Something strange is happening in the job market. Highly educated professionals with years of experience are applying for entry-level roles in large numbers. According to a recent report by TechRadar Pro and Global Work AI, more than 60 percent of remote applicants in early 2025 were overqualified for the jobs they applied to. Many held university degrees and extensive work histories, yet were competing for positions in customer service, data entry, and virtual assistance.
This is not just a temporary response to a tough economy. It is a long-term shift in how the global workforce operates. And it is already changing what your resume needs to do to stay competitive.
Let’s look at what is driving this trend, how AI is shaping the hiring process, and what you can do to adapt.
đź“Š The Rise of Strategic Underemployment
The 2025 Global Work AI survey highlighted a growing movement among mid-career professionals. Many are now deliberately seeking lower-skill or lower-paying roles. Not because they lack better options permanently, but because these jobs offer remote flexibility, quicker hiring timelines, and the chance to stay active while waiting for something more aligned to their long-term goals.
A significant portion of this group are women aged 25 to 40. Many have postsecondary education, work experience in remote environments, and multilingual capabilities. In response to hiring freezes and fewer opportunities in senior roles, they are taking what is available now while continuing to build their networks and skills in the background.
If you fall into this category, you are not alone. But your resume needs to reflect this new strategy clearly.
🤖 How AI is Changing Resume Screening
Nearly every major company today uses AI systems to help screen candidates. A 2024 report from the Society for Human Resource Management showed that more than 96 percent of Fortune 500 companies rely on applicant tracking systems to filter resumes before they reach a recruiter.
These systems are strict. They prioritize exact matches for job titles, required skills, and keyword phrasing. If your resume uses language that is too senior or unrelated to the target role, it can be filtered out automatically.
Even highly qualified professionals are being rejected simply because their resumes do not align with the expectations set by the job description. This is why tailoring your CV is no longer optional. It is essential.
🛠How to Tailor Your Resume for Today’s Market
1. Reframe your experience
If you are applying for junior roles, do not pretend to be someone else. Instead, shift the focus of your resume. Highlight skills like organization, responsiveness, writing clarity, or data accuracy—whatever matches the role most closely. Let your deeper experience speak quietly in the background.
2. Match the job’s language
Read the job listing carefully and reuse key phrases in your resume. If the posting says “calendar coordination” or “CRM familiarity,” use those exact terms in your bullet points or skills section.
3. Keep the format clean
Avoid graphics-heavy templates or multi-column layouts. These often confuse AI parsers. ShortcutCV automatically formats your resume in a clean, simple structure that passes through applicant tracking systems with no issues.
4. Use a flexible headline
You can include a soft transition statement at the top. For example: “Experienced operations coordinator seeking remote support roles.” This helps reduce confusion if your past titles seem unrelated.
5. Create role-specific versions
Have different versions of your resume ready depending on the type of role. One may focus on administrative tasks, another on customer service. ShortcutCV makes this quick and painless, with no accounts or cost required.
🧠Real-World Examples of Smart Pivots
Engineer to data entry specialist
Highlight spreadsheet accuracy, time management, and your ability to work independently. Leave out project design or technical architecture unless directly relevant.
Account manager to customer service
Focus on problem-solving, written communication, and support tools like Zendesk or HubSpot. You can downplay strategic sales responsibilities if they do not apply.
HR generalist to virtual assistant
Emphasize meeting scheduling, inbox management, recruiting coordination, and confidentiality. Keep your tone practical and task-focused.
🌱 Underemployment Is a Strategy, Not a Setback
The modern job market is unpredictable. Roles change. Sectors shift. Automation accelerates everything. Strategic underemployment is not a failure. It is often a smart move that keeps you in the game, sharpens your resume, and leads to future opportunities.
You might not be chasing the dream job right now. You might just be looking for something that pays the bills and keeps your experience current. That is a valid goal. And if your resume reflects clarity, focus, and adaptability, it will carry you through.
ShortcutCV was built for this kind of agility. You can generate a polished resume in over 30 languages, with formatting that passes AI filters and content that adapts to your changing goals. No account needed. No cost. Just a simple way to move forward, one role at a time.
Create your next resume today at ShortcutCV.
Fast, free, multilingual, and designed for real-world hiring tools.
