You’ve probably seen the complaints online: “I’ve applied for 600 jobs in the last 3 months and no interviews!”
Discouraging! What’s going on?
Well, the good news is that these folks aren’t actually representative of the job market. Yes, it’s tough out there, but it’s definitely not as bad as some people are making it out to be. These folks, alas for them, are over-relying on AI for their job search. How do I know? Because a person can’t possibly apply to 600 individual jobs in a 3-month period if they’re doing it themselves.
But AI tools are out there! You can’t avoid them, and employers are absolutely using them, so what are you supposed to do?
As is usually the case with things like this, the trick is balance. It’s a mistake to avoid all the AI tools at all costs because employers are using them to filter out unqualified candidates, but it’s also a mistake to have ChatGPT write your applications for you.
Why avoid having AI tools write your applications? There are a few reasons, the primary one being that experienced recruiters can spot these within moments. They all kind of sound the same, which then makes you, the applicant, seem lazy and uncommitted. Furthermore, many of the applicant tracking systems (ATS, in case you’ve seen that phrase floating around out there) are often looking for exactly those applications to throw out. The bots are making sure you’re not using bots! There’s a fighting fire with fire joke in there somewhere….
So then, what’s the solution?
I generally recommend making your application process into several steps. The first is to write your materials yourself, customizing your resume, tailoring your cover letter (when applicable) to the role, and so forth. Then, head to a site like JobScan, Cultivated Culture, Skill Syncer, Resume Worded, or Resume Now and compare your document to the job description. (These sites all have free versions, but each will max you out at a certain number, so create accounts for them and bookmark them all!) Armed with the greater understanding of the key words and phrases in the job description, you’ll now be able to apply and show up as a much stronger candidate.
There are some other great AI tools out there, as well. But here’s my quick note of caution about the tools: Guard your personally identifiable information! That means to be sure you’re not giving the sites your actual name, phone number, LinkedIn profile, and so forth. I generally recommend creating a dedicated email account for use with sites like these to save yourself a bit of hassle.
Other great tools to check out:
- CareerFlow’s free account can help you with your LinkedIn profile and to keep track of what you’ve applied for
- SkillUp for great info on types of careers and limited free career support
- HireBase scans the internet for things that match your preferences
- Practice your interviews on sites like Canyon and Free Mock Interview
- Coursera even offers a free class on all the AI tools out there!
So the lesson is not to embrace the AI without questions, but also not to fear it. Use it wisely, as you would any tool.
