Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming how job seekers—especially creatives like designers and copywriters—search for roles, craft applications, and prepare for interviews. You can ask ChatGPT for help with your resume or even ask it to practice your interviewing skills. But while it feels like these popular large-language models (LLMs) can make you invincible and help you land that dream job, you have to be careful you’re not being dishonest or misleading in the process. As a creative industry, we are still navigating the exact ethical pitfalls of AI in job searching. But there are already quite a few common ways that recruiters and hiring managers encounter dishonesty from job applicants are…
AI lifts information from preexisting content on the internet, therefore that cover letter you just had it write could be plagiarising a stranger! And since a quick Google search will tell your hiring manager which content is original and which isn’t, plagiarism will cost you more than the job—it’ll cost your reputation.
You might ask AI to update your resume based on a job description, but your results may embellish your real skills. The resulting resume is misleading, which will become obvious to recruiters once you’re discussing your qualifications.
Another method of skill fabrication involves updating resumes with invisible keywords from the job description (e.g., using text the same color as the background), thereby inflating the applicant's skills in the eyes of the software. While the applicant now has a shot at getting seen, more qualified applicants who do possess the required skills will be deprioritized in the process.
You are the only person who knows your experiences. So, having AI ghostwrite anything personal or discuss your experiences is a no-no. Not only will it be a lie, but it will not sound like you—AKA, the real person they want to hire.
While asking AI to write the best possible response to an application or interview questions seems like a great way to get ahead, it’s not sustainable. Again, AI responses will be rendered flat, robotic, and not at all genuine.
If you’re handed a task on your application to prove you can do the job and you have AI do it for you, you will not be able to explain your answers, nor will you be able to do the job you’re applying for. Talk about embarrassing!
Shocking, but it is happening! Some applicants use AI to create fake designs or photos in their projects and content for their portfolios, which is another way of falsifying their work history. (Spoiler: there are better, more ethical ways to use AI to update a portfolio.)
Along with misrepresenting yourself in the above ways, you run the risk of further embarrassment if you don’t disclose how much or often you use AI. If hiring managers are hiring you for your expertise, but your expertise is mostly AI-generated, you’ll not get very far in any workplace environment.
With integrity and a bit of tweaking, you can use AI in these effective, totally ethical ways…
We can’t lie, we can’t manipulate software, but we can ask these platforms: what are the most favorable keywords and types of language I should use in this situation? AI can help you understand the most important information you should include in your applications. Instead of letting AI write everything, read its results and then incorporate some of its insights into your documents using your own language. This way you will be honest about your experience while simply strengthening your word choice to apply to the company at hand.
While you can’t answer interview questions by copying and pasting AI-generated answers, you can have AI role-play an interview with you. You’ll find that this role-playing will strengthen your interview skills and even quell your anxiety, making you more confident. Check out our article on how to use AI for interview practice.
You can’t lie about or embellish your skills, but you can ask AI to point you in the direction of the best ways to learn. Provide AI with your skillset and dream job. Ask AI to provide lists of skills you need and best-selling courses to help you get there. As always, read the reviews of real people and consult your network, but using AI in this way can help you fill your skills gaps.
You don’t know everything about the company, yet! But AI can help you become an expert in any company or target industry. Use AI to dig up information about any company’s most successful campaigns, campaigns that didn’t do so well, their competitors, and their target customers. This information will make you more confident when you speak to anyone at the company—which can (and should) begin with networking!
From asking AI for a list of places to submit your resume to asking it to suggest types of networking opportunities, you can use AI to be your networking wingperson. In doing so, you might notice your confidence elevate and your social anxieties dissipate. And if you need some human tips on how to network, we’ve got you covered, too.
TLDR; Ever since AI programs like ChatGPT have hit the scene and changed our working world, there’s no doubt that these programs have helped us apply for jobs faster. Yet, we also have to be mindful of what’s ethical! Lying, cheating, stealing, embellishing—these actions have been made more possible through misusing AI. And, look, we know the job market is tough right now, but there are more ethical ways to use AI to your advantage without being dishonest.
If you are looking for a job, why not reach out to a talent agency that has a proven track record of placing great people like yourself into jobs they’ll love? Artisan is exactly that creative agency and talent acquisition is our bread-and-butter. To work with us, consider registering to become a part of our amazing candidate roster. You never know what jobs will open up next or how we might be able to help you land your next role!