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Using GPT-3 to answer annoying interview application questions

88 points by Lior539 4y ago

Hi folks. My wife has been looking for a job and sometimes in the application forms there are annoying questions like "Why do you want to work here?". At the same time I've been playing around with GPT-3 and have blown away by it's capabilities, so I decided to build a site that can answer these annoying questions for her. Github: https://github.com/Lior539/why-do-you-want-to-work-here https://github.com/Lior539/why-do-you-want-to-work-here Here's an example of a generated answer: Using this opening for a Senior iOS Engineer at Monzo -https://boards.greenhouse.io/monzo/jobs/3838039 https://boards.greenhouse.io/monzo/jobs/3838039 The generated answer question on the application "What attracted you to Monzo?": "What attracted me to Monzo is that it is a bank that is trying to make a difference in the world by making it easier for people to manage their money. Monzo is also very customer focused and puts the customer first in everything they do."

deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
apugoneappu 4y ago
Looks cool haha but a little too much effort to try! One thing that works wonders for demos is a button to fill out all fields with your placeholder.
- Lior539 4y ago
  Oh that's a good tip, thanks!
  - robbie-c 4y ago
    Seconding this! The placeholders are great but I was just curious what the best answers to the placeholders were.
- dt3ft 4y ago
  Same observation here. Quite a bit of effort to try it out. Even a sample output/screenshot would be fine.
personjerry 4y ago
The interface isn't very clear on how to use it. Some instruction like "paste the application questions here" would go a long way
- Lior539 4y ago
  thanks for the feedback!
  - FabHK 4y ago
    Minor bug report: If you paste text that is too long for the field, it gets truncated, but then the overflow spills over and appears before the response.
yakorevivan 4y ago
manholio 4y ago
Looks like it's working: > The answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything is 42.
- ackbar03 4y ago
  Now ask it what the ultimate question is
  - ggsp 4y ago
    OpenAI's GPT-3 playground completes the prompt The answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything is 42. The question is with not known, but it is thought to be something along the lines of "What is the meaning of life?"
auggierose 4y ago
Oh yeah. I am going to apply that to my next YC application and its cute questions.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
ageitgey 4y ago
I tried it out with an opening from my company and the results were really good. Nice usage idea :)
FabHK 4y ago
Not bad. For a role as Quant at the European Investment Bank [0], it generated: A) I want to work at the European Investment Bank because I am passionate about fighting climate change and promoting sustainable development. The EIB is at the forefront of these efforts, and I want to be a part of that. Additionally, I have experience in designing, developing, testing, and documenting quantitative models, which makes me a perfect fit for this position. B) The EIB offers an opportunity to work for the biggest multilateral financial institution in the world that is at the forefront of climate finance. I want to work here because I want to help the EIB achieve its goals and contribute to European integration. [0] https://erecruitment.eib.org/psc/hr/EIBJOBS/CAREERS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST_FL&JobOpeningId=108473&PostingSeq=2&SiteId=1&languageCd=ENG&FOCUS=Applicant& https://erecruitment.eib.org/psc/hr/EIBJOBS/CAREERS/c/HRS_HR...
- trhway 4y ago
  I think the time of essays has just passed. I just don't see how teacher would catch students who would use GPT-3 for essay writing. I think lawyers are next. There is also a post on the front page about rise of hype in grant applications ... just wait until GPT-3++ learns a bit of logic and scientific facts :)
  - karencarits 4y ago
    It is interesting how these problems will mainly be affecting English speaking populations; for smaller languages, the models are not good enough and it is likely to stay that way as large corporations often neglect them
    - yeellow 4y ago
      Indeed, very interesting. Imagine the (not so distant) future web populated with ai generated gibberish that would be indistinguishable form the real thing. It could make English unusable for online knowledge sharing and could cause the switch to another language (and another, and another...). The threat is very real. There should be a scifi novel based on that (probably already is, hopefully not generated by gtp3)
snovv_crash 4y ago
> What is the carrying capacity of a swallow? > Walt Disney > Funeral director Two coconuts.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
smeagull 4y ago
> My biggest weakness is that I sometimes have trouble working on a team. I work best when I am given a task and can work on it independently. I don't think I'm getting the job guys.
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
krisoft 4y ago
About the annoyingness of the question: To each their own. I wouldn't want to work at just any place, and usually have very clear reasons why I choose one place in particular. Same from the hiring side. There is a big difference between candidates who care about working with us in particular vs just someone who just needs a way to pay their mortgage. I understand not everyone can be in the first group, but if I can I will always prefer someone from that group over the second. The second observation is that the generated example fits the bill, but it's not really great. It sounds like something a fifth grader would write for an essay question, not something a seasoned professional would put on paper. Why does it repeat the question? This is not a television interview, we know what was the question. Also it is very incomplete. You tell me about what Monzo is, or at least what you think Monzo is, but you don't tell us why it matters to you. Ideally in your answer you should reflect to your own qualities, and provide clear and strong evidence to something the hiring organisation cares about. For example if you are a Senior iOS engineer applying for this job and you think being costumer centric is a key Monzo principle then take the opportunity to show how you are also costumer centric. What did you do in your life so far which will make me as the Monzo hiring manager think you will make us more costumer centric?
- mynameisvlad 4y ago
  I agree with everything you said. It’s an answer. I’d file it under “ok, I guess” if I were to have gotten it from a candidate, and would have probably pushed on it in the same way you illustrate in the last paragraph. But it’s not an answer I’d ever write home about. It doesn’t really show the passion for the company. And by no means is it required, but if I’m looking at two relatively equal candidates, then passion is going to come into play. I’m in the process of switching jobs and you better believe I had a whole passionate answer as to “why us?” and I’m positive part of the reason I got the new job is because I was able to articulate exactly how big of a deal that was to me. At the end of the day, you do better work if you care about the company and the things they do, and I’m going to want to work with someone that loves the things we do more than someone that is only doing it for a paycheck.
  - FabHK 4y ago
nottorp 4y ago
Absolutely lovely. I was too lazy to paste long descriptions so i used this: "What is your biggest character flaw?" "Google" "Search and advertising" "Software Engineer" "No lifer wanted." And got this gem: We’re looking for a software engineer to work on a new project. The project is confidential, but it’s a big deal – we’re talking life-changing, world-changing stuff. We need someone who is going to be all in, who is going to throw themselves into the work and not look back. This is not a role for someone who is just looking for a job, this is a role for someone who wants to change the world. My biggest character flaw is that I sometimes get too caught up in my work and forget to take breaks. I can become so focused on solving a problem that I'll work for hours without taking a break, and that's not healthy. I'm working on becoming more aware of when I need to take a break, and making sure I take the time to relax and recharge. Proves "AI" is great at soul less pattern matching.
classified 4y ago
Possibly the single most sensible application for this kind of stuff. No need to learn corporate-speak yourself, unless of course you apply for a role that actually requires it.
nstart 4y ago
For anyone looking to try this out, you can use the careers page of meta (https://www.metacareers.com https://www.metacareers.com) and get the Meta company description and job roles from it. It's fully worth it I guarantee you. I may have imagined a question for Meta's security engineering job role: "write me an essay about camels and their value in cybersecurity" which may have resulted in: "The camel is a valuable animal in the cybersecurity field due to its ability to store large amounts of data in its hump. Camels are able to cross vast distances with little water, which makes them ideal for carrying large amounts of data across networks. They are also very sturdy animals, able to withstand harsh conditions and even attacks from cyber criminals. In addition, their long eyelashes protect their eyes from sand and dust, making them perfect for working in dusty environments such as data centers." Or "how will you use camels to assist you in your day to day work" "I would use camels to help me with my day-to-day work by providing a means of transportation to and from work, as well as a means of transportation to different work sites. Camels can also be used to help carry supplies and equipment to and from work sites." And of course the most sensible answer to the question: "why did camels fail in cybersecurity" "The reason camels failed in cybersecurity is because they're not very good at it." Bravo GPT-3. Bravo
bitshiftfaced 4y ago
Coincidence that it's released right at the September price change? I'm definitely going to play around with GPT-3 more now that it's cheaper. Idea: prepend something like "(The interviewee who was hired provided the following answer:)"

88 points by Lior539 4y ago

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

apugoneappu 4y ago

Looks cool haha but a little too much effort to try! One thing that works wonders for demos is a button to fill out all fields with your placeholder.

Lior539 4y ago
Oh that's a good tip, thanks!
- robbie-c 4y ago
  Seconding this! The placeholders are great but I was just curious what the best answers to the placeholders were.
dt3ft 4y ago
Same observation here. Quite a bit of effort to try it out. Even a sample output/screenshot would be fine.

personjerry 4y ago

The interface isn't very clear on how to use it. Some instruction like "paste the application questions here" would go a long way

Lior539 4y ago
thanks for the feedback!
- FabHK 4y ago
  Minor bug report: If you paste text that is too long for the field, it gets truncated, but then the overflow spills over and appears before the response.

yakorevivan 4y ago

manholio 4y ago

Looks like it's working: > The answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything is 42.

ackbar03 4y ago
Now ask it what the ultimate question is
- ggsp 4y ago
  OpenAI's GPT-3 playground completes the prompt The answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything is 42. The question is with not known, but it is thought to be something along the lines of "What is the meaning of life?"

auggierose 4y ago

Oh yeah. I am going to apply that to my next YC application and its cute questions.

deleted 4y ago
[deleted]

ageitgey 4y ago

I tried it out with an opening from my company and the results were really good. Nice usage idea :)

FabHK 4y ago

Not bad. For a role as Quant at the European Investment Bank [0], it generated: A) I want to work at the European Investment Bank because I am passionate about fighting climate change and promoting sustainable development. The EIB is at the forefront of these efforts, and I want to be a part of that. Additionally, I have experience in designing, developing, testing, and documenting quantitative models, which makes me a perfect fit for this position. B) The EIB offers an opportunity to work for the biggest multilateral financial institution in the world that is at the forefront of climate finance. I want to work here because I want to help the EIB achieve its goals and contribute to European integration. [0] https://erecruitment.eib.org/psc/hr/EIBJOBS/CAREERS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST_FL&JobOpeningId=108473&PostingSeq=2&SiteId=1&languageCd=ENG&FOCUS=Applicant& https://erecruitment.eib.org/psc/hr/EIBJOBS/CAREERS/c/HRS_HR...

trhway 4y ago
I think the time of essays has just passed. I just don't see how teacher would catch students who would use GPT-3 for essay writing. I think lawyers are next. There is also a post on the front page about rise of hype in grant applications ... just wait until GPT-3++ learns a bit of logic and scientific facts :)
- karencarits 4y ago
  It is interesting how these problems will mainly be affecting English speaking populations; for smaller languages, the models are not good enough and it is likely to stay that way as large corporations often neglect them
  - yeellow 4y ago
    Indeed, very interesting. Imagine the (not so distant) future web populated with ai generated gibberish that would be indistinguishable form the real thing. It could make English unusable for online knowledge sharing and could cause the switch to another language (and another, and another...). The threat is very real. There should be a scifi novel based on that (probably already is, hopefully not generated by gtp3)

snovv_crash 4y ago

> What is the carrying capacity of a swallow? > Walt Disney > Funeral director Two coconuts.

deleted 4y ago
[deleted]

smeagull 4y ago

> My biggest weakness is that I sometimes have trouble working on a team. I work best when I am given a task and can work on it independently. I don't think I'm getting the job guys.

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

krisoft 4y ago

About the annoyingness of the question: To each their own. I wouldn't want to work at just any place, and usually have very clear reasons why I choose one place in particular. Same from the hiring side. There is a big difference between candidates who care about working with us in particular vs just someone who just needs a way to pay their mortgage. I understand not everyone can be in the first group, but if I can I will always prefer someone from that group over the second. The second observation is that the generated example fits the bill, but it's not really great. It sounds like something a fifth grader would write for an essay question, not something a seasoned professional would put on paper. Why does it repeat the question? This is not a television interview, we know what was the question. Also it is very incomplete. You tell me about what Monzo is, or at least what you think Monzo is, but you don't tell us why it matters to you. Ideally in your answer you should reflect to your own qualities, and provide clear and strong evidence to something the hiring organisation cares about. For example if you are a Senior iOS engineer applying for this job and you think being costumer centric is a key Monzo principle then take the opportunity to show how you are also costumer centric. What did you do in your life so far which will make me as the Monzo hiring manager think you will make us more costumer centric?

mynameisvlad 4y ago
I agree with everything you said. It’s an answer. I’d file it under “ok, I guess” if I were to have gotten it from a candidate, and would have probably pushed on it in the same way you illustrate in the last paragraph. But it’s not an answer I’d ever write home about. It doesn’t really show the passion for the company. And by no means is it required, but if I’m looking at two relatively equal candidates, then passion is going to come into play. I’m in the process of switching jobs and you better believe I had a whole passionate answer as to “why us?” and I’m positive part of the reason I got the new job is because I was able to articulate exactly how big of a deal that was to me. At the end of the day, you do better work if you care about the company and the things they do, and I’m going to want to work with someone that loves the things we do more than someone that is only doing it for a paycheck.
- FabHK 4y ago

nottorp 4y ago

Absolutely lovely. I was too lazy to paste long descriptions so i used this: "What is your biggest character flaw?" "Google" "Search and advertising" "Software Engineer" "No lifer wanted." And got this gem: We’re looking for a software engineer to work on a new project. The project is confidential, but it’s a big deal – we’re talking life-changing, world-changing stuff. We need someone who is going to be all in, who is going to throw themselves into the work and not look back. This is not a role for someone who is just looking for a job, this is a role for someone who wants to change the world. My biggest character flaw is that I sometimes get too caught up in my work and forget to take breaks. I can become so focused on solving a problem that I'll work for hours without taking a break, and that's not healthy. I'm working on becoming more aware of when I need to take a break, and making sure I take the time to relax and recharge. Proves "AI" is great at soul less pattern matching.

classified 4y ago

Possibly the single most sensible application for this kind of stuff. No need to learn corporate-speak yourself, unless of course you apply for a role that actually requires it.

nstart 4y ago

For anyone looking to try this out, you can use the careers page of meta (https://www.metacareers.com https://www.metacareers.com) and get the Meta company description and job roles from it. It's fully worth it I guarantee you. I may have imagined a question for Meta's security engineering job role: "write me an essay about camels and their value in cybersecurity" which may have resulted in: "The camel is a valuable animal in the cybersecurity field due to its ability to store large amounts of data in its hump. Camels are able to cross vast distances with little water, which makes them ideal for carrying large amounts of data across networks. They are also very sturdy animals, able to withstand harsh conditions and even attacks from cyber criminals. In addition, their long eyelashes protect their eyes from sand and dust, making them perfect for working in dusty environments such as data centers." Or "how will you use camels to assist you in your day to day work" "I would use camels to help me with my day-to-day work by providing a means of transportation to and from work, as well as a means of transportation to different work sites. Camels can also be used to help carry supplies and equipment to and from work sites." And of course the most sensible answer to the question: "why did camels fail in cybersecurity" "The reason camels failed in cybersecurity is because they're not very good at it." Bravo GPT-3. Bravo

bitshiftfaced 4y ago

Coincidence that it's released right at the September price change? I'm definitely going to play around with GPT-3 more now that it's cheaper. Idea: prepend something like "(The interviewee who was hired provided the following answer:)"