{"id":43705,"date":"2023-05-17T10:29:58","date_gmt":"2023-05-17T17:29:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/?p=43705"},"modified":"2023-12-04T22:14:17","modified_gmt":"2023-12-05T06:14:17","slug":"how-to-use-ai-in-your-job-search","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/news\/how-to-use-ai-in-your-job-search\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Ways To Use AI In Your Job Search, According to Recruiters\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Job seekers and hiring managers know the recruitment process is broken\u2014and AI has a significant stake in it. Corporate job openings attract an average of 250 applications<\/a>, forcing companies to use technology to shortlist resumes. According to Jobscan, 99%<\/a> of Fortune 500 employers use an applicant tracking system\u2014AI-powered software that parses hundreds of resumes into binary \u201cyes\u201d and \u201cno\u201d piles based on keywords, years of experience, education background, and other specifications. These black-box algorithms<\/a> wield immense power to decide a person\u2019s career prospects\u2014and, by extension, their socioeconomic future\u2014but no one knows how they work. <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Until recently, candidates could only guess what magic combination of keywords and acceptable resume formats would pass ATS scrutiny and toss their application to a human hiring manager\u2014who spends no more than seven seconds<\/a> on each resume. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, job-seekers have AI-powered tools<\/a> at their disposal to remove some of the mystique\u2014and frustration\u2014from the job hunt. From AI-powered resume builders to keyword scanners and application tracking tools, candidates are increasingly empowered to use technology in what is often an exhausting, psychologically and financially taxing process: finding a job. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBeing able to prompt a large language model is a skill,\u201d says Muhammad Motawe, VP of engineering at The Quantum Insider and a mentor for Springboard\u2019s Software Engineering Bootcamp<\/a>. \u201cIf you don\u2019t understand something, you can use ChatGPT or any other language model to simplify and distill the knowledge for you. I think that\u2019s a legitimate use case.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

ChatGPT<\/a>, a large language model by Microsoft-backed AI research firm OpenAI, is incredibly proficient at generating everything from initial outreach emails to personalized cover letters. Already, hiring managers are trying\u2014and mostly failing<\/a>\u2014to sniff out job applications that seem a little too<\/em> good to be true. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A recent survey by Fishbowl found that 43%<\/a> of professionals use ChatGPT at work; nearly 70% are hiding it from their bosses. Maria Tomaino, a career coach at Springboard, encourages job seekers to use every available tool in their job search\u2014including ChatGPT. However, she has an important caveat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere has to be some internal reflection,\u201d she says. \u201cDon\u2019t present the work of a robot as your own without putting personalization, effort, passion, and creativity into it. If you don\u2019t put effort into the job application, what type of worker will you be?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are seven proven ways to use AI to turbocharge your job search. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Improve your cover letter<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While recruiters remain divided<\/a> over the usefulness of a cover letter, a thoughtfully written note can boost your candidacy if you\u2019re switching careers or have resume gaps. Generative AI tools like ChatGPT can generate the bones of a good cover letter.  Alternatively, you can use a dedicated AI cover letter generator like Coverdoc.ai<\/a>. Simply enter basic info about the job you\u2019re applying to (title, company name, and job description), select a preferred writing style, and add a link to your LinkedIn profile. The tool automatically incorporates insights about the target company\u2019s products and the wider industry, allowing candidates to personalize their cover letter with insightful observations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike large language models like ChatGPT trained on generalized datasets, the machine learning algorithms<\/a> powering resume builders were trained on high-performing cover letters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Resume builder Teal recently launched an integration<\/a> with ChatGPT to enhance its natural language capabilities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Teal
Image courtesy of Teal HQ<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Regardless of your chosen AI tool, you\u2019ll need to know best practices for writing prompts<\/a> that generate the responses you\u2019re looking for. When using ChatGPT, copy-paste a simplified version of your resume into the text field. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the prompt, type: \u201cWrite my cover letter for the data science role at LinkedIn in a conversational tone, using my resume below as a reference.\u201d Generate two more versions. Sort through the options, pull what you like from each generated version, and add personal flair. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tips for getting the best responses from AI tools:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n