Artificial Intelligence has begun to dominate conversation in every aspect of our lives. In the business world, these discussions are more prevalent than ever. The incoming hires are the first generation to grow up surrounded by technology - at work, school, and home, technology was always a part of their lives. And now, AI has entered the scene, muddying the waters further.
The invention of AI introduces new questions across the job market: Is Gen Z’s potential use or aid of AI to write resumes and introductory letters smart, or unethical? How do we prevent AI aided interviews? How can we assure the person interviewed is the person showing up for their first day? Looking for a job twenty years ago, the idea of a computer being able to write your resume would have sounded absurd. Back then, you had to sit down, type it out yourself, and hope your words and ideas made an impression. But today, AI has the capability of filling all of these roles. These are challenges past generation never had to think about, but they’re front and center in the job market now. It is no surprise that AI’s use would seep into the job market; but how exactly is Gen Z using AI? Well, here are just a few examples:
1. Using AI to Find the Job
To help with finding entry-level jobs that fit specific career goals and skills, prospective employees can use AI-powered job sites and apps. Using AI, job seekers can focus on cities, careers, and companies they are interested in, finding available jobs that fit their specific interests. Certain tools can even notify the user of job openings before they’re widely posted. AI can also recommend certain networking connections that fit the user’s interests, and can analyze certain online communities that might benefit the job search.
2. AI Can Aid in Personal Branding, Content Ideas and Improve Visibility
AI is quickly becoming a powerful tool for job seekers looking to stand out in a competitive market. AI can help you write better LinkedIn posts, personalize your profile so it is easier for recruiters to find, and even come up with creative ideas to show off your skills. Using these tools gives you more confidence and helps you look sharp online, showing employers that you’re not only ready for the job but also know how to use tech to your advantage.
3. AI Can Be Used to Write Resumes, Cover Letters, Conduct Interviews, and More in the Preparation Process
Writing help is perhaps the most widespread and popular use of AI among Gen Z, specifically in academic papers and help in the correcting and refining of resumes and cover letters. Even further than this guidance in written materials needed to apply for jobs, AI can also mimic and conduct interviews to practice. AI can even use a certain tone of voice during the mock interviews if requested. Not only can AI help in organizing your own materials to be submitted, it can also make examples for you. Content creation, method stories, elevator pitches. AI can generate all of these, and make them sound more ‘human’ too.
Speaking of using technology to our advantage, if I told you one of the above points (1, 2, or 3) was written fully by AI, would you be able to pick out the correct response? Most likely not, despite the amount of people who claim they are able to detect the use of AI in writing. Questions of whether this use of AI is ethical because of plagiarism and possibility of lack of personality shown in AI-generated material arise. Employers could have no idea who they are actually hiring; even with in-person interviews, the likelihood of the interviewee’s answers being written, or at least partially inspired by AI is still high. The irony of Gen Z using AI to find entry-level jobs when it is argued that AI has the potential to fill most entry-level positions is not lost in this discussion. This potential complicates the argument further: should AI be banned from hiring platforms?
Sometimes the old adage – “there is no shortcut to success” is still applicable. Learning the basics helps build the foundation for learning and the ability to teach future employees. Once we’ve decided that a shortcut is more fruitful in the moment, have we given up the ability to be strategic? Does that remove a company’s ability to foster workplace discourse?
Interesting questions this generation will be forced to reckon with and solve!
Did you guess the AI-generated paragraph is point 2. Did you answer correctly?