Its 6:30pm, and you’ve spent another day working out of hours. You’re tired, frustrated, and feel anxious every-time you think about your job. It’s normal to have seasons of busyness at work but when you’re constantly burnt out, stressed, and generally unhappy, it might be time to leave.
Last year stressed employees started the act of quiet quitting, a practice that involves employees slowly disengaging from their current workplace with the intention of handing in their notice. In other words, no more early starts, late finishes or even attending meetings.
Now, employees aren’t playing it nice they’re filled with so much angst that they rage applying. It’s become so popular that, the search term ‘rage applying’ has received a 214.43.% rise in searches within the last month alone, according to Google trend data.
A term coined by the users of TikTok, rage applying refers to an employee that is so fed up with their job role, that any inconvenience begins to anger them.
Generally, these employees have been overlooked for promotions, have not received a pay rise in several years, or feel that they are performing the role of several people. As a result, whilst their feelings of negativity are at an all-time high, they apply to any and every job that they can find. Even if the role is a lot more senior than their current role or holds minor relevance.
Several users on the clock app state that rage applying has helped them to receive huge pay rises and major promotions. However, Tayo Ademolu at Translayte, believes rage applying should come with a warning.
If you’re considering trying rage applying method, you might want to Ademolu’s 5 consequences of rage-applying.
5,6,7,8
Rage applying is a numbers game, considering you’re probably sending a generic CV with an equally generic cover letter to as many places as possible.
“Chances are, you are not applying to jobs that you want when you rage apply. Which of course is a waste of time”, says Ademolu.
“Plus, sending general applications is not going to present you in the best light,” he adds.
If you’re really ready to leave your role, apply to roles that you would love to have. Send targeted applications that are prescriptive to each advert and keep track of where you are applying so that you can send follow-up emails when needed.
A knock to the confidence
When you’re applying to any and every job, you’re most likely sending applications to roles that aren’t relevant to you.
“As a result, you are unlikely to gain a response. This has the potential to knock your confidence at a time when you may not be feeling your best. Ensure that you are choosy when you apply to roles and make sure that you’re confident that you will excel in the role,” Ademolu says.
Walking sideways
“The UK’s workforce largely relocates to a new role to progress in their career. Whether their new role offers a higher salary, further learning opportunities, or an environment that better suits personal needs,” Ademolu explains.
So rage applying leads to rage acceptance, where an applicant accepts a role on impulse, causing them to be in the same position they were in previously, just in the new workplace.
“Remember, no matter how fed up you are with your new workplace, really think about your new role and outline all the pros and cons,” he says.
Same but different
Applying to several jobs at once can be a bit of a red flag to potential employers. You might think they don’t know how desperate you are to leave your previous role but rage applying can lead to a candidate applying to several roles in the same workplace, from intern to director.
“Recruiters are likely to disregard your application if they witness this, making your efforts a waste of time’.
Oh, small world.
“Rage applying can serve as a cathartic experience, however, remember that industries can be small. Applying to several jobs at once may get back to your current employer, which can lead to an awkward conversation,” Ademolu says.