AI Job Applications
AI has become a serious factor in job applications both as a means to simplify the application process and for the prospective employer to process applications. A job seeker can use generic AI engines to write CVs, responses to application questions, covering letters and even create interview presentations.
A number of dedicated engines such as Aiapply also exist that promise to ‘Get a job specific cover letter, resume and follow up email instantly – undetected!’ Anyone looking for work will be wanting to maximise their chance of success by putting out as many relevant applications as possible. If the tools are as accurate and undetectable as they claim then it is hard not to justify their use. A 2025 report by the recruiter ‘CharityJob’ claims that 52% of 2,309 job applicants surveyed had used AI to help them with job applications. It should be noted that ‘CharityJob’ is an online recruitment agency for paid and volunteer charity work so its response base will be biased.
A possible worry is that AI responses my give an unrealistic view onto the applicants skills and abilities. ParakeetAI claims to be able to listen to online interview questions (including computer coding requests) and provide real time answers to the viewer as those questions are asked. It is relatively easy to bypass requests to share the screen by only sharing specific applications and hiding any AI prompts. Such activities could result in wasted preparation and interview time both for the employer and applicant when it later becomes clear that the applicant is not suitable. The employer might be wary of this and reject applications that are or appear to be AI creations; strengthening the case for not relying on AI.
There is an admittedly slight chance that an entirely unsuitable candidate could be interviewed as a result of AI obfuscation. Where the role is almost entirely online this could even lead to hiring an unsuitable, possibly harmful individual such as a hacker or corporate spy. The Pragmatic Engineer details two examples of applicants who were interviewed yet had an almost wholly false set of industry skills or who were pretending to be someone they were not.
The NHS published ‘Guidance on the use of artificial intelligence in candidate applications’ in 2024. There are some clues as to how to identify AI applications. Having several applicants provide the same answer either word for word or noticeably similar is a clear giveaway. A BBC report highlighted common AI applicant phrases such as ‘my skills align with your organisation’s objectives and goals’ and trying to ‘leverage their skill-set’. If an application includes specific questions on the applicant’s abilities it is more likely that this question will be pumped into an AI engine and variants of the stock response submitted. The employer should do this themselves to get an idea of the sort of answer that AI will throw out. There is some scope for control by asking less specific questions on the application although this can lead to less useful replies even from candidates not using AI. In the case of the many applications that come through agency and dedicated application sites it may be harder to tell to what extent any AI is through the actions of the applicant rather than from any processing by the engine that is out of their control.
If an employer wishes to control applicants using AI it would be best to add a rider to any job description that the use of AI is not permitted. Applications that come through known AI agencies such as Aiapply could also be rejected without further consideration. This might not prevent all use of AI by applicants but should reduce the volume of applications where significant interest is expected.
The known use of AI is not necessarily a bad thing for employers. It shows that an applicant is familiar with evolving trends. With engines such as ChatGPT the skill lies less in entering data but choosing the correct prompts and working up the response to give an insightful and meaningful solution. Such skills could be seen as an asset.
