Interviewing for a job is hard enough under the best and most straightforward circumstances. But in the age of AI—characterized by bots that screen resumes, phone calls with strangely cheerful yet rude robotic voices and interviews with chatbots—job seekers have entered a whole new world of complexity.

What exactly is an AI interview?

AI interviews are part of a full spectrum of conversations you may have with a hiring manager. The most personal are face-to-face interviewing, a mainstay of the pre-pandemic era, and video interviews, with which we became intimately familiar once Zoom became a household name. Neither of these rely on AI.

Newer tactics may be less familiar:

• Automated Video Interview:  these occur onscreen and asynchronously. Although technology allows for the exchange to be recorded, it does not play a role in choices about advancement in the recruitment process.
• AVI with AI Assistance: this type of interview also occurs onscreen and asynchronously but with possible added layers such as AI interpretation of facial expressions, tone, body movements and use of keywords, with the goal of generating a recommendation to humans for follow-up.
• AVI with AI leading: these interviews also occur onscreen and asynchronously, and AI draws a conclusion such as whether a candidate should be advanced to the next stage or hired. This approach is designed to operate without human input.

The idea of interviewing with AI may be a little unsettling. But there’s no question companies are using it, chasing potential benefits like improved efficiency and greater hiring outcomes. Fortunately, a blend of tried-and-true interview techniques will help you not only survive an AI interview.

You’ll crush it.

Preparing for an AI interview

As AI gains traction in hiring, some personality types will struggle more than others. Those who rely heavily on forging a personal connection, such as through shared experiences or perspectives, may face a steeper learning curve. However, those who focus heavily on their experience and skills will be well-positioned to sail through AI vetting.

Whatever your style, start by getting clear on what you are facing. Ask about the interview format in advance so there are no surprises. Then, focus on your talking points and your delivery, practice and lean on AI yourself to get set up for success.

Optimize your talking points

Any AI will likely be trained to listen for keywords related to the job function, so it’s a good idea to review the job posting so you will be ready to reinforce them in your interview. Conversely, AI won’t know what to do with any small talk, so you can leave this off your must-discuss list.

You can use the PARL framework to catalog your experiences (positive and negative) in the workplace, then practice articulating what you learned from each situation as you share the stories. This narrative approach helps you respond confidently to behavioral interview questions in any type of interview, but when being recorded by AI, it’s especially important to explicitly state any takeaway message about your skills or experience.

Optimize your delivery

Take the talking points you develop using the process above and practice with another human who will give you honest feedback. Ask them to pose questions that worry you so you can practice your responses in advance.

Next, practice in front of a mirror, then try recording yourself (video on!). Pay particular attention to your non-verbal behaviors, tone of voice and appearance. They may be different without the benefit of nonverbal cues from another human, which is why this is so helpful – it’s pretty close to interviewing with a machine!

As you rehearse, pay attention to your verbal delivery, too. You need to speak clearly to facilitate accurate transcription, and recapping a story or point with a key takeaway is always a good idea. Some AI interviewing tools are far from perfect, so these tactics make a real difference.

Finally, follow best practices for any technology-facilitated interview, including ensuring your background is professional with minimal distractions, your internet connection is strong and any software you need is installed and up to date.

Believe it or not, your body language also matters, even if you’re talking into the ether and being assessed by a bot. So, stay professional.

Use AI to power your own process

AI can be just as useful to job candidates as it has been to recruiters. You can research common interview questions using any generative AI tool. In addition, AI-based interview preparation platforms may help, including:

• Google Interview Warmup provides feedback on practice answers to interview questions; you can read a review here.
  • LinkedIn’s Interview Prep feature provides feedback on practice interviews; read a review.
  • Final Round AI’s Interview CoPilot provides realistic interviews and instant guidance. Learn more.
  • Big Interview has a paid app for practicing interviews; read a review.

A few words about bias

Racial and gender bias are known and concerning issues with many forms of AI, including recruiting tools. This is a systemic challenge that must be surmounted, but I advise job candidates to focus on what they can control: Learn as much as you can about the systems you will encounter and then show up as prepared as you can.

Crushing your AI interview

Interviewing is hard, no matter how the interview is conducted. This has always been true. But all other candidates going after the job you want are in the same boat, and in some ways, these tools hold potential to level the playing field if inherent bias can be addressed.

Don’t be afraid of AI interviews. Instead, be prepared and bring your best self to the table. You’ve got this!