It’s safe to say that AI has transformed the way we do things in 2023. Since ChatGPT’s launch in late 2022, generative AI’s capabilities for crafting entire articles, writing poetry and even coming up with jokes has cemented its mass appeal. And with Microsoft’s Bing and Google’s Bard alternatives entering the space, chatbots look set to become even more accessible.

In the job seeking sphere, AI has become increasingly prevalent as companies rely on application tracking software (ATS) to screen applications before a human even sets eyes on them.

Meanwhile, job seekers are turning to AI tools to help them craft the perfect cover letter and CV, perfectly tailored to the description of the job they’re applying for––instead of sending the same document to multiple companies and hoping for the best.

“Many of us don’t realise that AI is already [involved] in recruiting, but against the applicant,” says Konstantin Lobanov, founder of applai.me, an AI-powered tool for job seekers.

Step-by-step approach

Inspired by his own job search, Lobanov identified three fundamental areas that AI can help job seekers address.

The first is ensuring your CV matches the job description. “AI is screening CVs and trying to find specific keywords; if it cannot find them, there is a high probability that you won’t even get the interview. Do you have [the] needed keywords, and which keywords would be good to include?”

The second is cover letters. “The difference between a bad and excellent cover letter is not what you write and how you structure it, but how you phrase it,” he says.

“This is precisely what generative AI can do amazingly, phrase things right. So this is about first helping people to frame things in the right way and to do it in a few minutes.”

Lobanov also proposes that generative AI can give job applicants a competitive advantage against other candidates when it comes to interview prep.

“If you’re interviewing for a big tech company, you can find many resources online; you can find much of the information on Glassdoor or any other platforms. However, if it’s a smaller company or it’s not that popular, you won’t be able to find anything online for you to prepare.”

He also believes that AI has the power to make the hiring process more democratic by making the screening process “more fair and reasonable”. However, he also thinks advances in AI should also prompt hiring managers and HR departments to look beyond traditional application processes to gain better insights from candidates.

“If AI can do the things you are asking from the candidates, then you probably need to ask the things AI cannot.”