While some Utahns are worried that artificial intelligence will take away their jobs, one-fifth of surveyed job candidates in the state are turning the tables by using AI to help them land a new position.
The survey of more than 3,000 people nationwide by Resume.io shows that 21 percent of Utah job candidates admit to “hacking” job interviews with AI. They acknowledged they were leveraging AI to scrape job forums and get themselves interview-ready by using an AI chatbot to predict job interview questions.
Utah’s 21 percent figure is fairly low among states. The lowest is 11 percent in Montana. The highest is 57 percent in Louisiana.
“In the ‘old days,’ using AI meant quietly polishing your resumé or letting ChatGPT generate a slick cover letter,” Resume.io said. “But job-seekers are now taking things a step further — into the actual interview room. Candidates are using AI tools not just to prepare but to rehearse, by asking bots to scrape likely interview questions from platforms such as Glassdoor, Reddit and niche career forums.
“The result? Hyper-personalized mock interviews tailored to firms like Google, Amazon, or McKinsey that mimic the grilling you’d actually face across the table.”
Among those surveyed nationally, more than one-third (36 percent) believe that AI -polished answers helped them perform better in interviews. Forty percent put faith in AI to predict the exact questions a company will ask. Sixty percent, however, don’t believe that, saying they are convinced that human hiring managers are far too unpredictable.
As for employers, 75 percent believe companies will eventually start screening for AI-assisted applicants. Only 1 in 4 thinks recruiters will remain in the dark.
Money also is an issue. About one-third (34 percent) would pay for a premium AI interview coach, while two-thirds say free tools are more than enough.
But what about the ethics of interview hacking? Opinions are split almost evenly. About 47 percent of respondents call AI prep “cheating,” while 53 percent shrug it off as smart preparation. In other words, there’s no clear consensus on whether leaning on a bot crosses the line.
Only 28 percent of respondents admitted they would feel guilty landing a role with AI-scripted answers, but 72 percent said they had no guilt.
A hypothetical posed to survey-takers asked if they would take help if AI could whisper answers into their ear during a live interview. Fifty-two percent said yes, 48 percent said no.
Forty-four percent of respondents said they would be more anxious walking into an interview without AI practice than without company research. “That stat alone suggests just how central AI prep has become in the modern job hunt,” Resume.io said.
“AI has quickly become an essential part of every career-minded job seeker’s toolkit,” said Amanda Augustine, Resume.io’s resident career expert and a Certified Professional Career Coach. “The key is how you use them. There’s a big difference between leveraging AI to build your confidence and polish your performance versus trying to let it do the thinking for you. AI can help you prepare, but it can’t form your opinions or speak with your authenticity.
“My advice to job-seekers: Use these tools to put your best foot forward, but make sure your personality and perspective still shine through when it matters most: during the actual conversation with an employer.”
Details about the survey are at https://resume.io/blog/interview-hacking.