It is ok to use AI as a tool for your career goals?

 

Are you curious how you can use AI large language models such as ChatGPT or Bard by Google for your career goals? We encourage you to be curious about this technology, learn more about it, and experiment with it.

Here are a few ways AI can be helpful:

  1. Lists of interview questions and answers
  2. Creating example bullet points for a resume
  3. Getting unstuck with your cover letter

    

 

Beware of limitations and risk associated with using AI

 

While AI large language models are useful tools, they come with their own risks. Please proceed with caution and continue learning about the limits of this technology. Here are some examples and resources we are aware of as of September 2023:

  • Knowledge horizon: As of September 2023, ChatGPT relies on data available online until 2021. This means that it will not incorporate information from after that point in time in its answers.

  • Hallucinations: Content generated by ChatGPT may sound complete and compelling, but it might be inaccurate. Always double check and evaluate the answers with a critical eye. One way to do this is to assume that answers generated by AI are not 100% correct until it is proven otherwise; proceed from the mindset.

  • Ethics and biases: The same critical lens we employ when engaging in literature or analyzing research must be used when we utilize AI. Like other "written works", AI comes with inherent biases, assumptions, and perspectives about people, communities, and our respective roles, cultures, and identities. These assumptions may also be implicitly present in the algorithm and logic that AI uses to render answers.

  • Originality of your work and context: Effective and safe use of AI will look different depending on context. If you are applying for a job and create your materials solely using AI, your prospective employer may view it in a certain way (negatively, positively, or neutrally). Ask the recruiter of the company you are applying to what their company's approach to AI is. If in doubt, rely on your original work. If you are already working, your organization may have a set of guidelines for using AI - if you don't know them, inquire about them.

  • Private data in AI: We don’t have a full visibility of how AI tools store the data we put in them when generating prompts and questions. Proceed with caution here and don’t input any identifiable information about people, organizations, or otherwise confidential information.

Use AI sparingly and carefully. Be honest when asked about it, or better yet, proactively disclose it.

  

What employers are saying about AI

We have asked employers and industry partners the following three questions:

 

Question 1: Is your company or organization currently planning any changes to your ATS or application/screening process as a result of AI tools being available?

Question 2: If your company discovered that an applicant utilized AI to fully generate their application materials (resume, cover letter), would that impact their application status?

Question 3: How would you recommend applicants utilize AI in their job applications?

...and here is what we have heard back:

Question 1: Is your organization planning any changes to your application/screening process due to AI tool availability:

  • No: 86%

Question 2: Will using AI to generate application materials impact the application status:

  • Yes: 16%
  • No: 21%
  • Maybe: 33%
  • I don’t know: 30%

Question 3: How would you recommend applicants utilize AI for the applications:

  • To clean up their application, but not generate it.
  • To tailor their resume
  • As a tool, just like any other kind of technology
  • Use it and disclose the use
  • Don't use it
  • I use it daily myself

  

Tell us how have you used AI for your career goals! What worked and what did not?

 

Tell us if and how you have used AI tools for your career goals! Where was it helpful and where it was it not? What have you learned from the process?

 

Please fill out this short survey.