Getting started with AI
Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT can be helpful when you're designing interview questions, especially if you're aiming to create a consistent, developmentally appropriate hiring experience for student employees. That said, AI works best when you give it strong input. It’s not a replacement for your judgment—it’s a tool to help you do your job more efficiently and thoughtfully.
If you’re new to AI, think of it as a very smart assistant that responds to the instructions (called prompts) you give it. The better your instructions, the better its output.
Some materials you’ll want to create include a clear job description and learning outcomes incorporating the relevant NACE career readiness competencies. Additionally, it’s important to first prepare original content like a job description, learning outcomes, and the competencies you want to assess. This helps ensure that what AI generates is accurate, relevant, and aligned with your goals.
Define the role and provide context
Start by clearly describing the student’s position. AI needs context to provide helpful suggestions.
Your description should include things like:
- Key responsibilities
- Skills and knowledge students should bring or develop
- Relevant NACE Career Readiness Competencies
- How students will interact with the team or other stakeholders
Providing this up front makes it more likely that the questions you get from AI will be specific, appropriate, and tied to the role—not just generic interview questions.
Potential Summary:
“In the position of [insert WL position/title] with [insert WL supervisory branch] students will gain experience in various experiences. The student will be responsible for helping with scheduling, basic data entry, answering general student inquiries, and providing assistance to the various departments under [insert WL supervisory branch]. In this role, students can expect to enhance their professionalism, career development, technology, and teamwork competencies.”
Drafting your prompt for AI
The key to getting helpful results from AI is writing a clear, specific prompt. Start by identifying your goal. Do you want five developmentally appropriate interview questions? Questions that assess a certain skill? Questions tailored to a student’s major? The more context you give, the more relevant the output will be. You don’t need to be fancy—just be direct and clear.
Potential Prompt to Use in ChatGPT:
“Help me create 5 interview questions for a working learner (student employee) working as a front desk aide for Career Services. The role involves communication, customer service, scheduling, and data entry. In your response, please ensure here’s a mix of behavioral and situational questions, and keep them developmentally appropriate for students in higher education with limited work experience.”
Once you receive the questions, review them. If they’re close but not quite right, ask for revisions.
Potential Prompt for Refinement:
“Please revise your list of interview questions to better assess collaboration and communication skills. Additionally, please ensure that the questions consider the student applicant's developmental phase in their college education.”
