Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared on FlexJobs.com.
The landscape of the modern workforce has shifted tremendously over the past few years. And these changes have recently sped up due to companies and professionals adopting artificial intelligence (AI) in nearly every industry.
AI is changing how we perform daily tasks and roles, as well as job stability. With AI’s footprint expanding rapidly, it’s reshaping the direction of careers for many of us.
To better understand AI and its impact on the workforce, FlexJobs dug into the data from its Work Insights Survey to understand the everyday impacts AI has on working professionals in various industries.
We’ve outlined our survey findings and some interesting data to help you navigate the highs and lows of emerging technologies.
AI and Workers
The real-world trends of AI tell an interesting tale. Forty-one percent of those surveyed have adopted AI and nearly a quarter (24%) are utilizing it at work.
And 17% of professionals actively use applications like ChatGPT in their personal lives but have yet to tap into it for work purposes.
With the ease of natural language processing, it seems like it was a natural shift for AI to be embraced for more formal documents, such as resumes and cover letters.
The FlexJobs survey found that 17% of job seekers have already used ChatGPT for their resume, while another 33% are considering using AI, and 29% are unsure.
Of those surveyed, only 20% reported that they wouldn’t consider using AI to help write their resume.
AI Impacts in the Workforce
Outside of resume creation and LinkedIn posts, a cloud of uncertainty hovers around the impact of AI on job security and career growth.
The potential for AI to displace jobs or demand new skill sets is creating a palpable sense of concern among professionals in every industry.
AI Concerns
Of those who responded to the FlexJobs survey, 31% of workers shared they were concerned AI would impact their job security in the future (23%) or that it has already done so (8%). And 31% aren’t sure of the impacts.
According to a recent prediction by Goldman Sachs economists, the negative impact of AI isn’t going to be felt equally across all levels of the workforce. Their findings indicate that advanced economies and white-collar jobs will experience more dramatic upheaval.
However, the economists don’t predict that AI will significantly impact those who work outdoors or have physically intensive roles. Instead, knowledge workers, such as lawyers, accountants, and administrative workers, are expected to be upset.
In a similar prediction, the World Economic Forum forecasts that AI will displace 75 million jobs globally within the next few years. Other estimates show that number as substantially higher.
Implications for the Workforce
As AI takes over many routine tasks, jobs that remain will require more critical thinking and soft skills, such as communication, collaboration, and problem-solving.
This shift could lead to job displacement or increased competition for certain roles. Additionally, workers may need to upskill to stay competitive in the job market.
AI also has potential implications for workplace safety and privacy. Automated systems can monitor employee performance or track their movements, raising questions about how data is stored, who owns AI creations, and who is liable for any adverse outcomes.
Furthermore, AI-driven decision-making could lead to discrimination if algorithms are not properly designed or monitored.
Despite those valid concerns and reported job seeker uncertainties, it’s not all doom and gloom. The age of AI is bringing many positive impacts with it as well.
Positive Impacts of AI
That same report from the World Economic Forum predicts that over 133 million new jobs will be created due to the increased adoption of AI. A recent study from Pew Research Center tells us that the workforce seems to be cautiously excited about some of the tasks that AI is taking over.
Along with the increase in jobs, the five main types of AI are being leveraged to increase workplace efficiency by automating routine tasks and enhancing existing roles.
According to Deloitte, 1,900 early adopters of AI reported seeing the most impressive impact in their products and services. That might be due to the implementation of simple AI, such as grammar checks and writing tools, that speed up content creation and assist with brainstorming.
For instance, natural language processing can absorb large amounts of information in a fraction of the time that a professional would need to read through it, making market research easier.
Health professionals are able to work with machine learning tools to streamline diagnostics so that more time can be spent on patient care as opposed to research and guesswork.
Call centers are able to experience an explosion of productivity with AI screening and handling routine calls, leaving more complex tasks for human operators to build relationships and brainstorm creative solutions.
Importance of Gaining AI Skills
With the wave of AI advancements arriving daily, upskilling to work more effectively alongside AI is essential. Not only will many roles change, but there is widespread demand for AI-centric roles, leaving companies scrambling for talent.
It’s worth pausing for a moment to note that many reports suggest that, currently, less than 5% of jobs could be fully automated. Instead, individual tasks, accounting for about 30% of current duties, may be transitioned to an AI assistant.
Along with upskilling in your current industry, McKinsey Global projects 20 million to 50 million roles focusing on AI will be created before the end of the decade, making AI an essential area of consideration in your job search and career planning.
AI and Job Searching
Whether or not you’re ready to pursue an AI-focused career, you can still leverage the support of AI in your job search in multiple ways.
These are common use cases if you’re unsure how to leverage ChatGPT to help you during your next job search.
AI and Resumes
ChatGPT can easily mine job descriptions for keywords and act as an editor, critiquing your bullet points and suggesting better phrasing and grammar. Here are some ways ChatGPT can help:
- Suggesting action verbs: ChatGPT can recommend strong action verbs to start your bullet points, making your resume more engaging and impactful.
- Optimizing language: ChatGPT can help rephrase sentences to match keywords used in job descriptions, giving you a better shot at bypassing ATS software.
- Highlighting transferable skills: ChatGPT can assist in identifying and incorporating your transferable skills into your resume. This is essential when you’re seeking a career change.
- Formatting advice: ChatGPT can suggest how to structure and format your resume for improved readability.
- Proofreading: ChatGPT can help identify and correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors, helping avoid elimination due to typos.
AI and Cover Letters
ChatGPT can also help you craft the perfect cover letter. Consider utilizing ChatGPT, or other AI language software, to level up your cover letter in the following ways:
- Personalization: ChatGPT can help quickly tailor your cover letter to the company and role you’re applying for.
- Opening and closing statements: ChatGPT can suggest engaging opening and closing statements that capture the reader’s attention and leave a lasting impact.
- Emphasizing relevant achievements: ChatGPT can assist in identifying your most relevant accomplishments and communicating them clearly and concisely.
- Showcasing soft skills: ChatGPT can help you weave in examples of your soft skills, demonstrating your cultural fit.
- Proofreading: ChatGPT can also edit your cover letter, ensuring it’s error-free before you submit it.
AI and Interviews
The influence of AI on your job search goes beyond resume and cover letter support. It’s also transforming how to prepare for interviews and how they’re conducted, assessed, and evaluated. Consider the following:
- Automated scheduling: AI-powered tools can streamline your interview scheduling with simple calendar invitations, reminders, and rescheduling when needed.
- Virtual interviews: You may participate in a virtual interview via a recorded session, with AI reviewing your responses and offering recommendations.
- Chatbots: AI-powered chatbots are used to ask questions and assess candidate responses.
- Sentiment analysis: AI can analyze candidate responses during interviews by examining factors such as tone, facial expressions, and body language.
- Predictive analytics: AI can use successful employees to predict a candidate’s performance and potential success by comparing their soft skills and expertise.
- Bias reduction: AI has the potential to minimize unconscious bias in the interview process by utilizing algorithms that focus on objective criteria, such as skills and experience.
We’d be remiss not to point out that there is concern about the potential for AI to introduce inherited bias in the hiring process. The humans programming it may be feeding it algorithms that contain unconscious bias.
Embracing the AI Revolution
It’s clear that AI is disrupting the hiring process and the workplace.
While the impact of AI technology remains uncertain FlexJobs’ survey found that 28% of people think AI will have a positive impact on the workplace, compared to 27% believing the impact will be negative, and 39% who are unsure whether the impact will be positive or negative.
Six percent think it will have no impact on the workplace.
