12 December 2024
How to use AI to Find A Job: The Dos and Don’ts
You’ve probably scrolled through hundreds of Instagram reels and TikToks of libraries on trains, dancing kittens and people with 25 fingers. Nine times out of ten, those were made using artificial intelligence.
Whether it’s MidJourney, Google Gemini, ChatGPT or good old Alexa, AI is becoming a huge part of everyday life.
AI is so helpful it can be used for whatever you can think of, and if you’re embarking on your job hunt – you might just be tempted. That’s really okay! However, there are ways to use AI that won’t have recruiters waving red flags when looking at your application.
Read on to discover the Do’s and Don’ts of using AI in your job search, using insights from key recruiters. You’ll also find a free PDF version to download too!
- What exactly is artificial intelligence?
- Is AI good for job hunting?
- The dos and dont’s of AI
- Which AI tool is the best for finding a job?
What exactly is artificial intelligence?
Think of AI as your really super-damn-smart robot sidekick that helps you with everything you can think of. We feed computers loads of information to think and learn, just like humans. AI’s real use is to learn patterns and rules. It’ll then use everything it’s learned to help us make decisions or solve problems.
AI can do a lot of very cool things. Here are some;
- Create art and music
- Cybersecurity
- Draw up building plans
- Navigation in cars.
However, it’s important to know that AI is still very much in development and there is a wide range of things it cannot do, including;
- Emotional intelligence
- Produce 100% original material
- Understand real-life scenarios and complex situations (don’t ask AI for friendship advice x)
- Impartiality, sometimes results can be biased as there isn’t enough well-rounded data
- Judgement. AI works purely off data.
Is AI good for job hunting?
The good news is AI can be seriously useful for job hunting, and you won’t be considered lazy or a cheat for it. In fact, 52% of students are using AI to find a role.
What matters is how you use it.
Not quite sure what roles are out there? AI can be used to find roles and companies that fit several factors including your personal views and experience. Unsure if your CV hits all the skill points? AI can help by giving you feedback based on a job’s requirements and suggestions to how you can show those skills off.
AI can make the job hunt a little bit less of a headache and actually enhance your prospects, giving you a lot more to work with and new ways to think.
Let’s get into the dos and don’ts – using real insights from recruiters.
The dos and dont’s of AI
If you’ve been looking for the best way to use AI to find the job you want, look no further. Here are your official dos and don’ts.
DO
Do use AI as a starting point. Stuck for ideas on where to begin? AI can give you a point in the right direction by looking at all the experience you have so far and coming up with some job roles you might be interested in.
Do use AI to find missed opportunities. Applying for the obvious? That’s okay, but there are so many opportunities out there. Use the ‘recommendations’ and job match sections of websites to help you find roles you might not have seen.
Do be specific with your prompts. To get the results you need, you have to be super particular and specific when writing your prompt. For example, a good prompt will be concise and straightforward.
Do use AI to help practice interview questions. Get feedback in real time, suggestions and help with how to answer interview questions by using a chatbot like ChatGPT.
DON’T
Don’t be lazy. An employer will know when you’ve sent an AI-written CV or cover letter. Instead use a CV generator to help you arrange your CV or find areas for improvement.
Don’t fully rely on AI. You won’t be the only candidate using AI for your application, so it’s easy for a recruiter to pick up on common phrases or answers which will give you away. Instead, see AI as something to help you start your process.
Don’t take everything at face value. AI doesn’t always get it right and can generate different responses for the same prompt. Use your critical thinking skills. If it doesn’t look right, it probably isn’t.
Don’t input personal data. There are several reasons why this isn’t a good idea, from ethics to data protection rules. Don’t include personal details like names, addresses, emails or sensitive information.
These dos and don’ts are SO good we’ve created a free downloadable PDF so you can have it close by whenever you find yourself using AI. Click below to download
Which AI tools should you use?
That all depends on you! Most AI tools work the same, it’s up to you which one works best for your needs. Luckily for you, there’s a lot to choose from.
ChatGPT. Great for asking questions and getting explanations.
Google Gemini. Great for learning, asking questions and getting summaries.
Grammarly. Perfect for all your grammar needs.
Notion. Good for general tasks like asking questions, formatting and translation.
KickResume. Fantastic for helping you put your CV into a digestible format.
AI is still very much in its early years (although it’s been around since the 1950s) and there’s so much to learn. No matter what, always make sure that your applications are always high quality, tailored and relevant to the jobs you’re applying for.
You got this!
Written by Melchi
Melchi is a stan of the written word and joined the RateMyPlacement team as a Content Executive in 2021. Melchi started his career writing culture content for WeAreCollision magazine before completing an MA in International Journalism at City University and interning at Insider Inc. He now uses his head-thesaurus to write inspiring content to help young people make great career choices. These include everything from blogs about how to survive your placement year to industry guides outlining the latest placement and internship opportunities. Outside of writing, Melchi loves all things music and is currently learning how to DJ.