There is A LOT of information out there about the benefits of AI in your job search – and not all of it is actually beneficial for you as a job seeker. In this episode, I want to dive into five ways to use AI in your job search, as well as a few ways I don’t recommend using AI.
I’m not diving into the AI that is being used by companies like LinkedIn, other job boards, etc. – rather, how YOU can leverage AI in your job search.
What are the AI options?
There are many, and giving too many specifics here will quickly date this episode. I use ChatGPT and I find that it is a good place to start – begin with the free version.
Use #1 – Researching companies
I queried ChatGPT with this: “What is it like to work for Amazon?” I found it gave me a really balanced overview of the pros and cons of that company.
Of course, this is only going to be useful with larger companies.
I recommend taking the information ChatGPT provides about a company and using it as a springboard for further research on sites like Glassdoor.com and reaching out to former employees for their take.
Use #2 – Industry insights
ChatGPT can give you insights into specific industries including trends, key skills, availability of jobs, etc.
Especially as you prepare for an interview, it is so important to not just know about the company you are interviewing with, but also their competition and where they fit into the landscape.
Use #3 – Identifying and maximizing job search tools
ChatGPT can give you advice on effective job search strategies, help you utilize job boards more effectively, gain networking tools, and expand your use of social media for your job search.
As with any advice you find online, don’t automatically take it as “truth” – while AI doesn’t give “opinions,” they can contain errors.
This is another area where a job search coach comes in handy – to help you separate truth from fiction, and also to strategize on which of the pieces of advice you see make sense for you and how to implement the strategies you choose.
Use #4 – Matching your resume and cover letter with the requirements of the job
This is how I use ChatGPT: When writing a client’s resume and cover letter, I have them send me three job descriptions that are representative of the types of jobs they will be using that resume and cover letter to apply for.
I then ask ChatGPT two questions: “What are the most important job duties of these positions?” and “What are the primary requirements of these positions?”
I then look for opportunities to incorporate the key job duties into the client’s resume, and I verify if my client has any requirements the jobs are asking for that we haven’t talked about.
I often write achievement bullets for my clients like this:
Social Media Marketing: Increased impressions 75% and shares 115% by….
The words in bold and italics are an excellent place to incorporate key job duties – much better than a separate list of Strengths that is divorced from where that competency was acquired or utilized.
Use #5 – Interview Prep
Let me begin this by saying there is no substitute for an interview coach in preparing for the job interview, but AI can be a powerful tool to assist in your preparation.
You can query it as to questions you might be asked, the best way to approach specific questions, and to evaluate how you respond to a question.
There are also AI-generated sites to practice interviewing – but again, there are limitations to this technology.
Limitations
The biggest misstep I see people using AI for is asking it to write their resume and cover letter for them. If you do this, you will get generic documents that don’t highlight your achievements – how could it? It’s simply going to focus on the job duties typical for that job title.
Remember, a true marketing document should be focused on your achievements – this tells an employer how well you did the job, not just that you did the job. You want to include metrics whenever possible – again, something AI cannot do for you.
I recently wrote a newsletter about the things recruiters are most bothered by from candidates - #1 was AI-generated resumes, which are easy for them to spot.
Also – as stated throughout this episode, just because AI says something doesn’t make it true – nor does it automatically make sense for you to adopt that approach or strategy.
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