Shelby Young, a 70‑year‑old resident of Indianapolis, has been applying for medical‑sales positions for two months without success. She believes that artificial‑intelligence (AI) screening tools are filtering out her résumé before a human ever sees it.

Young is not alone. Several other job seekers told Mirror Indy that they suspect AI systems are rejecting their applications even when they meet the qualifications.

How AI filters work

Many large employers use applicant‑tracking systems (ATS) that employ AI to scan résumés for keywords and relevance to the job description. If the résumé does not match the system’s criteria, it is often discarded without a response.

Local resources to help

WorkOne Indy, a workforce‑development nonprofit, offers free workshops each Thursday at 4410 Shadeland Ave. Kenya Whatley, a workshop facilitator, teaches job seekers how to use an AI tool called Hardly to customize their résumés for specific postings.

Whatley advises participants to write a brief introductory summary—no more than two or three sentences—highlighting their qualifications and goals. He also stresses the importance of matching keywords from the job posting, but using them naturally rather than stuffing the résumé.

When using Hardly, Whatley recommends aiming for a match score between 80 % and 90 %. He warns that overloading the résumé with unnecessary terms can lower the score.

Check for AI‑generated errors

Because generative AI can sometimes “hallucinate” details, Whatley urges users to review the output carefully for factual accuracy, spelling, and consistency with their actual experience.

Additional local support

The Indianapolis Public Library also hosts résumé workshops every few weeks. Both organizations require registration through an Indiana Career Connect account.

These free, locally‑focused resources aim to give Hoosier job seekers a better chance of passing AI filters and securing interviews.

Original reporting: Mirror Indy — read the source article.