AI in job applications – are we asking the right question?
Applications are one of the hardest parts of landing a conservation job. They take time, energy, and a lot of careful thought to get right – and for many people, they can feel exhausting. Recently, we’ve been exploring a question that’s been quietly growing in the background: what role is AI starting to play in all of this?
We ran two polls – one on LinkedIn and one in our CC Pro community – asking whether people are using AI in their applications. The results were strikingly similar.
So while most people aren’t using AI, a meaningful minority are.
What’s interesting is how they’re using it.
From the comments, people aren’t handing over their applications to AI. They’re using it more as a support tool – to compare their CV against a job description, identify missing keywords, structure their thoughts, or speed up research into organisations. A few people use it to draft early versions of cover letters, but then heavily edit them to reflect their own voice.
In many ways, it feels similar to tools we already accept – like spellcheck or Google. Helpful, but not something you blindly trust.
There were also some important concerns raised. Questions around authenticity came up a lot – people wanting to make sure their applications still feel like them. Others raised fairness and whether AI is now being used on both sides of the process. And one person made a point that’s hard to ignore – the environmental cost of AI, and how that sits within a conservation context.
So for me, this isn’t really about whether we should use AI or not.
It’s about how we use it well, and ethically.
Used badly, it can make applications generic and impersonal. Used well, it can save time, improve clarity, and even help people apply for more roles each week – which, given how demanding applications can be, is no small thing.
The key is making sure it still sounds like you.
Because at the end of the day, this is still a human process. You’re trying to build trust, show your values, and demonstrate why you care about the work.
No tool can do that for you.
If you’d like to see the discussion (and add your own thoughts), you can view and comment on the LinkedIn poll here.
We’ll be exploring this much more over the coming weeks.
Starting Monday, 13th April, we’ll be running a 5-day Cover Letter Challenge, where we’ll walk through a clear, practical process for creating high-quality cover letters quickly and effectively.
I’ll be going live at noon UK each day on LinkedIn to show you the simple steps on how to create a cover letter you’re proud to send to employers.
By the end of the five days, you’ll have a simple, repeatable process you can apply not just to cover letters, but across your CV, resume and application forms too. We’ll also reflect on where AI fits (and doesn’t) within that process.
If crafting applications has ever felt slow, confusing or overwhelming, this should help.
In readiness for the challenge, I recommend you download below our free step-by-step guide to getting HIRED in conservation.