Skip to content
Straight from the brain of one of Amberjack’s Gen Z Advisory Board members, discover how your talent pool is using Artificial Intelligence in your vacancies and Early Talent programmes!
“As a student entrenched in my job hunt right now, using AI tools helps me dramatically cut down on the amount of time I spend on the mundane bits and allows me to create a more focused job-seeking experience for myself. “
Candidates using AI to optimise their job hunt process is a reality today, and understanding the thought process behind it can help recruiters create a more mutually beneficial recruitment experience.
Here’s how I use AI when seeking job opportunities:
Job and Profile Fit
I like using LinkedIn Premium’s features when assessing if my experience aligns with what the employer is looking for, as described in the job description. It assesses the similarities between the required job skills and the skills listed on my profile, determining an overall profile-to-job fit and suggesting areas that might make my application less than ideal. This feature is particularly helpful when job descriptions are vague and almost cryptic. I prefer using AI for this part of the job hunt as I review anywhere between 8-12 job descriptions daily, and it helps me manage my time more efficiently.
Optimising My Job Application
I use AI-powered tools to identify keywords from the job description and edit the bullet points on my CV accordingly. These tools help me closely match the language used in the job description without altering the meaning of the action points on my CV. AI tools also help optimise CVs in general as they compare a candidate’s CV against industry standards and recommended best practices, such as quantifying achievements, using action words, bullet point length, and overall CV length. The tools often score your CV on a set scale and offer recommendations on how to improve that score. The instant feedback and easy fixes make it a great option for ensuring my CV is the best it can be.
Writing Cover Letters
When writing cover letters, I usually start off with a version that I consider the latest and best, then edit it to better match the job description. I use AI tools to get a snapshot of news and facts about the company to craft a tidy paragraph on why the company excites me. When a role doesn’t flesh out the responsibilities, I use AI to research what daily tasks entail that job title to get a better idea of what would be expected of me on the job. Of course, the more traditional and perhaps better way to go about this would be to talk to people and do some first-hand research, but that would take days, or even weeks.
Sometimes, it’s hard to fake enthusiasm for a cut-and-dry role at a small or mid-sized company I haven’t heard of, but I have to apply to these roles anyway to have more options. In cases like that, I do use AI more… generously, while crafting cover letters. Although I haven’t yet used a completely AI-generated cover letter to apply for a job, I do know that my peers have been doing that. It is unreasonably time-consuming to conduct research and write a tailored cover letter from scratch for every job application. I prefer job applications that engage me in a different way instead, for example, asking open-ended questions that could give more insight into my capabilities and work style.
Perfecting Video Interviews
With every pre-recorded video interview experience, I find myself thinking of a million ways I could have been better. I have started using AI tools that help me practice my video interview skills by assessing practice clips and suggesting how I could improve my performance. These tools usually don’t have any valuable input on what I’m speaking about, but they do offer many helpful tips on lighting, posture, eye contact, audio levels, overall clarity, and presentation.
These have been my personal experiences, and a few other discussions with my peers have been around how they use AI for crafting the perfect outreach messages and emails to recruiters, for personalised career advice, and for tracking applications and staying organised. It’s safe to say that AI has been helping me and my peers make job hunting as time and resource-efficient as possible.
