Latest news with #jobapplication
SBS Australia
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- SBS Australia
#91 Asking for a job reference (Adv)
spk_0 Learning English helps me to progress my career, absolutely. spk_1 SBS acknowledges the traditional custodians of country and their connections and continuous care for the skies, lands and waterways throughout Australia. Josipa Resume, cover letter.. Josipa reasons why I want to work here... Josipa references... Josipa Applying for a job can be a long and difficult process and involve a lot of writing. Josipa Hi everyone. My name is Josipa, and I have a friend, Julia, who finds one part of the whole job application process especially hard, asking someone to give her a reference. A referee is someone who can speak about your work experience, skills, and character when you apply for a job. Josipa This person could be your former manager or boss, a co-worker, a teacher if you haven't worked before, or someone who has seen you work, and what they say or write about you is called a reference. Josipa Now, Julia's feeling a bit unsure. She doesn't want to bother anyone. She's also not very good at tooting her own horn. That means talking proudly about yourself and your achievements. To be honest, I also find it hard to toot my own horn or blow my own trumpet, as some people say. Josipa We use these phrases - 'to toot your own horn', or 'to blow your own trumpet' because a long time ago, people used horns or trumpets to announce something important. Josipa So if you toot your own horn, you're basically announcing your success, like saying, 'Hey, look at me, I did something great!' But when you're applying for a job, of course, it's important to be able to talk confidently about your own skills, but you also need to have other people talk about your strengths as a professional. So in this episode, we are going to help Julia. Josipa And maybe help you to, to practice how to ask for a job reference. Josipa Alan is on the hunt, job hunting that is. That means he's looking for a new job. He's written his resume, fixed up his cover letter, and now, well, now he needs a reference. By the way, to fix up something means to make sure it is accurate and up to date. OK, so let's check in with Alan and see how he's going. Allan Claire, could I list you as a referee on my job application? Of course. Claire Feel free to put me down as a referee. Thanks. Allan I'd really appreciate it if you put in a good word for me. Would it be OK if I passed on your details? Claire Absolutely. Would you like me to highlight anything specific if they contact me? Josipa Claire is such a great colleague. She's not only helpful, but she also offered to make her recommendation fit the job. We all need a colleague like that, don't we? Josipa But what if you, like my friend Julia, don't know how to ask someone to be a referee? Don't worry, we've got you. Let's look at some simple and polite ways to ask someone to give you a reference for a job. We could use the example Alan gave us when he said. Allan Could I list you as a referee on my job application? Josipa This is a polite yet casual way of asking for a reference. If you want to sound even more friendly, you could say. Claire Would you mind being a referee for me? Josipa But what if you want to ask your boss or someone you have to be a little bit more formal with to be a referee? In that case, you'll want to sound a bit more professional. So you could say something like this. Allan I wanted to ask if you would feel comfortable providing a reference for me. Josipa Let me give you another formal example you can use when asking someone to be a referee for you. Claire I was wondering if you would be willing to serve as a referee for me. I would greatly appreciate your support. Josipa From the dialogue, we learned that Claire is willing to be Alan's reference because she said. Claire Of course. Feel free to use my name. Josipa We say 'feel free' when we want to give someone permission to do something. For example, if you have an idea for a topic you'd like us to cover in this podcast, feel free to contact me about it. Allan Thanks. I'd really appreciate it if you could put in a good word for me. Allan Would it be OK if I passed on your details? Josipa I'd really appreciate it if you could put in a good word for me. To put in a good word for someone means to say positive things about them, to help them get a job, or take up some sort of opportunity. It's like telling someone, this person is great and you should give them a chance. Josipa Maybe, maybe you recently completed a project with people outside your office and it went really well. You want to make sure that your manager knows that you have done good work and so you can ask them. Claire Can you put in a good word with my manager about the work I've done? Josipa Alan also said. Allan Would it be OK if I passed on your details? Josipa To pass on means to give or share information with someone else. In this context, details refer to contact information such as your phone number or email address. Now, let's say Alan wants to apply for a different job in his company. He could ask Claire, his supervisor. Allan Could you pass on my resume to the hiring manager? Josipa You can use the phrase pass on in friendly conversations as well, not just at work. Let's say you want to say something to my friend Julia, I could say that I'll be happy to pass on your message. Josipa At the end of the dialogue, Claire asked. Claire Would you like me to highlight anything specific if they contact me? Josipa In this case, 'highlight' means to focus on or talk more about something important like your skills, experience, or strengths. So Claire is asking Allan if there's anything specific he wants her to mention when someone contacts her for a reference. Josipa But let's say your job reference isn't as thoughtful as Claire, and they don't ask if there's anything specific they should mention. You still want them to focus on something important, right? In that case, you could say something like. Allan If possible, please mention my ability to work well under pressure and meet deadlines, or? Josipa I'd appreciate if you could talk about my communication skills, or Claire It would be very helpful if you could focus on my experience with customers. Josipa In professional context, using the phrases like if possible please, or I'd appreciate it if, or it would be very helpful if, can make your request sound polite and respectful. Josipa For example, you could say, if possible, please mention my experience managing projects, or I'd appreciate it if you could highlight my communication skills. These expressions help you ask for something clearly without sounding too direct or demanding. Josipa Now I hope you don't think I'm being too demanding. That means asking for a lot or being strict by asking you to listen to our dialogue again. After all, the dialogue will make a lot more sense now that we have explored the key phrases together. So let's listen to it again. Allan Claire, could I list you as a referee on my job application? Of course. Claire Feel free to put me down as a referee. Thanks. Allan I'd really appreciate it if you put in a good word for me. Would it be OK if I passed on your details? Claire Absolutely. Would you like me to highlight anything specific if they contact me? Josipa You might have noticed I've been away for the past few episodes, but my amazing colleague Kate Onomichi, jumped in and did a fantastic job hosting the podcast. Don't you think? Josipa Before I came back, Kate left me a little note. She said she asked one of our talent acquisition specialists here at SBS, Vidya Griffin, for some tips about job reference. Let's hear what Vydya had to say. Kate So when I moved back to Australia a few years ago, I really struggled to find a referee because anyone who knew me in a professional settings, um, were based overseas. So, for those that are just starting their career journey in Australia, can they consider nominating referees based overseas or, um, their family members or friends that are based in Australia? Vidya If you do have network outside of Australia, it would be something that could have value, but if there is, if you're based in Australia and you want to uh come and become part of the professional, um, you know, a professional area, I would strongly recommend to spread uh your network and leverage that. It could be through a university course that someone knows you or working on a separate project or even an industry even that you have collaborated. Vidya And maybe asking them about, hey, we've we've had an engagement and we have had a chat and opportunity to know me as an individual, uh, would you be open to refer me and be a part of, um, you know, part of my career journey, that could be one of the lines to think of. Uh, of course, it could be a professor who has seen you working on a project or even someone who has worked closely in in a very different volunteering arrangement or um or you know. Vidya You know, setting where it was not, um, it was not a paid rule, but it was an opportunity for you to apply your skills truly and help an organization or an event or an agenda to move forward. So do look for those avenues. So those can be your reference, have that as your, uh, have them on your side to be. Vidya and and include them in your career journey. Kate Based on your experience, what are some of the common misunderstandings or mistakes candidates tend to make when when it comes to asking for references? Vidya A lot of them, firstly, the main one they make is not asking the right person the question, uh, to be a referer. Uh, and when I say that, I mean, um, you know, it could be from Vidya Someone who has not observed your work closely. We're looking for someone who has worked with you closely can speak for you in terms of what you brought in a professional capacity or even if you were in an academic um environment, have they had a chance to look closely at what your achievements, your strengths, your development areas are? Are they able to speak about Vidya Uh, you know what you should be looked at as the next employee. So finding that why, why you have chosen and making sure that that's the right person that you're contacting is critical and also notifying them beforehand so that they're not surprised and Vidya And misplaced when you know they have been reached out and they're not able to bring value to the conversation, so that those are big hindrances that I see in a lot of candidates fail to to make and that's why it's important that you notify beforehand. Josipa That was Kate Onomichi chatting with Vidya Griffin. Now it's your turn to practice. See if you remember the meaning before hearing the answer. What does it mean to toot your own horn? Allan To toot your own horn or to blow your own trumpet means to talk proudly about yourself and your achievements. Josipa What does it mean to put in a good word? Claire To put in a good word for someone means to say positive things about them, to help them get a job or some sort of opportunity. Josipa And now, let's practice asking for a job reference. Allan Could I list you as a reference on my job application? Claire I wanted to ask if you would feel comfortable providing a reference for me. Allan Would you mind being a reference for me? Josipa For more speaking practice, feel free to press play on our bonus episode and make sure you follow us on Instagram and Facebook, where we have more resources. You can also put a good word in for me in the comment section if you feel like it. You don't know how to find us. Just search for SBS Learn English. I'm Josipa. Thank you for learning English with me today. END OF TRANSCRIPT
Forbes
3 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
10 Pros And Cons Of Using AI For Your Job Application
AI is changing how applicants approach the job application process. AI is transforming the job application process, with more than 40% of job seekers turning to artificial intelligence for help, according to research from Jobseeker. Over 90% say it makes their job application better, but there's a catch—41% of hiring managers are less likely to consider candidates who use AI. As reliance on algorithms and ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) grows, the debate over AI's role in hiring is just beginning. Here are the key advantages and disadvantages to consider before incorporating AI into your job search strategy. The Pros: Why AI Can Give You an Edge Let's start with the benefits that are making artificial intelligence an increasingly popular choice among job seekers: AI tools can dramatically speed up the job application process. With just a few ChatGPT prompts, you can generate resumes, cover letters, and answers to common questions in minutes. This makes it easier to apply for multiple roles without feeling overwhelmed. The traditional approach of crafting each application from scratch can take hours per position, but AI-generated resume tips allow job seekers to maintain quality while significantly increasing their application volume. Action Step: Use AI to draft content, then set aside time to review, personalize, and edit each document before submitting. AI Tool Tip: Teal is a free platform that uses artificial intelligence to organize and speed up the job application process, track your progress, and manage documents. AI-powered writing assistants can spot typos, grammatical errors, and awkward phrasing, helping you submit polished job applications every time. This is especially useful for non-native speakers or those who want their resumes and cover letters to sound more professional. Beyond basic corrections, these tools suggest improvements in sentence structure, word choice, and overall readability that might escape even careful human review. Action Step: Run your materials through a grammar checker, but always read them over yourself to catch subtle mistakes or unnatural language. AI Tool Tip: Grammarly instantly checks spelling, grammar, and tone, and can suggest improvements for clarity and professionalism. AI can help tailor your job application and cover letter to match specific job descriptions, increasing your chances of passing automated screenings and impressing hiring managers. By analyzing keywords and role requirements, artificial intelligence helps ensure your materials are relevant and targeted for each position. This level of customization would be nearly impossible to achieve manually across dozens of job applications while maintaining consistency and quality. Action Step: Feed the AI key details about the company and role, then customize the final product with your own insights and examples. AI Tool Tip: Rezi uses AI to automatically tailor your resume to each job description, optimizing keywords and ensuring your application stands out to both ATS and hiring managers. Submitting an AI-enhanced job application can help you feel more prepared and professional, especially if writing isn't your strong suit. Knowing your resume and cover letter have been reviewed and optimized gives many job seekers a confidence boost during their job search. This psychological benefit can translate into better interview performance and a more positive job search experience. Action Step: Use artificial intelligence to check your work, but make sure your own achievements and voice come through so you can confidently discuss your materials in interviews. AI Tool Tip: Kickresume offers AI-powered resume and cover letter creation with personalized templates, making it easy to produce professional documents. Many companies use ATS software that scans for keywords before a human ever sees your application. AI to optimize job applications can meet these requirements and help ensure your resume makes it through the initial digital screening. Without proper keyword optimization, even highly qualified candidates may never reach human reviewers, making this AI capability particularly valuable in today's automated hiring landscape. Action Step: Research keywords from the job description and use AI to incorporate them naturally, ensuring your application gets past initial digital screening. AI Tool Tip: Jobscan compares your resume to job descriptions and uses AI to maximize your keyword match for ATS systems. The Cons: Where AI Can Work Against You While AI offers compelling advantages, it's important to understand the potential drawbacks that could hurt your chances with employers: AI-generated resumes and text can sometimes lack personality or feel overly formulaic, which may cause hiring managers to lose interest in your application. If every candidate's responses sound the same, it becomes harder for you to stand out in a crowded job market. The risk increases when applicants rely too heavily on AI without adding their unique perspective and experiences to differentiate themselves from other candidates using similar tools. Action Step: Add personal stories, specific achievements, and authentic language to make your application memorable. AI Tool Tip: ChatGPT can generate personalized responses when you use advanced prompts, but always edit to reflect your unique experiences. Over-reliance on AI-generated resumes and materials can make your application feel less genuine, raising questions about your true abilities and motivations. Employers may wonder whether you actually possess the skills you describe or if the AI made them up. This authenticity gap becomes particularly problematic during interviews when candidates struggle to elaborate on AI-generated content or demonstrate the capabilities their applications claim they possess. Action Step: Balance AI assistance with your own insights and experiences, and make sure every statement accurately reflects your background. AI Tool Tip: Jasper AI can help you write and refine job application materials with the ability to inject your personal tone and stories, so your application remains authentic and unique. Some hiring managers view AI-generated resumes and cover letters as shortcuts or question the effort behind them, especially when answers sound robotic or vague. Many HR specialists say they are less likely to consider candidates who use AI in the application process. This growing skepticism means that obvious AI usage could hurt your chances, even if the content quality is high. Action Step: Use AI as a supportive tool, not a crutch. Be prepared to discuss your materials honestly and highlight where you added your personal touch. AI Tool Tip: guides you in generating AI-assisted cover letters while ensuring your voice and motivation remain front and center. AI can introduce errors or suggest experiences you didn't have, especially if prompts are vague or information is misunderstood. If unchecked, these inaccuracies can misrepresent your qualifications and potentially damage your credibility with employers. Action Step: Double-check every detail in your job application for accuracy and truthfulness before submitting. AI Tool Tip: QuillBot lets you rephrase and fact-check text, ensuring accuracy and helping you verify that the language matches your real experience. Sharing personal data with online AI tools for job seekers can expose you to privacy risks, especially if you're not using reputable or secure platforms. Action Step: Use only well-known, secure AI platforms and look for privacy features such as data encryption and user control over submissions. AI Tool Tip: Blacklight by The Markup uses AI to scan job application sites for trackers and potential privacy risks, helping you understand how your data might be used or shared. The key to successfully using AI in job applications lies in finding the right balance between efficiency and authenticity. As Anthropic notes, "Where it makes sense, we invite you to use Claude to show us more of you: your unique perspective, skills, and experiences." The future of AI-assisted job searching will favor candidates who can leverage these powerful tools while maintaining their genuine voice and demonstrating real value to potential employers.
UAE Moments
3 days ago
- General
- UAE Moments
Your Daily Career Tarot Card Reading for July 21st, 2025
21.7.25 The World: If you've doubted yourself regarding an idea, project, or job application or interview, then the World card shows up to tell you that you'll likely exceed expectations. It's time to feel the fear and do it anyway, as there's a good chance you'll also surpass yourself. However, you should continue to prepare and to do your best, as your positive attitude can bring you even more kudos.
RNZ News
03-07-2025
- RNZ News
The dos and don'ts of applying for a job using AI
By Daniel Johnson , ABC Photo: Thomas Lefebvre / Unsplash Applying for jobs can be stressful and if writing a cover letter leaves you feeling overwhelmed, it can be tempting to turn to generative artificial intelligence (GAI) tools such as ChatGPT. But according to recruiters and employment experts, using AI could make your job application stand out for all the wrong reasons. Here are some common pitfalls and how to avoid them. Libby Sander, an associate professor of organisational behaviour at Bond University on the Gold Coast/Yugambeh Country, says GAI has become so common "that most people are going to use it in some form to put their [job] application together". It's a sentiment echoed by Fiona Macdonald, acting director of the Australia Institute's Centre for Future Work. "People are learning every day that you can use it for all sorts of things, and drafting letters is one of the things, I think, that it's being increasingly used for in the workplace," Macdonald says. Maisy Staden, a recruitment team leader based in Sydney, on the traditional lands of the Gadigal people, says she has noticed a significant increase in the number of applicants using ChatGPT to write their cover letters for them. "The difference I've noticed in the past couple of years is just the increasing similarity between cover letters that I'm receiving," she says. "If I'm seeing a cover letter that, in my opinion, is really clearly written by ChatGPT, my question is, do you have the ability to write for yourself and think for yourself?" Sander also warns that if you rely on it too heavily, "you're going to end up sounding like everybody else". "Yes, it can save time, yes, it can help you through an experience, but don't entirely rely on AI to write things for you in terms of applying for a job, because it's going to miss the unique voice that you have," she says. "Use it to get ideas and so forth, but really, you need to be thinking about it yourself." Staden says a cover letter is a recruiter or hiring manager's first impression of a candidate and an opportunity to give some insights into your personality and explain why you would be a good fit for an organisation. "If I'm seeing a personal touch or an anecdote that's relevant to the industry that we work in, I'm going to prefer that candidate much more than a generic, AI-written cover letter," she says. Sally Tredinnick, the Gold Coast-based national recruitment manager for the same agency, agrees and says it is important to "inject something about yourself, who you actually are as a person". "The CV is the user manual and the cover letter is the flashy advert, the thing that makes you want to look at the user manual," Tredinnick says. Tredinnick says it can be obvious when an applicant has used GAI to optimise their CV to make themselves look like a perfect match. "When you see a CV come through where the 10 bullet points so perfectly match the exact language, grammar of the job description, it [raises] question marks. "Then I start to doubt the authenticity of the experience that they say that they have. "What else are they feeding into ChatGPT in order to make themselves look to be the perfect candidate?" Tredinnick says a 60-70 percent match "is actually often ideal" because it provides an opportunity for growth, "and then you're going to learn, and then you're going to stay". "And what we're aiming for is for people to stay in their roles," she says. If you are going to use GAI to help with your application, Staden advises using it "as your editor, not your ghostwriter". Tredinnick says you can still use GAI to help write a cover letter that stands out from the pack if you give it the right prompts and edit the responses. She says this involves taking a more nuanced approach than simply saying, "hey, this is the job description, write me a cover letter". "If you can, think about one thing that interests you about the company, one thing that interests you about the role, three achievements that you've had in your career that are relevant to the role, and one piece of interesting information about yourself, and pop that into ChatGPT. "[Say] 'Please write a cover letter. Include this information. Don't make anything up.' If you put that through, you will get a cover letter that is authentically you, but written in a cohesive way that's actually going to be pleasant to read." - ABC
ABC News
03-07-2025
- ABC News
The risk of using generative AI when applying for jobs
Applying for jobs can be stressful and if writing a cover letter leaves you feeling overwhelmed, it can be tempting to turn to generative artificial intelligence (GAI) tools such as ChatGPT. But according to recruiters and employment experts, using AI could make your job application stand out for all the wrong reasons. Here are some common pitfalls and how to avoid them. Libby Sander, an associate professor of organisational behaviour at Bond University on the Gold Coast/Yugambeh Country, says GAI has become so common "that most people are going to use it in some form to put their [job] application together". It's a sentiment echoed by Fiona Macdonald, acting director of the Australia Institute's Centre for Future Work. "People are learning every day that you can use it for all sorts of things, and drafting letters is one of the things, I think, that it's being increasingly used for in the workplace," Dr Macdonald says. Maisy Staden, a recruitment team leader based in Sydney, on the traditional lands of the Gadigal people, says she has noticed a significant increase in the number of applicants using ChatGPT to write their cover letters for them. "The difference I've noticed in the past couple of years is just the increasing similarity between cover letters that I'm receiving," she says. "If I'm seeing a cover letter that, in my opinion, is really clearly written by ChatGPT, my question is, do you have the ability to write for yourself and think for yourself?" Dr Sander also warns that if you rely on it too heavily, "you're going to end up sounding like everybody else". "Yes, it can save time, yes, it can help you through an experience, but don't entirely rely on AI to write things for you in terms of applying for a job, because it's going to miss the unique voice that you have," she says. "Use it to get ideas and so forth, but really, you need to be thinking about it yourself." Ms Staden says a cover letter is a recruiter or hiring manager's first impression of a candidate and an opportunity to give some insights into your personality and explain why you would be a good fit for an organisation. "If I'm seeing a personal touch or an anecdote that's relevant to the industry that we work in, I'm going to prefer that candidate much more than a generic, AI-written cover letter," she says. Sally Tredinnick, the Gold Coast-based national recruitment manager for the same agency, agrees and says it is important to "inject something about yourself, who you actually are as a person". "The CV is the user manual and the cover letter is the flashy advert, the thing that makes you want to look at the user manual," Ms Tredinnick says. Ms Tredinnick says it can be obvious when an applicant has used GAI to optimise their CV to make themselves look like a perfect match. "When you see a CV come through where the 10 bullet points so perfectly match the exact language, grammar of the job description, it [raises] question marks. "Then I start to doubt the authenticity of the experience that they say that they have. "What else are they feeding into ChatGPT in order to make themselves look to be the perfect candidate?" Ms Tredinnick says a 60-70 per cent match "is actually often ideal" because it provides an opportunity for growth, "and then you're going to learn, and then you're going to stay". "And what we're aiming for is for people to stay in their roles," she says. If you are going to use GAI to help with your application, Ms Staden advises using it "as your editor, not your ghostwriter". Ms Tredinnick says you can still use GAI to help write a cover letter that stands out from the pack if you give it the right prompts and edit the responses. She says this involves taking a more nuanced approach than simply saying, "hey, this is the job description, write me a cover letter". "If you can, think about one thing that interests you about the company, one thing that interests you about the role, three achievements that you've had in your career that are relevant to the role, and one piece of interesting information about yourself, and pop that into ChatGPT. "[Say] 'Please write a cover letter. Include this information. Don't make anything up.' If you put that through, you will get a cover letter that is authentically you, but written in a cohesive way that's actually going to be pleasant to read."
