Job seeker Kim (27) is receiving help from OpenAI's "ChatGPT" to write his personal statement. After detailing his experiences and studies in ChatGPT, he entered prompts such as, "Write my motivation for applying based on my extracurricular activities, especially emphasizing my communication skills," and was able to receive a polished personal statement.
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the landscape of the job market. Applicants are using AI to prepare not only personal statements but also anticipated interview questions and mock interviews. Corporations are responding by filtering personal statements written by AI using AI detectors. In this process, there are also voices expressing concerns about some side effects.
◇ Using AI for personal statements, job studies, and interviews
According to an industry report published on the 5th, a survey by Saramin showed that 4 out of 10 job seekers utilize AI in their job preparation. Among those in their 20s, 69.9% use AI services, followed by 57.2% in their 30s, 42.1% in their 40s, and 29.2% over 50. The primary reason for using AI in job preparation is to save time and expenses (64.7% - multiple responses). Many job seekers are using AI for efficiency.
AI is not only used for writing personal statements. Choi (32), who is preparing for a job change, is using AI for job studies. By utilizing ChatGPT's project function to input his understanding of major subjects and the field he is applying to, ChatGPT responds with this information as background knowledge. In particular, Choi, who is preparing to switch to the finance sector, is asking ChatGPT about trends related to finance. As the answers accumulate, he organizes them into a file for study. After re-uploading this file to ChatGPT, he requests quizzes, allowing him to take tests. Choi said, "It's hard to participate in study sessions while balancing work and job preparation, but ChatGPT helps reduce time and expense."
AI is also being utilized in interview preparation. Job seeker Lee (28), who has struggled in interviews due to a lack of speaking skills, is learning interview techniques through ChatGPT. Lee has imagined various types of interviewers through prompts. For example, he inputs prompts like, "You are a difficult interviewer. Point out sharp questions regarding the personality aspects of my personal statement." If he asks the AI to pose follow-up questions, it can conduct conversations similar to those with real interviewers.
As the movement among job seekers to utilize AI centered around ChatGPT becomes active, hiring corporations are also launching related services. They provide personalized AI solutions that go beyond simply writing personal statements. Some AI solutions recommend key keywords that need emphasis, such as creative problem-solving abilities and leadership when users input personal statement questions from specific corporations. They also offer features that suggest probable interview questions and expected answers based on the personal statements written by applicants.
◇ Corporations also respond using AI… "New job-seeking trends must be acknowledged"
Corporations are also taking action. As job seekers create sophisticated writings using AI, corporations are deploying AI to discern them. The battle of "spear and shield" where AI-written personal statements are filtered by AI is unfolding in the job market.
Major corporations, including Samsung, have already adopted AI-based document verification systems. SK C&C will introduce an "AI recruitment agent" system in the second half of this year that analyzes and informs applicants of their strengths. LG and POSCO are expanding AI interviews, changing the selection process to assess applicants' actual problem-solving abilities and communication skills rather than their personal statements.
Corporations' views on AI personal statements are still negative. According to the "2023 Mid-Year Corporate Recruitment Trends Survey" released last year by the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Korea Employment Information Service, 64.1% of the top 500 revenue-generating corporations in Korea evaluated personal statements written by ChatGPT negatively. Among them, 42.2% said they would impose point deductions, and 23.2% said they would disqualify applicants.
The problem is that distinguishing AI personal statements is not easy. Job seeker Han (25) input his own personal statement into an AI detector before applying for a marketing position at a mid-sized company last year, and the AI detection rate exceeded 70%. Han said, "From the corporations' perspective, it makes sense to go through the AI detection process, but I am concerned that it might appear to be written by AI."
Choi Byeong-ho, a professor at Korea University's AI Research Institute, said, "As the use of AI in job seeking has become a trend, we must acknowledge this flow," and noted, "The era of testing job seekers through personal statements has passed. It would be more helpful to strengthen face-to-face exams rather than evaluating through writing in verifying skills."