Job hunting has changed a lot in the past few years, and if you’re back on the market looking for a job, it may come as a shock to you just how much it’s changed. It’s not just the rise of remote interviews or the disappearance of cover letters that is shaking things up, either.
Artificial intelligence has officially entered the hiring process, and it’s not going anywhere. Whether you’re fresh out of uni, you’re shifting careers, or you’re just trying to land a dream role, it’s important to understand how artificial intelligence is shaping the way that companies hire. Once you understand it, you can stay ahead of it.
Resumes are screened by machine first.
Gone are the days when a hiring manager manually combed through every resume. These days, many companies use automated resume screening tools to filter applicants before a human can even see your name. These are the systems that will scan for keywords, job titles, years of experience, and even specific phrasing to determine if your resume makes the cut. If you tailor your resume to match the language in the job description, you should be able to get ahead of the curve, but just remember that you’ll have to do this for every job.
Artificial intelligence is now in charge of pre interviews.
Before you get a call from a real person, you might be asked to complete an online skills test, a logic challenge or a personality quiz. These are the assessments that are often powered by AI and are designed to evaluate how well you’d fit the role or the company culture before you even speak to anybody. You can practice online assessments beforehand, but be aware that this could be a part of the process now.
Video interviews are being analyzed by algorithms.
Some companies are now using AI powered video interview software that analyzes not just what you say, but how you say it. This includes everything down to your facial expressions and your tone. The idea is to assess your communication skills and your enthusiasm without a human interviewer.
Job matching is much smarter than it ever has been.
Recruiters are able to find you before you even apply for jobs. These days, platforms like LinkedIn use algorithms to recommend candidates to companies based on skills, interests and behaviours. That means that your online presence is more important than it ever has been. Keeping your LinkedIn up to date can help you here.
Some AI tools will help to flag bias.
There are some companies out there who are actively recruiting and using AI tools to reduce bias in hiring. This removes names, photos and demographic data to ensure a fairer process. AI is only as good as the data is trained although.Be aware that it can also accidentally reinforce existing bias.
Job hunting is hard enough as it is without the interference of AI, and it can also be very time consuming to change your resume with every job application. The best thing that you can do is get advice from a recruiter and see whether or not you can improve your resume as it is.
