I tested the NTUC AI Career Coach — does it work to find a job?

When I was assigned to review the NTUC AI Career Coach to determine whether it was effective at helping jobseekers find new jobs, I jumped at the chance. Having sought help from a human career coach before, I wanted to find out how an AI job search tool in Singapore could assist mid-career jobseekers.

Aware of the many tools claiming to improve job search results, my aim is simple: Help mid-career jobseekers cut through the clutter and find a job that matches their interests and skills.

How does the NTUC AI Career Coach work?

The NTUC AI Career Coach is a new AI-powered platform designed to help jobseekers with career guidance, resume improvement, job matching and interview practice—all in one place.

Click on the NTUC AI Career Coach website and have your Singpass app ready, as you'll need it to access most of the functions on the portal.

Chat with the AI coach for career guidance

Start by sharing your career goals

I began by telling the AI coach about my background and the type of role I was seeking.

I was asked about why I was seeking advice from a career coaching platform. Was I planning to switch careers? Or had I been retrenched and needed support? At this point, be clear and honest about your career goals, so you can benefit from a more personalised session catered to your needs.

If you’re familiar with using AI tools like ChatGPT and Google Gemini, conversing with the AI coach is pretty much the same: Enter a question and the answer is generated in minutes.

Share your resume for suitable job opportunities

After uploading my resume, the AI career guidance tool promptly recommended roles it deemed suitable for me. I found the insights into my potential career growth helpful in envisioning where I want to be in the future. I also valued the course suggestions to improve my chances of landing a job.

Next, the career coaching platform shared a link to job listings, mostly from the MyCareersFuture jobs portal. I like how it graded every job for matching the skills I have now, using the terms “stronger match”, “medium match”, and “lower match”. With over 100 listings received, this tool certainly saved me the hassle of clicking on every job only to find that my skills didn’t match the requirements. It effectively acts as a filter, helping me select jobs that better align with my current skills.

Ask for career transition support if you need it

If you’re a mid-career switcher or retrenched individual planning to transition to a new role, the AI career guidance tool gives sound advice, too. It can tell you what skills you need to acquire and how to gain practical experience.

In fact, the AI career coach can answer almost any job-related question you ask, including what job interview attire to wear and the body language to project. Think of it as having a 24/7 career coach at your beck and call.

Enhance your resume for ATS tracking

Knowing that my resume is the single most important tool in a job application, I used the “Resume Builder” to see how mine could be improved.

Not to worry, the AI Resume Builder can help you craft a resume from scratch if you don’t have one.

However, if you have an existing CV like mine, you can choose to enhance it or customise it to a job you want from the listings you browsed earlier.

 I tried enhancing my resume and tailoring it to a job I had in mind, and I must say I’m loving the experience. Not having applied for a job in many years, I was grateful for the suggestions to use stronger action words to emphasise active participation, highlight my skills more prominently, and focus on the impact my work had achieved.

I also appreciated the AI Resume Builder for its ability to redesign a CV that is easily picked by the Applicant Tracking System (ATS).

“Applicant what?”

This crossed my mind when I first heard of the commonly used digital recruitment gatekeeper that allows employers to easily manage and track applications, hiring processes, and communication between applicants and recruiters.

I’ll just say that if your resume is not optimised for the ATS today, it might never be seen by a human recruiter. Therefore, an ATS-friendly resume is a must-have for job applications today.

And there’s no need to physically amend your CV based on the comments; the AI Resume Builder will generate a refreshed resume for instant application.

Mock interview practice with AI

For someone who hasn’t been in a job interview for some time, having the chance to practice before I meet my potential employer is a godsend.

I clicked on the “Interview Practice” tab and found myself experiencing a mock video interview simulation with my AI coach. You may feel squeamish about seeing yourself on camera in a raw, unfiltered way for the first time, but trust me, it’s life-changing and necessary.

The session begins with six common questions that may potentially come up in an interview. Thereafter, the online job interview practice rated my transcript, providing insightful comments on what I’ve done well, and suggestions for improvement.

The best way to get an honest appraisal is to answer the questions exactly as if you are at an actual interview. Make sure you’re in a quiet room with no distractions, wear the attire you have selected, and use the body language you intend to project.

What was invaluable to me was getting the chance to do multiple takes– an opportunity I’ll never get at an actual interview. It gives me the confidence to step into that interview room. I also have the option to practice with a new set of questions at each session, preparing me for a broader range of questions that interviewers may ask.

Also, don’t worry about the entire world seeing the video interview; the video and audio files aren’t saved online. However, you can save your transcript if you wish to refer to it later.

With the opportunity to practice the interview until you’re satisfied, the AI interview practice is an essential tool for jobseekers who feel anxious about interviews.

AI Career Explorer for new opportunities

There’s a saying often attributed to Confucius that goes: “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”

I felt that the “Career Explorer” really helped me explore the role or industry I wanted after consulting the AI career coach during the initial chat.

I took the Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, Conventional (RIASEC) test to better understand myself and my career interests, and I suggest you do the same to be clear about what you really want from your career.

RIASEC will highlight your top three personalities (any combination of realistic, investigative, artistic, social, enterprising, or conventional) and make recommendations on the job roles to consider.

In short, the AI Career Explorer aligns roles with your style for more sustainable, satisfying job suggestions.

Is the NTUC AI Career Coach worth using?

Job searching can be a daunting journey, but it doesn’t have to be nerve-wracking. With the NTUC AI Career Coach, you should have everything you need to embark on a fruitful path.

The main advantage, as you may already know, is the convenience of consulting the NTUC AI Career Coach whenever you want. We recommend taking the time to explore the tool for the best results.

All the best in your job hunt!

Visit the NTUC AI Career Coach website to start your job search journey today.