The Dispatch
Navigating an AI saturated graduate job market
AI has levelled the playing field for producing high quality job applications. How can candidates stand out?
By Chloë Lane
"The differentiator will be human qualities."
"The key is to use it to organise ideas, but never to replace personal insight."
"The future isn’t as bleak as some students may fear.."
In Brief
- AI-assisted applications have flooded the job market, overwhelming recruiters and making it the toughest hiring environment for graduates since 2018. The average number of applications per graduate vacancy is estimated at 140.
- Adaptability, problem-solving and resilience remain a competitive edge AI cannot replicate. Universities should help candidates prioritise showcasing their authenticity, verbal reasoning, and unique experiences to stand out.
- Higher education must teach a 'human + AI hybrid' strategy: use technology to polish, but leverage storytelling, personal insight, and networking to secure human connection and demonstrate value.
The graduate job market is overrun with perfect – but dull – job applications.
“We’re back at square one,” says Nav Dutta, Head of Career Development and Employment at Hult International Business School. “Instead of recruiters having to sift through hundreds of resumes to find qualified candidates, they now have to sift through hundreds of near perfect candidates.”
AI is now used by two thirds of jobseekers, a recent report from Career Group discovered. This relative ease of applications has led to more graduate job applications than ever before. The Institute of Student Employers estimates that the average number of applications per graduate vacancy is 140, a 59 percent increase on the previous year.
Even with so many of these near-perfect applications sent out, graduates in the UK are facing the toughest job market since 2018, according to job site Indeed, as employers pause hiring and use AI to cut costs. This stat is sadly true – 37 percent of managers globally have admitted they would rather hire AI than a Gen Z graduate, accounting to a recent Workplace Intelligence Survey sponsored by Hult International Business School.
As it becomes harder than ever for graduates to stand out, university careers services are adapting their services to help graduates navigate this new wave of AI applications.
From perfection to human
AI might be able to craft an error-free job application, but it can't give a graduate work-ready skills. Human skills – previously labelled soft skills – are something that AI can’t effectively emulate.
“[At Hult] we’re teaching students that in a time then everyone is flooding application portals with AI-assisted application materials, job seekers need to go back and play the human game,” says Dutta.
But in an online world where everything is instant, these skills can be slow to build, requiring patience and hard work. Becoming a highly sought after candidate in a saturated graduate job market takes time and effort. “The internet, YouTubers and Tik-Tokers will claim a job search can be done in 5 steps. It’s a lot more nuanced than that,” explains Dutta.
She advises students to work on skills like social and emotional intelligence, communication and influence, authenticity, and humility. Hult’s careers programming places a strong focus on developing a growth mindset and resilience to deal with the ups and downs of job hunting.
But AI does have its perks – and Hult’s careers team is using AI to beat it at its own game. They use AI tools to identify skills required for certain careers. Using this knowledge, they show students how to write accomplishment-driven resumes using Google recruiters’ XYZ method, encouraging them to use AI for feedback.
The key is blending the machine with the human element. When it comes to submitting the application, students are encouraged to find (human) hiring managers and present a compelling reason to have a short chat about their fit with the available job. This helps them demonstrate their verbal reasoning, real-time cognition and overall communication skills.
Olivia Trodden, Interim Associate Director of Careers and Employability at Kingston University, agrees that human skills are the way forward. “The differentiator will be human qualities,” she says, talking about how students can differentiate themselves in an AI-saturated job market. “Graduates who can clearly articulate their experiences, show adaptability and provide evidence of problem-solving in complex situations will stand out.”
At UK-based Kingston University, human-centric skills are embedded into every undergraduate student’s course as a core, taught and assessed part of their degree. The careers support at the institution is continually evolving to support students in a technology driven job market. Students receive guidance on how and when best to use AI.
“Our goal is to prepare graduates who are not only digitally competent but also adaptable and future-ready,” reveals Trodden. The ability to adapt is a key finding in the World Economic Forum (WEF)’s Future of Jobs Report 2025, in which 67 percent of global employers list resilience, flexibility and agility among the core skills their workforce needs.
A first step
Speaking from personal experience, University of Vassa alumna, Tiia-Maria Kinnula understands how AI can make applications easier and give students a starting point. When Kinnula started applying for new roles, she initially tried using AI to write her application letters. “But after I saw how my personality tended to disappear, I learned quickly to edit heavily and not rely on the first draft.”
Instead, when applying for jobs, she now uses AI to evaluate her CV and cover letter, asking it for feedback based on the jobs she’s applying to. Used too liberally, she warns, applications can be interpreted as fully AI by employers. But as a recruiter, she also sees the positives. “If students can use AI to support them in their application, maybe they are also adept at finding suitable ways to use AI in their daily work to improve efficiency. It is a valued skill, not just a tool for one thing.’
Kinnula has extensive experience in HR and recruitment, working with global technology companies. When hiring graduates, she cites motivation and human connection as the two most important things that can help students stand out in today’s market. This, she notes, is something that must be explained in graduates’ own words, not those of an AI chatbot.
Experience also cannot be overlooked. “As a recruiter I don’t expect candidates to have three years of experience after graduating, but I do expect to see motivation and willingness to develop yourself,” she says.
Maren Kaus, Director of Career Services at Frankfurt School of Finance & Management, says he’s seen how AI tools have transformed the first step of career preparation for students. “It’s a useful tool to polish job applications,” he says, “but there is a risk of losing authenticity.”
The key is to use it to organise ideas, but never to replace personal insight.
In workshops and individual counselling sessions, Frankfurt School helps students critically review AI-generated content, and ensure their own story, achievements and individuality come through. It also helps students to better understand how AI is used in recruiting processes, such as automated screening and keyword optimisation.
They too are working directly with employers to see what they are looking for beyond automation.
Changing the way students apply for jobs
“Since AI technology enables jobseekers to apply for a higher number of positions with more tailored, yet formulaic, CVs, students now face the major challenge of standing out from the competition,” notes Noémi Farkas-Hussey, Head of Career Services Centre at Corvinus University of Budapest. But recruiters, too, are struggling with this overwhelm of applications.
Farkas-Hussey explains that, because of this, her Hungary-based university is changing the way it advises students. For example, contrary to previous advice which told students to create a single high-quality CV for multiple applications, the careers team now encourages students to tailor their CVs for each position and add a personal touch, while also showing alignment with the target company’s values and missions. This allows students to stand out from the sea of mechanical AI-generated applications.
Another change is the increased emphasis on building career networks through alumni, classmates, friends and family to secure internal referrals and enhance visibility. “It has become crucial for career advisors to foster even closer professional relationships with HR to remain up to date with the latest industry trends and developments in AI-driven hiring,” she explains.
Luis Marques, Vice Dean at Porto Business School (PBS) believes that while AI may have changed the mechanics of applying, it has reinforced the value of clarity, originality and strategic self-awareness. “In a world where AI can produce polished text instantly, the strongest differentiator is a candidate who can combine technological fluency with authentic, human value,” he says.
PBS, in Portugal, is moving towards a human + AI hybrid career model that matches the realities of this modern hiring environment. Students receive AI-enabled career advice which uses AI platforms to receive skills insights, role analysis and personalised recommendations. Career labs and ongoing coaching and mentoring opportunities show students how to stand out in the age of AI.
The school’s engagement with companies and alumni ensures students and faculty understand what’s expected from them, even with a rapidly changing job market. “Students often request deeper insights into industry trends and more direct contact with recruiters, which is why we continue to expand this across all MBAs,” comments Marques.
Because employers are increasingly detecting formulaic applications, storytelling is encouraged. Students must be able to articulate their genuine experiences, leadership moments and impact. Employers look for candidates who can articulate who they are, what they stand for and how they add value.
A bleak graduate future?
The future isn’t as bleak as some students may fear. Yes, AI has changed the job market, so graduates must work with it to produce applications that are polished but full of personality.
Institutions must be proactive and give students the tools they need to express themselves and their experience to employers in a way that is uniquely human. Communication is important here. Schools must stay in contact with employers to find out how their needs are changing as AI and other technology advances.
It’s a learning curve for everyone, but hopefully one that, when navigated correctly, can produce positive results.