I remember tossing and turning in bed, not being able to sleep the night before having to go to New York City to interview for a summer internship. I was really excited to have the opportunity to achieve my first internship, but I also had no clue what to expect. With the competitive job market, getting an internship was a big deal to me. I sat on the bus the next morning with sweaty palms thinking about every possible thing that could go wrong as I tried to read over some brief notes that I typed up days prior.
The days are quickly passing by until graduation, and the time is approaching where many students will begin applying for full time jobs, or already have. Many college students desire having a full time job in their hands before they graduate, while others still have no clue what they want to do (which is totally fine).
Having to polish up your resume, decide where to apply to and prepare for the interview process are some of the stages that candidates have to go through. The idea of deciding where to apply for your first full time job could be extremely scary and stressful.
According to CNN, many companies are starting to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to interview candidates for job positions. This AI technology is able to analyze details from candidates’ interviews, determining the candidates’ tone while speaking and view their facial expressions. This will help employers determine if they are fit for the job. CNN states that AI may not be used for higher positions such as executives, but will be tried on entry positions.
Is this new interview process using algorithms the way to go? Absolutely not. I strongly believe that one could not truly tell how fit a person is for a job through an electronic interview. According to CNN, Stephen Roach, a career services consultant at Purdue’s center for career opportunities, makes a good point that it is unfair to judge a candidate if they speak in a lower toned voice compared to another candidate if that is how they actually talk. Isn’t it the qualifications and experience that matters?
As a senior preparing to go into the job market, I would not want to be judged by a technology-based interview. AI should not make candidates feel unworthy of getting a job because it did not detect who they truly are. How could one judge how well someone could work in a team by just saying certain words?
CNN quotes Matthew French, assistant director of employer relations at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte who says, “But what worries me about AI is AI can’t tell the heart of a person and the drive a person has.”
Getting a job is a huge part of any candidate’s life, and through AI interviews, it seems as if careers are taken less seriously and it is just an easier route of hiring for the company.
According to CNN, many colleges and universities are now preparing how to win against an AI interview, which is absurd. Many students interviewed in this article are actually referring to this new technique as a “game.” If students are trying to talk in a certain way or say certain words that they know the system will detect, they are not showing their true self. Instead, they are presenting a false identity. This can also show that some students may seem more qualified for the job if they know how to rig the system compared to students who don’t know how to “play the game” and are still more qualified.
While I see how some candidates would feel more comfortable with this new practice for interviewing, I strongly believe that it takes away from the face to face interview. There are many aspects that you cannot pick up on from behind a screen. Attending an interview face to face shows one’s commitment and effort in wanting a job. Face to face interviews are also much more beneficial for an interviewee because they get the opportunity to view the atmosphere of their potential workplace. They are able to see how their potential department works together and may get some shadowing experience too.
I took advantage of the many resources that Fairfield University’s Academic and Career Development Center has to offer, such as the Sophomore Success program, to prepare for interviews. If students prepare well for interviews, such as participating in mock interviews and practicing their skills in general, this may relieve some of their stress. It is all about the preparation and should not be compared to a game.
The interview process is already stressful, and the idea of having to practice how to win against an AI interview process is crazy. Although technology is trying to take over the world, interviews are one thing technology should not be replacing.
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