By Wendy Widom
“In an AI-driven world, do I need to be the Meryl Streep of candidates to get a job offer?”
Here’s my answer: More and more job seekers will utilize tools like ChatGPT to prepare for interviews. This means that everyone will start sounding the same.
The candidates most likely to land offers will not just have the right background. They will be able to show authenticity, connect meaningfully with the interviewer and effectively convey that they have unique qualities that are the right fit for the role and the organization. Thanks to AI, the rest of the candidate pool will blend together and be forgotten.
Fortunately, you don’t need to be Meryl Streep to interview well and get an offer (whew). But these days, with AI giving everyone the answers to the test, you want to become extremely adept and strategic at communicating who you are and what you offer. Here are four tips to get you started:
1. Create a checklist. Paste the background and qualifications from the job description into an Excel sheet, in Column A. In Column B, plug in how your experiences, knowledge, skills, abilities, education, etc. are a match for each. Use AI if you need help generating words and phrases that describe your work.
2. Identify what’s unique about you. Since ChatGPT will generate similar answers for everyone, you want to find a way to shine. What is it about your personality, values, hobbies, and background that the interviewer would appreciate?
3. Own your career story. Before the interview, figure out how your experiences coalesce into one cohesive narrative. Be able to answer “tell me about yourself” in a minute.
4. Practice. Find someone in your life who will give you candid feedback and do a mock interview. Ideally, you want an expert who knows what recruiters, HR pros, and hiring managers are looking for and can tell you what you’re doing well and what you could improve.
AI is here to stay. Use it to your advantage. You don’t need Meryl Streep’s talent, but you do need strong communication skills to show that you are the right one for the job. Do it right and you might not win the Oscar, but you will get an offer.
Photo credit: https://unsplash.com/@wocintechchat