There’s no question that the job market is extremely competitive right now – especially for tech and engineering candidates. Given the global socioeconomic issues, many companies are cooling their hiring initiatives as they grapple with uncertainty. As well, the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) is eliminating the need for certain roles.
That said, companies are still hiring. But if you’re looking for a job, the process may seem slow and difficult. AI tools can give you an edge, allowing you to work smarter on your job search instead of working harder.
Unfortunately, AI isn’t a magic wand that will conjure up your dream job. But it can be extremely effective as a job search tool. AI can help you optimize your resume and LinkedIn profiles, keep your job search organized, streamline your applications, and help you identify the recruitment partners who are best equipped to help you realize your career goals.
Optimize Your Resume And LinkedIn Profile
Despite rapid changes in technology, the basic tools of a successful job search remain the same: a well-crafted resume and optimized LinkedIn profile. However, as employers increasingly use AI tools to screen candidates, it’s important to use AI tools yourself to give your application an edge. These tools can quickly update your resume, making it a targeted match for each role that you apply for. They can also help improve the visibility of your LinkedIn profile, making it more likely that recruiters reach out to you.
Tailor Your Resume To Match Job Descriptions
It’s never been more important to tailor your resume to each role that you apply to. Most employers use applicant tracking systems (ATSs) to filter applications based on keywords. Because these systems search for specific words or phrases, they filter out everything that isn’t exactly what the ATS is looking for. If your phrasing is close to or synonymous with certain keywords, but not exactly the same, your application may be filtered out.
AI tools like Jobscan and Rezi allow you to upload your resume along with the job description of the role you’re applying to. The software compares the two and gives you a match score along with a list of keywords, skills, and sections that are missing from your resume. These tools also offer advice on how to format your resume in a way that is more ATS-friendly.
Microsoft Copilot, an AI tool that’s built into a variety of Microsoft 365 products, as well as available online as a stand-alone tool, can help you reformat your resume for clarity, readability, and ATS keyword matching. If you upload the job description too, the tool can highlight the skills in your resume that are a match and offer suggestions to make your resume stand out.
In the past, it could be time consuming and puzzling to rewrite your resume to match the job description of each role you applied to as you tried to figure out which keywords to use. With the help of AI tools, this task is no longer tedious and is much more likely to produce results.
Use AI To Improve Your Language And Tone
Writing – especially writing a resume – is a skill that many people struggle to develop. It can be difficult to describe your skills and experience in any case. It’s often even more difficult to do so when you want that description to be compelling while also fitting into the concise format required by a resume.
AI-powered writing assistants, such as ChatGPT, can edit your resume, offering ways to present your qualifications more clearly, using more impactful language. For example, these tools can:
- Turn wordy descriptions into concise bullet points;
- Make your tone more confident and professional;
- Highlight skills that should stand out more; and,
- Adjust the tone to the type of business you’re applying to.
Using available AI tools can enhance your resume and give you an edge in the application process.
Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile With AI Tools
A strong LinkedIn profile remains a critical tool for your job search. LinkedIn has its own AI-powered writing assistant for its premium subscribers. That tool can offer suggestions for optimizing the headline, about, and experience sections on your profile. If you’re not a premium subscriber, you can use third-party AI tools to refine your LinkedIn profile.
To optimize your profile and make it stand out to recruiters, consider using AI to:
- Generate a compelling headline;
- Suggest a summary that emphasizes your strengths;
- Recommend keywords that align with industry hiring trends; and,
- Describe your experience strongly and effectively.
Using AI tools to optimize your LinkedIn profile can be particularly helpful in highly competitive sectors like tech and engineering.
Be Aware Of AI Limitations
AI can be a powerful tool for your job search, but it does have limitations. Keep in mind that AI-generated text has a specific tone or voice that is often easily recognizable. Instead of copying and pasting large chunks of AI text word-for-word, try retyping that text in your own voice. Also, AI is known for making glaring mistakes. Always double check generated text for inaccuracies.
Streamline Your Job Applications And Tracking
Once your resume and LinkedIn profile are optimized, it’s time to dive into your job search. AI tools can help with that too.
Use AI To Find The Best Roles
LinkedIn, as well as many job boards, uses AI to suggest roles that are a good fit for your skills, experience, and preferences. Many of these tools allow you to indicate the geographic areas that you’d most like to work in, as well as your preference for on-site, hybrid, or fully remote roles.
Using AI tools to find roles that are the best fit for you is an extremely time-effective way of approaching a new job search.
Employ AI Trackers To Manage Your Applications
If you’re undertaking a broad job search, it can be difficult to keep track of when and where you applied, what you submitted, and the descriptions of the jobs you applied for.
AI-powered trackers like Huntr can help. These tools can be used to:
- Track application deadlines;
- Automatically fill in certain fields on job applications;
- Store contact information;
- Create automated reminders for follow-ups; and,
- Save multiple versions of your resume and cover letter for reference.
Not only can tools like this help you stay organized while applying for jobs, but once you’re tapped for an interview, you’ll be able to easily retrieve information about your application and the role you applied for. This information can help you prepare more effectively for the interview.
Utilize AI To Craft Communications
A large part of the job search process involves crafting different types of messages. Writing queries about job openings, connection requests, cover letters, follow-up messages, and thank you notes can take up a large chunk of time, especially if you’re not confident in your writing skills.
AI-powered writing tools, like ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot, can help. But it remains key to edit and personalize the generated text so that it isn’t obviously AI.
Find The Right Recruitment Agency
A recruitment agency that specializes in your sector or niche has always been an invaluable job search tool. That’s more true than ever in today’s highly competitive job market.
If you don’t already have a recruitment agency assisting you, AI can help you find the ones that are best suited for your career goals. Using prompts, you can ask standard generative AI tools to:
- Review agency websites to ensure they are specialists in your sector;
- Compare online reviews of selected agencies;
- Analyze agency job boards to determine whether posted roles align with your career goals; and,
- Rank selected agencies based on criteria such as candidate experience or placement success.
A word of caution: don’t rely on AI to do all your research for you. Instead, identify a handful of agencies that seem to fit your career goals. Then, use AI tools to review and compare those agencies to help you narrow down your options.
Once you’ve ranked your top agency choices, it’s important to talk to a recruiter at each firm. Those conversations will help you find the agency that’s the best fit for you. AI can help with this too. Use AI to generate a list of questions to ask, such as:
- How often do you place candidates with my background?
- What types of IT/engineering roles do you most commonly fill? And,
- What is the average timeline for candidates, from the time of applying through to receiving a job offer?
Finally, when it comes to choosing a recruitment agency, AI tools can also help you create targeted, professional messages. But, as mentioned above, always consider AI-generated text as a draft. Edit and personalize that draft to give it your own voice.
Conclusion
While AI tools have become critical to a successful job search, it’s important to remember that they are just tools. While they can give you an edge by optimizing your resume and LinkedIn profile, managing and tracking your applications, and helping you select the right recruitment agency to work with, AI is best used to supplement your job search efforts rather than replace them.
AI tools can speed up the application process, help you quickly craft compelling messages, and help narrow down options from research that you present, but in the end, they can’t replace your human efforts. By using AI thoughtfully and personalizing its generations, you’ll stand out from the crowd and have a better chance of landing your dream job.
