LinkedIn’s Leap Into AI: Transforming Career Coaching and Job Applications for the Modern Workforce

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Jessica Palmer

LinkedIn Introduces Generative AI Career Advice

For those feeling the strain of work and considering the assistance of a career coach or résumé specialist, LinkedIn has launched a new feature where users can engage in conversations with AI-driven career advisors, modeled after actual professionals. Additionally, LinkedIn is rolling out new AI-powered functionalities aimed at assisting users in crafting résumés and cover letters, as well as assessing their suitability for various job listings.

LinkedIn has been significantly expanding its use of generative AI over the last year, with plans to integrate this technology into a broader range of its services. This Thursday, the professional networking platform revealed several new initiatives, including a trial for AI-driven professional advice, a conversational interface to simplify the content of LinkedIn learning courses, and additional AI-powered functionalities aimed at assisting premium members with job searches and applications in English. These developments indicate LinkedIn's ambitious efforts to leverage generative AI technology. (It's worth noting that LinkedIn's parent company, Microsoft, has made substantial investments in OpenAI, the entity behind the AI technologies utilized by LinkedIn.) With these enhancements, LinkedIn is striving to transform itself into a platform where users not only search for jobs but also engage in social interactions and acquire new competencies through video tutorials.

The concept driving several of these artificial intelligence applications is aimed at helping individuals enhance their abilities and to target job applications more precisely based on their background, instead of widely distributing CVs. Gyanda Sachdeva, the vice president of product at LinkedIn, suggests, "With the use of AI, we anticipate that you'll be able to secure the most suitable position more swiftly."

LinkedIn's artificial intelligence-powered chatbots will enable those with premium subscriptions to pose career-related inquiries such as, "What strategies can I use to discuss my salary?" These chatbots are programmed using the educational materials from actual coaches, whom LinkedIn compensates to transform their material for this use. Included in this lineup are digital counterparts of Anil Gupta from the University of Maryland, psychologist and writer Gemma Leigh Roberts, along with career advisor Lisa Gates.

In the previous autumn, LinkedIn introduced artificial intelligence-powered tools designed to enable recruiters to employ natural language when searching for potential job candidates. Subsequently, at the start of this year, the platform started implementing generative AI tools. These tools empower job applicants to initiate a conversation via a chat window on job listings to inquire about their suitability for a vacancy. In response, they obtain feedback generated by AI, highlighting how their qualifications and background match the job requirements or suggesting additional skills they could include in their profiles to enhance their visibility.

LinkedIn is upgrading several of its functionalities. Premium members now have the option to initiate their job hunt through a conversational prompt, such as asking, “Find me an engineering job in Texas with a minimum salary of $110,000.” Furthermore, they can leverage generative AI technology to craft customized cover letters and résumés tailored to particular positions. This technology also extends to facilitating communication with hiring managers or aiding in the job search process. When WIRED evaluated the cover letter generation feature, it observed that the algorithm effectively amalgamated a journalist’s professional history from LinkedIn with the details of a job listing in a logical manner. However, it noted that additional modifications might be necessary to truly enhance the letter by incorporating specific examples of previous work.

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Sachdeva notes that tools for crafting résumés and cover letters were in great demand amongst users of other LinkedIn AI offerings. He explains, "Each job application necessitates a unique résumé and cover letter. AI has the capability to assist you in creating these personalized documents."

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly being utilized in the recruitment process, both by job seekers and employers. AI is used to conduct interviews, filter through candidate applications, and assist individuals in applying for multiple jobs simultaneously. However, concerns are rising about potential biases within these technologies, and the decision-making processes of these algorithms regarding hiring remain largely unclear.

It remains uncertain how LinkedIn's latest AI-powered functionalities will influence the broader employment landscape. During the unveiling of these new features, Rohan Rajiv, the product management director at LinkedIn, mentioned that AI has the potential to assist hiring professionals in discovering "hidden gems" – applicants whose communication styles might not have previously captured the attention of recruiters. However, the integration of generative AI into employment platforms such as LinkedIn prompts a critical debate: Could AI enable job seekers from traditionally marginalized groups to improve their profiles and job applications, thereby securing positions, or might it perpetuate existing prejudices in the recruitment process?

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