Top Tips On How Artificial Intelligence Tools Can Support Your Job Applications

Summary

Are you feeling a bit baffled by how and when to use AI in the recruitment process. This blog has lots of useful information to help you through the process.

Puzzled by AI in the field of recruitment? Then read on for some great tips…

AI is being used more by students, in recruitment, for example with sourcing and applying for jobs. Based on research from our Careers and Employability Team Ambassadors, we have collated some top tips on how to use AI effectively in your applications including best practice, and what to avoid.

Firstly, to set the scene we start with a quote from Clare Dawson, Head of Employability at the University of Brighton.

Clare says …

‘I love using AI to improve my productivity by getting me started with a new concept or by refining my work at the end of a process, but I would be very cautious about overusing it in a job application. As someone who receives job applications it is easy to spot an application that is just AI generated with no personal authenticity from the candidate. For me these go to the bottom of the pile! I want to see the real person coming through in their application and too much AI means that this is lost.’

Drawing from Clare’s thoughts and moving onto the top tips…

Start with your own ideas

Always use AI as a tool, never as a replacement.

Use it to suggest ways to highlight key achievements,

Examples could be leading a successful group project, improving efficiency in a part-time job, or developing new skills through extracurricular activities.

Draft your CV and cover letter

You can then use AI to help refine certain sentences or phrases  and help with flow. Once you have your initial version, you can use AI to help polish your work.

Balance AI with personalisation

We know AI can be useful, especially in getting an outline or draft. But it is important to note that employers value personalisation and uniqueness of your experiences so balancing AI and personalisation is key.

Re-read/ check your application/ AI responses

US spellings, punctation errors, and generic phrases that are meaningless will bring down your applications.  Go through them and make sure you edit where you have used AI responses directly.

Stay up to date about AI in your field

You may be asked your views about the impact of AI during an interview setting, such as in marketing, business, and teaching. Understanding how AI impacts your industry could strengthen your applications and interview answers.

Prepare for industry-specific interviews

AI driven mock interviews can help you practice answering technical questions.

A key tip is to take these questions and attempt to answer them in front of a camera (so you can watch your answers back and detect areas of improvements) or in front of a mirror.

Lastly, write your answers to application form questions out and put them through AI tools to help with editing your responses or asking for feedback.

The key is to use AI for inspiration while keeping your application authentic.

Your Careers Team is Here to Help

If you’re unsure about how to approach your applications or want a review of your CV and/or cover letter, the Careers Team is here to support you.

Book a session with a Careers Development Adviser for more advice on any of the above tips and more. If you applying for placements or internships then please book in with one of the Placement, Internship and Volunteering team !

Struggling with applications? Book in a 1-1 now on Careers Connect

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Written and researched by Mursal Ahmadi, Careers and Employabity Team Ambassador for SAS and Pamela Coppola, Career Development Adviser in the Careers and Employability Team