Can ChatGPT help me crack an interview?

That was a genuine question from one of my students recently and it made me smile.

The answer is: Yes… and No.

AI tools like ChatGPT can be a game-changer for interview prep

when used the right way.

Here’s how students can leverage AI effectively:

1. Mock Interviews: Practice with realistic, customized questions tailored to your field.

2. Company Research: Quickly understand a company’s mission, values, and current focus areas.

3. Feedback & Refinement: Use AI to refine your responses, improve clarity, and build confidence.

4. Ask AI to help craft and refine a 60-second self-introduction and then roleplay it until it sounds natural.

5. Students can use AI to check grammar, tone, and keywords that match specific job descriptions.

6. Have AI generate customised situational or competency-based questions (and even feedback) aligned with a target role.

But, and this is important- here’s the flip side:

1. Over-use dulls authenticity. If you memorise AI-written answers, you lose your personal spark.

2. Lack of self-reflection. AI can’t replace the introspection that builds real confidence.

3. Generic language. Interviewers can sense when responses sound too perfect or impersonal.

4. The more you let AI think for you, the less effort you put into understanding concepts, company context, or your own career goals, which ultimately shows during conversations.

So, use AI wisely as your coach, not your crutch. Let it help you polish your story, not write it for you.