Hiring managers have all kinds of pet peeves when it comes to the job interview. About a third, 30% say not having researched the company interviewing you ahead of time is a major turn-off, for example. That’s according to a November 2023 survey of 1,200 adults by HR software company Ringover.
When preparing for an interview, you’ll want to be ready for the kinds of questions they’ll ask about your own professional history as well. You could prepare by going over your resume to ensure you’re touching on similar highlights or asking a friend to rehearse the interview with you. You could also use generative AI tools like ChatGPT.
The app is “a great co-pilot” for preparing for interviews, says former Disney recruiter and author of the forthcoming leadership book “Build Smart,” Simon Taylor. Here’s why and how he’d recommend using it.
‘Literally just paste in the job description’
ChatGPT can use a job description to generate the kinds of questions a hiring manager or prospective employer would ask in an interview.
Taylor himself would tell the bot something like, “I’m interviewing for a job and I’m going to provide you with a job description and I’d like for you to provide me with a list of potential interview questions,” he says. “And then literally just paste in the job description.”
You can get more specific with the app and tell it to ask you specific types of questions, if you think that’ll help. If you’re a project manager, for example, you can ask it to pose questions about challenges you might face in leading a team.
“I’d be looking for ChatGPT to provide anywhere from seven to 10 questions,” says Taylor, “to help provide a well-rounded slate.”
‘Any kind of preparation is just going to help you’
The app can’t 100% predict what questions you’ll get asked in a job interview, of course. But it will help you prepare and start thinking about the best way to present yourself.
“Any kind of preparation is just going to help you organize your thoughts and identify the best experiences, or most relevant experiences that you want to highlight,” he says. It’ll help you practice and hone your answers so you know exactly what you want to say. Taylor’s No. 1 interview tip is to be concise in your answers and keep them to about a minute each. It shows respect for your interviewer, he says.
Using ChatGPT is “definitely a smart approach” to ensure you’re ready for the interview, says Taylor.
