Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the way graduates search for jobs, write applications and prepare for interviews. Tools like ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini are becoming part of everyday career development, but many students aren’t sure where the line is between using AI as a helpful assistant and relying on it too heavily.
As a mentor, you don’t need to be an AI expert to have valuable conversations about it. In fact, one of the most useful things you can do is help your mentee understand how to use AI responsibly, effectively and ethically throughout their job search.
Here are some practical ways to introduce AI into your mentoring conversations.
AI Should Support Thinking, Not Replace It
Many graduates are tempted to ask AI to write an entire CV or cover letter from scratch. While the results can look impressive, recruiters can very quickly notice when applications sound generic or lack personality.
Encourage your mentees to use AI as a starting point rather than the finished product. CVs and cover letters sound much more realistic when experiences, achievements and motivations come from them.
Reinforce that AI can improve your application, but it can’t replace your story.
Use AI to Improve CVs
Rather than writing a CV for your mentee, AI works best as a review tool.
Encourage them to ask questions such as:
- Does my CV highlight my achievements clearly?
- Is this bullet point too long?
- Which skills are missing for certain roles?
- Are there any gaps that recruiters might notice?
You can even review the AI suggestions together, deciding which recommendations genuinely improve the document and which don’t.
This teaches an important skill: not every AI suggestion is a good one.
Practice Interviews with AI
A good use of AI is interview preparation.
Instead of simply reading common interview questions online, graduates can ask AI to:
- Generate questions for a specific role
- Conduct a mock interview
- Give feedback on their answers
- Suggest relevant follow-up questions
- Explain what employers are assessing
Encourage your mentee to answer questions out loud rather than typing responses. Speaking naturally builds confidence in a way that reading doesn’t. You can even use the Graduate Mentor video call feature to run realistic mock interviews, ask follow-up questions, and provide immediate feedback on their answers, communication style and confidence.
Explore Career Options
Many students know what degree they’re studying but have very little understanding of the careers available afterwards, and some may even go into careers that are very different from their degree field.
AI can be a brilliant brainstorming partner for careers. Ask your mentee to explore questions like:
- What careers match my skills?
- What does a graduate (job role) actually do?
- What skills are needed for a (job role)?
- What progression could this career offer over five years?
As a mentor, your experience then helps bring these answers to life by explaining what those careers are really like in practice.
Encourage Better Questions
One of the most useful things graduates can learn is that the quality of AI’s response depends on the quality of the prompt they give it.
Instead of asking:
“Write me a cover letter.”
Teach them to ask:
“I’m applying for a graduate (job role). Here is my CV and the job description. What strengths should I emphasise, and where could I improve my application?“
Learning to write clear prompts is becoming a valuable workplace skill in its own right.
Know Where AI Shouldn't Be Used
It’s equally important to discuss where AI shouldn’t be relied upon.
Remind mentees that they should never:
- Submit AI-generated work without reviewing it carefully.
- Invent experiences or skills that aren’t true.
- Use AI to complete recruitment assessments where it isn’t permitted.
- Copy answers without understanding them.
- Let AI replace genuine preparation and reflection.
Copying answers you don’t understand is especially important in interviews. People may struggle to find answers if an interviewer asks a follow-up question on something they don’t properly understand.
Recruiters increasingly recognise AI-generated applications, and authenticity remains one of the strongest qualities a candidate can demonstrate.
Final Thoughts
AI is becoming part of modern recruitment, and graduates who learn how to use it well will have an advantage. But the best applications still come from self-awareness, preparation and genuine experiences.
As a mentor, you can help your mentee find that balance. By showing them how to use AI to improve their thinking rather than replace it, you’re preparing them not just for their next application, but for a workplace where AI will increasingly become part of everyday life.
