AI Just Made Your Job Search Harder - Here's How

AI was certainly the 800-pound gorilla in the room at the National SHRM Talent Conference in Dallas this week. The majority of the exhibitors were showcasing new AI tools to make hiring  and recruiting "easier, faster, and cheaper." 

And MANY of the sessions and conversations were around how AI is changing the hiring landscape for recruiters and hiring managers. Because our work is to help candidates land offers, I noticed that these new AI tools are actually making the process harder for job seekers in many ways. Here are a few that came up.

1. It's harder to evaluate candidates because everyone is using AI to write their resumes, so they all look polished but are also largely the same.

The proposed solution? Add test projects, case studies, or "work samples" to the process to get a better sense of the true ability to perform the job.

The impact on job seekers? We're seeing more and more hiring processes require these test projects, even at the executive level. And some are being added at the last minute before offers are made and take up to a week to complete.

2. AI bots are submitting fraudulent applications. Some companies are reporting that up to 20% of their applications are coming from fake candidates. The proposed solution? Add "friction" to the application process by adding screening questions or additional steps to weed out the bots and fake applicants. The impact on job seekers? This means your online applications are getting even harder and more time-consuming to complete.

Submitting applications online are increasingly less effective for all job seekers, but nearly impossible for senior leaders to land a job this way.

Want a better way to get interviews? Schedule a call with us to learn how we can help get you in front of hiring managers. 

3. AI tools that conduct initial screening interviews are gaining ground with hiring teams because "they're not afraid of conflict." Many of the sessions covered how AI screening interviews are a faster and cheaper way to weed through a large applicant pool to identify who meets the minimum qualifications.

But another "perk" of having an AI tool lead the initial interview that was discussed? It's not afraid to ask tough questions or push back on answers. Like to push back on why you left your last job or ask more questions about career gaps to get into the juicy details, to dig deeper into your experience to make sure you can back up your resume with actual accomplishments, etc. 

The impact on job seekers? You now have to prepare to interview in a much more direct way with pre-screening AI tools than you'd typically ever have to do with a human. This means you can't just "wing it." Instead, you'll have to have polished, complete answers ready so that when you're pressed, you don't overshare details that don't serve you. 

Putting Insights into Action

As AI tools gain traction, job seekers (especially at the senior levels) need to find new ways to engage on a human level to bypass the bots.

Need help? We can write unique resumes that actually get attention, create compelling LinkedIn profiles that draw opportunities to you, build networking strategies that open doors to opportunities, and prepare you for high-stakes interviews so you become the obvious choice.