The internship search has long involved networking for professional outreach. Now, the internship application process also involves the artificial neural and computer networks that make up AI. With both students and employers using artificial intelligence tools, the internship search for Notre Dame students today looks quite different from years past.
Out of the 195 Notre Dame students surveyed as part of the Meruelo Family Center for Career Development’sStrategic Insight Network, 31% reported using generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini and Microsoft Copilot for career development purposes. 36% reported using AI tools in a limited way and 33% said they were not using AI tools.
The third of students currently using AI tools reported they found the most helpful uses to be resume feedback, interview preparation, career exploration and cover letter feedback, in that order.
Many students reported being encouraged to use AI in the search and application process by advisors, peers and online influencers.
A junior English major who recently accepted an internship offer said she uses AI to edit cover letters she wrote for other positions to fit new job postings.
“It is a very repetitive process where often you get no response back at all. That makes it very hard to be motivated to do your own writing,” she said.
A global affairs major seeking her first internship in law and national security said she uses ChatGPT to format her resume to fit industry-specific standards, generate interview prompts and brainstorm answers for interview questions.
Junior psychology major Mayre Coba Castro, who is currently discerning her career interests, said the CCD advised her to use AI to brainstorm possible job titles that fit her background and passions. However, she said she would not use AI to write cover letters as “AI doesn’t really know the uniqueness of what it is to be me.”
Junior Claire Capdevielle said she does not use AI to craft internship applications, though she might consider using it as an initial search tool to find internship postings. As an aspiring film director, she stated, “My guess is that [AI] would be more formulaic and less creative, which, especially in a creative profession, seems like an issue.”
Aerospace engineering major junior Cameron Thompson recently secured a summer internship. He said he made connections with people at that company through a previous internship, at the career fair and during facility visits.
“I was told by a lot of people, ‘Hey, you should use [AI], it’s going to be faster, you know these don’t need to be high quality’ and I didn’t do that. I instead wrote them and I was very happy with the cover letters I came out with,” Thompson said.
A senior business analytics major who was recently hired as a quantitative analyst and has had three previous internships shared that she saw advertisements for using AI on social media when she was searching for jobs. She chose not to use AI.
“AI can’t understand my lived experience. I think the people are hiring you because of who you are. So if you sound like a bot, no one wants to work with a bot,” she explained.
Some of her job interviews were conducted by AI. She said, “It’s definitely made [the application process] worse. And, case in point, the three times I got job offers were all from face-to-face, in-person, career fair connections and I don’t think that’s a coincidence.”
Staff at the CCDdescribed the changes they see in the hiring process.
“I’ve seen firsthand how dramatically employers – especially in the tech sector – are reshaping the internship application process using AI,” CCDNorthernCalifornia regional engagement manager Allison Gagnon wrote in an email.
She noted that companies are drifting away from formal recruiting and information sessions to AI strategies to handle more applicants.
“Many of the companies I work with regularly, like Apple, Google, Nike, META, and many others, no longer rely on traditional on-campus recruiting or in-person info sessions the way they once did. Instead, they’re leaning heavily into AI-driven tools to manage the enormous volume of applications they receive,”Gagnon wrote.”For a student applicant, this means that the first ‘eyes’ on their materials are often not a person – it’s an algorithm checking for role alignment, keyword relevance, and evidence of technical proficiency.”
When asked if and how the CCD recommends students use AI in the internship application process, CCD associate director for strategic partnerships and operations Erik Oswald wrote, “AI resources are great tools to assist with your search.”
He listed examples of possible uses, including identifying ways to strengthen resumes, generating potential interview questions and discovering companies that might align with personal values.
In an email to The Observer, CCD associate vice president for career and professional development Ryan Willerton wrote, “Find ways to use AI that align with your values and ethics, while also leveraging the capabilities of generative AI for creative ideation and research. AI should not write your resume or cover letter, but it is a great tool for generating ideas for creative ways to tell your story.”
Several of Notre Dame’s CCD staff have participated in a training program by the National Association of Colleges and Employers on best practices for AI.
The CCD is not alone in using AI to support its career services. A 2025 poll by NACE, of which Notre Dame is a member, reported that 76% of career centers, out of a total of 448, reported using AI when working with individual students. This percentage has nearly quadrupled since 2023.