Using AI in your work search

Developing literacy around using artificial intelligence tools can help you apply these tools in a responsible and ethical way. 

As a UVic student, you have access to a version of Microsoft Copilot, which is more secure than similar tools like ChatGPT and Google Gemini. Through Microsoft Copilot, your user and organizational data are protected, prompts and responses are private to you, and chats are not used to train the underlying AI model.

AI tools can help you get started as you build your résumé and write a cover letter or even practice for an interview.  However, remember that you remain responsible for the accuracy of everything you produce.  Using AI to misrepresent yourself in a resume or using AI tools during an interview constitutes an academic integrity violation and will lead to penalties.   

We've put together some suggestions on how to use AI tools like Copilot. We encourage you to consult with a UVic Co-op and Career staff member for feedback on content that you develop when using these tools.

See the latest information about UVic's approach to using AI.

Note: UVic has restricted the use of DeepSeek as it does not meet the university's security standards.

AI flaws

If you choose to use AI tools, be sure to use them ethically and strategically.

AI pulls together ideas for content but produces content that can be wrong, outdated, or nonsensical. 

In fact, employers tell us that job applications produced with generative AI tend to look the same. Most employers immediately screen out applications that appear to be written by AI.

Approach AI as a tool for generating ideas, editing documents, and providing feedback on your work. The information (or prompts) that you give to AI directly shapes the output, so review it carefully with a critical eye to ensure it is accurate and reflects your voice. 

It may take multiple prompts and suggestions for the AI tool to generate the exact or correct information you are trying to create. Ultimately, you are responsible for making sure the content in your job applications is truthful, accurate, and representative of your skill level. 

We encourage you to check in with a UVic Co-op and Career staff member for support.

General tips

AI tools can pull from outdated information so don't rely on it to be current. Make sure to do your research. Here are a few general tips to follow:

Ask questions in different ways

Chatting with AI generative tools is like having a conversation that you lead by asking questions.

We recommend that you ask questions in different ways as this can give you a range of answers. We have found this especially useful when you're searching for jobs or asking AI to give you names of companies. 

For example, you could ask:

• What companies hire [specific academic program name] graduates?
• What companies hire students with a [specific degree name]?
• Where can a graduate with a [specific degree name] get a job?

You can also ask the same question in different tools, such as Copilot and Chat GPT, and compare the answers.

Include specific information

Be direct about what you want to learn. Include details like geographic locations or specific skill sets to receive tailored results.

For example, you could ask:

• What companies in [province or city] hire [specific academic program name] graduates?
• What companies hire students with a [specific degree name and academic year] in [province or city]?
• Where can a graduate with a [specific degree name] get a job in [specific industry] in [province or city]?

Evaluate the results

Ask yourself:

• Does this make sense?
• Is it true? How can you know/verify this?
• Does it sound like me? Is this my authentic voice, that will match other parts of my application?
• Can I tweak it to be more specific to myself?
• At this point, you may want to connect with a Co-op and/or Career staff member to help verify the results from using the AI tool

For résumé writing

Using AI as a tool can help you tailor your résumé to specific job postings. You could start with having a structured résumé and then use AI to help you write competency (also known as accomplishment statements). Remember to review and add your own styple and voice.

You can use AI to:

• Describe transferable skills that are needed for specific job postings 
  • e.g., "Look at the job posting and describe the skills that would be a good fit for the job"
• Look at the job posting and compare it to your résumé to tell you what's missing, or to update your competency statements. Make sure to proofread to confirm that it's correct
  • e.g., "Compare the job posting and my résumé and identify missing skills"
  • e.g., "How could I reword this competency statement to better match this job posting?"
• Provide suggestions for formatting and keywords
  • e.g., "How should I format my résumé based on this job posting?"
  • e.g., "Are there any concerns with my format that an ATS would flag or would remove me from the competition?"
• Provide suggestions for how to describe your competencies on a résumé
  • e.g., "This job is asking for [specific type of] skills. Write some bullet points for my résumé to show how I have these skills and make sure you do not make anything up that I have not done in my previous jobs and roles"
• Proofread your résumé, identifying spelling mistakes, acronyms, grammatical errors and so on
  • e.g., "Proofread my résumé and identify any spelling mistakes or grammatical errors"

AI tools will make up skills so you will need to make sure they are accurate and true to your own experience. AI may also miss a grammatical error or spelling mistake. You will need to review and rewrite in your own voice.

You can use these résumé resources as you build your résumé.

Writing cover letters

Before asking AI to help you write your cover letter, consider that recruiters can easily identify when AI has not been used appropriately:

• Generic tone and lack of personality
• Overuse of buzzwords
• Flat, repetitive structure
• Doesn't sound authentic

Remember that cover letters are used to humanize your application and set it apart from others. If you use AI to write a generic cover letter, you will not stand out from anyone else using similar tools.

To avoid having your application immediately screened out, use AI effectively, authentically and ethically. This can help give your cover letter clarity and structure, save you time, and ensure that your cover letter can get through an applicant tracking sytstem (ATS). 

Here is a resource for understanding ATS.

AI can also be used to provide suggestions or feedback on each section of your cover letter. For example, you could ask the AI tool to "help me describe the transferable skills in my cover letter and résumé and how they can be applied to the job in the posting."

Give the AI tool as many details as possible, including the overall structure, who the audience is, and what the tone should be.

Review and edit the draft

Spend time modifying the cover letter to make sure that the statements are accurate and persuasive. Take care to put it in your own voice.

• Be specific. Instead of saying, "I'm passionate about marketing", say something specific and personal about your connection to marketing, such as "I've been fascinated by the psychology of branding ever since I helped my local bakery triple its Intagram following."
• Use natural language. If you wouldn't say "I'm a results-oriented professional with a proven track record" in real life, don't include this in your cover letter either. Swap in phrases that feel more like your everyday tone: professional but conversational.
• Show genuine interest in the company. For example, do your research by looking at the company website (the about us page is a great start), and find something that resonates with you to mention in your cover letter instead of using a vague reference offered by AI.
• Read your letter out loud or have a friend read it to you. Tweak it where is doesn't sound like you.
• Edit the cover letter for rhythm and flow. AI can be stiff or overly formal. Read your letter out loud and tweak it where it doesn’t sound like you.
• Avoid tired or overused expressions and words. AI or a browser search can help you identify these. You could ask AI to:
  • e.g., "Identify words or expressions that are overused in my cover letter, or sentences that start with the same words"
  • e.g., Follow this by "What other words could be used that will still effectively communicate the content?"

Here is an additional resource for writing cover letters.

Using specific prompts

You can ask AI to do very specific tasks. For example:

• Ask it to help write specific paragraphs, such as the introduction. Current research suggests that AI lacks a persuasive style of writing, so be detailed in your prompt, indicate tone, and describe the audience. Try opening your cover letter with why you want to work for the company. It will show the employer your authentic point of view.
• Upload your anonymized résumé and the job description and ask AI to suggest your top strengths to highlight. You can also ask it to re-frame your past experience to align with the job requirements. Try different prompts to get different results and choose the best.
• Ask it for sentences that refer to the company's culture and connect it to your values or interest in the company.
• Ask it to refine your draft cover letter to express both enthusiasm and professionalism. Adjust wording to make sure it sounds like you.

Other prompt ideas:

• "Help me brainstorm what to include in a cover letter for a [job title] position at [company name]. I'm a [year] student studying [program name] with experience in [relevant experience or coursework]."
• "What are the transferable skills, experiences, or achievements that I could highlight in a cover letter for a [specific industry or role] as a student with no formal work experience?"

Customizing prompts

• "Can you help me match my resume experience to the qualifications listed in this job posting? Here's the posting: [paste job description]."
• "Rewrite this generic paragraph to better fit this job at [company]. Here's the paragraph: [paste text] and here’s the job description: [paste job posting]."
• Don't forget to update the language in your own words so that it sounds more like yourself.

Personalizing prompts

• "Revise this cover letter to be more concise and impactful. It’s currently too wordy. [paste text]"
• "Help me frame my part-time job experience at [job] as relevant to a professional role in [industry].
• "I really want to work for a social impact organization because of X". Add your personal why so AI can help you with word smithing.

You can also access these cover letter resources as you put together your cover letter.

Searching for work

 You can use AI tools to inform your job search strategy. You can ask it to: 

• find companies that hire graduates of your program area 
• tell you what companies hire specific types of positions or job titles
• share entry-level jobs and job titles in your industry
• identify transferable skills that specific companies are looking for
• research company hiring trends and patterns
• search for companies that are looking for transferable skills that you already have or are developing
• assess your résumé and suggest job postings that would be a good fit 
• provide information about job trends, salaries and other aspects of different industries

Explore these work search resources for guidance.

Networking

 You can ask AI tools to:

• Get ideas about networking opportunities
  • e.g., "I'm looking to get into [industry or type of work] in Victoria, BC. Who should I talk to or what networking events should I attend?"
    
• Write a first draft of an introductory email, LinkedIn message, etc.
  • e.g., "I want to reach out to a professional contact in [industry] about work opportunities. Write an introductory email using my résumé."

Interviewing

When you're preparing for an interview, you can use AI tools to:

• Put together a list of questions the employer might ask for a specific position
  • e.g., "I am a civil engineering student interviewing for a co-op job. Use the following job description to identify questions that I may be asked in an interview."
• Suggest how to answer these questions based on your résumé, transferable skills and experiences
  • e.g., "Use my résumé and the following job description to put together a list of interview questions and answers based on my skill set and the job requirements."
  • e.g., "What behavioural questions could be asked in an interview for this job posting (past job posting)."
  • e.g., "What technical questions could be asked in an interview for this job posting (past job posting)."

Don't use AI tools to answer questions in a virtual interview. 

Using AI during an interview is a violation of the university's academic integrity policy and will lead to penalties.  Employers can tell when you're reading from a screen. They want to know who you are and how you think and aren't interested in what a generative AI wrote for you to say.  

Want more? You can also use these resources to prepare for interviews.

Explore career options

You can provide AI tools with descriptions of your passions, interests and skills and ask for recommendations of career options and even degrees to pursue.

You'll still need to do research to learn more about these options, and you can also explore possible career options here.

Or, meet with your career educator for one-on-one support.