How to Use Artificial Intelligence in Your Job Search

Finding your first job or internship can be challenging and overwhelming, especially when you’re new to your career. Landing your first job can be difficult, as it isn’t uncommon to encounter stiff competition.

However, with the latest technologies emerging within the artificial intelligence (AI) field, many opportunities exist to leverage these tools and help you stand out. This article will help you navigate using these tools while providing some factors you should consider.

What does artificial intelligence cover?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a broad term that uses algorithms, machine learning, and related technologies to automate tasks that typically require human intelligence. AI is ubiquitous in our daily lives, from recommendation systems to facial recognition to banking. In the job-seeking world, for example, companies commonly use an applicant tracking system (ATS) to examine resumes, identify specific words and phrases, and rank them based on how well they match the job description. This information will help you tailor your resume.

How can you use artificial intelligence in your job search?

IDEA FORMATION

Looking for your first job can be challenging, especially for students unsure about which jobs are relevant to their degree. While plenty of resources are available to help you start your job search, such as AgCareers.com Career Profiles, it is often helpful to use AI tools to identify effective keywords that can aid you in finding relevant roles within a specific industry.

You can use a large language AI model like ChatGPT to generate a prompt that asks for keywords you can use to search for jobs in a particular field. For instance, you could ask ChatGPT:

What keywords should I use on job search sites if I am looking for work in (industry), particularly in (specific interest)?

After you complete this prompt, ChatGPT should provide you with a list of keywords that you can use on job board websites such as AgCareers.com or CareersinFood.com.

CONSIDERATIONS: While AI-generated career recommendations can offer helpful insights, verifying these recommendations with human judgment and your research is crucial. Consider AI recommendations as one factor in career exploration instead of conclusive decisions. Engage in conversations with mentors, career advisors, and industry professionals to give context to AI-generated suggestions and to make well-informed decisions about your career path.

CREATE A RESUME

Bullet points are essential components of your resume. They help convey and highlight important information while making it easier for the hiring manager to read. For example, consider using bullet points in the education section to share additional information about courses taken or major projects performed when creating your resume.

ChatGPT can be used to craft compelling but also authentic bullet points for your resume. To do so, provide ChatGPT with specific responsibilities from your past jobs or internships and ask the tool to generate bullet points demonstrating your achievements and metrics.

Alternatively, you could provide it with some bullet points you have already created and ask it for ideas to improve on them or alternative points.

What should you do if you are applying for your first job? If you have no work experience, you could prompt ChatGPT with:

What bullet points could I use on a resume if I am applying for a (position) with no work experience but currently am a student in (educational programs)?

ChatGPT should provide multiple examples that you can use on your resume. If you want to take this further, paste the job description of the position you are applying for into ChatGPT.

CONSIDERATIONS: Remember that ChatGPT isn’t the only AI tool available to craft your resume. You can find specialized online services to help create or update your resume/cover letter. Because of the specialized nature of these services, you may discover responses of higher quality than ChatGPT. However, these services usually come at a cost, so keep this in mind.

Additionally, many of these tools are only as effective as the information that you provide. Before crafting your resume, take an inventory of experiences and skills you could build on, as this will help you better. Be careful with the information that you provide ChatGPT. It is an excellent practice to keep specific personal details out, as your contact details and transaction activities might be shared with affiliates, vendors and service providers, law enforcement, and parties involved in transactions.

CUSTOMIZING YOUR COVER LETTER

After you have completed your resume, it’s time to write your cover letter. For some, the process may feel even more time-consuming than the resume itself. If you already have a basic cover letter, you could work through it and ask ChatGPT to provide sentence alternatives line by line. Alternatively, if you need inspiration, you could use the prompt:

Create a compelling cover letter for a [job title] for [company] that incorporates these experiences [provide a few job experience sentences] for a graduate [program]

You can run multiple iterations to see which versions you prefer. Once you find a version you like, rewrite the letter in a tone that matches yours and ensure that all the information is truthful. Once completed, edit the letter by copying and pasting the information into a document editor like Word or Google Docs and format everything correctly.

Grammarly is another service that has been around for a while but also uses AI. When finishing up your resume, insert it into Grammarly to proofread everything.

CONSIDERATIONS: Please keep in mind that even though ChatGPT can help you with prompts for writing cover letters, the actual work still needs to be done by you. It is important to remember that if you don’t edit and personalize your letter, it may end up similar to other applicants’ letters and might not accurately represent you. If you cannot access paid services like Grammarly, contact your campus careers center for assistance.

PREPARING FOR INTERVIEWS

Another area where AI can be helpful is when preparing for job interviews. There are a lot of commonly asked questions you may encounter during a job interview. For a more comprehensive approach, you can provide ChatGPT with a job or internship description, which will generate interview questions tailored to that position.

Use these questions to determine if you feel confident in your response. If not, you can ask ChatGPT for sample answers. You can also share your experience to prompt ChatGPT to provide more relevant responses to a question.

Moreover, you can input your responses and request ChatGPT to provide feedback, which can help you refine your communication skills and build confidence as a candidate.

CONSIDERATIONS: It isn’t just your verbal answers that help you get a job during an interview. There is also a human component, including the tone of your answers, body language, and how you act with the interviewer. AI-driven tools are meant to supplement your interview preparation, so engage in mock interviews with peers, mentors, or career advisors to receive personalized feedback and guidance. ChatGPT is open to everyone, but for more unique outputs, prompt the system with specific questions.

Every day, more and more tools are available for job seekers to help them in their job-seeking pursuits. As these tools become available, it is important to take the time to understand them and how they work. Understanding your boundaries and what you value as a service is also important. With a balanced combination of technology and ethical principles, you can navigate the job market with confidence and success.