How to use AI to get (and ace) more job interviews

Today, the hiring process can be a game of AI vs. AI. Candidates use AI to write resumes and cover letters, and employers use AI to screen them. 

In fact:

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How can the human jobseeker win this AI vs. AI match? Read on for tips on using AI to:

• Write standout resumes and cover letters that make it past the employer’s AI screening tools

• Prep for an interview so well, you shine as a standout candidate

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First things first: Which jobs to apply to?

Rather than the “spray and pray” technique of blindly applying to any and all jobs you’re qualified for (made even easier today thanks to automation), stop and consider what’s really important to you (your core values) and what your deal-breakers are.

For example:

• If you’re passionate about the environment or DEI, look for companies that have strong commitments in these areas.  

• If mental health support is critical, see which prospective employers mention this in job ads or on their website.  

• If flexibility is critical, try to confirm what the employer offers BEFORE you apply.  

• And if you value learning and development, look for employers that offer growth opportunities.

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Next: Build your network

Sometimes, when you’re starting out, it’s hard to even know what kinds of jobs exist. One of the best ways to discover suitable career paths is to talk to people who have navigated them already.  

So, get out there and meet people in your chosen field. Attend industry events (many of them are free), introduce yourself and mention that you’re looking for work and keen to learn from others.  

And after each event, connect with those you meet on LinkedIn, sending them a friendly message. And beyond meeting new people, contact your existing network, arrange coffee dates and casual chats, and explain what kinds of roles you’re looking for. You want to be top of mind when a suitable role comes up.

Tips: Include friends, family members and professors/teachers in your networking. Good people know good people! Ask people how they built their career, ask them for possible intros to connections who might offer advice. 

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Build your resume

Once you have a sense of the kinds of jobs you’d like to apply to, it’s time to build a resume that is both truthful and aligned with the requirements of the roles you’re applying for.  

When you’re early in your career, it’s normal for your resume to be a bit sparse. Start gaining relevant experience in an area you feel passionate about by volunteering for roles similar to those you are seeking.  

• You gain valuable, relevant experience to put on your resume AND  

• You show potential employers that you’re truly motivated to contribute in this area AND  

• You expand your network of professional contacts (and potential references!).  

Be sure to ask the volunteer manager for as many relevant responsibilities as possible to help shore up your experience. And remember to list all relevant volunteer experience on your resume, clearly indicating that it was volunteer work.

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Use AI tools to draft a standout, UNIQUE resume/cover letter

The key with using AI to write ANY kind of content (like a resume/cover letter) is to ALWAYS treat it as a DRAFT.  

That is, use it to provide suggestions or create a framework but always edit the content, customizing it for each job, personalizing it with your voice and verifying that you list skills and experience that are both relevant to the role AND truthful.  

AI-powered tools can also analyze job ads, and then suggest which keywords, skills and achievements to include, so you stand out from other applicants.  

Lastly, they also help with formatting—an important step considering that most ATSs can’t read fancy styles and fonts—and spelling and grammar.  

Tip: With so many applicants for some roles, don’t make it easy for a hiring manager to put your application to the side over something as simple as a typo. Make sure you always do a spelling/grammar check before clicking Send.  

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AI tools to consider

Aside from standards like ChatGPT, here are some AI-powered resume tools to consider. (Note: These are just suggestions—we do not endorse any particular tool, nor do we receive a commission from any of these products.)  

• Rezi and Teal: These tools can help you generate customized content based on your career history, tailoring the draft to match the requirements in the job ad while including top key words that will increases your chances of getting past initial screenings. They will also check for mistakes like common buzzwords used by AI programs, typos and missing bullet points, ensuring you create a well-structured, error-free resume. Bonus: Rezi also features a Google Chrome extension that allows you to create a resume from your LinkedIn profile.

• Enhancv: This tool lets you choose from many templates to create a visually appealing document that passes industry standards. It will also generate suggestions for creating a dedicated section showcasing your competitive advantages, helping you stand out from other applicants.

• Skillroads: This tool is all about skills. It either a free resume writing tool or a paid option that includes writing services from experienced professionals. With the free version, you can enter your preferred job title, take a 5-minute questionnaire, and then Skillroads generates a custom resume highlighting required skills and experience that you can tailor, making sure they match your own. Bonus: You can also use the cover letter builder to generate draft cover letters faster (make sure you edit them to reflect your own voice, skills and experience).  

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Additional resume best practices

Here are some additional tips to keep in mind:

• Consider using multiple tools—not just ChatGPT—to include as many perspectives as possible.  

• Try to keep it to two pages, listing your volunteer experience and—critically—all current AI skills, certifications and experience.

• Be sure to correct common AI “tells” that employers look for in resumés, including:
  • Repeated words or phrases
  • Lack of personalization (i.e., not including details about skills and experience, not addressing the specific job for which you’re applying, parroting the language from the job posting without elaborating on it)
  • Formatting inconsistencies
  • Different tones and writing styles within a single document
  • Overly complex or verbose language
  • Similarities between multiple applicants’ written applications
  

Use AI to prep for interviews

Okay, you’ve prepped a great resume and cover letter, applied for a job that matches your skills and experience and… you’ve been called for an interview. Congrats!  

You might think that since AI helped you write the resumé that got you the interview, maybe it could do the interview, too? Not so fast.  

While some candidates use programs like AI Apply to automatically generate answers to questions asked during virtual job interviews (the answers are displayed in real time on a cellphone or a small window on their computer screen), they’ll never be the same as the answers delivered by your true, talented human self. And they likely won’t sound natural, especially if you’re reading them, and doubly so because of the delay while you wait for the technology to develop the response.  

In a nutshell, it’s best to avoid AI during an interview because the employer will most likely be able to tell you’re not the one answering the questions. But that doesn’t mean you can’t use AI to prep before an interview.

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Interview prep tips

• Aside from using ChatGPT to write your resume, you can also use it to get ideas for your interview. Input your resumé and the job posting into ChatGPT, ask it to develop possible questions (including difficult ones) and possible answers, and then practise delivering them. Tip: To stand out as a candidate, ensure you don’t memorize or read the answers—you need to edit all AI-generated content to make it truthful, and then deliver all answers naturally.  

•  If you’re prepping for an interview, consider using tools like these to practise your answers:
  • Interviewing.IO, which simulates interview scenarios for technical roles.  
  • Huru.ai, an AI interview coach that lets you practise answering realistic, job-specific questions, and receive instant, personalized feedback on your answers, body language and delivery.  
  • Final Round AI, another tool that offers AI-powered video interview practice with suggested questions and answers, as well as personalized feedback.

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Interview best practices

• During virtual interviews, maintain eye contact. Employers will be looking to see if you’re reading your resume or using a program like AI Apply to answer questions in real time.

• Try to prepare for questions that AI wouldn’t be able to answer. For example, to test your on-the-spot thinking, employers will likely ask you questions like these:
  • How have you handled a crisis in the past?
  • Can you give me examples of your leadership?
  • Describe how you set goals, and how you track your own attainment of them. 
  • What do you like learning about? Please share what you’re reading and learning right now.
  • Or they may share a common scenario and ask you for your strategies or tactics to address it, looking to see if it aligns with the experience on your resumé.

For additional advice on landing your next job, including interview and resumé tips, see The Top 10 Reasons: Why Am I Not Getting Hired.  

Also, keep in mind, an employer is looking to hire you, not AI, so you need to make sure you can answer all questions truthfully and authentically.

Looking for your next great role? Be sure to check out our job portal and come back often—we post new roles daily.

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