AI raises your game. But it’s still good to talk!

“The caution I would give to jobseekers is that AI can act as a good co-pilot but don’t let the tech try and do it all for you…It’s very nascent tech, it will spit out cookie-cutter answers. If you let the initial interactions with the employer be fully run by AI, then you aren’t going to be able to do the job”.

Andrew Hunter, Adzuna

Recruiters and career coaches present AI as a useful tool to get started with writing cover letters and CVs. But it seems very unlikely that most job seekers are using AI this way.

If in minutes you can produce high quality documents - better than you could produce on your own - why wouldn’t you use AI?

On the basis that employers have been using AI to filter candidates for years then it could be seen as a rebalancing of power in favour of candidates (see FT article). 

But at what point do all the AI tools cancel themselves out - if everyone’s presentation looks so polished? Will the candidates that make it to interview just have some competitive AI advantage rather than be best suited to the job? Frustrating for everyone. 

For job seekers - AI is now a fact - use it.

But also remember the power of reaching out to people who work in places that interest you for real conversations - to find out about each other - warts and all.

These conversations may matter even more in a world where tech may have transformed the ability to match each other through the highly controlled “best” versions of ourselves but we need more data to know if we really are a great fit. 

Curious about how to have effective and meaningful career conversations?

Do reach out.