“AI Can’t Read The Room”

Generative AI can now polish your cover letter, summarise research and create presentation ideas in seconds.

Useful? Definitely.

Comforting? Not always.

Because if everyone has access to the same tools, what makes one candidate worth hiring over another?

It’s a question many young jobseekers are already thinking about – not because they’re afraid AI will replace them, but because they know using AI is no longer enough to make them stand out.

Student Roy Lim, 22, sees AI as a starting point, not the finished product. 

“It’s easy to tell when something is completely AI-generated, so something that will make you stand out is adding your own flair to whatever is being generated,” he says. 

For example, when writing personal statements for his university applications, he made sure to include personal anecdotes.

“AI may be able to help with the writing, but those lived experiences are uniquely ours,” he says.

Indiependence is an F ZINE initiative featuring honest conversations about things that matter to young Singaporeans. In this edition, editor-in-chief Noelle Loh chats with young professionals and hiring managers to unpack the anxieties and pressures of job hunting. Our take? Nobody knows what they’re doing (and that’s okay). Watch the conversation below.

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Still, Roy admits that finding his own “flair” is a work in progress. While he has his own style of doing things, there are times when AI feels better at getting the same task done. That’s why he treats it as a tool for organising and refining his thoughts, rather than allowing it to make decisions for him.

“It may sound cliched, but the human factor is irreplaceable.”

Wyona Pang, 26, who works in public relations and communications, agrees. Schools may teach students how to write resumes and cover letters, she says, but not necessarily how to make them reflect who they are.

“No one actually tells you what you can do to stand out from the rest, or how you can show off more of your personality through those things,” she says.

Your point of view is your advantage

For Roshini Kumaravelu, what makes someone memorable goes beyond technical skills.

“The way you can differentiate yourself is through the point of view that you bring,” says the 25-year-old, who works in tech consulting.

“This can be developed through the things you read, the kind of people you interact with, the kind of media you consume.

“ChatGPT is going to give a generic answer to a lot of situations, but the taste and perspective is something you can’t replicate.”

For instance, while working on communications for a company’s digital transformation, Roshini used AI to structure presentations and sharpen her message. But the real work came from speaking to employees, understanding their concerns and tailoring the message for different groups of people.

“AI can help create a polished presentation faster, but it can’t replace the judgement that comes from reading the room, understanding your audience and knowing what will resonate with them,” she says. 

F ZINE asked young Singaporeans what they really feel about job hunting and the pressure to have their careers figured out.

The human qualities employers value

What makes someone stand out when everyone has access to AI?

Mahdhir Mustaffa, a hiring manager who works closely with young people entering the workforce at NVPC, says the people most at risk are those who refuse to adapt while the technology continues to evolve.

That could give young jobseekers an advantage. Having grown up with digital tools, many already have a good sense of when AI is useful – and when their own judgement matters more. 

Wyona, for example, uses AI to handle repetitive tasks. That gives her more time to focus on offering solutions, collaborating with teammates and communicating openly with colleagues.

Mahdhir agrees. When interviewing candidates, he pays close attention to whether someone can carry a conversation.

AI may generate articulate answers, but it still struggles with nuance, connection and the small intricacies of human exchange.

Bessie Ye, founder of fashion label r y e – where four out of five staff are Gen Z – sees it similarly. 

Hiring often comes down to intuition and whether someone feels like the right fit for the team. “Human touch points can’t be replaced,” she says.

At the same time, Bessie said she’d be impressed by someone who could use AI creatively to solve a genuine problem, such as building a bot that saved time for her at work.

Showing what makes you different 

A career coach from the Skills and Workforce Development Agency (SWDA) says AI is no longer the differentiator. The more useful question is how graduates position themselves in a workplace where everyone has access to the same tools. 

Fresh graduates should understand the tools relevant to their industries and learn to use them effectively.

But staying employable isn’t about chasing every new platform, says the coach.

“Staying relevant is less about any single course or certification, and more about cultivating a learning mindset: staying curious, paying attention to how the world is evolving and being willing to adapt.”

That foundation still includes writing, reasoning, listening and relating to others.

And simply listing those qualities on a resume isn’t enough.

“Describe a moment where your ability to listen carefully or explain something clearly made a real difference,” the coach advises.

“Instead of claiming creativity, share a time you approached a problem from an unexpected angle and what happened as a result.”

Mahdhir recommends keeping a portfolio of completed projects. Work samples don’t just show what you created, but also show how you approached the problem and arrived at the result.

The hardest skills to replace

Many of the qualities employers value most aren’t built in a classroom.

Early roles, internships and side projects give young people opportunities to develop them through experience.

Nicholas Chong, 24, realised this during his banking internship: Some of his peers were far more confident networkers than he was.

Rather than treating that as a fixed weakness, he began paying closer attention to how they built relationships.

“Closed mouths don’t get fed,” he says. “I’ve learnt that when you’re starting your career, you need to be very ‘shameless’.”

That kind of self-awareness matters. The SWDA coach encourages young jobseekers to keep learning, adapting and trying new things.

“Invest in the ability to learn, unlearn and relearn,” the coach says.

But above all, “the most compelling thing candidates can bring to an interview is a clear, authentic sense of who they are and how they think”.

ICYMI, SWDA is a government agency formed in July when Workforce Singapore and SkillsFuture Singapore joined forces. Click here for more tools, tips and support, or reach out to an SWDA career coach for personalised career and skills advisory.