Finding a job is tough. Here’s how AI can—and can’t—help

Finding a job is tough—and AI is reshaping how people apply

For many job seekers, finding a job can feel tougher than it has in the past, and hiring for white-collar roles has remained especially weak as companies hold on to their workers while hiring stays sluggish. At the same time, automated tools let applicants submit to more jobs quickly—but those same systems can make it harder for any one application to get noticed.

The Associated Press compiled advice on how job seekers can use AI during different stages of the process, from resume building to interview preparation, and where experts say the technology can backfire. The guidance centers on a common theme: use AI to clarify and strengthen how you present your own experience, not to replace that experience or to game screening.

Greenhouse CEO Daniel Chait and Glassdoor chief economist Daniel Zhao both described how AI can change what recruiters and hiring managers see. Zhao said AI “absolutely does risk reducing your job application materials to the same style as every other applicant’s,” describing how he has seen application materials customized with AI and how that can make it hard for a candidate to stand out. Chait said applicants should take a step beyond basic resume revamps and use AI to “personalize your approach” for companies they want most, such as by having AI analyze company reports or job openings to suggest wording changes for a cover letter or resume.

The story also pushes back on a long-held belief among job seekers: that there is a way to trick automated screening by adding keywords in hidden text. Chait said “There’s no secret keyword you can put in, that’s just wasting your time. Don’t bother doing that,” arguing that newer systems have moved beyond the tactic.

Beyond the resume itself, LinkedIn product manager Pat Whelan said the resume is still part of the process but is not sufficient by itself. Whelan said job seekers should show off any AI skills they have, and noted that LinkedIn has teamed with AI platforms such as Lovable and Relay.app to certify user proficiency with using AI tools to do tasks like building or “vibe code” an app. Other guidance in the roundup instead emphasizes that job seekers should focus on transferable basic AI skills and be ready to adapt as workplace technology changes.

Employers are also increasingly publishing their own rules about how AI can be used during recruiting, and job seekers are told to check those requirements. The guidance points to examples including Target, SAP, Zscaler and the British civil service, which outline do’s and don’ts. While acceptable uses generally include formatting resumes, explaining technical concepts and brainstorming, inappropriate uses include using AI to invent skills, achievements or complete assessments. Zscaler’s guidance in the roundup says the process—from initial application to the final interview—should reflect “an authentic representation of your own skills, experience, and thought process.”

For interview preparation, Chait recommended using AI to learn about the company, the industry, the specific job, the hiring manager and interviewing best practices, and then spending time with mock questions. But experts warned against using AI as an interview cheat. The guidance describes tools marketed to job seekers that can overlay answers during remote calls, and says interviewers may notice. Chait said customers told him about interviews where the applicant responded to every question by saying “Let me think for a minute,” before delivering an answer that made it obvious they were reading from AI.

The roundup also noted an emerging trend: AI-powered job interviews. Chait predicted that interview bots would spread quickly because they can allow for a better and fairer interview experience, and he said being comfortable with being screened by a bot first can help job seekers apply to more roles. Separately, experts cautioned that AI-powered technology is also helping power employment scams, including fake recruitment ads sent by email or text that urge recipients to click links.

To avoid those scams, the guidance said job seekers should verify a posting by going directly to the hiring company’s website or checking a reputable job board to see if the role is actually listed. It warned that clicking the link can lead to scammers who seek identification information, including Social Security numbers or bank details, under the pretense of putting candidates on payroll. On the hiring side, it said some employers have increased scrutiny for remote hires and may request identity verification, such as a selfie compared with government-issued identification, and it noted that LinkedIn offers a verification service that can work by checking an ID or sending a confirmation request to a work email.