How AI Can Help Your Job Search

How AI can help your job search

AI is rapidly transforming many aspects of our lives, not least when it comes to looking for a new job.

The use of AI technology – the most popular of which is ChatGPT – is becoming a key strategy for jobseekers wising to stand out and be successful.

Employers and recruiters have long used automated tools to filter, rank and manage applications and CVs based on key words and phrases.

So if you’re searching for a job, how can you even the playing field and get AI working to your advantage?

Here Melissa Athersych and Richard Linden from the Work Avenue Employment Team share five top tips:

1) Document creation

ChatGPT can help to write your CV, application form and covering letter.

Simple to set up and log into, you just input a question (known as a ‘prompt’) and receive an answer – which it generates by drawing on the billions of pieces of information it has been fed or gathered.

There is a free version (called ‘beta’) and a paid version (called ‘plus’), the latter costs around £16 a month.

The free version is very good and comes with unlimited prompts and the opportunity to get an export history of your conversations. The paid version includes quicker and more detailed answers, and the ability to upload documents, but our experience is that the cost isn’t necessary for your needs as a jobseeker.

To get the most out of ChatGPT, or any AI tool, they key is to get your prompt right. We suggest always making sure to do the following:

• Clearly state your objective and desired outcome.
• Provide relevant context and background information (for example the job details, your employment history and qualifications).
• Include a clear question or specific instruction.
• Explain how you would like the reply formulated (including length and tone).

Once you have received the answer, you can then follow up with another prompt requesting any changes, updates or clarifications. You can do this as many times as you need.

Finally, simply copy and paste what has been produced to use as a starting point – adding your own personal touches (see point 4) to gain the perfect start to your job search.

2) Interview preparation

The AI tools at your disposal to help prepare for a job interview – including ChatGPT, Interviewing.io, Voomer, MYInterview and Google Interview Warmup – are simply phenomenal.

They can help you research the organisation you are applying to, stimulate virtual interviews, generate answers to commonly asked questions and generally act as a job coach – providing feedback on your interview responses.

At Work Avenue, we use these tools to help our clients with their interview prep – including feeding in the job ad and prompting the AI to generate a series of interview questions, one by one, giving us time to discuss and formulate the answers.

3) LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a social networking site designed specifically for the business community. It’s a great place to search for work, make new contacts and keep in touch with old ones.

But what a lot of people don’t know is the huge advances it has made in AI. LinkedIn itself can help you create your profile on the site, showcasing your skills and experiences in the best way possible. It can then, in turn, connect you with the right recruiters, head-hunters and job opportunities.

Find out more at our LinkedIn for Employment workshop, which runs every 4-6 weeks.

4) Keeping the human touch

Even though ChatGPT can write a CV in 10 seconds, this technology is still years away from being the finished product.

What AI produces can contain mistakes and Americanised spellings and certainly won’t match your personality and the nuances of the message you want to get across. It also has a very specific style of writing, which employers will easily notice.

That is why your human touch is vital.

Never just regurgitate what the AI produces, but use it as a guide or a help to what you want to achieve.

And remember that even the best technology in the world cannot replace networking, rapport-building and fostering genuine human connections.

5) Get in touch with us

Work Avenue helps thousands of people into work each year through our range of free services including workshops, seminars and one-to-one sessions with our Employment Team.

Our highly experienced advisers are there to assist with every stage of your job search from building a CV and finding the right career path to utilising AI, mock interviews and job preparation. So please do get in touch!

• Watch our recent webinar for more AI advice from Melissa and Richard, including hands-on demonstrations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVmpgg_vko4&t=2s