Survey: 18.4% of Students Use Generative AI Services for Job Hunting

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:34 JST, June 8, 2023

A recent survey by an employment information company found that 18.4% of respondents — undergraduate and graduate students scheduled to graduate next spring — had used generative artificial intelligence (AI) services, such as ChatGPT, for job hunting.

The Mynavi Corp. survey revealed that many respondents had used AI services to create application documents, known as “entry sheets,” and prepare for job interviews, among other purposes.

The survey findings indicate that the use of generative AI has become widespread in job-hunting activities.

The poll was conducted in May, with 5,062 people responding. In the survey, 39.2% of respondents said they had used generative AI. Of these, 18.4% had used it for job hunting.

Asked about using AI to help find a job, 34.8% of respondents expressed a desire to use the technology, while 37.8% said the opposite.

Among respondents in favor of using the technology, a male liberal arts student said: “I want to use it to revise my entry sheets. I can use AI any time of the day,” while a female liberal arts major said: “I want to use it when thinking of questions to ask during a job interview and comparing companies. It’s more efficient than doing the research myself.”

On the other hand, respondents reluctant to use generative AI expressed concerns. A female liberal arts student said: “I’m worried about security. I’m also concerned that I’ll be at a disadvantage if my use [of AI] becomes known” to my companies of choice, while a male science major said, “AI can’t fully reflect my experience and thoughts, so my resume would become a stereotype.”

A person in charge of the survey said: “Generative AI can create sentences using natural expressions, but they may not always be accurate. It’s important to use it with literacy, by checking information using primary sources, for example.”