Employers, recruiters and candidates are increasingly using generative AI to facilitate the often lengthy hiring process. This has led to an influx of applications to many job postings as it has become easier to apply for jobs quickly – a trend that is making the job market more efficient and complex.
According to Julia Pollak of ZipRecruiter, the percentage of job seekers using generative AI will rise to over 50% in 2024.
They use these tools to “write a resume and cover letter, research different career opportunities and prepare for interviews,” she said.
These tools help applicants apply for more positions.
For employers, that means they have to sift through more resumes,” says Thomas Vick, a technology recruiter at Robert Half.
While AI makes it much easier for applicants to customize a resume, it “requires some additional work for employers as they receive more applications that may appear more relevant than in the past,” he said.
Candidates can appear more qualified than they actually are. And it’s not just in the technical field that there are an increasing number of applications with AI support.
“Even pipefitters, bull riggers or concrete workers are all pretty much on the cutting edge of technology and using AI as candidates to find jobs,” said Doug Karr, president of staffing firm Force Solutions. “And then the construction companies are using AI to find the candidates and match them up.”
But the U.S. job market is weakening, and the rise of AI in the job market may make it even more difficult for college graduates looking to stand out from the crowd.
Sean McGowan of Carnegie Mellon University’s Career Center said they placed a great emphasis on soft skills among students.
“That’s the point: You can still use AI to build lists. You can still use AI to help streamline your process,” he said. “But who in your network – your family and friends – do you know who you can talk to, who in your groups, your student organizations you can reach out to?”
In a world increasingly dominated by artificial intelligence, the human factor is even more important, McGowan said.
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