Avoid These 3 Common Mistakes Using AI
Everyone’s talking about AI and although AI-generated text, images, and music are capturing the public’s attention AI has been embedded into our lifestyles for a while. Virtual assistants like Alexa and Siri, fitness trackers that make health recommendations, and suggested responses in email servers all remind us of our daily use of artificial intelligence.
Did you know that 52% of experts believe AI will displace old jobs and create new ones? Businesses are eager to leverage AI to streamline operations, reduce inefficiencies, and lead as innovators in their fields. With 83% of companies stating that integrating AI into operation is a priority, it’s important for you - the job seeker or career builder - to explore its usage. (National University, 2024).
We’ll be talking in the coming weeks about how you can strategize your job search with AI. But first, let’s set some ground rules: these are 3 pitfalls you should avoid when using AI in your job search.
1. Avoid general prompts.
Prompts are the questions or requests you make of the AI software. If you’re asking AI to help you brainstorm jobs you are qualified for, a general prompt would be: “Tell me some jobs in education or a related field.” Your question is general, so you’re likely to get generic responses.
On the other hand, if you say, “Tell me some jobs in the education field or a related field that I am qualified for. I have worked as a high school teacher in the state of Illinois for the past 10 years, teaching AP Statistics and AP Calculus. I have also worked for 3 years as an assistant dean of students at a community college. I am looking for a job with one-on-one student or client interaction and that offers a flexible schedule; please suggest 10 jobs that I am qualified for.”
Which one do you think will give you a more detailed response?
Always be specific!
2. Avoid accepting the output blindly.
The output is what AI generates in response to your prompt. AI programs like ChatGPT are large language models (LLMs). They are fed massive amounts of text, learn relationships between words and concepts, and respond to text-based prompts. You can ask ChatGPT to summarize text, translate languages, write up ideas, offer an opposing view to your view, and more.
But, it also hallucinates.
If fed false data, it can give faulty responses.
So, avoid blindly accepting the output. If ChatGPT tells you a fact, figure, date, or location, double check for accuracy.
Like, if it puts on your resume that your current employment is as King of England and you studied at Cambridge University, it’s definitely hallucinating. (Unless…. Well, never mind.)
3. Avoid relying on AI.
AI is a powerful tool, but if you rely on it to write everything for you and brainstorm all your ideas, you’re shooting yourself in the foot.
What happens when you have to write a presentation or report and you can’t use AI? (You shouldn’t enter confidential information into an AI software).
What happens when you use AI to write your resume, but when you get to the interview, you can’t answer basic questions about how your past experiences qualify you for the job? Uh oh.
AI is a tool, but remember, the company is hiring YOU - your experiences, your brain, your skills.
Sources
Cloudflare. (n.d.). What is a large language model (LLM)? Cloudflare, Inc. https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/ai/what-is-large-language-model/
National University. (2024). 131 AI statistics and trends for 2024. https://www.nu.edu/blog/ai-statistics-trends/#:~:text=A%20survey%20by%20Pew%20Research,do%20not%20regularly%20use%20AI.&text=According%20to%20research%20from%20AIPRM,AI%20in%20the%20workplace%20are%3A&text=Email%20spam%20filters%3A%2078.5%25,for%20customer%20service%20questions%3A%2062.2%25
