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Artificial intelligence is reshaping the workforce. How can you leverage AI in your job search–and when should you be cautious? Using AI for interview prep isn’t about replacing your own effort, but about augmenting it. AI tools can help you refine your message, hone your delivery, and go into your interview feeling more confident.
Artificial intelligence is a tool that can help you navigate technological hurdles to hiring. Many institutions use applicant tracking systems to screen résumés and cover letters for keywords. Upload your résumé and the job description to a large language model (LLM) like ChatGPT or Google’s Gemini. The AI will analyze the documents and show you a match rate, highlighting keywords you might be missing. This allows you to optimize your materials to ensure they pass the initial screening.
Delegate the leg work
AI can be effectively used for research. While it should never replace your own thorough research, you can use it as an initial overview to get a quick summary of an institution’s mission, recent news, or key priorities. This can help you formulate more insightful questions to ask the interviewer. For example, you can ask, “What are the key strategic initiatives of Culver Stockton College in the next five years?” Be sure to cross-reference any information an AI provides with official sources, such as the university’s website to avoid hallucinations or AI-generated false information.
Consider your story
In higher education, your professional journey is personal. It’s not just about a list of job titles; it’s about the impact you’ve had on students, research, and your institution. AI can be a powerful tool to help you articulate this story.
Begin by feeding a large language model (LLM) like ChatGPT or Google’s Gemini your CV, the job description, and the institutional mission statement. Use prompts to analyze these documents and identify key themes, skills, and experiences. This can synthesize data quickly and enable you to focus your preparation on critical thinking and poise, not dredging through data.
You can ask the AI to “analyze this job description for a Dean of Students and identify the top five skills they are looking for.” Or, “based on my CV, what are three stories I can tell that demonstrate my leadership skills relevant to this role?” This process helps you pinpoint the most critical parts of your background and frame them in a way that directly addresses the employer’s needs.
AI can also help you develop a compelling “tell me about yourself” answer. This is often the first question you’ll face, and it’s your chance to set the tone. Ask the AI to help you draft a concise, compelling narrative that connects your past experience to the job you’re applying for. Don’t copy, paste, and regurgitate the exact wording the AI supplies. Use it as a starting point to craft a personalized answer.
While AI is a powerful tool, it’s asupplement, not a replacement. The goal is not to sound like a perfectly scripted robot; it’s to use the technology as a tool to allow your personality and strengths to be clearly seen by your interviewers.
Ethical use of AI is critical. Never use an AI to generate your entire résumé or cover letter from scratch without significant personal input. Most importantly, don’t use AI to get real-time answers during a live interview. Interviewers are looking for genuine human connection and a candidate who can think on their feet. The instant your responses start to sound unnatural, you’ll lose the interviewer’s trust.
In the end, AI for interview prep is about using technology to master the basics so you can focus on what really matters in the room: making a personal connection, showing your passion, and demonstrating your unique value. It’s about leveraging a smart tool to showcase a proven professional.
Cheryl Hyatt is a founding partner and CEO of Hyatt – Fennell, Executive Search Plus and President and owner of The Charitable Resources Group, Inc.
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