David Davies, once the Secretary for Wales in Rishi Sunak’s previous government, has blamed ‘biased AI tools’ for his struggles to find employment after last year’s election – claiming that no-one is taking his high-level experience into account.
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Sorry, who? Employers left unimpressed by former MP’s CV
Alongside the likes of Jonathan Gullis and Charles Walker, Davies has become the latest former Conservative MP to bemoan their inability to find work after leaving public office. In total, 175 Tory incumbents were removed from their seats in July 2024.
The Tories were soundly rejected by the public, following a 14-year stint in office that was plagued by a myriad of scandals and uninspiring leaders. In recent opinion polls, the party has fallen behind Reform, and could risk losing ‘opposition’ status in 2029.
Rishi Sunak as a reference? It doesn’t sound good…
Now, Mr. Davies believes that his time at the heart of government is doing nothing to advance his career prospects. Although, his complaints differ a little from his predecessors – and this latest gripe is with faults in certain AI programmes.
An increasing number of businesses are using the new tech to automatically evaluate the quality of CVs and applications. Speaking on LinkedIn last month, Davies said his non-academic background was a sticking point, rather than his time in politics.
“I briefly entertained the notion of leaving politics and doing something completely different and applied for several degree-level jobs, only to be rejected instantly – presumably due to a lack of qualifications that a CV reader would accept.”
In one case, I received a form with the following questions: ‘Name of last line manager?’ – I answered, ‘Rishi Sunak.’… ‘Telephone number of line manager?’ – I have Rishi’s number but certainly wasn’t going to put it in the box. Result? Rejection!” | David Davies
From serving under Rishi Sunak to battling with AI recruiters…
So, despite having Rishi Sunak as a reference on his CV, David Davies still finds himself out in the cold. Although the ex-MP has been criticised for his lack of qualifications online, he is adamant that work places need to prioritise practical skills over academic achievements:
“For organisations looking to improve workforce diversity, consider how strictly you require degree qualifications. For some jobs, doctors dentists or lawyers of course they are needed. But many roles could be filled by individuals with the right skills and experience.” | David Davies