In Brief
- As more job candidates use AI tools to write resumes and cover letters, it's getting harder to stand out.
- Career experts say job seekers should focus on authenticity and highlight real experiences and accomplishments.
- Early networking, strong communication and problem-solving skills matter more than your major.
Recruiters call it the application avalanche. In the past five years, job applications have tripled as candidates use AI tools to draft resumes and cover letters. The result: everyone sounds like everyone else.
Casey Jenkerson, director of employer engagement at the WashU Center for Career Engagement, talks daily with employers who are frustrated by the phenomenon. That's why she tells students to build their professional networks early; develop their skills as a communicator and collaborator; and to use their own voice, not Chat GPT's, to share their experiences and accomplishments.
"There is a misconception that employers have handed talent acquisition over to AI," Jenkerson said. "Yes, employers are using AI tools to pre-screen candidates, but the human element of talent acquisition is still important."
Here, Jenkerson offers tips to job seekers trying to find work in this uncertain economy.
Fall Career Expo
When: 3-6 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 16 and 17
Where: WashU Athletic Complex
