regretted the decision, and Gen Z employees experienced the most contrition.
"You want to find the right job, not just the right now job."
Increasing scam job postings are another potential pitfall, Shannon says. When you're submitting as many applications as possible, it's even easier to fall for a phishing scam or phony position.
Rather than jump straight to rage applying, Shannon suggests employees who are unhappy with their current work situation first consider exactly what about it feels untenable. It could be the people, the place or something else entirely. But whatever it is, the next step is to figure out if it can be improved, Shannon says.
"If it is not possible to change the situation, embark on a strategic job search that will target your top employer," Shannon adds. "After all, you want to find the right job, not just the right now job."
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And if you just can't resist a round of rage applications? Shannon suggests watching out for any "high-pressure techniques" used on candidates for the role.
"For example, if the company tries to rush through the interviews, they aren't really vetting the candidates either," Shannon explains. "They just need to throw bodies into seats. Similarly, if the company pressures a job seeker to decide on a job offer quickly, it means that they are trying to glaze over any hesitations that the candidate may have."
As for identifying scams, Shannon says any request for banking information before an interview (perhaps under the guise of setting up payroll) is an obvious tell. A surprisingly high salary listed in the job posting is too. "If the salary seems extraordinarily high for a role posted on Indeed, double-check on the employer's website to ensure it is a real job," Shannon suggests.
At the end of the day, the job interview process itself is the clearest indicator of a position's true desirability.
"Specifically, consider how they treat candidates throughout the process," Shannon says. "Poor communication, unprepared interviewers, distracted hiring managers, rude HR people and an unwillingness to negotiate salaries are all tell-tale signs of a negative company culture."
