IIT grad uses AI to write cover letter, move falls flat after code fails to work

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

IIT graduate — identified only by his first name, Akhil — went viral on Twitter after one user shared a screenshot of a cover sent by him to potential employers. In the letter, Akhil had showcased his job skills, experience, and made the case for himself to secure his dream job. However, the mass e-mail hit a snag, as the software engineer left in a small bit of code that didn't achieve its desired goal.

The tweet read, “Hi, IIT graduate Akhil, Your code didn't work. Sincerely, [companyName,fallback=]." The [companyName,fallback=] field was meant to be left empty by the AI assistant so that the user could input their own company name, as AI chatbots lack personal information. Regrettably, the term was left visible in the cover letter.

In the letter, the IIT graduate highlighted his technical skills and accomplishments, including the development of microservices capable of handling over 25,000 requests per minute. Reactions to the tweet were mixed, with many users finding it amusing while many others expressed sympathy for the applicant, who was — presumably — trying to ease the dauting task of finding employment. «Well if recruiters use this type of automation, candidates can do the same.

There's nothing wrong with it except for the fact that the code didn't work,» one user said. Another user stated, «He didn't fail. You rejected him, and that's what he wanted.