Generative AI and your career: How to ethically use AI when job searching

The rapid growth and widespread adoption of generative AI tools has raised many questions around their ethical use in various contexts. Their impact on writing is a major point of discussion, which includes resume writing and job searching processes. UTS encourages students and staff to engage with AI tools in a way that is both effective and ethical.

In this blog post, we’ll break down some of the ways in which job seekers can apply this framework and use AI tools when searching for work. We’ll look at using AI to inspire career direction and job searching ideas, the ethical use of AI when writing resumes, and generating practice interview questions with AI to feel more prepared.

Career direction

Did you know you can use AI tools to help you explore ideas for your career direction or job searching?

The wealth of information and quick analysis AI tools utilise means you can offer them specific characteristics, such as your degree, experience, relevant study areas, and interests, and ask about some potential career pathways.

For example, you could use the following prompt:

What are some potential job or career options for someone with a degree in ____, experience in ____, and is interested in _____, _____, and _____?

Whatever your degree or experience, you can use generative AI to explore different options for your future.

Job search ideas

You can also use AI tools to identify effective keywords you could use when searching for roles in a particular field. For example, the following prompt:

What are some keywords I should use on job search sites if I am looking for work in (industry), particularly in (specific interest)?

Plug the keywords provided into your favourite job-searching platform, such as UTS CareerHub, Seek, LinkedIn, or Indeed, and explore your options.

These are just a few ethical strategies to use AI to assist you in searching for a job that is relevant to you.

Resumes and cover letters

If you’re considering utilising AI tools to help you build your resume or cover letter, there are strategies you can use to ensure you’re using these tools successfully and ethically. One key thing to keep in mind is the need to play to the strengths and guard against the weaknesses of AI tools.

To use AI-generated content ethically when creating a resume, you need to openly acknowledge any use of generated text rather than claiming it as your own writing. Another option is to rework generated text or use it as a guide to enhance your own writing whilst adding a personal touch. You might also consider only using generative AI for help with structuring your documents.

Another way you can use AI legitimately when creating a resume or cover letter is by using AI-supported review software. Tools specific to resumes such as Rate My Resume, or writing review tools like Grammarly, can offer guidance on ways to improve or adjust your existing resume.

Using review software ensures that your resume stays personal to you and largely your own work, which negates many negative implications from employers. Additionally, by doing this, you can avoid any exaggerations or errors generated by AI.

“GenAI can produce content that seems realistic and factual; however, the information can be non-factual, inaccurate, outdated and sometimes false. It is important to use your critical thinking skills to evaluate and fact-check all content from GenAI.”

– UTS Library

Additionally, be sure to research any AI tools you intend to use so that you are aware of and comfortable with their data practices. Know how the model is trained, and explore the different methods that are commonly used. It’s important to be aware that often, by submitting text to a tool, that text can then be used as part of a dataset that can train future AI tools.

Interview Questions and Interview Practice

Another part of the job search process where AI can be used legitimately is when you’re preparing for interviews. By using chatbots, you could generate potential interview questions based on specific industries, organisations, and roles you’re applying for.

For example, you could use the prompt:

What are some potential questions I might be asked in an interview for a role in (industry), doing (role description) at (company)?

You can then use the generated questions to practise your responses, prepare relevant examples, and refine your answers to address the key skills and criteria the organisation is looking for. Use the STAR technique to make sure you are thoroughly preparing answers to questions.

You can even use AI chatbots to roleplay how an interview might go and ask for feedback on your responses so you know what to expect when going for the real deal.

Conclusion

Generative AI tools will continue to evolve, and ethical questions around them will continue to crop up. However, any use of AI should always come with human review, including when it comes to job searching. By maintaining ethical, effective engagement with generative AI models, you can ensure that you are using these tools legitimately and critically.

Whether you want to use generative AI to explore potential career options, assist you with your resume or cover letter, or in interview practice, AI can help you with your job search as long as you use it carefully.

This blog post is part of a series looking at how generative AI is influencing the world of work. Check out the rest of the posts in the series for more info. For more resources on UTS’s approach to generative AI, explore the UTS LX Lab resources on Artificial Intelligence in learning and teaching.

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