Generative AI technology, also known as Gen AI, has witnessed overwhelming success that is likely to stay for the long term, with major developments in large language models (LLM) since ChatGPT’s launch in November 2022. With an economic boost from $2.6 trillion to $4.6 trillion according to a McKinsey & Company report, this is more than a hype, being likened by many to the Industrial Revolution.
Since ChatGPT amassed millions of users within months towards the end of last year, it has had weighty implications for job seekers. People all across the internet have shared countless stories of how this and other similar LLM tools have boosted their job applications and job searching experience.
If you’re relatively new to using large language models or any other AI-powered tool to optimize your job search, and are unsure of how to use it effectively or how its current use by employers will affect your job prospects, there are some things you need to know:
Increased Competition
Since thousands, if not millions, of job seekers are turning to Gen AI to support their job search, this has developed a situation where there is supercharged competition in the candidate market. All at once, candidates have stellar quality AI-generated resumes and almost-perfect application answers. This means that you need to think strategically to up your game and stand out as a candidate in the job hunt. To do this effectively, do not rely on a chatbot or AI-powered resume writing tool alone. To leave it there would be a great mistake and might be viewed as a red flag for recruiters and hiring managers. Instead, personalize and adapt the wording it gives you, ensuring you extract from and leverage the value of your experiences by talking about your achievements and quantifying results wherever possible. This is something that a chatbot cannot do because it has no knowledge of what you achieved in your roles previously, aside from what you tell it.
Improved Resume Screening
AI-powered recruitment tools have been in existence for a while not, but have experienced an upsurge since the advent of new large language models within the past year. It has been estimated that 98% of Fortune 500 companies use ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) in some way or another to help them wade through and shortlist the thousands of applications they receive daily, and 75% of recruiters admit to using this AI-powered software as well. This means you will need to think strategically to ensure your resume and job application is formatted in a way that is easily readable by the hiring software, and matches with the key criteria and keywords from the job description.
Career Pivots
Many professionals will need to reconsider their careers in the wake of Gen AI and other AI technologies, which are displacing millions of workers while creating millions of new jobs. If you’ve worked in an industry or role that is being taken over by artificial intelligence, now is the best time to consider your transferable skills and weigh up your options.
Upskill And Reskill
Workers and job seekers cannot afford to rely on knowledge, skills, and experience gained in the past. Companies are viewing the adoption and integration of AI into their business operations favorably, so to be a stand-out candidate, you need to jump on board and remain relevant by taking courses to upskill or reskill as the case may be. Focus your upskilling efforts on technology as well as non-technical skills that are in demand in today’s workforce and that are irreplaceable by AI.
AI-Powered Employer Research
AI chatbots can perform a valuable role as a research tool when preparing for an interview with a prospective employer. Employers appreciate it when a candidate takes time to know more about the company, its culture, mission, and values, and demonstrates this in their interview answers. Using research tools such as Perplexity AI, for example, can help you bolster your knowledge about the organization so you can adapt your answers with this information in mind, while also serving as a valuable resource to help you make an informed decision before pursuing employment.
AI For LinkedIn Profiles
LinkedIn announced this year that it would be rolling out a series of AI-powered features for their recruiter and candidate user base. One of these is a tool for LinkedIn Premium members, that provides AI-generated suggestions to enhance job-seekers LinkedIn profiles. Just as with resumes, while this tool is useful, always remember to personalize and pull from your unique experiences; if you’re not sure of what your transferable skills are or how to adapt them for the purposes of your LinkedIn audience, a coach may be able to help you.
As a job seeker, it is vital to be knowledgeable of current trends in the market and in your industry. Through maintaining awareness and adapting to these global shifts by following the above steps, you can ensure success in your job hunt and position yourself as an in-demand candidate.
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