In today’s tech-driven job market, it’s nearly impossible to discuss job hunting without mentioning AI—understandably so, as AI has the power to transform every part of the process, from personalized job recommendations all the way to offer acceptance letters.
A huge portion of modern-day professionals have discovered the job-seeking benefits of AI, and they won’t be turning back anytime soon. A recent Live Career survey of 1,150 US workers revealed that 79% of professionals have adopted AI tools in their job search—leveraging them to craft resumes, cover letters, thank-you notes, and more.
The popularity of AI-enhanced job seeking is staggering, yet this does not necessarily equate to success. The same survey found that only 39% of job seekers who used AI found that it “revolutionized” their job search. While still a significant percentage, this reveals a potential gap in execution.
This article aims to close that gap, diving deeper into how AI can work for job seekers.
Understanding the Hiring Side of AI
Before getting into how job seekers can benefit from AI, it’s crucial to first understand how hiring managers and recruiters are using it.
According to LinkedIn’s 2024 Future of Recruiting Report, 62% of recruiting professionals expressed optimism about AI’s role in recruitment, with a 14% increase in recruiters adding AI skills to their LinkedIn bios in 2023. The top cited benefit of GenAI for recruiters was that it made writing job descriptions easier, followed by its ability to automate mundane tasks to allow more time for fulfilling work.
However, it’s important to note that GenAI is only one form of AI, and hiring managers and recruiters also benefit from machine learning algorithms employed by ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) to analyze and rank resumes. This is why you may see guides for writing “ATS-friendly” resumes—because, more and more, resumes are going through ATS before being seen by human eyes.
As a result, job seekers need to be mindful of which keywords ATS may be programmed to search for. A reliable practice is to mirror words used in the job description, especially ones describing desired skills, experience, and tools knowledge.
Now for more job seeker–focused insight into leveraging AI to stand out among other applicants.
Benefits for Job Seekers
AI poses a wide range of benefits for job seekers, optimizing processes before, during, and after the application process. Here are some specific areas where job seekers can benefit from AI.
Enhanced Candidate Experience
AI can improve the whole job seeking experience. Before the application process even begins, for example, job seekers can benefit from AI-powered job recommendations. These algorithms match candidates with jobs based on existing data, such as work experience, education, skills, and past job searches and applications. Such algorithms are integrated into platforms like LinkedIn and Indeed and can save job seekers time and energy scouring the internet for relevant opportunities.
AI can also improve the candidate experience by automating communication with recruiters and hiring teams. On the employer side, hiring teams can leverage automated messaging to ensure no step of the hiring or onboarding process falls between the cracks, better preventing the very frustrating experience of being ghosted. On the candidate side, GenAI can help craft messages to recruiters and hiring managers, whether they are cold messaging on LinkedIn or sending a follow-up email after an interview.
[Learn more about what to say when reaching out to a hiring manager]
Crafting ATS-Friendly Application Materials
Leveraging GenAI tools like ChatGPT has become an exceedingly popular strategy for crafting resumes, cover letters, and optimizing LinkedIn profiles.
The initial output may not always impress hiring managers, especially if candidates simply paste a job description and resume into an AI tool. However, with practice and a deeper understanding of how to fine-tune these tools, job seekers can create original, ATS-friendly materials that remain unique and human enough to stand out.
Some tips on using ChatGPT to generate resumes and cover letters that are ATS-friendly without sounding too robotic and generic:
- Paste the job description and your resume into ChatGPT and instruct it to highlight experience and skills from your resume that are relevant to the current job.
- Use ChatGPT to research in-demand skills for the role and industry you are applying for.
- Ask ChatGPT to revise resume points to use more action verbs to describe your accomplishments.
- Have ChatGPT proofread all application materials for typos, grammatical errors, and clarity.
In addition to ChatGPT, AI resume builders are an increasingly popular tool for job seekers, acting as more of a one-stop option for people looking for professional-grade, ATS-optimized resumes fast.
AI-Driven Interview Preparation and Skill Assessment
AI-powered platforms are also helping candidates prepare for interviews, simulating common questions and analyzing responses in real time. Some of the most popular platforms include Huru and Interview Warmup by Google.
However, job seekers don’t necessarily need these sometimes-pricey platforms to prepare for interviews. Candidates can prompt ChatGPT to offer popular interview questions and desired responses based on the specific role, company, and your resume. Make sure to ask for interview questions that assess technical knowledge, along with soft skills that may indicate whether you are a cultural fit. You can even use ChatGPT to generate potential skills assessment questions and answers.
Don’t forget to prepare your own questions for the interviewer. Asking the right questions not only demonstrates your interest in the role but allows you to learn more about the company culture. Remember, interviewing is a two-way street.
[Learn how AI skills are growing in importance for job seekers.]
Conclusion
AI is having a positive impact for job seekers looking to improve their job applications, ace interviews, and land their dream role faster.
As new technology emerges, it’s important to be mindful of both its advantages and shortcomings. Stay aware of how AI platforms may use your data and perpetuate bias in their output by keeping up with trends and discourse.
AI will surely continue to progress, eventually recommending better jobs, generating more human-sounding language, and incorporating more recent and diverse data.
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References
LinkedIn, Future of Recruiting, 2024
Live Career, How AI Boosts Your Job Hunt, 2024
