Have you ever looked at a job description and thought, “That sounds great, but what does this mean in practical terms?” Job descriptions are often written to be specific to a particular industry or company. Whether written by AI or a human, the jargon used in job descriptions can be hard to decode, particularly if you are a recent graduate or switching careers.
How is an outsider to interpret a position description that incorporates a phrase like: “Seeking a candidate who thinks in systems, but sweats the details?” Or “…a candidate who knows when to aim for impact and when to perfect the polish?”
We might all have different interpretations of what these statements mean, but statements like these can easily be misunderstood. And if you misinterpret what is being asked for, you run the risk of preparing for the wrong job.
One way to address this is to use AI tools to get help in deciphering these job descriptions. We recommend a four-step process to gain clarity and prepare for the interview.
1/ Ask for simplification
2/ Ask for examples
3/ Audit your experience
4/ Prepare your message
Ask for Simplification
When you see a term that is ‘less than concrete,’ you can leverage any of the free AI tools, such as ChatGPT or Perplexity to get a better grip on what is being said.
You can give it a prompt, for example, “Acting as a human resources expert in the “fill in the blank” industry, please explain the following passage in the simplest terms possible. Explain this as if you are speaking to someone who is not in this industry.”
If necessary, continue the dialogue until you fully understand concretely what is being said.
Ask for Examples
Once you get a better understanding of the specifics, then you can ask the AI tool to provide example examples of behaviors that would demonstrate capabilities in these areas.
An example prompt might be, “Please give examples of experiences or behaviors that exemplify what this business is looking for.”
Audit Your Experience
Once this is done, audit your own experiences (work, volunteer, education) to identify those that demonstrate your skills. You could ask the AI tool to review your résumé against the experiences the organization is looking for, or you could do this audit yourself. What’s most important is to develop an understanding of what this company is seeking and how your skills, experiences, and interests align with the business.
Prepare Your Message
Be ready to discuss these examples in your interview. Practice incorporating these experiences into your summary statement about why you are a good fit for this organization. Be prepared to use these examples appropriately throughout your interviews with the company. And because you now understand the company’s jargon, use their language.
Get Help If You Need It
An overarching theme in my blog series is “Preparation.” In a competitive job market, the best-prepared candidates have an edge over those who aren’t. Command the Interview has a mission of helping candidates develop skills that may give them a competitive edge. We work with organizations and individuals to prepare candidates to compete in a competitive job market. If you or someone you know needs assistance in deciphering the world of job hunting, please reach out to us at contactus@commandtheinterview.com.