To AI or Not to AI…The Question of 2025

As an elder millennial who has taught college seminar courses, I can tell you …. the short cuts and cheat codes are on every corner. While my friends and I thought we were clever in college to look at 10-year-old hard copy exams to study for our finite test, Chat GPT was quickly waiting in the wings to swoop in and change the entire game.

While AI systems generally makes me a bit weary, if used wisely, your chat companion of choice can be a strong partner in your job search. Let’s explore some benefits:

1. Job Title Clarity
   Let’s say you are in the ed tech space and have the job title of Customer Success Manager. You know what your job entails, but did you know that depending upon the industry, that same CSM title could be called a “Solutions Consultant”? Asking AI to generate commonly used job titles that are adjacent to a CSM produces a list of 25+ alternative titles depending upon industry. Expanding your search based on title can open up a whole new category of roles you may have never thought about by name but have the skills and experience to back it up.

2. Salary Research
   Although it has improved in the last few years, salary ranges don’t always pop with a job posting. Being prepared to discuss salary is important but having a strong idea of the range for the position both within and outside of the prospective company is crucial. This saves time, money and headaches the further you go down the line in the interview process.

3. Top skills based on your Resume

   It can be a challenge to articulate the value you bring to an organization even though you can read a job description and instantly feel like it is a good fit. By asking AI to review your resume and pick out your top skills, this can help you have another view of “on paper” alignment to the job you are seeking. This can allow you to revise and tweak to create a more aligned message.

Now let’s take a look at some downfalls:

1. Generic Job Materials

   While it can be nice to have an “outline” of a cover letter or resume, the materials produced by AI lacks style and versatility. In a competitive job market, being aligned with your personal brand is paramount. Ditch the copy/paste on this one.

2. Lack of Personalization

   Although AI can help you prepare for an interview, it can not (atleast not yet) generate true answers that bring your experiences to life in an interview. Avoid the headache and think through your own experiences to develop examples that bring your story to life.

3. Over-Reliance and Fatigue

   In a world where there is an “Easy Apply” button (more on those downfalls later), there is not an “Easy” button when it comes to crafting a job search strategy. Knowing you value and finding your voice in the process takes a lot of reflection and personal crafting. By zeroing in on AI assessment of you solely, so many unique nuances are lost along the way.

All in all, if used to research, enhance and prompt you to think more broadly, an AI chat companion can be a partner in your search. Like anything in life, moderation is the best policy. Finding your own rhythm and flow comes with practice and time, and utilizing a wide range of tools will give you a strong foundation for your next step.