Rage applying is a new corporate buzzword and while it seems to be the answer to many frustrated employees’ woes, we delve into whether it is a wise choice.

Believe it or not, a company will experience an average of 18% turnover rate in its workforce every year. And this turnover is influenced by different factors. There are employees who are terminated because of poor performance—known as involuntary turnover. On the other hand, there are those who choose to resign for reasons that include health, family, as well as overall dissatisfaction with the job or even the company itself. 

The last part is what fuels “rage applying”—the latest corporate buzzword that quickly ballooned into a trend, thanks to streaming platform TikTok.

In this article, we delve into what rage applying means, what businesses can do about it, and whether it is something frustrated employees can explore.

What is Rage Applying and Why Do People Do It?

Called a “Gen Z corporate trend” by LinkedIn, rage applying is the buzzword that refers to a point “when young employees in professional fields get fed up with the workload, boss, compensation, or all of the above and apply to as many other companies as they can while soaking in their anger.” 

For example, there is a very unhappy employee who decides to apply to 50 different companies at the same time without really thinking about what they’re applying for. That’s an example of rage applying. 

“Some workers who feel like they’re constantly being passed over for promotions, micromanaged, spread too thin or stressed out in other ways by their jobs say they are applying for whatever roles they can just to get out of their current situations, and ending up with better-paid positions and better conditions,” Time explains in its article. 

As for the main advantage of rage applying? Employees are very much well within their right to apply for other jobs when they are unhappy and dissatisfied with their current ones. Landing a dream job or even a job that pays better and has better working conditions than the current one is the ideal outcome for anyone rage applying. 

Is Rage Applying Always a Good Idea?

The thing is, while it does sound like a ticket out of a bad situation, rage applying is not a good idea.

Why? Rage applying means mass applying for any company without really looking closely at each job posting you applied for. This puts you at a risk of ending up at a different company that has the same culture and issues as the previous one. Maybe even worse. 

Another downside of rage applying is that you can end up with a job that you do not have the right experience and skills for. Being stuck with that kind of work will just make you unhappy and miserable all the time, which can result in your resignation should you decide not to stick it out. 

What to Do Instead

At the root of rage applying is dissatisfaction and unhappiness over one’s current job or company. But have you tried to communicate your needs to your immediate superior or the HR department? If you haven’t, try doing that first. You would be surprised at what can be fixed by communicating. 

If that does not work and you really have set your sights on leaving the company, put a lot of thought into the whole job application process. Take the time to thoroughly read the job postings that interest you. Determine if it really is what you are looking for and, on the flip side, if you are what they are looking for. 

Make sure also to take the time to research the company you are interested in. If you can research or ask about its company culture, benefits, and other perks, this can help you land in a company that is actually better than the one you are leaving. 

Do not forget to tailor your resume to each job application you are making. You are not the only one applying for that job, and you will always want to stand out. You can do this by highlighting relevant skills and experience that show the company that you are well-suited for the job you are applying for.