We counted how often OpenAI's own 16 ads (those with a full description) state each requirement. This shows the filters the ads apply before anyone reads a resume. We have no data on why candidates are rejected after applying, and we do not guess.
Education
Sort:
Requirement ⇅
Ads that state it ⇅
Share of ads ⇅
PhD or doctorate
5
31%
'or equivalent experience' accepted
1
6%
Legal and eligibility: what can rule you out
Sort:
Requirement ⇅
Ads that state it ⇅
Share of ads ⇅
Background check or drug test
16
100%
Working conditions
Sort:
Requirement ⇅
Ads that state it ⇅
Share of ads ⇅
On-site or in-person work
5
31%
Relocation mentioned
5
31%
Nights, weekends, holidays or on-call
1
6%
Skills and tools named most often
Sort:
Requirement ⇅
Ads that state it ⇅
Share of ads ⇅
machine learning
10
62%
python
5
31%
sql
1
6%
typescript
1
6%
How to stand out
First, cover the basics the ads ask for most (see the requirements above: machine learning (62%), python (31%), sql (6%), typescript (6%)). Then look at what separates higher-paid ads:
Among the 16 ads that publish a pay range, we compared the median pay of ads that name each item with ads that do not. This is a correlation in the ads, not a promise: an item can pay more because it comes with senior roles.
Sort:
Item named in the ad ⇅
Ads naming it ⇅
Ads not naming it ⇅
Median pay midpoint with it ⇅
Difference vs ads without it ⇅
machine learning
10
6
$440,000
+$0
PhD or doctorate
5
11
$440,000
+$0
python
5
11
$397,500
-$42,500
We describe only what the ads state. We do not know how recruiters rank candidates.
Same role elsewhere
Where else the same role family is open, with the pay each posts: