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It’s the new buzz term on TikTok. The “rage applying” consists of applying for several job offers following a professional disappointment. A phenomenon that illustrates a very real truth in the world of work: the fact of deserving a better salary and better conditions. Decryption.
The grass is always greener elsewhere. An adage confirmed by the followers of “rage applying”. This phenomenon consists of massively applying for job offers after having been seriously disappointed in one’s work, either by the absence of a salary increase, or by deplorable working conditions. On TikTok, this concept has gone viral. The related hashtag even reached over 2.8 million views.
“I got pissed off at work and angrily applied for 15 jobs. And then I got a job that gave me a $25,000 raise and it’s a great place to work, so keep doing it. ‘furious demands’, it’s going to happen”explains the user Redweez on TikTok in a video that has accumulated more than 2.3 million views.
Content on “rage applying” has gained momentum on social networks, and in particular on the Chinese platform, at the start of 2023. However, this term is far from new. Videos dating from 2022 already addressed this subject. “Applying for a new role because you’re frustrated with your salary, your manager, your co-workers…are age-old reasons employees have always sought a job change”Amy Zimmerman, director of people at Relay Payment, told CNBC.
On social networks, some users have likened this phenomenon to “quiet quitting”. A vision that is not necessarily shared by all users of the social network: “Quiet quitting: I do what you pay me for. Rage applying: I will do more for someone who pays me more”a TikTok user commented on a video about this concept.
For Internet users, the terms “rage” and “quitting” (“resignation”) bring a negative connotation, which would make it possible not to hold employers responsible for the bad atmosphere which reigns in a company and for bad management. By reclaiming these terms, users wish to demonstrate the benefits of applying for other positions, without accepting deplorable working conditions and a lack of development: “That’s how I ‘quietly quit’ lol j love the term ‘rage applying.’ And now I have a much better job in a MUCH healthier environment,” one commented. user on TikTok.
“Keep applying when you’re angry. This energy will push you to greater horizons than the job you’re stuck in! #work #milennial #worklife,” user Redweez captioned her video. “Karen doesn’t want us applying in anger because she thinks we shouldn’t have self-esteem or do what’s best for us apparently?”can we also read in the caption of the video of the user Sarai Marie.