Should I use AI Tools in job applications?
To answer this question, we first need to look at what AI tools are, and how they can be used in job applications. It won’t have escaped you that the main tool that people are using for CVs and applications, is ChatGPT. Although artificial intelligence has been around for years, the tools capable of being used for this purpose are a very recent phenomenon - ChatGPT launched in November 2022. Yet its capabilities and use by job searchers and employers alike are growing at an astonishing rate and cannot be ignored.
What is it?
Chat GPT is a conversational form of AI, which means that it uses natural language processing with machine learning to enable chatbots to respond to human queries in real-time.
What can it do?
With its advanced capabilities it can, given the right steers, tailor conversations based on your preferences, and write creatively and with nuances of tone and sentiment. In the context of job applications, it can therefore be used to:
Write responses to job application questions
Write a cover letter or CV profile, tailored to you and a role you’re applying for
Find job vacancies matched to your skills and experience
Help prepare you for interviews e.g. provide practise interview questions
With all of these capabilities, it’s tempting to think that it can take care of the whole application process for you. It certainly has lots of benefits, in terms of time-saving, and generating ideas - such as ways to present your skills that you may not have considered. And for those less confident at self-marketing and using written communication, ChatGPT may take away much of the pain of applications. It has the potential to raise your application-to-interview conversion rate. It’s no wonder that, according to a 2023 report by talent Cloud company, iCIMS, 47% of graduates are interested in using ChatGPT or other AI bots to write their CVs or cover letters, while 25% of Generation Z have already employed an AI bot for this purpose (https://www.icims.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/ClassOfReport_2023.pdf).
Sound great, so what’s the catch?
If you have ever used this technology, you may have been amazed at the content it has generated for you and recognise many of the benefits highlighted above. But on closer inspection, when you read it back, have you ever noticed that the content can seem less personalised and even a little robotic? Ask yourself this, if you were a recruiter and were reading 50 applications - half used a chatbot for the entire application and the other half did not - which would be more appealing and make you want to keep reading?
There are some recruiters that will reject applications if they spot the use of AI or plagiarised content - as happened to a recent upset and embarrassed client applying to the civil service. The same iCIMS report quoted above found that 39% of HR professionals consider the use of AI technology during the hiring process to negatively impact their application - in other words, they were on the ‘No Interview’ pile. And it’s easy for employers to spot AI-generated content or plagiarism from other sources, by running it through tools such as Grammarly, Writer.com, Crossplag, or Originality. That said, there are also many employers that view candidates’ use of AI as showing initiative and developing much-in-need technical skills.
If you decide to use a Chatbot, here are some top tips to get the most out of it:
For better results, ask AI the right questions, giving as much detail as possible, including tone/voice. Run it through several times until you’re happy with the results.
Incorporate your own writing style into your applications: this might mean using the AI content as a guide and then fully tailoring it to you and your qualities and experience, or perhaps writing your own responses first and then using AI to see if any other angles or ideas come up that could strengthen your application.
Proofread content carefully: check for errors but also think, ‘Could I back this up at interview?’. If not, change it.
Don’t expect it to have covered everything - consider what it might have missed. For instance, AI has a limited ability to judge soft skills at the moment, and these may be just as important for the job. Check the person specification carefully for any potential omissions and make sure you add them in.
AI technology is here to stay and it’s developing at an exponential rate, with frequent new tools coming to the market and existing ones growing in sophistication and capability. With employers and recruiters also using AI to manage their recruitment processes and to shortlist candidates, it’s possible to see that as a candidate, you are losing out if you’re not getting to grips with it. However, always keep in mind that employers still want to know about the real, authentic you, with your natural flair and human qualities, and not a manufactured version akin to an airbrushed and filtered photo that looks like every other person. Used wisely, AI tools can enhance and support your applications.