Have you ever applied for a job that felt a little out of reach? Why not try using AI to help you prepare for and get ahead of what to expect in the hiring process?

This fall, I found myself in that exact situation—applying for a job in an industry I’d never worked in before. For the first time in over a decade, I had to create a resume and cover letter from scratch. On top of that, I knew the interview process would be far more formal and structured than what I was used to.

I took a completely new approach to this job search by using AI every step of the way. Here’s how—and how you can do it, too:

1. Used AI to learn about the organization
   I started by creating a custom GPT trained on all the publicly available information I could find about the organization—think web copy, annual reports, press releases, and blog posts. By compiling these resources, AI became my personal research assistant, helping me quickly understand more about their programs, leadership, and strategic priorities. Instead of taking notes in a Google Doc, I "taught" the GPT about the job and used the chat interface to ask it questions—essentially turning it into an interactive research tool.

2. Used AI to prepare my candidate materials
   Next, I used AI to help me craft a resume, short bio, and cover letter that were tailored to the job. By combining the job description with my own career history, I generated first drafts that I polished to meet the role’s specific needs. (If you want tips on using AI for your own candidate materials, you can see my first video here.) Ultimately, this saved me a lot of time in having to start from scratch.

3. Used AI to practice for my interview
   After submitting my application, I used AI to prepare for the interview stage. Based on what I’d learned about the role, I built a custom mock interview bot to simulate behavioral questions aligned with the job description’s competencies. This tool helped me anticipate questions, refine my storytelling, and boost my confidence for the live interview.

Here's a video that shows how I made this mock interview bot:

Remember: A Mock Interview Bot is Just Practice (Not the Real Thing)

Like most things with AI, first drafts are quick, inexpensive, and incredibly helpful—but they’re rarely the final (or only) solution. Making a mock interview bot can be a great starting point, but it would be a mistake to fully rely on this as your only interview prep.

Ultimately, in addition to building out these AI tools for myself, I also did all of the other things I would do in a usual job search: I asked a real human for a mock interview, I met with past and present employees in the role, and I prepared a strategic plan for what I might do in the role itself. (Notably, AI helped me with all of these preparatory parts too.)

Given all that, here are a few notes and warnings to keep in mind if you use AI to help you with mock interview:

1. It’s (Still) Just a Mock Interview
   AI can help map competencies to a job description, but job descriptions often don't fully reflect the role's actual responsibilities. While any custom bot you build can certainly help you improve your career storytelling skills, it's not a perfect substitute.

2. Singularly Focuses on Behavioral Questions
   A bot like I made is great for practicing general behavioral questions, but it doesn't cover context-specific, situational or strategic prompts that hiring managers often ask. You'll still need to prepare for deeper conversations about your experiences and hobbies, as well as brainstorming what ideas you might have to bring to the position.

3. Doesn’t Evaluate You on the Full Picture
   This mock interview bot can assess behavioral factors for the role, but it doesn't account for other key elements like qualifications, cultural fit, or team dynamics. That's why I'd recommend using it to enhance (vs. supplement) your preparedness.

Overall, I've had a ton of fun learning how to apply and prepare for jobs in an AI-native era and hope this is helpful for you in your career search, too.