Artificial Intelligence is reshaping the job application process, simplifying some aspects — and creating new potential frictions in others, according to NBC News.
The introduction of the technology to the hiring and recruiting process comes as job searching reaches record highs: More than 28%of Americans were searching for a new job as of Aug. 28. As the use of AI in hiring and applying increases, many job seekers are having to go to extra lengths to stand out.
“You have to be willing to be f-----g crazy,” content creator Jeff said in a TikTok describing his AI-powered preparation process for a series of job interviews. The creator said that to land the job, he used ChatGPT at every stage of his application — to help craft his application, connect with current employees and practice interview questions.
On the other side of the table, recruiters and hiring staff have mixed feelings about AI.
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“What AI is doing is actually just creating more noise. … Normal people who are not using AI are hurting in the job market, and then they have to go start using AI to apply to jobs to be competitive,” Maddie Macho, a reverse recruiter (a service provider for applicants who manages applications and communications with companies), said in a TikTok video.
With the help of new AI software, applicants can now revise their resumes and cover letters, receive live interview scripts and launch chatbots to submit thousands of applications almost instantly.
To some, AI usage is seen as a helpful tool that enhances applications in a competitive job market. To others, it raises questions around applicant credibility and the integrity of the hiring process.
Chantal Cowie, a self-described “zillennial,” started searching for a new job as AI software like ChatGPT and Gemini first began to take off.
“I was working like 60 hours a week at the time, so any time I could save was precious,” she said.
As Cowie applied to jobs, she fed ChatGPT her experience and used the AI tool to write cover letters and answer application questions, which she said allowed her “to apply to more [jobs] in a shorter period of time.”
Though she landed a job, she was laid off and re-entered the job market nine months later. By that point, AI had advanced significantly. She was able to use more specialized AI platforms like Teal to build her resume and Claude to analyze company websites and job descriptions.
“I would make it further in interview rounds. I was making it to the second-to-last round or the last round for most of the interviews that I had,” Cowie said. “And I think that’s because I was able to come to them so prepared because of the extra tools that I had.”
Cowie took to social media to explain her AI-powered process that she said landed her a “six-figure, fully remote job.”
“AI is going to be integrated in our lives at every level, and it’s here to stay,” she told NBC News. “You might as well learn how to use it to your advantage and add a new skill set.”
As the usability and popularity of artificial intelligence grows, more platforms have found success in catering to job applicants.
LazyApply, Simplify and AI Hawk are all AI services that launch assistants to help collect applicant information and submit automated job applications through sites like LinkedIn and Indeed. Using the tools, job seekers can save hundreds of hours — and apply to up to thousands of jobs a day, according to the services.
AI Apply, which claims its users are “80% more likely to get hired,” offers tools like a cover letter and resume builder, an auto-apply feature, an interview practice generator and a specialized interview buddy. A premium membership starts at $38 a month, according to the website — a cost AI Apply notes is much lower and more accessible than the cost of a career counselor.
“We’re doing what every job seeker is told to do by a career coach, and that is customize and tailor your resume to every job you’re applying to,” AI Apply CEO Aidan Cramer told NBC News.
Watchdogs have warned about the risk of hallucination and error with AI tools, but Cramer says AI Apply is specifically designed to translate skill sets into language that’s the best fit for a given application — not make up experiences.
“AI is prone to hallucination,” Cramer explained. “If someone was using ChatGPT to update their resume, you’re giving it a very small amount of context. It’s more prone to make stuff up, because it doesn’t really understand exactly what you’re trying to do.”
“The way we’ve tried to build it is that when you put in the job description, that acts as some kind of grounding. So the level of hallucination is a lot lower,” he added.
A spokesperson for OfferGoose, a company that claims to have a 300% higher-than-normal success rate with its AI interview aid features, echoed that view.
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