20 AI Tools Candidates are Using in 2025

20 AI Tools Candidates are Using in 2025

AI has become a ubiquitous part of the recruitment landscape, and life science jobseekers are increasingly leveraging AI tools to improve their chances. In fact, a global survey by Capterra found that 58% of all job applicants use AI tools to assist with their job search, and similar research has found that 62% of jobseekers believe using AI tools improves their chances of being hired.

Whilst AI does bring with it the threat of candidate fraud, many jobseekers employ AI for legitimate, constructive purposes, whether that be researching target companies or practicing interview questions. These tools can act as virtual career coaches or assistants, helping candidates put their best foot forward and articulate their real strengths, skills, and experiences clearly and accurately.

To help you keep up with how jobseekers are utilising AI in their job search, we’ve taken a look at 20 of the most popular tools being used in 2025, diving into what each tool does, and how jobseekers are benefiting.

1. ChatGPT

Starting off with one you’ve almost definitely heard of! This versatile AI chatbot is used by jobseekers as a personal writing and brainstorming assistant. Jobseekers prompt ChatGPT to draft CVs and cover letters, refine bullet points, and even generate answers to common interview questions. Its strength lies in tailoring output to a given job description. For example, jobseekers can paste a job post and ask ChatGPT to identify key skills or to phrase their experience to match the role’s requirements. The result is often a well-structured first draft that can then be edited and personalised.

2. Gemini

Google’s answer to ChatGPT is another popular tool for jobseekers. It operates similarly to ChatGPT through a conversational interface and is appreciated for its access to up-to-date information via Google search integration. Jobseekers may ask Gemini about a company’s latest developments to prep for an interview, or to suggest industry-specific keywords to include in their application.

3. Microsoft Bing AI

Microsoft’s AI is built into the Bing search engine and Office 365 Copilot, making it a handy tool for jobseekers conducting company research and writing documents. Similarly to ChatGPT and Bard, jobseekers using Bing Chat to get AI-powered assistance with everything from CVs and cover letters to company research and interview preparation. It’s also a useful tool for gathering information on prospective employers and for getting real-time tips. Microsoft’s Copilot can even simulate mock interviews or provide feedback on answers, acting as an AI interview coach within tools like Microsoft Teams or Word.

4. Anthropic Claude AI

Claude is an AI assistant known for its ability to handle longer inputs and nuanced context. Jobseekers use Claude to refine the language in their CVs or LinkedIn profiles and to draft thoughtful answers to tricky interview questions. Claude’s advantage is that you can feed it large chunks of text such as an entire multi-page CV or a very long job description, and it will intelligently analyse and extract the most relevant points.

5. Grammarly

A well-known AI-powered writing assistant that ensures application materials are polished. Grammarly checks for grammar and spelling errors, but also offers tone adjustment suggestions, such as making a cover letter sound more confident or professional. In 2024, Grammarly introduced “GrammarlyGO” which uses generative AI to rephrase sentences or even compose passages based on short prompts.

6. QuillBot

QuillBot is an AI tool specifically designed to rewrite or rephrase text. Jobseekers turn to QuillBot to paraphrase CV bullet points or cover letter paragraphs to diversify their language or tailor emphasis for different applications. For example, after drafting a cover letter, they may ask QuillBot to reword certain sentences to better match the tone of a company’s culture or to introduce synonyms that align with the job description.

7. Novoresume

Novoresume is an online CV building platform that integrates AI to assist in crafting CVs. It provides modern templates and formatting, while the AI offers real-time feedback and keyword suggestions. For example, it can highlight if important skills have been missed, and can write sections like a professional summary by analysing job requirements.

8. Teal

Teal is a job search management platform that offers a suite of AI-driven tools for candidates, including an AI CV builder and AI cover letter generator. Users can import a job description along with their LinkedIn profile or CV to auto-generate a customised cover letter referencing the specific job. It also features a job application tracker to organise applications, helping jobseekers to streamline their job search.

9. Jobscan

Jobscan is an AI-powered web tool designed to maximise CV alignment with job descriptions. Jobseekers paste their CV and a target job posting into Jobscan, which then analyses the two and reports on match rate, identifying which keywords or skills are missing. It essentially reverse engineers the applicant tracking system algorithms to improve the chances of getting past automated CV screens. It also provides a percentage score and specific guidance to help jobseekers tweak their documents for each application.

10. Jobalytics

Jobalytics is a free Google Chrome extension that works similarly to Jobscan, focusing on keyword matching. When a jobseeker views a posting online, Jobalytics can scan the job description and compare it to the user’s CV in real time. It then highlights keywords that are in the job ad but not in the CV, suggesting those areas for improvement.

11. Simplify’s AI Copilot

Simplify is a browser extension that includes an AI ‘copilot’ to streamline the job application process. It can automatically fill in repetitive fields in online applications and can also organise applications on a dashboard by categorising or prioritising postings by how well they match the jobseeker’s profile.

12. PFP Maker

Beyond text-based tools, jobseekers are increasingly using AI for visual enhancements. PFP Maker is an AI tool that helps jobseekers create professional profile photos without needing a photographer. Users upload casual photos and the AI cleans them up, removing backgrounds, adjusting lighting, and even slightly enhancing attire or facial clarity to give a polished, corporate headshot feel.

13. Sonara.ai

Sonara is like having a virtual job hunting agent working 24/7 on a jobseeker’s behalf. This AI tool automatically finds and applies to job openings that match their preferences, based on information jobseekers have inputted into their profile and job criteria. A unique feature is that it can apply to jobs for the user, potentially sending out applications while the jobseeker sleeps.

14. LinkedIn’s AI Tools

LinkedIn has integrated AI features to help jobseekers present themselves better. LinkedIn Premium users can use the ‘Write with AI’ feature to draft sections of their profile by analysing their experience. The AI generates a first draft that the user can edit, making it easier to write a compelling profile. LinkedIn has also rolled out an AI interview preparation tool where jobseekers can practice answering common interview questions on video and get AI-generated feedback on their answers.

15. PassMyInterview.com

This is a dedicated AI-driven interview preparation tool which allows jobseekers to input a specific job title along with their CV to generate tailored interview questions likely for that role. The AI provides feedback on the quality of answers, allowing jobseekers to gain personalised, dynamic practice.

16. Final Round AI

Final Round AI is an interview prep platform known for its interview copilot feature that guides candidates in real-time. It can simulate a full interview experience from start to finish, analysing interview answers and giving feedback on everything from content to speaking pace and filler words. After the mock interview, it provides analytics on things such as words spoken per minute and highlights how the answers could be improved.

17. LeetCode

LeetCode is famous among software developers for coding practice. In 2024, they introduced an AI assistant for their coding platform to give hints, analyse a coder’s solution and even suggest improvements or point out errors in real-time. For jobseekers in tech, this is a big help in preparing for tasks and assessments. Instead of just grinding through problems and checking the answer, jobseekers can interact with the AI to understand why their code didn’t work or how to optimise it. The AI can also simulate follow-up questions an interviewer might ask, like discussing time complexity or alternative approaches.

18. Yoodli

Yoodli is an AI tool originally developed to help with public speaking, and it has found a niche with jobseekers aiming to improve their speech and communication skills for interviews. Yoodli can be used to practice answering questions or deliver elevator pitches, with the AI providing real-time and post-speech feedback on filler words, pacing, clarity, tone, and more. It can even generate follow-up questions to simulate an interactive conversation.

19. Google Interview Warmup

Provided by Google, Interview Warmup is a free tool that offers an AI-driven practice environment for interview questions. Users select a field or job type and the tool presents a series of typical interview questions for that domain. Whilst it doesn’t grade jobseekers’ answers right or wrong, it does provide insights such as highlighting job-related terms you used, mentioning keywords you might have missed, and assessing the general content.

20. Talentprise

Talentprise is an AI-driven platform that matches candidates to job opportunities based on their skills, personality traits, and career goals. Think of it as a smart job board: jobseekers create a detailed profile and take assessments, and Talentprise’s AI then actively recommends roles that fit their unique profile (and highlights those candidates to employers). It evaluates jobseekers’ strengths through quizzes and analysis, then creates a talent profile that recruiters can search for.

It’s All About Balance…

For life science recruiters and hiring managers, understanding what AI tools are out there for candidates is important. You’ll likely encounter many candidates whose CVs or cover letters had an AI assist – even if it’s not obvious – and many who practiced with AI before speaking to you.

Rather than only viewing this negatively, you could perceive this as candidates putting in the extra effort to present themselves well. As long as the content is truthful, a candidate using AI demonstrates resourcefulness and initiative in staying up-to-date with technology.

You can also reassure yourself that, just as candidates are using AI, so are many talent acquisition teams – and the end goal on both sides is a more efficient, informed hiring process. The best outcomes will be from a balanced approach: leveraging AI for what is does best while still relying on human insight for final selection and for the personal connection that defines a great hire.

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