AI is rapidly changing the way people apply for jobs. Standing out can feel more difficult than ever, as technology allows applicants to customize their resumes, apply to hundreds of positions, and blow their way through interviews.
Christina Simmons, a partner at Andreessen Horowitz who was chief of staff at Vinod Khosla’s venture capital firm Khosla Ventures and now runs her own firm Overwater Ventures, cautioned against relying too much on AI in job searches.
When recruiting and interviewing candidates, she looks for people who can communicate from the heart. ”You can’t lie about your heart. You can’t fake your guts,” she told Business Insider.
Simmons talks about how candidates can stand out in today’s AI-filled job market.
become visible to potential employers
Simmons says if you’re applying for a job at a company and the CEO is speaking at an event, one way to stand out in a crowded job market is to show up and introduce yourself. Tell the CEO what role you applied for and why you were interested in it.
Or, if the CEO belongs to X, one strategy might be to reply to one of their posts with an interesting perspective. “Instead of asking people to want you, ask them to do the opposite,” she says.
Use the tools you have
Simmons is a big believer in leveraging the tools at your disposal, including AI, in your job search.
Simmons said if AI had existed in the A16z interview, she would have used it to research the company and the interviewer.
He also said AI could help you “chart a path” to the field you want to work in. For example, you could ask AI which companies are the most interesting in women’s health, and it could guide your research into entering that industry.
Get creative with AI
Candidates can also use AI to create creative things faster, like beautifully designed decks that explain why they’re a great candidate.
Or maybe you have some interesting ideas for how to use AI in that role. “We had candidates who wanted to join Overwater, and they said, ‘Hey, this is how I’m going to use AI throughout your company, and this is what I’m doing before I get the job.’ This was an interesting way to use new tools to sell them that they should get the job,” Simmons said.
That said, Simmons says AI shouldn’t be used for everything, especially when it comes to interviews.
“The best part of interviewing is knowing that the person is a human being, and you can’t use technology to do that. It shows in the passion, the energy, the atmosphere of the interview. You can’t disguise that,” she said.
Do you have a story to share about AI-powered job hunting? Contact this reporter at: ccheong@businessinsider.com