Every September, a fresh new wave of graduates hits the job market, and every September, our team at TableCrowd Talent gets a little bit excited.
New talent! Bright minds! Gamechangers!
This year, though, we’ve noticed something that is making us reconsider. The AI interview.
Now, listen, we get it. You’re new to this, the competition is brutal and there’s this cute, clever little tool sitting in your browser, promising to make it all easier. But we say this with love: do not outsource your critical thinking to AI. It really shows. No, really, it is very obvious.
What we’re seeing.
Here’s a scene that’s playing out more and more:
The interview’s going fine. The interviewer asks “Do you have any questions for us?”
The candidate reads out a beautiful question about the company’s go-to-market strategy.
The interviewer stops for a second to think, then provides a thoughtful answer. And then…
Silence. Tumbleweed. Crickets even. No follow up, no challenge, no “oh, cool, how does that affect X?”
Why does this happen? Because the candidate didn’t actually understand what they just asked. AI did the asking, but it just wasn’t there for the answer.
The result? It looks daft. The hiring manager is left thinking why they’d hire someone who handed their thinking to the machine in the middle of a job interview. Same goes for using AI to spit out instant answers to interview questions. It might feel like you’re doing something innovative, but comes out as robotic. Think less “future leader”, more like a “chatbot with a deadline”.
Here’s the thing: in any interview, at any level, you’re being assessed on your judgement and your ability to think critically. If you’ve outsourced 100% of that to AI, employers will spot it within the first five minutes. Maybe even three.
So…be confident. Trust your judgement. AI is not always better than you. We know. Sometimes it is SO much worse.
So where should you use AI?
We’re not anti-AI. It’s here to stay and it can be a really useful tool. See #19 on our CV list – we tell you to mention it. It’s a great sparring partner when used well. So here’s how to us it smartly…
1 Predict what they’ll ask you
Feed AI the job spec and a bit about the company and ask it to generate likely interview questions. It’s a great way to make sure nothing catches you out.
2 Practice, don’t memorise
Rehearse your own answers with AI, but please do not learn them word for word. What happens when you do is that your brain spends most of the time frantically scanning for a gap to push in your pre-written answer, even when the question has nothing to do with it. Know your stories, not your script.
3 Do your homework
AI is handy for digging up articles on the company, its investors and its founders. ALWAYS double check it’s pulling the right information. Nothing tells them you don’t pay attention quite like congratulating a founder on a successful funding round that never happened… I mean, awkward.
4 Find your “why” (then make sure it’s yours)
Use AI to brainstorm why you’d want to work there, why they should hire you and why your skills and experience fit the role. Then run every single reason past your own gut. Is it true? Does it resonate? Can you say it out loud with a straight face? If not, it’s not for you.
5 Prep your questions, but please understand them
Yes, AI can help you come up with some cool questions to ask the interviewer in the end. But before you take any of them with you, ask yourself: do I understand what this means? Am I really curious about the answer? If you cannot ask a follow up, don’t ask the questions.
THE GOLDEN RULE
Wherever you use AI, always double check what it’s telling you. It’s a tool, not a ghost writer. And it is certainly not a substitute for your own brain.
Remember: when you are genuinely curious about a company and passionate about finding out more, it shows. That authenticity is the one thing AI cannot fake and it’s exactly what founders and hiring managers are looking for.
Ok then. Now go get that job. With your own head.
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Who we are
Offering personalised, consultative service, at TableCrowd Talent we’re a specialist recruitment agency with our finger on the pulse of the startup and scaleup scene. We are committed to matching graduates, professionals, and C-level executives to exciting startup and scaleup jobs across London, the UK, and Europe.
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