Job searchers have a new tool at their disposal

Job-searching has always been a time-consuming ordeal, and in 2024, it’s even more daunting.

Rummaging through hundreds of listings, tailoring multiple résumés or waiting weeks for responses can be tough, especially for recent graduates. In a market where applications are filtered by artificial intelligence, standing out in an automated, impersonal process becomes a challenging endeavor.

Fortunately, job seekers can strike back by using AI tools themselves. Metropolitan State University of Denver’s Classroom to Career Hub (C2 Hub) introduced AI-driven platforms  with the goal of giving students up-to-date tools that enhance their job-search process and align with modern hiring practices.

Bridgette Coble, Ph.D., director of career engagement at the C2 Hub, explained that employers increasingly use AI to screen résumés, so MSU Denver adopted these tools to help students meet that demand.

“We see AI as a way to level the playing field by giving students immediate feedback on their résumés,” Coble said. “The platforms refine résumés and cover letters, ensuring that they align with employer expectations. What’s great is the speed — students can upload a résumé and get feedback within minutes, allowing them to make strategic improvements before sending out applications.”

A competitive edge

The C2 Hub organizes workshops on AI platforms for résumé improvement and provides individual support through advisors and programs to meet students and graduates where they’re at in their career journeys. Derek Bowers, associate director of communications and operations, emphasized that AI complements the role of human advisors.

“The integration of AI into our workshops has been a game-changer,” Bowers said. “It gives students a competitive edge in today’s fast-paced job market by showing them what hiring managers are looking for in real time. These tools handle the basics, allowing C2 Hub staff to focus on higher-level career guidance.”

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By optimizing résumés for AI systems used by recruiters, the C2 Hub ensures that students’ applications are not only polished but strategically aligned with the modern hiring process. Many MSU Denver students have secured competitive jobs with this assistance, Bowers said.

The advantage over other AI tools

Coble noted that unlike widely available AI platforms such as ChatGPT, job-search-specific AI platforms such as the one used by the C2 Hub have clear benefits. The C2 Hub’s platform focuses on industry standards, improving structure and optimizing keywords for applicant tracking systems. While ChatGPT can help generate and edit content and make suggestions, the C2 Hub’s tools measure a job seeker’s progress and track improvements — key elements in the job-search process.

Students using the platform report significant résumé improvements after just a few uploads. For example, 2023 MSU Denver graduate James Lowry said the C2Hub’s AI tools helped him format his résumé and flagged overused words.

“It helped me with my job search,” Lowry said. “I was able to use the description and tailor my résumé to the job I was looking for.”

Humans bridge AI gaps

While AI can help students refine and expedite their job-search process, overreliance on technology can be detrimental. It can undercut authenticity and hinder applicants from truly standing out.

“AI-driven platforms are excellent at handling technical aspects, like formatting and keyword optimization,” said Julian Friedland, Ph.D., coordinator of ethics and social responsibility at MSU Denver’s College of Business. “But they lack the human element — things like empathy, context and creativity — that help convey a candidate’s unique story and career aspirations.”

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Friedland also warns of ethical concerns, noting that AI can reinforce biases in the hiring process.

“AI systems learn from historical data,” Friedland said, “and if that data contains biases — whether gender, racial or otherwise — those biases can be perpetuated, which is a serious issue.”

Coble and Friedland agree that AI-driven tools struggle with nuance, especially when it comes to understanding diverse career paths or nontraditional roles. Human advisors, on the other hand, provide personalized insights that AI cannot. They offer tailored advice, help job seekers navigate complex situations and provide emotional support, all of which are crucial in building confidence and addressing concerns that AI might overlook.

“We caution students that AI can help you get an interview but it won’t get you the job,” Coble emphasized. “You’ve got to do that.”

Although AI tools are helpful, students acknowledge the importance of human guidance. Lowry, who now works as an interim career counselor at the C2 Hub, credits the AI tools with helping him navigate the small details of job applications, but he ultimately relied on the C2 Hub’s career advisors to expand his job search and ultimately secure his current role.

“To be honest, AI didn’t land this job for me,” Lowry said. “But the AI tools helped me read between the lines of the applications. I sat with a career advisor, asked questions, and we worked through the process together. That human support made all the difference.”