AI and Student Success
AI is transforming higher education, and Queen’s is no exception. We know from publications like Jisc’s report on generative AI and the Student Perspectives on Artificial Intelligence 2024 Report that students use AI in diverse and innovative ways. We also know that within graduate recruitment, employers use AI-driven Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), skills-matching algorithms, and digital interviews to streamline hiring. For QUB students, developing AI literacy is essential, as knowing how to leverage AI effectively gives graduates a competitive edge.
That’s why Careers, Employability and Skills is tailoring AI tools for students, implementing platforms such as CareerSet’s CV checker to enhance job applications, and upgrading our jobs portal MyFuture with AI-driven insights that help staff support students more effectively: below is an overview of our AI tools and their benefits. These tools won’t replace staff advice, but will complement it by freeing up time for more strategic interventions.
CareerSet: Enhancing Job Applications with AI
CareerSet is designed to help students refine and personalise their job applications, with user-friendly features outlined below making the process more efficient. CES is onboarding CareerSet as we recognise its appeal to a student body eager to make use of AI to boost their existing skillsets and position themselves favourably in a competitive job market.
Score my CV
This tool evaluates CVs using an ATS-style scoring system, assessing impact, structure, tone, and the effectiveness of bullet points. It provides line-by-line feedback, supported by AI-generated suggestions (limited to 10 per day), helping students rewrite weaker areas in real time. This means students come to CV consultations with a stronger foundation, allowing staff to focus on higher-level strategy and industry alignment rather than issues like formatting or grammar.
Target my CV
Student CVs are compared with job descriptions to receive a ‘relevancy score’ estimating how closely their CV aligns with the role requirements. The tool highlights gaps and strengths, allowing students to tailor their applications more effectively, in an environment where they are facing stiff competition for a limited number of roles. For staff, this reinforces the importance of application customisation and provides students a measurable way to improve their profile for specific roles.
Review my Cover Letter
This offers feedback on cover letters, analysing structure, tone, keyword usage, and job description alignment. It lets students rework their letters using AI-powered suggestions (up to 10 revisions per day), reducing the number of first-draft cover letters submitted for review. This allows students to develop a stronger understanding of writing expectations within a professional context.
Optimise my LinkedIn
We know that students rely on LinkedIn to network with potential employers and make strong first impressions. With this tool, students upload a PDF of their LinkedIn profile and receive a score, with AI-driven recommendations for their headline, summary, work experience, and skills sections. Feedback is even available for profile photos. This empowers students to independently strengthen their professional online presence and boost their digital networking skills.
MyFuture: AI for Jobs and Reports
Beyond CareerSet, MyFuture is increasingly utilising AI to implement cutting-edge changes so that students can make the most of their job hunt, and staff can receive real-time insights, allowing them to be better equipped to support our student body.
Jobs uploaded to MyFuture are automatically tagged with skills relating to the job description: based on this, the system recommends jobs by analysing a student’s interactions (views, applications, employer follows). This personalised, data-driven approach helps students find more relevant opportunities without manual filtering. Students can give feedback on job listings by ‘starring’ or ‘thumbs-downing’, training the system to provide more tailored recommendations. In the future, an update will pull student skills directly from their uploaded CVs to enable better matching.
Staff can use generative AI to analyse report data, extracting key trends, actionable insights, and suggested next steps. Customisation allows exploration of specific areas, comparisons, and language adjustment. Complex data is transformed into clear insights, allowing staff to make informed decisions quickly. This could include identifying which types of jobs students are struggling to get, or where gaps in career readiness are emerging.
Strategic Impact for Careers
Beyond directly supporting students, AI tools help staff increase their impact. With students equipped to conduct early-stage interventions themselves, staff can focus their expertise on mentoring, industry guidance and career planning. Ultimately, integrating AI tools aligns with QUB’s broader institutional goals around digital capability, student success, and graduate employability. This ensures students are not only supported in securing employment, but also prepared to thrive in digital-first workplaces.
