RAGE APPLYING

"Rage applying" typically happens after a negative experience at work, such as being passed over for a promotion, receiving unfair criticism, experiencing a toxic interaction, or learning about pay inequity. Instead of just stewing in the negative emotions, the person channels that energy into applying for a new job, typically submitting applications for multiple positions in a short period of time.

The trend of "rage applying" gained popularity on social media platforms like TikTok in late 2022 and 2023, particularly among younger workers, such as "Zoomers" (Gen-Z), who were more open about discussing workplace dissatisfaction. Unlike a calculated, strategic job search, rage applying is more spontaneous and emotion-driven. Although it can sometimes lead to positive outcomes like higher pay or improved work environments, it's often done without much thought or strategy, and may not always result in the best job matches.

"Rage applying" is a neologism, a newly coined word or phrase that has recently come into use or has been created to describe a new concept, idea, or phenomenon. Neologisms can be created in any language and can take different forms, such as: