Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Applications

Should I use genAI in my job applications?

This is a question that depends on a couple of different criteria. As such you should make a decision as to whether or not to use genAI, and what you use it for, on a case-by-case basis:

What is the stance of the organisation you’re applying to on the use of genAI in their application process?

Some employers are totally against the use of genAI in applications while others are happy with its use for specific purposes. Check their stance and work in line with it.

How are you using genAI to support your application?

GenAI has its limits and if you’re not using genAI effectively then you could actually produce a lower quality application than you would have if you’d just written it yourself- you want it to assist you, not hinder you!

Should I use genAI in my further study application?

You should consider the same principles as for a job application as above- what does the organisation you’re applying to think of the use of genAI in their application process? Work to their guidelines and only use genAI if you can do so effectively.

The University of Warwick’s stance differs by academic department. You should check the guidelines for the specific academic department you’re applying to as to whether you can use genAI, and to what degree, when applying to programmes of further study.

How to use genAI effectively

A good rule of thumb to follow is that genAI is better at performing tasks than answering questions. If you have a question, search for an answer online. If you need a digital assistant to do something for you, genAI may be able to help.

You’ll need to construct an effective prompt- genAI can only work with the information you give it so you need to have a suitable input to get a suitable output. More on this below.

• You should also make a conscious effort to humanise the output you get from genAI in every instance. This means:
• Verifying the information genAI provides externally
• You will always know yourself better than genAI so add nuance to suggestions it makes for your CV, cover letters or interview prep
• The language that genAI produces is generally quite bland and without nuance. Put things into your own voice so that you don’t come across as lacking detail or uninteresting

How can I write an effective prompt for use with genAI?

There are different methods to prompt writing that exist and it may take some experimentation to find one that you like.

There are numerous acronyms out there that act as a handy way to remember what you need to include like RISEN (role, instructions, steps, end goal, narrowing), CLEAR (context, limit, expand, assume, redirect) and CRAFT (context, restrictions, assumptions, focus, trajectory).

The focus with each of these is:

• Giving the genAI enough context and detail to work with
• Being specific and clear with what you want it to do
• Any restrictions in time, length, tone of voice or audience etc
• Not just taking what comes back from the first prompt, refine and add more detail to get a better output

How are employers using AI to recruit?

Different employers use AI in different ways and this is constantly changing. Some examples of how some employers are currently using AI include:

Writing the text for a job advertisement

• Sourcing suitable candidates for a role using LinkedIn
• AI chatbots to answer applicant’s questions about a role at the first advertisement
• Using AI tools to review CVs and cover letters against a person specification
• Using AI to analyse recorded online video interviews

Be critical

The key thing to keep coming back to when using genAI is to remain critical- do you want to be using genAI and is this an appropriate use of genAI? This should also be on an ongoing basis- keep questioning how and if you use genAI.

Let’s break that down into a few dimensions to consider:

• Ethics: There are already numerous ethical concerns about how genAI is designed and operates and more could arise as it develops further. It’s important to understand the ethical implications of using genAI and make a personal decision as to whether you would like to use genAI or not.
• Data security: Different genAI platforms have different privacy policies and these are subject to change. We would recommend avoiding sharing personal data like your name, address, date of birth or contact details as well as sensitive information like passwords or financial information with a genAI but you should also make a personal decision as to how much information you want a genAI platform to know about you. How much would you share with a stranger?
• Be information critical: Remember that genAI is designed to give you an answer to the information you input into it. It isn’t designed to always give you the right answer. Question the outputs you get from genAI and verify information externally frequently.