5 Tips for AI Job Interviews
- Job interviews mediated by artificial intelligence are growing in popularity.
- AI can assess a candidate’s skills by analyzing how you respond to common interview questions.
- It’s a new challenge for job seekers who may be unfamiliar with speaking to AI.
- Interview tips for AI interviews include maintaining eye contact, using keywords, and being brief.
Ever sat down and talked to artificial intelligence? You just might in your next job interview.
More and more employers are using automated video interviews to help with hiring. These AI-led video interviews can gauge your skills by analyzing what you say — and how you say it.
How does it work? You record responses to a series of timed questions on your laptop or smartphone as AI watches and listens. AI then flags the most promising candidates for further review using data from the video.
AI can analyze details such as:
Word choice- Keywords used
- Facial expressions
- Tone of voice
- Eye contact
AI can use this analysis to assess your character traits and determine if those attributes are key to the job. For example, AI might conclude you’re good with clients if you maintain eye contact.
All that said, AI-led job interviews present some challenges and opportunities for job seekers.
In a recent BestColleges survey of 1,303 workers, 23% of workers said that transportation costs are a major financial barrier to changing jobs. Doing an AI interview from home could save money.
But 32% of the workers also said that taking unpaid time off to prepare for a job interview is a problem. Getting ready to speak to AI could add more preparation time than normal.
Either way, you’ll need to know what to expect going into an AI interview. Here are five interview tips for speaking to AI, according to experts.
1. Treat it like a normal job interview.
There are some quirks with talking to an AI, but you can still pitch yourself the usual way, says Omer Usanmaz, CEO and co-founder of Qooper. Prepare like you normally would for an interview, such as practicing answers to common interview questions.
Usanmaz’s Advice:
- Be honest and genuine, as if you were talking to a real person.
- Keep your answers brief — a few sentences will do the trick.
- Most importantly, let your qualifications and experience speak for themselves.
2. Practice your non-verbal cues.
AI can detect your facial expressions, tone of voice, and even if you maintain eye contact with the camera. It’s important to practice all of these signals and have them under control, says Cornelius Fichtner, an information technology career coach.
Fichtner’s Advice:
- Keep your laptop or smartphone camera at eye-level.
- Remove any background items that may be a visual distraction for AI.
- Record yourself answering questions to see how you’re doing.
3. Remember the time limit.
Answering questions under time pressure isn’t easy, especially if there are no retakes. Timing how long it takes you to answer questions like, “What is your greatest weakness?” will help make sure your response doesn’t get cut off, says David Bitton, founder of DoorLoop.
Bitton’s Advice:
- Find the right conversational speed for you, but keep the time limit in mind.
- Speaking too slowly may use up too much time, while speaking too quickly might make you sound anxious.
- Avoid small talk or casual conversation that will make your answers longer.
4. Include keywords from the job description.
An important part of an AI’s job is listening for keywords. These keywords are usually specific skills, tools, or technologies essential to the job. Mentioning them in your answers will boost your chances of getting to the next stage, says Shawn Plummer, CEO of The Annuity Expert.
Plummer’s Advice:
- You can usually find the right keywords or phrases in the job description.
- Suppose you’re applying for a leadership role at an information technology company. In that case, you’d want to mention keywords like “managed” or “oversee.”
- For example: “The past two years, I’ve managed a team of eight analysts in IT compliance….”
5. Don’t forget the purpose of one-way interviews.
Plummer says that AI interviews often help weed out the candidates who are far too underqualified yet apply anyway. You have nothing to worry about if you’re a good fit for the role; keep that in mind if you feel uneasy or intimidated.
Plummer’s Advice:
- It’s normal to feel apprehensive about an AI interview.
- Remember that one-way interviews often eliminate vastly unqualified candidates, so stick to your talking points.
- Your skills and qualifications will shine through, even if the interview experience is unfamiliar.