I don't need to tell you how bad the job market is right now -- and it's getting stranger, too. I've had friends tell me they were interviewed by AI agents and only realized midway through the call that they weren't speaking to a human. How dehumanizing.

While AI is changing how companies hire, it's also being used by candidates. Leveraged correctly, it can help you revise your resume, mock up custom cover letters and get a new professional headshot. 

While I'm not looking for a full-time job, I'm constantly perusing LinkedIn and Indeed for more freelance or contract work. I've tested out Indeed's AI agent tool, which was handy, so when I heard that the Indeed app is now in ChatGPT, I had to give it a test run. It's currently available to people in the U.S., both free and paid subscribers.

I like the idea of having one interface for all my job searching, but let's see how it works in action. 

Prompt to your next position 

Finding a job is a full-time job these days. But can finding a job be conversational? Indeed thinks so. That job hunting happens in the in-between moments, chatting with AI while cooking or walking. 

Getting set up is simple. 

Download the Indeed app from the ChatGPT apps menu and connect your Indeed profile. This will import your saved preferences and resume details for a personalized job search experience.  

Once you're logged into Indeed, navigate to Account, then Profile.

One thing to keep in mind is to check that your resume doesn't include personal information such as your home address, email address and phone number. You might also want to log in to your Indeed profile and review your resume before linking it in ChatGPT.

When I asked what data is shared, an Indeed spokesperson told me, "When you opt in to share your profile, we currently do not share your physical address, phone number or any login credentials as part of that process, as we've limited what ChatGPT can access." 

I'd opt out of "Access my Indeed Profile" data. 

Also note, Indeed can use the context of what ChatGPT already knows about you from your previous conversations (though it doesn't have access to the transcripts of those previous conversations). Make sure to read through the terms and conditions before completing this step. 

I'd be overly cautious with what goes into ChatGPT. Read this explainer if you're worried about AI chatbot safety. 

Back in ChatGPT, you'll know Indeed is connected once you see the icon. You can also access it anytime by mentioning @Indeed in the chatbox. 

I started my hypothetical job search with a conversational prompt. 

You can use prompts such as "writing jobs in New York City that match my editorial and commercial experience," and ask for recommendations based on industry trends, salary ranges or specific work preferences. 

It pulled up a list of jobs that I could scroll through and expand into a larger window, mirroring the native Indeed experience.

You can't apply directly in ChatGPT, though, which is a bummer. 

I liked that it includes an explainer below the job listings, offering reasoning for why I'd be a good fit, suggesting the most aligned roles and highlighting market signals. I also appreciated the list of keywords that can help guide my search.

I responded with more context. 

It repositioned my job search, as well as how I can think about my value, which I can feed back into my resume and website. It nailed the top suggestion, matching my experience with my interest. 

Again, I loved the list of keywords. 

I was able to use the chatbox to ask questions like, "Where would I fall short with this job?" 

It generated interesting insights like this, so that I could make sure I have answers if asked in an interview.

I spent more time asking questions about the jobs it generated for me rather than searching the job section. For fun, I asked ChatGPT/Indeed to narrow the results to reproductive health writing roles.

That yielded even more jobs, explanations and keywords.

The verdict 

I was pleasantly surprised by this AI use case. Many of the tools I test struggle with user experience or fail to add real value compared to doing things without AI. While I wish it were possible to apply for jobs directly in ChatGPT so the experience could happen in one interface, maybe that's not the intention. Maybe finding jobs in ChatGPT is just the beginning of the search process.

Would I have found those jobs directly on Indeed or on Google? Probably. But the chatbox experience was insightful and enjoyable. It was candid in its advice and didn't sugarcoat my chances, especially in the current market. 

Correction, April 13: Indeed cannot access your previous conversations with ChatGPT.