AI, Values & Personality – Navigating the Human Side of Graduate Recruitment

AI is everywhere—but should it be writing your graduate application?

In Inside Industry #2, recruiters from Energy Queensland, Horizon Power and Transgrid tackled the evolving expectations around personalisation, personality and technology in early career recruitment.

On AI: It’s a double-edged sword. “We know when someone’s just copy-pasted a ChatGPT answer,” said Zoe Seibold. “One candidate literally read the script off the screen—and we could tell.” Whitney Ottley agreed, explaining that AI responses often sound generic and fail to showcase the unique experiences that set real applicants apart.

That said, they aren’t anti-AI. Whitney suggested smarter uses: feed a job ad into AI and get it to generate potential interview questions, or use it to help summarise a project you worked on. “It’s a tool—not a shortcut.” (Pro tip: if you’re going to use AI, make sure you are still doing the thinking.)

On personality and values: Jodie Lynch urged students to go beyond technical skills and demonstrate alignment with a company’s purpose and culture. “Don’t just say ‘I’m passionate about renewables,’” she said. “Show you’ve thought about the challenges, especially in regional or complex environments.” Whitney added that expressing curiosity and openness to different rotations—even unexpected ones—is a big plus.

On presenting yourself: All three agreed—body language speaks louder than words, especially in interviews. From being aware of your background on Zoom to arriving at an in-person interview calm and confident, how you carry yourself matters. Zoe reminded candidates to treat interviews like a conversation, not a test.

The message? Be authentic. AI can’t replace that.

Watch the whole webinar here: