TikTok is the birthplace of many professional trends. It is the phenomenon of quitting quietly and the eradication of female bosses. Even mass resignations have gained momentum in social media apps.
In a similar vein, TikTok has helped spawn a new professional fad, reshaping the professional trajectory and especially affecting the younger workforce. The meaning is somewhat unmistakable. Angry application is the process of angrily sending your resume to a number of open positions with higher salaries and better benefits than your current job.
This trend fits into the larger movement, where people are becoming disenchanted with their workplace conditions and wanting a happier environment in which they can make a living.
TikTokker and career coach Chelsea Stokes posted about applied anger in early 2022.
Credits: Screenshot: TikTok / @chelseastokes_.
Applying rage instead of quietly quitting is popular on TikTok. It’s a much-discussed workplace trend that encourages people to do the bare minimum at work without quitting altogether. Applying anger is a kind of evolution of this practice, and the following (but not It doesn’t fully commit) seems like a step.
In the video, TikTokker @redweez tells his followers: happen. In another post, creator @hrmanifesto said, “Today was another boring day at work. I spent half my anger applying again.”
TikTok has ridiculed the notion of applying anger, as is often the case with trends, but applying anger implies a broader and deeper dissatisfaction with the job, leading to the employee’s complete resignation. Some buzzwords coming out of TikTok are just that and nothing more, but applying anger seems to be a real occurrence. The concept of applying itself existed before the term was coined, but many people have become more accustomed to it than ever before.
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The application of anger isn’t all that surprising: unlike previous professional frenzy, such as the infamous anti-work movement that started on Reddit, this trend offers a different way to go. It’s not exactly a revolution to work. Rather, it’s a push to find a job that fits your needs as best as possible.
A 2022 report from analytics and advisory firm Gallup found that employee engagement has stagnated globally, with only 21% of employees truly engaged and 33% are in good overall health. Meanwhile, the report also said worker stress has reached an all-time high, with 44% of his employees saying they felt a lot of stress the day before. In fact, according to Gallup, employees are actually more stressed than he was in 2020. 2020 is the year that the COVID pandemic hit and the workplace has seen big, holistic changes.
In particular, the trend in name and practice is furious Applyingrather than rage retirement, was a good time to find a job for 45% of employees surveyed, Gallup found. It will be a powerful move to gather information.
TikTokker’s “HR Manifesto” talks to her followers about toxic workplace scenarios and covers anger applications.
Credits: Screenshot: TikTok / @hrmanifesto.
Critics of this trend, however, argue that applied angry emotions (anger and negativity) are a fundamental problem, requiring systemic and sustainable change. “It can feel empowering, but even pissing off your boss can bring back the anger to apply for a job and get you an even worse job,” said Kristen Zavo, a career coach at TikTok. Instead, she recommends handling your anger in a safe space and applying it more purposefully to the work you want later.
Still, others say this tactic helped them get jobs with higher wages and better conditions. I get paid over $10,000 a year.”, “That’s how I got my job, and it changed my life for the better.”
Perhaps applying anger can sow the seeds of a healthier work life. No anger in the first place. This highlights Generation Z’s ambitions for his TikTok-backed work. If there’s one thing I want to say to this generation, it’s that work is more than just a way to get paid. Happiness can be photographed anywhere.
