1/3 of Indiana jobseekers use AI to prepare for interviews

FARMERSBURG, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV)— According to the new survey done by the folks at resume.io, 32% of Indiana job candidates admitted to using AI to imitate interview questions.

The survey interviewed 3,018 job seekers across the U.S. to see who was using AI tools to imitate likely interview questions using information from Glassdoor, Reddit, and niche career forums. In doing so, AI tools are creating hyper-personalized mock interviews tailored to firms like Google, Amazon, or McKinsey that you might actually experience across the interview table.

According to the study, 32% of Indiana job candidates admitted to using AI for mock interviews to get ready for their big interviews. This aligns with neighboring states as well, with 32% of Kentucky candidates also admitting to its use and Illinois sitting even higher at 37%. Ohio and Michigan, however, come in a little lower with 26% and 28% respectively. Louisiana actually ranked highest with 57% of its candidates saying they’ve used AI for mock interviews, while the lowest is Montana with only 11%.

Of those 32% in Indiana who have used AI for mock interviews, 36% of them said they benefited from doing so. On the employer side, 75% of employers think that companies will eventually begin screening for AI-assisted applicants. The ethical question behind using AI this way is also an interesting question, with 47% of employers calling AI prep cheating, as others refer to it as smart preparation. 34% of people even said they’d go as far as paying for an AI interview coach.

“AI has quickly become an essential part of every career-minded job seeker’s toolkit,” says Amanda Augustine, resume.io’s resident career expert and a Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC). “The key is how you use them. There’s a big difference between leveraging AI to build your confidence and polish your performance versus trying to let it do the thinking for you. AI can help you prepare, but it can’t form your opinions or speak with your authenticity. My advice to job seekers: use these tools to put your best foot forward, but make sure your personality and perspective still shine through when it matters most – during the actual conversation with an employer.”

When it comes to trusting in the accuracy of the AI is another question asked on the survey. 40% had faith in AI to predict the exact questions that would be asked, while 60% think human managers are too unpredictable. On the matter of conscience, only 28% of candidates said they felt any guilt for using AI to land a position. 44% however, did say they’d feel more anxious walking into an interview without AI practice than without doing their own research on the company, providing more proof of how ingrained AI is becoming in the modern job hunt.