Leveraging AI Smartly For Your Next Job

Can generative AI tools like ChatGPT help you land your next job? If used right, they could, says Bentley career expert Alyssa Hammond. But she cautions that relying solely on AI for your job search could be risky.

"AI is a great resource for career development, particularly when it comes to condensing your resume or cover letter, exploring how your skills match a job and even prepping for a job interview," says Hammond, director of undergraduate career development at Bentley’s Pulsifer Career Development Center. "But it’s not a replacement for the human applying for the job. It’s you who has to show up for the interview and, ultimately, perform on the job."

One of the most widely used AI tools is OpenAI’s ChatGPT, an advanced chatbot that pulls data to generate interactive and natural conversations. OpenAI reports hundreds of millions of weekly ChatGPT users.

Resume Builder estimates that by the end of 2025, 68% of companies will be using AI to acquire new talent. Most of these companies — 82% — use AI to review resumes, while 64% apply AI to review candidate assessments. Forty-two percent scan social media or personal websites as part of the hiring process.

How AI is Shaping the Hiring Landscape

"I recently met with some of Bentley’s key employers and they shared a common theme when it comes to using AI in the hiring process: Applicant tracking systems are being used to conduct initial application screenings — searching for key terms and skill and experience matching, for example — but humans are then looking at every application and making the final decisions as to who they will interview," Hammond explains.

So, how can job seekers effectively use AI? Hammond offers practical tips to leverage AI in your job search — and potential risks to avoid.

6 Ways to Use AI for Your Job Search

1. Explore jobs and careers. AI can match your college major, skills and interests to particular professional roles.

2. Refine your resume. AI can help create a concise list of your experience for the resume when prompted accurately and specifically. Example: “Write a detailed bulleted list for my resume for my tax and audit advisory internship at KPMG where I did x, y, z.”

3. Create a preliminary cover letter draft. AI can help generate an initial cover letter outline that you can customize and personalize for specific roles and companies.

4. Improve visibility in applicant tracking systems (ATS). AI can identify key words and phrases to help increase compatibility with ATS using keyword matching and phrases from the job description.

5. Proofread application materials. AI is a good tool to help eliminate spelling and grammar errors on your resume and cover letter.

6. Prepare for interviews. AI can develop a list of questions that may be asked during an interview and suggest answers that you can then tailor to your specific experience.

6 Risks of Using AI for Your Job Search

1. Requires detailed instructions. It may take multiple entries into the chat prompt to produce desired results. Be specific, provide context and build on AI-generated results to get to the information you need.

2. Presents false or outdated information. Tools like ChatGPT pull data from many Internet sources, some of which could be false and outdated.

3. Lacks creativity. Content could be generic and lack creativity due to an inability to identify your personal interest in a company or role. Employers are looking for personalization and humanization that ChatGPT cannot do.

4. Duplicates other candidate applications. There’s potential for an AI-generated resume or cover letter to be similar to — or even match — other candidates using AI. This could be a red flag, signaling to employers a lack of effort and dedication to the application process.

5. Exaggerates skills. AI-generated content can exaggerate a candidate’s skills and experience, making them sound more qualified than they really are. AI tools tend to skew toward over-embellishing.

6. Raises privacy concerns. AI may store conversations and account information, which is available to “vendors and service providers, other businesses, affiliates, legal entities and AI trainers who review your conversations,” according to ChatGPT terms and conditions. Users should never put in personal details, like name and contact information.

The Human Element: Your Key to Success

"Studies show that recruiters say they can often tell when AI produced a resume or cover letter," Hammond says. "Still, it’s an easy and convenient way to generate drafts of material related to your career search and is a strong tool to start the writing process. But it should never be the final product."

Employers also need to monitor their AI use in the hiring process. According to Resume Builder, 24% of companies using AI hiring tools report that it can often produce biased recommendations. This underscores Hammond’s crucial advice for both job applicants and hiring managers: AI is not a replacement for a human.

"AI is technology that is doing what it is told to do; and sometimes it isn’t accurate," Hammond emphasizes. "So, it’s important to tap into your critical thinking when you’re using AI. It could exaggerate your qualifications, and it’s up to you to recognize that and then adjust that so it isn’t misleading to a potential employer."

"Remember it’s your voice, your story and your skills that will ultimately get you through the door."