A.I. can help students find gig work and long-term employment

AI has changed the job hunting landscape but also provides tools to land the interview and the job.

By Katherine OBrien Field, Staff writer

Illustration by Milan Alex Rafaelov

Finding employment as a student or graduate has been dramatically impacted by AI in ways that many people may not yet be aware of. In the past, students found jobs through internships, networking and applying directly to employers for open positions. In this way, students were easily able to interview with employers while conducting their job search. However, employers now use AI tools in selecting candidates which seriously hinders an applicant's ability to even get an interview.

According to CNET, a YouTube Channel that tracks coverage of consumer software and electronics, most employers now use automated software to screen resumes before any human ever sees them. The typical practice is for employers to run resumes through an Applicant Tracking System (ATS), which prescreens all resumes and weeds out applicants who do not meet the qualifications for the position. The problem is that since there is no way to know what the ATS is looking for, applicants who may be qualified can be easily rejected by choosing the wrong words.

According to Laura Michelle Davis, Senior Editor of CNET.com, AI has a solution for the lack of information about the algorithm – called the keyword simulator – using a software program called Jobscan. According to Davis, Jobscan is an AI tool that allows the student to copy and paste the job posting and their resume into the software. Jobscan then matches the words in the resume with the words in the job posting. According to Davis, the resume should have roughly a 70% match with the relevant keywords, in order to likely move ahead to an actual in-person interview.

Jobscan has a few more handy tools – a cover letter generator, and a practice room for a mock Zoom interview, complete with common employer questions. Each of these tools is found in the modules inside the Jobscan software and is valuable in the way they acquaint the student with how employers now search for candidates.

Indeed, even before the student undertakes to find long-term employment, finding gig work is an additional way that AI can help the student find work in their desired field. Artificial Intelligence can help match a student’s natural talents to industry opportunities. ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI and Microsoft, requires that you ask questions of the software, as it then learns from each interaction in providing further responses.

A good search string would list the student’s top talents and a good question would be what jobs match those talents. AI will then provide direction to relevant online job directories, such as Upwork’s platform. Students can look through the work postings on Upwork to see if any offers match the student’s course program and interests. In this way, AI can help the student find possible gig work even before looking for long-term employment.

AI creates challenges in the working world but has now also provided ways to meet those challenges. It is up to the student to be proactive to assure themselves success in the job hunt. By embracing AI, the student better prepares themselves for working in the modern world.