[Job Hunting Exclusive Survey] Generative AI Becomes a “Reliable Counselor”! 1 in 3 Job-Seeking Students Use It, with Over 80% Feeling Its “Effectiveness.” Discover the Reality of Modern Job Hunting, Where Over 70% of Users Feel “Anxious About Job Hunting Without Generative AI.”
Investigating the Actual Status of Generative AI Utilization in Job Hunting Activities via SKYFLAG Research, Targeting Current 3rd and 4th-Year University Students and Working Professionals in Their 1st and 2nd Year of Full-Time Employment
Skyfall Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Tomokazu Hasegawa; hereinafter “Skyfall”), as part of its marketing research business operations, conducted a survey on the “Use of Generative AI in Job Hunting” using “SKYFLAG Research.” The survey targeted 99 men and women nationwide aged 20 to 25 who are currently or were recently engaged in job hunting as 3rd and 4th-year university students, as well as 123 working professionals (*) currently in their 1st or 2nd year of employment (Survey Period: Friday, July 4, 2025 – Friday, July 11, 2025).
This survey presents results obtained from both job-seeking students and working professionals regarding their methods of information gathering during job hunting, the support systems they rely on, and the actual utilization and perception of generative AI.
*The demographic breakdown consists of Men (Current/past job-seeking 3rd & 4th-year university students: 22; Working professionals in their 1st & 2nd year: 40) and Women (Current/past job-seeking 3rd & 4th-year university students: 77; Working professionals in their 1st & 2nd year: 83).
・Download the Survey Data Here: https://skyfall.co.jp/research/topics/report-012/#report-012/document-request/
*In addition to the use of generative AI in job hunting, the survey data compiles insights regarding career aspirations, job changes, and side businesses.
[Survey Summary]
- Job seekers demonstrate a trend of utilizing support resources such as “Comprehensive job-hunting websites/apps” and “Career Support Centers.” Notably, it has become clear that “Generative AI” is beginning to establish itself as a new, dependable entity.
- The utilization rate of generative AI among job-seeking students is approximately three times higher than that of working professionals. Over 70% of actual users responded that “Job hunting without generative AI causes anxiety,” revealing its growing position as a reassuring partner in job hunting.
- 84.9% of recent job seekers who used generative AI answered that it was “Effective.” While expectations for verbalization support are high among both students and working professionals, concerns were also raised regarding the decline of critical thinking skills and the accuracy of information.
Job seekers demonstrate a trend of utilizing support resources such as “Comprehensive job-hunting websites/apps” and “Career Support Centers.” Notably, it has become clear that “Generative AI” is beginning to establish itself as a new, dependable entity.
When current 3rd and 4th-year university job-seeking students (n=99) and full-time working professionals in their 1st and 2nd year (n=123) were asked about their sources of information during job hunting (multiple responses allowed), 55.6% of university students chose “Comprehensive job-hunting websites/apps,” 44.4% chose “Industry/Company introduction sessions,” and 43.4% chose “Corporate recruitment websites.” Conversely, for working professionals, “Corporate recruitment websites” scored the highest at 43.1%, followed by “Comprehensive job-hunting websites/apps” at 42.3%, and “Industry/Company introduction sessions” at 30.1%.
The data reveals that current job seekers actively leverage reliable external support, such as introductory sessions and career support centers, during the information-gathering phase.
Subsequently, when asked about the entity they relied on the most during their job-hunting activities, 30.3% of university students (n=99) chose “Comprehensive job-hunting websites/apps,” followed by “Career Support Centers” at 17.2%, and “Family” at 12.1%. For working professionals (n=123), “Comprehensive job-hunting websites/apps” was the highest at 26.0%, followed by “Family” at 17.9%, and “Career Support Centers” at 14.6%.
Notably, the proportion of current university students who responded “Generative AI” reached 7.1%, which is significantly higher compared to working professionals. This indicates that generative AI is increasingly recognized as a new, dependable tool in recent job-hunting activities.
The utilization rate of generative AI among job-seeking students is approximately three times higher than that of working professionals. Over 70% of actual users responded that “Job hunting without generative AI causes anxiety,” revealing its growing position as a reassuring partner in job hunting.
When asked whether they had ever used generative AI during their job-hunting activities, 37.4% of 3rd and 4th-year university students (n=99) and 13.0% of working professionals (n=123) responded that they “Have used generative AI during job hunting.” This reveals that current job seekers exhibit a utilization rate approximately three times higher than that of current working professionals during their respective job-hunting periods.
Regarding the experience of using generative AI outside of job hunting, 63.6% of university students (n=99) responded affirmatively compared to 50.4% of working professionals (n=123), clearly demonstrating that current students interact with generative AI more routinely in their daily lives.
Next, targeting individuals who stated they are aware of generative AI, a question was posed regarding their intention to use it if they were to undergo job hunting again. 65.5% of university students (n=87) expressed an intention to use generative AI, outnumbering the working professionals (n=104) at 51.0%, thereby showcasing a stronger inclination toward AI usage.
Furthermore, when asked whether they would feel anxious if they had to redo their job hunting without using generative AI, 71.7% of the 53 respondents who had actually used AI during their job hunting answered that they would feel anxious about navigating the process again without its assistance.
84.9% of recent job seekers who used generative AI answered that it was “Effective.” While expectations for verbalization support are high among both students and working professionals, concerns were also raised regarding the decline of critical thinking skills and the accuracy of information.
Among the 53 individuals who utilized generative AI during their job hunting, 84.9% evaluated its use as “Effective.”
For those who answered “Strongly Agree” regarding its effectiveness, the following unique benefits and reasons were highlighted:
- I believe [Generative AI] served as a good adviser. It proposed insights and perspectives I couldn’t have thought of on my own, allowing me to prepare across a broader scope. (Strongly Agree / 3rd-4th Year University Student)
- [Generative AI] taught me phrasing and expressions that would never have crossed my mind. If it were a senior mentor or another person, I might hold back out of politeness, but with AI, I could keep asking questions until I was completely satisfied. (Strongly Agree / 3rd-4th Year University Student)
- I was able to give a positive impression to interviewers using the vocabulary formulated by the AI. (Strongly Agree / 1st-2nd Year Working Professional)
- Because the corporate response and feedback were highly favorable. (Strongly Agree / 1st-2nd Year Working Professional)
Subsequently, individuals aware of generative AI were asked about their perceptions regarding its use in job hunting. Looking at positive perceptions, 36.8% of university students (n=87) selected “It effectively verbalizes what I want to convey,” followed by “I can consult it without needing to be polite/reserved” at 34.5%, and “It allows me to improve my Entry Sheet (Resume) and interview preparation” at 31.0%. For working professionals (n=104), “It effectively verbalizes what I want to convey” was also the highest at 35.6%, followed by “I can consult it without needing to be polite/reserved” at 30.8%, and “I can obtain objective advice” at 27.9%.
While both groups share a high expectation for verbalization support, a significant divergence was observed regarding its use as a mock interviewer: only 11.5% of university students selected “It can be used as a practice partner for interviews,” whereas 25.0% of working professionals chose this option. This suggests that professionals who have successfully completed their job-hunting journeys feel a stronger appreciation for the AI’s utility in interview simulation.
In terms of negative perceptions, both university students (n=87) and working professionals (n=104) overwhelmingly selected “The ability to think for oneself might be lost” as their primary concern. This was followed by “Feeling anxious about whether the generated output is genuinely accurate” and “Feeling anxious about whether the use of generative AI will be detected by employers.”
Furthermore, working professionals scored almost twice as high as university students in the options “Feeling that the fundamental essence of job hunting is changing” and “Feeling anxious about whether one can speak effectively in a real face-to-face interview with humans,” reflecting an escalation of practical concerns derived from real-world societal experience.
About “SKYFLAG Research”
“SKYFLAG Research” is a marketing research service that pursues representativeness. By expanding opportunities for internet research survey responses through various media via “SKYFLAG,” rather than being limited to conventional point sites, we support business decision-making with essential research results.
・Service Site: https://research-skyflag.info/
About “Skyfall”
Skyfall operates a reward marketing platform “SKYFLAG” with the mission of “creating a world where good things spread,” while also putting focus on the user experience.
The company also manages an authentic Texas Hold’em poker game “Poker Chase” and “Pocket Play,” an app where users can earn rewards by playing games.
| Company Name | :Skyfall Inc. |
| CEO | :Tomokazu Hasegawa |
| Address | :(Tokyo Head Office) 19F Midtown Tower, 9-7-1 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo :(Niigata Office) Nippon Life Insurance Niigata Building 7F, 2-4-10 Higashiodori, Chuo-ku, Niigata-shi, Niigata |
| Business Description | :Reward Marketing Platform Business and App Media Business |
| Number of employees | :190 (As of the end of March 2025) |
| Established | :October 2017 |
| Capital | :79,393,750 yen |
| Website | :https://skyfall.co.jp/ |
