AI is already part of the application process
For some time now, AI has been playing an increasingly important role for job applicants. Writing cover letters, improving CVs, or preparing for interviews is more and more often supported by AI tools.
This raises an interesting question: how much AI are candidates actually using today and in what forms? And perhaps even more importantly: what do they expect for the future? To find out, we asked over 800 applicants.
The results show that AI already plays a significant role in job applications today. More than half of applicants report using AI when applying for jobs, meaning that for a large group of candidates, AI has already become part of how they prepare and submit applications.
When we look at expectations for the future, this trend continues. Around two-thirds of applicants expect to use AI when applying for jobs in the coming years. In other words, AI is not only present today but is expected to become an even more common part of the application process going forward.
Cover letters first, automation later
When we zoom in on how candidates use AI, a clear pattern appears. Most candidates use AI to write or improve their cover letters, followed by improving CVs, and preparing for interviews. In other words, AI is mainly used to make applications stronger and more polished.
At the same time, fully automated applications are still rare. Only a small group currently uses AI to automatically apply to multiple companies, but interestingly, this is also where candidates expect growth. So for now, AI mainly supports the process. But in the future, it could start reshaping how applications are actually submitted.
Not just a Gen Z thing
You might expect clear differences between age groups when it comes to using AI in job applications. But the data shows that these differences are actually quite limited. While the groups aged 36–45 and 56+ report slightly higher AI use, and the 46–55 group reports somewhat lower use, the overall differences between age groups remain relatively small.
When looking at expectations for the future, an interesting pattern appears. The group already using AI the most in applications only expects to increase their use slightly. Meanwhile, the group currently using AI the least expects to increase their use the most, making the biggest leap of all generations.
Men and women: similar today, different expectations
When we compare men and women, the current situation looks almost identical. Today, men and women use almost the same amount of AI when applying for jobs.
The shift appears when we look at expectations for the future: women expect AI to play a larger role in their application process than men do.
A clear direction
Taken together, the results show a clear trend: AI is already helping candidates write applications, improve their CVs, and prepare for interviews, and its role is expected to grow. The question is no longer whether AI will play a role in job applications, but how this role will develop in the coming years.