Your guide to job searching with AI

Artificial intelligence (AI) can support your job search by helping you spot vacancies that match your interests quicker and summarising key information from job adverts. Some paid AI tools (including advanced versions of ChatGPT) allow you to set up regular tasks so the tool can run searches for you and send you updates when it finds roles that fit your criteria. Always check what your chosen tool can do as features and capabilities change regularly.

However, there are also limitations to using AI for job searching. AI is only as effective as the instructions you give it, and it can sometimes suggest roles that aren’t student or graduate level, are in the wrong location, or don’t match your interests. It also cannot access everything – for example, roles that sit behind a login, and the information it provides isn’t always completely accurate or up to date.

This guide explains the main advantages and disadvantages of using AI in your job search, and shows you how to make the most of it by understanding what AI can and cannot do, using our 3Ps to write clearer prompts and additional considerations when using AI.

If you are new to using AI or are thinking about using it at other stages in your career thinking (career exploration, interviews, applications), check out our AI and You: Careers, Jobs and Applications page for a broader understanding of effective AI use and our Considerations when using AI page for information about university guidance and how to mitigate challenges presented by using AI in your career thinking.

What using AI can/cannot do for you

AI can:

  • Suggest vacancies that match the criteria you give it (for example role type, sector, location, salary range, and level of seniority).
  • Summarise key details from job adverts, such as main responsibilities and essential criteria.
  • Some paid tools can run regular searches and send you updates when new roles that fit your criteria appear.

AI cannot:

  • Access roles that sit behind a login (for example CareerConnect or your personal LinkedIn account) – you will still need to log in and search these platforms yourself.
  • Find every suitable role. It may miss vacancies, so you should combine AI with your own targeted searches to maximise your results.
  • Guarantee accurate or complete information about each role. AI tools can “hallucinate” (invent details or misinterpret adverts), so always click through to the original job description and treat any AI summary as a starting point, not your only source of information.
  • Get dates right 100% of the time. AI may include expired roles, so tell it the current date and ask it to exclude vacancies with closing dates after today and always double-check the closing date on the original advert.

Our 3P’s to using AI effectively

If you haven’t heard of our ‘3 P’s’ (Prepare, Prompt, Proofread), there is more information on our AI and You: Careers, Jobs and Applications page. If using AI for job-searching, you might apply the 3P's as follows:

Prepare

  • Do you know what you are looking for? Before starting your job search it is important to reflect on what you are looking for. If you don’t know that’s okay, start with our ‘I don’t know what I want to do’ page and talk through your options with a careers advisor in a 1:1 Careers appointment.
  • Which AI tools are you going to use? You can find further information about different tools and university guidance to learn about what different tools can be used and select the one which is right for you via the Library's resources: Artificial Intelligence. Some popular tools that are used for job searching include Microsoft Copilot and Chat GPT.
  • Do you know the correct title of the role you are searching for? Job titles can be confusing, and AI requires clear prompts to be effective. (Job titles explained (The University of Manchester)).
  • Can you spot a scam vacancy? Jobs listed through AI platforms are not vetted by the University so ensure you have done your research to distinguish between a scam and a genuine vacancy. (Spotting scam jobs (The University of Manchester)).

Prompt

While AI tools like Copilot can assist with your job search, they require clear and structured prompts. Use the RTF model (developed by Durham University):

  • Role – Who should the AI act as? Be specific about the perspective you want the AI to take.
    • Example: Instead of “Find me jobs in the marketing sector”, try “You are an experienced careers professional with expertise in graduate job search strategies.”
  • Task – What exactly do you want it to do? Clearly define the search criteria and include relevant detail.
    • Example: Instead of a broad request, try “Please identify 10 current graduate-level marketing roles that are based in the Greater Manchester area in the UK, offer a salary of at least £27,000, and preferably involve working for a charity or non-profit organisation. Exclude internships and unpaid roles, and only include vacancies that are still open.”
  • Format – How should the output be delivered? Guide how you want the response structured and what information to include.
    • Example: Instead of leaving this open, try “Present the results in a table with columns for job title, employer, location, salary (if listed) and closing date, with a one-sentence summary based on the original job advert.”

Proofread

AI pulls information from various sources and may not always filter it correctly. Always check:

  • The vacancy is still live - AI may not always have the most up to date information.
  • Other AI platforms and your own manual search – One platform is unlikely to generate all opportunities, it is important to use various strategies and tools in your job-search. Make sure that you are combining this automated search with manual searching of password protected job search platforms such as LinkedIn Jobs and CareerConnect. There is more information about job-search strategies here: Job search strategies (The University of Manchester).

Considerations when using AI:

When considering using AI to support your career-planning, it’s important to understand further considerations. For example, data privacy - submitting confidential or sensitive information to an AI system may result in that information being unintentionally revealed to other users. For more information including examples of how you might manage challenges when using AI in your career-thinking and the university’s wider policy, go to Considerations when using AI.

Further Resources

Keep checking this page for any updates; there are also useful resources below: