ChatGPT for Job Interviews? Here's What We Know
Last year, a woman went viral on TikTok for sharing her job interview hack using artificial intelligence (AI). In a video that gained over two million views, Hanna Goefft shared how she uses ChatGPT to generate sample interview questions for a specific job. The video was an instant hit on TikTok, and many commented on how AI is helping them land their dream jobs or prepare for tough interviews. One viewer even commented that it's the most helpful video on TikTok. So, are AI and ChatGPT the best tools to improve one's chances of landing a job?
Since its November 2022 release, ChatGPT has been expanding its use cases. This tool benefits not just individuals but also organizations and big businesses. Business owners can rely on ChatGPT to manage their customer support services, content creation, recruitment and human resources management, and even strategic management.
In recent months, ChatGPT has become more popular among individual users, especially university students. Students can now use ChatGPT to generate essays and research on various topics. ChatGPT also allows the user to input an image and start a conversation. This app lets you speak out loud, get answers, and have a decent conversation.
While this may seem like fun entertainment or an answer to boring moments, the app has many more functional uses. According to its developers, this app can also help you prepare for your next job interview and may increase your chances of snagging your dream job.
Use it for AI-generated cover letter
When applying for jobs, ChatGPT can be used in keyword research, strengthening some resume sections, or even drafting a new one. To generate a brand-new resume, you must start with a template. Remember, ChatGPT can only generate text, and you'll need to format the document to make it more presentable.
Once a template is ready, you can ask ChatGPT to generate resumes or focus on specific sections, like your certifications or employment history. Regardless of the section, you must share as much information as possible so that the app can provide more specific results. If possible, you must also share a job description you're interested in.
The overall results of your resume depend on the prompts you use. You can test a few prompts to see which will work best when drafting the best resume.
Train with mock interviews using ChatGPT
This app can help job seekers prepare for an interview through a mock interview. Using ChatGPT for this purpose is easy but requires a few steps. First, you'll need to paste the job description into ChatGPT. Then, say, 'I want to conduct a mock job interview using this job description.' Select the app's 'voice mode,' allowing you to converse back and forth.
The idea here is to give ChatGPT a general idea of the job description to develop highly specific interview questions you can answer in real time. Also, the app uses a human-like voice for conversations, making you more comfortable completing the mock interview.
This is exactly what Hanna Goefft did with ChatGPT, earning her raves on TikTok. In her viral TikTok post, she shared that job seekers should start with a job description. For her post, she highlighted the product marketing manager job listed on LinkedIn.
Then, she instructed her viewers and followers to copy and paste this job description into ChatGPT. After pasting the text into the chatbot, she instructed the app to generate interview questions based on the job description.
ChatGPT then returned with a comprehensive list of interview questions that were perfectly suited for the job. Based on the job description, the app generated a set of keywords, including "growth strategy," "product marketing," and "customer segments."
Using these results, Goefft then told her followers to think of possible responses to each question and ensure that the answers match or correspond to the top keywords generated by the app. She adds that job seekers don't need to use all keywords 'as is' in the responses, but she suggests that they show and demonstrate that they have these skills in these responses.
Is ChatGPT effective in training for job applications?
ChatGPT uses generative AI technology to research, generate answers, and allow human-like conversations. This AI tool can answer various questions and help compose emails, codes, and essays. Students can also rely on AI when researching, writing papers, and reviewing literature. Many app users, including Goeftt, have recently used ChatGPT to prepare and complete their job applications. For Geoftt, the app works as a collaborative brainstorming partner that can help generate insightful ideas for the job opening. However, AI's capabilities are limited, and you must understand these when using them for job applications.
For example, when preparing for 10 job interviews, there are potentially 1o ways of asking and phrasing the questions. Each business owner or HR professional has their own way of structuring or phrasing the questions, and ChatGPT can't easily predict where to focus.
There are limitations too in using ChatGPT in drafting cover letters. Cover letters made using ChatGPT always look a perfect fit for a role. Letters generated by ChatGPT are often well-structured and well-written and include all the keywords targeted by the job. However, tools like AI are 'generators of information,' which means that the outputs are only based on the prompts. And using ChatGPT for this purpose is now getting a bit contentious.
Job seekers rely on the tool to get positive results, but those in human resources are slowly taking notice. One candidate used ChatGPT to generate a cover letter, which the employer immediately noticed. In the article, the business owners said that the letter was incredibly written. Still, upon closer inspection, everything was copied and pasted into the job description. The business owner adds that the letter even copied a few of her experiences, including "running a business for five years," which was also used in the cover letter. Also, some HR professionals complain that these AI-generated letters are 'too polished' and lack the applicant's personality.
Goeftt understands this and shared that it is flawless, and everyone should not blindly depend on it; adding ChatGPT can be a starting point.
So, if you plan to use ChatGPT for job applications, use it for mock interviews to prepare for potential questions and gain confidence. As they say, practice makes perfect, and ChatGPT is a perfect tool job seekers can use to prepare and practice for that important interview and hopefully get their dream job.
