The University of Wisconsin River Falls Career Services team has long been tasked with preparing students for the job interview process. Through a trio of artificial intelligence tools and increased face-to-face opportunities, the university can now better prepare students and alumni for their next job interview.

Career Services has been using an online interview tool for a long time, but three new AI features were recently added in January.

“What it used to be is kind of an opportunity for students to practice a recorded interview. We know that a lot of employers have moved to some sort of first round screening where it’s not even a virtual interactive interview, it really is just candidates are recording answers to questions,” Career Services Director Jessica Wekkin said. “That was fine, but what we have the capability to do now with the additional AI is really exciting.”

The first new feature piggybacks off what was already offered, as artificial intelligence swiftly provides feedback to answered questions.

“They can record themselves answering questions, but then the AI is going to generate some feedback for them on how they can improve,” Wekkin said. “They still get to go through that practice process and they can practice answering a question as many times as they want, but they’re going to get that immediate feedback from the AI coach.”

The second item is an AI practice interview, simulating the conversation flow of a real-life interview.

“That actually simulates a real interview. They’re basically interacting with an AI employer,” Wekkin said. “They will update the job description, they will update their resume, so it will generate questions that are tailored toward whatever type of job they might be looking for.”

The system provides feedback on which interview answers would benefit from pulling resume examples.

“However the student is responding, the AI is going to adapt,” Wekkin said. “It gets them more comfortable with the ways in which interviews just organically [flow].”

The final item is a resume checker, providing feedback on their page based on the job and field they are looking at entering.

“It’s really nice, especially for alumni that are maybe further along in their career, that they can use this,” Wekkin said. “Anecdotally, we’ve gotten really good feedback. The students who have used it have said good things.”

Wekkin said the AI additions serve as complements to the additional face-to-face opportunities, not as a replacement.

“In tandem with introducing these, we have also really doubled down our efforts on face-to-face opportunities to practice,” Wekkin said.

The university brought back the pre-pandemic Mock Interview Days events, where employers in the area come to campus and conduct practice interviews with students. Wekkin said many alumni and local businesses are happy to help students be more prepared for their job interviews, and the connections for students are unmatched. The Career Services team believes connections with employers in the field is the best way to be prepared for interviews.

“As important as the AI stuff is, that human communication skill is so important too,” Wekkin said. “We really, really, are also still seeing the need for that coaching… and the human skills. The ability to kind of have an organic conversation, and if you’re asked questions that are outside whatever elevator pitch you’ve prepared, can you do that?”

The goal is to gather feedback and statistics from students that use the new AI systems and/or attend a Mock Interview Day to see if they became more comfortable when their job interview came around. Since the addition of the new online tools, UWRF has reported a 50% increase in the service’s users.

Students can access the online tools through the Career Services website, and alumni need to request a special code to access from the department.