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Trying to get more interviews without going extinct?
There are a lot of jobs out there hiring. But if you're like most job seekers these days you're sending out application after application into nothingness.
But something else is happening in the background. A new breed of AI career tools are exploding right now and they're changing the way people find jobs, write resumes and customize cover letters.
But here's the cool part.
They're democratizing the job search for everyone.
Let's dive in.
-> Why AI Career Tools Are Taking Off Right Now
-> The Resume Builder Problem (Solved by AI)
-> How AI Career Tools Are Transforming the Job Search Experience
-> How to Leverage AI Tools Without Getting Caught
Why AI Career Tools Are Taking Off Right Now
Let's start with the facts.
70% of job seekers are now using generative AI to research companies, write cover letters and prepare for interviews. And that number is growing exponentially each month.
The issue is:
The job market has gotten more competitive than it has in years. Hiring budgets are drying up. Companies are getting way more applications for each role than they used to. And when there are hundreds of applicants for each job… You have to find a way to stand out.
Standing out these days isn't about who has the most experience. It's about who can show off that experience the right way.
And that's where AI career tools come into play.
Let's take cover letters as an example. Good cover letter customization software can take a boring templated application and transform it into something that catches the eye of hiring managers. AI tools parse job descriptions, keyword match and help candidates write personalized cover letters that speak directly to each job.
Pretty powerful..
Buuuuut how do these tools work and should candidates even be using them? Let's find out.
The Cover Letter Problem (Solved With AI)
Here's a fun statistic:
Cover letters are back.
83% of hiring managers still read cover letters when they're not required. In fact 46% will read your cover letter first before even glancing at your resume.
Let that sink in for a minute.
If you're not taking the time to write a customized cover letter… You could be throwing away your chances before they even see your resume.
Writing cover letters used to be incredibly tedious. Job seekers would have to:
-> Read the job description
-> Study the company
-> Write a custom cover letter from scratch
-> Repeat for every job they applied to
Nobody wants to do that. But AI driven cover letter software has changed the game. Today there are tools that can look at a job post and spit back a customized cover letter in minutes. No more rewriting the same generic nonsense to every job.
And in a job market where applications have a 3-5% response rate.. That makes all the difference.
How AI Tools Are Changing the Job Search Game
The developments happening with career services software these days is wild. There's so much innovation going on across the board from resume builders to interview coaching.
AI is even helping candidates figure out where to look for jobs.
Here's what's exciting:
Job boards are dying. Most people don't get hired through job boards anymore. Hiring managers are using LinkedIn, social referrals and recruitment agencies more than ever before.
But there's new AI tools that can scrape the web for jobs that match your skill set. Instead of you scrolling through tens of thousands of jobs. The right jobs come to you.
Resume builders used to be pretty basic. They had templates and some sweet fonts to make your resume pretty.
Not anymore.
Most resume builder tools today will parse your job description and highlight keywords that you can plug into your resume. Many of them use AI to customize your resume just for each job application.
Interview prep used to be all about mock interviews with friends or career coaches. But AI driven interview coaching can mock interview you right in your browser. They create custom questions based on the role you're applying to and critique your answers.
That used to cost job seekers hundreds of dollars a month. Now AI programs can do it for free.
Keeping track of your applications used to mean tracking everything yourself in a spreadsheet. But now there are tools that can help you track your entire job pipeline from application to offer letter.
Just to name a few.
The moral of the story?
There are AI tools for pretty much every step in the job search process. And they're making things easier for candidates across the board.
Leveraging AI Tools to Land More Interviews
But.
Here's the thing. You might be thinking.
"What if my hiring manager knows I used AI? Will they hire me?"
Well. Bolme.ai did a survey on this exact topic and found that over 50% of hiring managers care if a candidate uses AI to write their resume materials.
Yep. Using AI to write your application the wrong way can actually hurt your chances.
But it doesn't have to be that way.
Candidates who know how to use AI appropriately have a huge advantage over everyone else.
Here are some rules for using any AI career tool (cover letter writing included):
-> You should always edit AI generated content. There's no excuse for handing in a resume or cover letter that doesn't have your personal experience and voice on it. Make sure AI tools are putting your personal spin on things.
-> Each application should be custom for the job. Sure AI can spin things up for you. But you should always be adding unique details about the company and role.
-> Be prepared to discuss anything you put in your cover letter in an interview. If you say you have experience with something in your cover letter. They'll expect you to be an expert on it. AI can embellish your experience. But it can't fake a recruiter on the phone.
-> Let AI do the heavy lifting but input the right stuff. AI can optimize your resume and cover letter but it can only do so with the right input. If you want AI tools to help customize your application. You have to give it something to customize.
Candidates that follow these rules will start seeing way better results than their competition. And AI tools are only getting smarter every day.
Career service software innovation is accelerating every day.
And AI tools for job seekers are no longer optional. If you want to stand out in today's job market you need to be using them.
Cover letter builders are just the beginning. Hiring managers are reading cover letters more than ever right now. So being able to customize a quality cover letter for each job is critical.
Here are the biggest takeaways from this article:
-> There are AI tools for every step of the job search process
-> AI tools can save you time and help you create better resumes and cover letters
-> Cover letters are important and AI can help you write them effectively
-> Candidates who use AI correctly will have a massive advantage over their competition
Job searching is hard. But now there's tools that can help you put your best foot forward. You shouldn't go extinct anymore.
