Different generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools are available to assist in writing, summarizing ideas, notetaking and more. These tools can serve as helpful resources in a variety of professional contexts, from supporting a job application process to managing a diverse workload. But using these tools demands careful judgement, ethical awareness and personal responsibility.

Below, we’ve compiled some key principles and best practices for using AI tools in your professional life generally, and as a job seeker specifically.

Thanks to a generous $50,000 grant from the KPMG Foundation, TalentLift is making resources like this accessible to youth living as refugees, helping them put their best foot forward and pursue meaningful careers. We recently welcomed Anmol Bhogal, a Talent Attraction Specialist with KPMG, as a guest speaker at a virtual event to share her expertise on creating strong job applications for the Canadian (or international) job market. We’re grateful to share some of her insights here. 

The strengths and limitations of AI tools

Before we explore the specific ways in which AI tools can assist job seekers, it’s important to consider both the capabilities and limitations of these tools to ensure that we’re using them effectively and only where they are beneficial and appropriate. 

AI tools can be used as excellent resources for:

• Ideation and drafting: AI tools can be useful for improving phrasing, structuring your writing, or helping you find ways to express ideas.
• Editing and feedback: They can assist with proofreading, grammar, clarity, or reframing sentences more clearly.

While helpful in some areas, AI tools have limitations and it’s important to keep in mind the following risks associated with using them:

• AI can produce content that is incorrect or misleading. 
• Using text generated by AI as a final draft is not recommended for a variety of reasons. These texts are often generic and can sometimes be recognized very clearly as AI-generated. This can disqualify you in a job search.
• Some AI platforms retain or aggregate information they receive from their users, or use this information to train models, meaning that security and privacy are real concerns when using AI tools.

Using AI tools as a job seeker 

Trying to navigate unfamiliar professional contexts from afar can leave international job seekers feeling anxious and unsure of themselves. Using AI tools as a complement to your own efforts when drafting CVs and cover letters and preparing for interviews may help you feel more confident in the strength of your job applications and your ability to perform in the professional contexts that potential employers are operating in. 

Note that some job postings explicitly mention whether AI tools can be used by applicants when putting together their applications. If this is the case for any job postings you’re applying for, be sure to follow the guidelines provided.

For CVs and cover letters

If you choose to use AI tools as part of your CV and cover letter writing process, here are a few things to keep in mind: 

• Always start by writing a draft in your own voice and only use an AI tool once you’ve done so to refine your writing or to suggest improvements. A good rule of thumb is ensuring that any work you produce that you use an AI tool to help with should still be based on your thought process, experience, ideas, and style. (Don’t let AI do your thinking for you.) 
• Do not implement AI-suggested changes and additions without carefully reviewing them. Approach these edits as external help that you can review and choose to put into your own words to improve your draft.
• Take the time to make sure that any suggestions you implement are true to your own professional experiences and achievements. 
• Instead of asking AI tools to write on your behalf, consider focusing on CV optimizer tools built to help your CV make it through the Applicant Tracking Software (ATS) often used by employers in their initial application review process. (See how you can strengthen your chances of making it through this initial review here.)

Remember to prompt carefully: How you interact with an AI chat can really change the quality of the answers. When using AI tools to help with a task, use clear, detailed prompts and make sure to provide context, such as the audience, tone and purpose of the work. If you don’t like an answer, re-prompt in a different way or ask for alternatives. Many AI tools respond differently depending on how the question is phrased. 

Here are some examples of prompts to assist in CVs and cover letters:

• Read this job description and identify important keywords to include in a CV.
• I’m applying for a role as a [job title] with [describe the company]. List the skills most relevant to this position, as well as common duties and responsibilities.
• Help me craft a stronger introduction to emphasize my leadership experience.
• Based on this job description, which skills or experiences listed in my CV should I focus on in a cover letter?
• Here’s a paragraph I wrote. Can you identify vague phrases and suggest clearer wording?
• Compare these two versions of my draft and highlight which one reads more smoothly, and why.
• You are a recruiter for [company name] hiring for [job title] with this [job description]. Review my CV and identify its strengths and weaknesses, providing suggestions for improvement where applicable.

For interview preparation

An important way to prepare for a job interview is to practice answering common interview questions. While it’s helpful to practice on your own, having a real person to practice with can make your preparation more effective as it more closely simulates an interview experience and, crucially, allows you to receive feedback from your practice partner. If you do not have someone you can practice with, or if you’d like to practice further, AI tools can be a useful substitute for a practice partner because of their ability to roleplay when prompted.

ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini are reliable AI tools that you can use to practice and which offer free access with daily limits. To get the most out of these tools, click their “use microphone” or “use voice” buttons so that you can practice answering out loud and on the spot.

Here’s an example prompt you can use to do this:

“You are interviewing me for this position [insert job posting]. Ask me interview questions and respond like an interviewer. After each answer I provide, give me feedback on what I did well and what I can improve.”

If the AI tool you’re using stops responding like an interviewer or forgets to provide you with feedback, remember that you can prompt it again as needed. You can also provide it with additional instructions if you’d like to further specify the kind of response you’d like.

If you choose to use AI tools to help you prepare for a job interview, consider the following:

• Take the time to think of your own responses to potential interview questions. Don’t ask AI tools to generate answers for you.
• AI tools can be useful for workshopping your answers so that your answers follow the STAR method (learn how to use the STAR method here). 
• An interview is an important opportunity to show a potential employer the unique skills and experiences that you bring to the table. AI-generated answers can’t do this for you and interviewers can often tell when someone is relying too much on them.

Ethical and security considerations

Always make sure that the use of AI tools in your work complies with company policies and codes of conduct. Some job postings explicitly bar the use of AI in application and interview processes, and these employers may have mechanisms in place to detect and analyze an applicant’s AI use.

Even if AI tools aren’t mentioned or barred in a job application process, keep in mind that using AI in some situations, such as live interviews, can be misleading and should be avoided unless explicitly permitted.

Finally, a reminder to be aware of the data you input into AI tools. Avoid sharing sensitive, confidential or personally-identifiable information with an AI tool, especially if the tool’s privacy policies are unclear.

The University of Waterloo summarizes, “GenAI can’t replace your judgment, creativity, or most importantly, your integrity. This powerful tool can create a lot of efficiencies, but it can’t tell the story of your life – that’s up to you!”

Candidates living in refugee circumstances and seeking a job in Canada can join TalentLift. 

Interested in a career at KPMG Canada? Check out their open roles here.