If I was an employer receiving a resume from a candidate looking for seasonal work in the tourism and adventure sector, the first thing I would do is put the resume into AI detection software.
The second thing I’d do would be automatically rejecting applicants who used generative AI in their resumes or cover letters, and the third thing I would do is pray the software wasn’t spitting out too many false positive results.
Finding seasonal staff is difficult, and AI is not helping, it’s compounding the problems.
Yes AI can assist hiring managers with automated responses and repetitive tasks, but it’s how job hunters are using this technology that is the genesis of so many problems.
SEE YOU NEXT SEASON’s recent survey results showed that 69% of job hunters use AI, and they plan to use it more thoroughly in the future. Job hunters who use generative AI do so because it “saves time allowing them to send out more resumes”.
The average number of resumes getting sent by seasonal job hunter who uses AI is 49.
That’s a lot of resumes clogging up hiring funnels, and a very low conversion rate for hiring managers.
If your recruitment process allows people to become candidates simply by sending in a resume, you have to expect a much higher proportion of “slop resumes”. These AI generated resumes are designed to get interviews and are much less likely to reflect the candidates skills and experience. They are also getting seen by a very large number of employers.
We also know the average number of jobs formally accepted by seasonal workers who use AI is 2.7. This is significantly higher than the figure for job hunters who don’t use AI, and it helps explain the very high no-show rate in ski towns and beach resorts.
AI is exponentially increasing the flow of resumes, and that’s already causing big problems for seasonal hiring managers in the adventure and tourism sectors. The next generation of AI job hunting software is a game changer, and not in a good way.
Job hunters can now subscribe to AI software that can automatic apply for jobs on the candidate’s behalf. It can scan jobs boards, customise resumes and cover letters, “send out hundreds of applications at a time”, and create an automated follow up email. Stop and consider the implications of widespread use of this type of software.
The volume of slop resumes getting sent is going to increase rapidly in 2026. This is especially the case for employers who advertise on social media and large recruiting platforms. “Post and Pray” recruiting strategies are simply no longer fit-for purpose, and HR departments who are still collecting resumes via social media ads are simply passing problems down to operations departments when the tourists arrive.
This gives hiring managers two options.
- Fight AI with AI. To cope with the huge numbers of applicants, larger companies are conducting non-human interviews. Candidates responded by using AI software to provide real time answers to the Avatar’s questions. We’ve even seen entirely fictitious candidates (using AI generate avatars and voices) interview well, and get job offers. The problem with this approach is the most tech savvy people get the job offer, not the best candidates.
- Use AI proof platforms and strategies to find and screen candidates.
If you’re a small to medium sized business looking for seasonal hospitality and adventure staff, and have limited budgets or technical skills, option 1 is not on the table.
And if you do take option 1, good luck with the AI wars against Gen Z. I’m not sure you’re going to win those battles.
If you’d like to try a platform that is designed specifically for the seasonal adventure and tourism sectors, SEE YOU NEXT SEASON still has a free tier for the remainder of 2025. For more information please see our employer homepage.