在《終結(jié)者》(Terminator)和《黑鏡》(Black Mirror)的每一集之間,機(jī)器人的接管讓人理所當(dāng)然地感覺像是噩夢(mèng)來襲。但是,人工智能入侵正在慢慢滲透到現(xiàn)實(shí)生活中,Roomba接管了除塵界,Alexa音響接管了音樂選擇人的角色,ChatGPT則在試著起草別人不愿意寫的內(nèi)容,比如求職信。
與大多數(shù)事情一樣,圍繞ChatGPT的炒作讓職場(chǎng)人感到幾家歡喜幾家愁。有些人擔(dān)心自己的工作會(huì)被人工智能取代,但也有人發(fā)現(xiàn),人工智能對(duì)求職大有幫助。哈里斯民意調(diào)查公司(The Harris Poll)為《財(cái)富》雜志開展的一項(xiàng)調(diào)查顯示,在近4,000名員工里,有61%的人表示,他們?cè)谇舐氈惺褂昧巳斯ぶ悄堋蠖鄶?shù)是用于練習(xí)面試問題,但也有人用人工智能寫簡歷和求職信。
我不怪他們:一想到再也不用寫陳詞濫調(diào)的求職信了,讓人感覺如釋重負(fù),盡管依賴一款連創(chuàng)始人都承認(rèn)還處于早期階段的產(chǎn)品會(huì)讓人有點(diǎn)不安。還有一個(gè)問題是,讓機(jī)器人幫助你寫求職信是否合乎道德——這感覺有點(diǎn)像抄作業(yè)。但招聘人員會(huì)留意嗎?
我最近對(duì)我的理論進(jìn)行了測(cè)試,要求ChatGPT“按照以下職位中列出的資歷技能要求寫一封求職信”,我給出的崗位是布魯克林音樂學(xué)院(Brooklyn Academy of Music)的廣告文案人員。就像變魔術(shù)一樣,一封相當(dāng)通用的求職信展開在我面前:
親愛的招聘經(jīng)理:
很高興能夠申請(qǐng)布魯克林音樂學(xué)院最近在LinkedIn上刊登的廣告文案職位。我有半年的文案工作經(jīng)驗(yàn),直覺敏銳,溝通清晰,我相信我的能力符合這個(gè)崗位的要求。
我之前曾經(jīng)擔(dān)任過一家營銷機(jī)構(gòu)的文案人員,曾經(jīng)為包括電子郵件、網(wǎng)絡(luò)內(nèi)容、社交媒體和數(shù)字廣告在內(nèi)的多種媒介形式撰寫文案。我與客戶密切溝通,確保他們的愿景可以在文案里得到準(zhǔn)確傳達(dá),我起草的文案質(zhì)量和效果持續(xù)得到積極的反饋。
我在文法、編輯和校對(duì)方面都擁有很高的技能,一直努力高質(zhì)量完成工作。此外,我對(duì)表演藝術(shù)和文化頗感興趣,也較為熟悉布魯克林音樂學(xué)院的品牌。
在團(tuán)隊(duì)中,我在合作的氛圍里積極成長,我愿意接受批評(píng)和反饋來優(yōu)化工作。我工作作風(fēng)嚴(yán)謹(jǐn)有序,善于管理交付期限緊張的工作任務(wù)、設(shè)定任務(wù)優(yōu)先級(jí),擁有較高的自驅(qū)力,能夠積極主動(dòng)地溝通和解決問題。
如果可以有機(jī)會(huì)為布魯克林音樂學(xué)院工作,為貴院規(guī)劃發(fā)展事業(yè)的文案撰寫做出貢獻(xiàn),將讓我十分激動(dòng)。感謝您考慮我的申請(qǐng)。
順致敬意
克洛伊
我給三位專家看了這封求職信——一位職場(chǎng)教練、一位機(jī)構(gòu)顧問和一位人工智能思想領(lǐng)袖,但直到他們看完后,我才告訴他們這封信是機(jī)器人寫的。結(jié)果,他們大多沒有留意或者根本就不關(guān)心,盡管他們表示這封信還需要做一些調(diào)整,而且如果招聘人員問我是否得到了人工智能的幫助,我就需要坦白。他們的接受度標(biāo)志著當(dāng)初手寫的求職信已經(jīng)演化到了最新階段。如果我們正確使用ChatGPT,它就能夠幫助我們起草這封我們知道其實(shí)已經(jīng)名存實(shí)亡的求職信。
機(jī)器人的工作,像機(jī)器人一樣的工作
專家們一致認(rèn)為:我的ChatGPT求職信還過得去,但如果我想在競爭中脫穎而出,就還需要一些人工修改。
在看了這封并不是我寫的求職信后,職業(yè)教練及Twenty Ten Agency的創(chuàng)始人奧克塔維亞·戈雷德瑪對(duì)我說:“寫的不錯(cuò),克洛伊?!彼硎荆屠佣己芎?,但有幾個(gè)表述多余了。“有點(diǎn)公式化,但它替你把活干了?!?/p>
它還通過了貝娜·阿曼納特的測(cè)試,她說它讀起來“非常好”,要不是我告訴她,她根本看不出這是人工智能生成的。盡管因?yàn)樗堑虑冢―eloitte)人工智能研究所(A.I. Institute)的執(zhí)行董事,她可能有點(diǎn)偏心,但我的第三位專家也認(rèn)為這封信“可以接受”。胡安·巴勃羅·岡薩雷斯是咨詢公司光輝國際(Korn Ferry)的高級(jí)客戶合伙人和專業(yè)服務(wù)部門負(fù)責(zé)人。他告訴我,我的人工智能求職信通過了人工智能內(nèi)容檢測(cè)器的檢測(cè),檢測(cè)報(bào)告顯示其中79%是人類生成的內(nèi)容。
不過,他注意到其中有些拼寫錯(cuò)誤,還有一些表述聽起來與職位描述太過相似,這讓他懷疑到底是不是我寫的,還是說我寫得是不是太快了,因?yàn)榇蠖鄶?shù)人聽上去不會(huì)這么說話。
也就是說:雖然ChatGPTn為求職信打下良好基礎(chǔ),但它有點(diǎn)像機(jī)器人(雙關(guān)語)。我們還不能完全放開手腳,因?yàn)槲覀冃枰跈C(jī)器生成的內(nèi)容之上,加入一些個(gè)人經(jīng)歷和一些天資特點(diǎn)。戈雷德瑪稱,它們能夠作為“基準(zhǔn)點(diǎn)”,但應(yīng)該進(jìn)行個(gè)性化修改。可以把它作為初稿,但之后你必須把它變成自己的,巴勃羅·岡薩雷斯表示同意,并補(bǔ)充道,對(duì)于那些厭惡寫作或?qū)σ粡埌准埜械胶ε碌娜藖碚f,這是一個(gè)很好的起點(diǎn):“但如果你只是讓機(jī)器來做所有的事,你就永遠(yuǎn)無法脫穎而出?!?/p>
否則,你可能會(huì)錯(cuò)失能分享個(gè)人經(jīng)歷或者談一談你為什么期待這個(gè)崗位的機(jī)會(huì)。他建議使用人工智能寫求職信的人做兩件事情:檢查拼寫錯(cuò)誤,問一問這封信聽起來像不像自己。
他補(bǔ)充道,你不應(yīng)該讓電腦生成的內(nèi)容代替人類的工作,但他指出,利用ChatGPT的幫助是可以的,就像你會(huì)讓朋友幫你修改求職信一樣。此外,在申請(qǐng)工作時(shí)使用人工智能不見得是件新鮮事;人們?cè)缇烷_始依賴模板以及自動(dòng)拼寫和語法工具(例如Grammarly)了。
“從多種角度來看,這是一種人類驅(qū)動(dòng)的技術(shù)輔助過程的演變。”巴勃羅·岡薩雷斯說,并舉了人們長期以來是如何使用模板來寫求職信的例子?!安贿^,關(guān)鍵在于知道什么時(shí)候該使用人工智能,什么時(shí)候不該用,以及怎么用?!?/p>
比如說,如果你申請(qǐng)的是一份寫作類崗位,巴勃羅·岡薩雷斯建議,這種情況下就要自己寫求職信,因?yàn)檫@個(gè)崗位更看重創(chuàng)意。這意味著,作為一名記者,我很遺憾地還不能走出求職信的叢林,而軟件工程師可能就不用受這個(gè)阻礙了。
自己寫的求職信已經(jīng)過時(shí)了
讓ChatGPT代替部分員工自己寫求職信(除了還需要進(jìn)行一些人為調(diào)整)看起來可能有些極端,但如果你問擁有近30年工作經(jīng)驗(yàn)的德勤執(zhí)行董事阿曼納特,她會(huì)說這屬于自然發(fā)展的一部分。她說,求職信曾經(jīng)是一件“大事”:一封真正的求職信應(yīng)該包括推薦信和簡歷背景介紹。
但這是隨著技術(shù)的發(fā)展而演變的。當(dāng)人們開始通過電子郵件發(fā)送簡歷時(shí),它經(jīng)常像一個(gè)煩人的兄弟姐妹一樣跟著。后來求職者開始通過公司的在線招聘板提交自己的信息,求職信的價(jià)值和目的逐漸減弱,因?yàn)榍舐氄呱暾?qǐng)的職位和內(nèi)容變得越來越清晰。但是,就像兄弟姐妹一樣,它留了下來。
阿曼納特說,雖然求職信的原始形式已經(jīng)不復(fù)存在,但它仍然是一種“遺產(chǎn)”。從手寫到打字機(jī)再到Word文檔,人工智能可能是求職信的下一個(gè)合乎邏輯的發(fā)展方向。阿曼納特稱,只要工具是準(zhǔn)確的,使用工具就“顯示了人們學(xué)習(xí)和適應(yīng)的欲望”。
正如巴勃羅·岡薩雷斯所言,自動(dòng)化在雇主端已經(jīng)應(yīng)用了一段時(shí)間了,例如求職者跟蹤系統(tǒng)等。目前沒有改變的是誰來招聘;求職信的篩選可能由機(jī)器人主導(dǎo),但簽發(fā)工作機(jī)會(huì)的通常是人類(至少目前是這樣)。巴勃羅·岡薩雷斯說,只要有人類參與到這個(gè)流程里,最好還是讓這個(gè)過程更加人性化。
“你可以使用所有你想用的技術(shù),但最終,是人類在雇傭人類。最終的決定是人對(duì)人的決定?!?/p>
戈雷德瑪說,這意味著,如果一份人工智能求職信不真實(shí),或者聽起來不像你,那么你可能就會(huì)在面試過程中受到影響,因?yàn)樵诖诉^程中,你表現(xiàn)自己的方式和你實(shí)際說話的方式之間會(huì)出現(xiàn)差距。
但就目前而言,在門口迎接求職者的是機(jī)器人,你就能夠用自己生成的人工智能問候語和他們打招呼——當(dāng)然是個(gè)性化的招呼。(財(cái)富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:Agatha
在《終結(jié)者》(Terminator)和《黑鏡》(Black Mirror)的每一集之間,機(jī)器人的接管讓人理所當(dāng)然地感覺像是噩夢(mèng)來襲。但是,人工智能入侵正在慢慢滲透到現(xiàn)實(shí)生活中,Roomba接管了除塵界,Alexa音響接管了音樂選擇人的角色,ChatGPT則在試著起草別人不愿意寫的內(nèi)容,比如求職信。
與大多數(shù)事情一樣,圍繞ChatGPT的炒作讓職場(chǎng)人感到幾家歡喜幾家愁。有些人擔(dān)心自己的工作會(huì)被人工智能取代,但也有人發(fā)現(xiàn),人工智能對(duì)求職大有幫助。哈里斯民意調(diào)查公司(The Harris Poll)為《財(cái)富》雜志開展的一項(xiàng)調(diào)查顯示,在近4,000名員工里,有61%的人表示,他們?cè)谇舐氈惺褂昧巳斯ぶ悄堋蠖鄶?shù)是用于練習(xí)面試問題,但也有人用人工智能寫簡歷和求職信。
我不怪他們:一想到再也不用寫陳詞濫調(diào)的求職信了,讓人感覺如釋重負(fù),盡管依賴一款連創(chuàng)始人都承認(rèn)還處于早期階段的產(chǎn)品會(huì)讓人有點(diǎn)不安。還有一個(gè)問題是,讓機(jī)器人幫助你寫求職信是否合乎道德——這感覺有點(diǎn)像抄作業(yè)。但招聘人員會(huì)留意嗎?
我最近對(duì)我的理論進(jìn)行了測(cè)試,要求ChatGPT“按照以下職位中列出的資歷技能要求寫一封求職信”,我給出的崗位是布魯克林音樂學(xué)院(Brooklyn Academy of Music)的廣告文案人員。就像變魔術(shù)一樣,一封相當(dāng)通用的求職信展開在我面前:
親愛的招聘經(jīng)理:
很高興能夠申請(qǐng)布魯克林音樂學(xué)院最近在LinkedIn上刊登的廣告文案職位。我有半年的文案工作經(jīng)驗(yàn),直覺敏銳,溝通清晰,我相信我的能力符合這個(gè)崗位的要求。
我之前曾經(jīng)擔(dān)任過一家營銷機(jī)構(gòu)的文案人員,曾經(jīng)為包括電子郵件、網(wǎng)絡(luò)內(nèi)容、社交媒體和數(shù)字廣告在內(nèi)的多種媒介形式撰寫文案。我與客戶密切溝通,確保他們的愿景可以在文案里得到準(zhǔn)確傳達(dá),我起草的文案質(zhì)量和效果持續(xù)得到積極的反饋。
我在文法、編輯和校對(duì)方面都擁有很高的技能,一直努力高質(zhì)量完成工作。此外,我對(duì)表演藝術(shù)和文化頗感興趣,也較為熟悉布魯克林音樂學(xué)院的品牌。
在團(tuán)隊(duì)中,我在合作的氛圍里積極成長,我愿意接受批評(píng)和反饋來優(yōu)化工作。我工作作風(fēng)嚴(yán)謹(jǐn)有序,善于管理交付期限緊張的工作任務(wù)、設(shè)定任務(wù)優(yōu)先級(jí),擁有較高的自驅(qū)力,能夠積極主動(dòng)地溝通和解決問題。
如果可以有機(jī)會(huì)為布魯克林音樂學(xué)院工作,為貴院規(guī)劃發(fā)展事業(yè)的文案撰寫做出貢獻(xiàn),將讓我十分激動(dòng)。感謝您考慮我的申請(qǐng)。
順致敬意
克洛伊
我給三位專家看了這封求職信——一位職場(chǎng)教練、一位機(jī)構(gòu)顧問和一位人工智能思想領(lǐng)袖,但直到他們看完后,我才告訴他們這封信是機(jī)器人寫的。結(jié)果,他們大多沒有留意或者根本就不關(guān)心,盡管他們表示這封信還需要做一些調(diào)整,而且如果招聘人員問我是否得到了人工智能的幫助,我就需要坦白。他們的接受度標(biāo)志著當(dāng)初手寫的求職信已經(jīng)演化到了最新階段。如果我們正確使用ChatGPT,它就能夠幫助我們起草這封我們知道其實(shí)已經(jīng)名存實(shí)亡的求職信。
機(jī)器人的工作,像機(jī)器人一樣的工作
專家們一致認(rèn)為:我的ChatGPT求職信還過得去,但如果我想在競爭中脫穎而出,就還需要一些人工修改。
在看了這封并不是我寫的求職信后,職業(yè)教練及Twenty Ten Agency的創(chuàng)始人奧克塔維亞·戈雷德瑪對(duì)我說:“寫的不錯(cuò),克洛伊。”她表示,篇幅和例子都很好,但有幾個(gè)表述多余了?!坝悬c(diǎn)公式化,但它替你把活干了。”
它還通過了貝娜·阿曼納特的測(cè)試,她說它讀起來“非常好”,要不是我告訴她,她根本看不出這是人工智能生成的。盡管因?yàn)樗堑虑冢―eloitte)人工智能研究所(A.I. Institute)的執(zhí)行董事,她可能有點(diǎn)偏心,但我的第三位專家也認(rèn)為這封信“可以接受”。胡安·巴勃羅·岡薩雷斯是咨詢公司光輝國際(Korn Ferry)的高級(jí)客戶合伙人和專業(yè)服務(wù)部門負(fù)責(zé)人。他告訴我,我的人工智能求職信通過了人工智能內(nèi)容檢測(cè)器的檢測(cè),檢測(cè)報(bào)告顯示其中79%是人類生成的內(nèi)容。
不過,他注意到其中有些拼寫錯(cuò)誤,還有一些表述聽起來與職位描述太過相似,這讓他懷疑到底是不是我寫的,還是說我寫得是不是太快了,因?yàn)榇蠖鄶?shù)人聽上去不會(huì)這么說話。
也就是說:雖然ChatGPTn為求職信打下良好基礎(chǔ),但它有點(diǎn)像機(jī)器人(雙關(guān)語)。我們還不能完全放開手腳,因?yàn)槲覀冃枰跈C(jī)器生成的內(nèi)容之上,加入一些個(gè)人經(jīng)歷和一些天資特點(diǎn)。戈雷德瑪稱,它們能夠作為“基準(zhǔn)點(diǎn)”,但應(yīng)該進(jìn)行個(gè)性化修改。可以把它作為初稿,但之后你必須把它變成自己的,巴勃羅·岡薩雷斯表示同意,并補(bǔ)充道,對(duì)于那些厭惡寫作或?qū)σ粡埌准埜械胶ε碌娜藖碚f,這是一個(gè)很好的起點(diǎn):“但如果你只是讓機(jī)器來做所有的事,你就永遠(yuǎn)無法脫穎而出?!?/p>
否則,你可能會(huì)錯(cuò)失能分享個(gè)人經(jīng)歷或者談一談你為什么期待這個(gè)崗位的機(jī)會(huì)。他建議使用人工智能寫求職信的人做兩件事情:檢查拼寫錯(cuò)誤,問一問這封信聽起來像不像自己。
他補(bǔ)充道,你不應(yīng)該讓電腦生成的內(nèi)容代替人類的工作,但他指出,利用ChatGPT的幫助是可以的,就像你會(huì)讓朋友幫你修改求職信一樣。此外,在申請(qǐng)工作時(shí)使用人工智能不見得是件新鮮事;人們?cè)缇烷_始依賴模板以及自動(dòng)拼寫和語法工具(例如Grammarly)了。
“從多種角度來看,這是一種人類驅(qū)動(dòng)的技術(shù)輔助過程的演變?!卑筒_·岡薩雷斯說,并舉了人們長期以來是如何使用模板來寫求職信的例子?!安贿^,關(guān)鍵在于知道什么時(shí)候該使用人工智能,什么時(shí)候不該用,以及怎么用?!?/p>
比如說,如果你申請(qǐng)的是一份寫作類崗位,巴勃羅·岡薩雷斯建議,這種情況下就要自己寫求職信,因?yàn)檫@個(gè)崗位更看重創(chuàng)意。這意味著,作為一名記者,我很遺憾地還不能走出求職信的叢林,而軟件工程師可能就不用受這個(gè)阻礙了。
自己寫的求職信已經(jīng)過時(shí)了
讓ChatGPT代替部分員工自己寫求職信(除了還需要進(jìn)行一些人為調(diào)整)看起來可能有些極端,但如果你問擁有近30年工作經(jīng)驗(yàn)的德勤執(zhí)行董事阿曼納特,她會(huì)說這屬于自然發(fā)展的一部分。她說,求職信曾經(jīng)是一件“大事”:一封真正的求職信應(yīng)該包括推薦信和簡歷背景介紹。
但這是隨著技術(shù)的發(fā)展而演變的。當(dāng)人們開始通過電子郵件發(fā)送簡歷時(shí),它經(jīng)常像一個(gè)煩人的兄弟姐妹一樣跟著。后來求職者開始通過公司的在線招聘板提交自己的信息,求職信的價(jià)值和目的逐漸減弱,因?yàn)榍舐氄呱暾?qǐng)的職位和內(nèi)容變得越來越清晰。但是,就像兄弟姐妹一樣,它留了下來。
阿曼納特說,雖然求職信的原始形式已經(jīng)不復(fù)存在,但它仍然是一種“遺產(chǎn)”。從手寫到打字機(jī)再到Word文檔,人工智能可能是求職信的下一個(gè)合乎邏輯的發(fā)展方向。阿曼納特稱,只要工具是準(zhǔn)確的,使用工具就“顯示了人們學(xué)習(xí)和適應(yīng)的欲望”。
正如巴勃羅·岡薩雷斯所言,自動(dòng)化在雇主端已經(jīng)應(yīng)用了一段時(shí)間了,例如求職者跟蹤系統(tǒng)等。目前沒有改變的是誰來招聘;求職信的篩選可能由機(jī)器人主導(dǎo),但簽發(fā)工作機(jī)會(huì)的通常是人類(至少目前是這樣)。巴勃羅·岡薩雷斯說,只要有人類參與到這個(gè)流程里,最好還是讓這個(gè)過程更加人性化。
“你可以使用所有你想用的技術(shù),但最終,是人類在雇傭人類。最終的決定是人對(duì)人的決定。”
戈雷德瑪說,這意味著,如果一份人工智能求職信不真實(shí),或者聽起來不像你,那么你可能就會(huì)在面試過程中受到影響,因?yàn)樵诖诉^程中,你表現(xiàn)自己的方式和你實(shí)際說話的方式之間會(huì)出現(xiàn)差距。
但就目前而言,在門口迎接求職者的是機(jī)器人,你就能夠用自己生成的人工智能問候語和他們打招呼——當(dāng)然是個(gè)性化的招呼。(財(cái)富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:Agatha
Between the Terminator and every other Black Mirror episode, a robot takeover rightfully feels like the stuff of nightmares. But an A.I. invasion is slowly seeping into real life, as Roombas take over the world of sweeping dust, Alexa speakers co-opt the role of selecting music, and ChatGPT takes a whirl at making content no one else wants to write—like cover letters.
As with many things, the hype surrounding ChatGPT has stirred both excitement and dismay in the workplace. While some workers are worried A.I. will take over their jobs, others have found the tool helpful for them while they job hunt. Of the one-third of nearly 4,000 employees in a survey conducted by The Harris Poll for Fortune, 61% say they’re using the A.I. technology in their search—mostly to practice interview questions, but also for help writing their résumé and cover letter.
I don’t blame them; the idea of never having to write a corny cover letter again feels relieving, even if it’s a bit unnerving to rely on a product whose founder even admits to be in its early stages. There’s also the issue of whether it’s ethical to have a robot write your cover letter—it feels a bit like copying someone else’s homework. But would a recruiter even notice?
I recently tested out my theory, prompting ChatGPT to “write me a cover letter with the qualifications from the below job listing,” plugging in a position for a copywriter at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Like dull magic, a pretty generic cover letter followed:
Dear Hiring Manager,
I am excited to apply for the copywriter position at Brooklyn Academy of Music that was recently advertised on LinkedIn. With my six months of copywriting experience and intuitive sense for clear communication, I am confident in my ability to fulfill the essential duties and responsibilities of this role.
In my previous role as a copywriter for a marketing agency, I developed copy for a range of mediums, including emails, web content, social media, and digital ads. I worked collaboratively with clients to ensure that their vision was accurately conveyed in the copy, and I consistently received positive feedback for the quality and effectiveness of my writing.
I am highly skilled in grammar, editing, and proofreading, and I am committed to delivering high-quality work. Additionally, I have a demonstrated interest in performing arts and culture, and I am familiar with Brooklyn Academy of Music’s brand.
As a team player, I thrive in a collaborative environment, and I am comfortable receiving critique and feedback to optimize my work. I am highly organized and skilled in managing tight deadlines and prioritizing tasks, and I am self-motivated and proactive in communicating and problem-solving.
I am excited about the opportunity to work for Brooklyn Academy of Music and contribute to the development of copy for programmatic and development initiatives. Thank you for considering my application.
Sincerely,
Chloe
I showed three experts—a career coach, an organizational consultant, and an A.I. thought leader—the cover letter, but didn’t tell them a robot wrote it until after they read it. Turns out, they mostly didn’t notice or care, although they acknowledged it needed a few tweaks and that I would need to fess up if a recruiter asked if I had A.I. help. Their acceptance signifies that the cover letter, which was originally handwritten back in the day, has reached its latest stage of evolution. If we use the tool right, ChatGPT could render writing the cover letter as we know it dead.
This robot’s work, this robot’s work
The consensus among the experts: My ChatGPT cover letter was passable, but if I wanted to stand out among my competition, it would need some human modification.
After reading the cover letter I didn’t write, Octavia Goredema, career coach and founder of Twenty Ten Agency, told me, “Good job, Chloe.” The length and examples were good, she said, but there were a few redundant phrases. “It was a little formulaic, but it did the job for you.”
It also passed the test with Beena Ammanath, who said it read “very well” and that she wouldn’t have been able to tell it was A.I. generated if I hadn’t told her. While she might be slightly biased considering that she’s the executive director of Deloitte’s A.I. Institute, my third expert also found it “acceptable.” That would be Juan Pablo Gonzalez, a senior client partner and sector leader for professional services at consulting firm Korn Ferry, who told me my A.I. cover letter passed an A.I. content detector, which reported that it was 79% human generated content.
However, he noticed a few typos and phrasings that sounded off or too similar to the job description, which made him wonder if I wrote it or if I did so quickly since it didn’t sound like how most people talk.
That is to say: While ChatGPT can provide a solid foundation for a cover letter, it’s all a little robotic (pun intended). We can’t put our feet up fully just yet, as we need to build on the generative tool’s work, adding personal anecdotes and some flair. They can be used as a “point of reference” that should be customized, Gorodema says. It’s fine to use for a first draft, but then you have to make it your own, Pablo Gonzalez agrees, adding that it’s a great starting point for those who are writing averse or scared of a blank page: “You’re never going to stand out if you just have the machine do it all.”
Otherwise, you could miss the opportunity to share something personal or what excited you about the role. He advises that workers using A.I. to write a cover letter do two things: Check for typos and ask if sounds like their voice.
He adds that you shouldn’t represent computer generated work as human work, but says it’s okay to enlist ChatGPT for help the same way you’d ask a friend to edit your cover letter. Besides, using A.I. while applying to jobs isn’t necessarily a new thing; people have been relying on templates and automated spelling and grammar tools like Grammarly for a while now.
“This is in many ways an evolution of sort of a human driven technology assisted process,” Pablo Gonzalez says, pointing to how people have long used templates for cover letters. “The twist though, is knowing when to use A.I., when not to, and how to use it.”
For example, if you’re applying for a writing job, Pablo Gonzalez suggests always writing a cover letter since originality is probably more important here. Which means that, as a journalist, I’m sadly not out of the cover letter woods yet, although software engineers may be more in the clear.
The self-written cover letter has been on its way out
ChatGPT eliminating the self-written cover letter for some workers (minus a few human adjustments) might seem drastic, but if you ask Ammanath, the Deloitte executive director who has nearly three decades in the workforce under her belt, it’s part of a natural progression. Cover letters used to be a “huge deal,” she says: A true letter once included references and an introduction giving context for the résumé.
But that evolved alongside technology. When people began emailing résumés, it often tagged along like an annoying little sibling. Its value and purpose waned as applicants began submitting their information via a company’s online job board, as it became more clear where and what they were applying for. But, like a sibling, it stuck around.
While the original form of the cover letter no longer exists, Ammanath says, it’s still become a “l(fā)egacy.” A.I. just might be the next logical step for cover letters in the long line of the hand to typewriters to Word documents. Ammanath says that using a tool as long as it’s accurate “shows the appetite to learn and adapt.”
Automation has already been taking place on the employer side for a while now with applicant tracking systems, as Pablo Gonzalez points out. What hasn’t changed yet is who does the hiring; cover letter screening may be robot-oriented, but the one who signs off on giving a job offer is generally a human (at least, for now). And when people get involved it’s best to make the process more personal, says Pablo Gonzalez.
“You use all the technology you want, but at the end of the day, humans are hiring humans. That final decision is the person-to-person decision,” he says.
That means if an A.I. cover letter isn’t truthful or doesn’t sound like you, career coach Goredema says, it might catch up to you during the interview process, where a gap between how you present yourself and how you actually talk appears.
But for now, robots are meeting job candidates at the door, and it’s okay to say hi to them with your own generated A.I. greetings—personalized, of course.