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Given the choice between filling out seemingly endless job applications and an invasive root canal, many people would have their dentist on the phone within minutes. Contemporary job applications are laborious, repetitive, frustrating, and, once finally complete, are sent into a digital void reminiscent of the 1979 film, “The Black Hole,” which is described as “the vast empty nothingness where time and space end.”
If you believe that describes the fate of your job applications you’re not alone. If you have the resources, the temptation to outsource job applications is strong. You can pay people all over the world to fill them out for you. However, that is so 2022. The new hip and happening way to punt the grunt work to a third party is Artificial Intelligence. AI bot services like LazyApply and Sonara specialize in filling out a ridiculous number of job applications on your behalf “while you sleep.”
AI-powered job applications sound like the answer to all your hopes and dreams, doesn’t it? AI does the heavy lifting and you swoop in for the interviews and dazzle your future employer with your mad skills and effervescent personality. Everybody wins. Right? Unfortunately, using AI to apply for jobs is more nuanced. Not everybody is on board and the pitfalls may outweigh the benefits.
1. AI is not ready for primetime. AI, whether it’s Chat GPT or LazyApply, is in the beta testing phase. Think of self-driving cars. The technology exists and at some future point, it may actually work without killing someone. Meanwhile, your average person isn’t comfortable letting the car drive itself. Similar caution should be applied to AI-powered job applications. For example, AI likes to make stuff up. A typo on your resume can sink your chances. Content that goes off the rails on your job application not only dooms your prospects but may be so obviously AI-generated that you permanently lose the confidence of recruiters and hiring managers. Sloppy work isn’t in demand.
2. Recruiters don’t like it. AI-powered applications are like a black snake slithering across a white floor – they’re easy to spot and the general reaction isn’t positive. If you can’t be bothered to fill out your own application, why would a recruiter believe you’re serious about the company they represent? If you’re using an AI bot with the term “lazy” in it, it’s not a stretch to associate that trait with the applicant. If you’re literally not doing the work, that’s the first and maybe the last impression you’re making. While there are recruiters who may not mind, for most AI-powered applications are a turn-off. You should ask yourself if the benefits of AI are worth the risk of compromising your professional reputation.
3. You’re not in control of your fate. If you’re asleep and an AI bot is charged with the most important task in your life – finding gainful employment and advancing your professional goals – you have no idea what’s being done on your behalf. You may not know all the places “you” to which you have applied or if your applications are being sent to companies you want to target. That can make for some awkward conversations if a recruiter or hiring manager actually reaches out to you. Yes, you will save time. Yes, you may score some interviews. However, you’re flying blind and that isn’t the best way to travel. For example, AI bots will apply to the same job twice with different content. That raises multiple red flags you don’t want.
4. Quality over quantity. It is true that searching for a job can be a numbers game. Getting through all the digital gates (e.g., applicant tracking systems) is important and can be difficult. AI bots can apply to so many jobs that the sheer number will most likely result in more applications slipping through (in a click). At some point, however, the numbers game can turn into saturation that degrades the process and, by extension, you. You’re selling yourself. Are you an AI-powered bot? You’re not. So, who are you? That’s what potential employers want to know. If your goal is to send as many applications as possible as quickly as possible regardless of the final product, which, once again, is you, then AI-powered applications may be the perfect solution. If you want to find the job of your dreams, fewer, high-quality applications may be more work and take more time, but the end result will be better.
5. Job applications are legal documents. During the job search process, both the employer and job seeker have legal obligations. Employers must follow laws about what information they can request and job seekers are obligated to tell the truth. If an AI bot provides inaccurate information and you didn’t know about it because you were asleep then the consequences are somewhat deserved. Ignorance is not an excuse.
6. People like people. Sure, R2D2 and C3PO are great and who doesn’t want a protocol droid who can speak five billion languages? But, like Will Rogers said, “It’s great to be great, but it’s greater to be human.” There really is no substitute for person-to-person communication and face-to-face encounters. There’s a reason a machine-made wine glass is $10 and a mouth-blown one is $50. The machine-made one is an impersonal object identical to all others and the mouth-blown one is an artisanal extension of human talent. When you’re targeting a company, a customized application that makes an emotional connection with whoever reads it is ideal. AI can’t do that. Not yet.
7. Artificial Intelligence can still be remarkable. Artificial intelligence is an exciting and mind-blowing technology, and, when used in the right way, can accelerate what we want to achieve. In our current moment, AI is a fantastic tool to supplement whatever it is you want to do. Explore how AI can help you write cover letters, resumes, and LinkedIn/job board profiles. AI can reduce your upfront work and associated stress. The many benefits of AI really can make things easier for you. However, ceding complete authority to AI in important aspects of your life, like job applications, may still be too risky. Take the time to weigh AI’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Don’t let AI eclipse the number one thing needed to find a new job – you.
Philip Roufail contributed to this article.
Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.
