AI Interview Coach gives ākonga a safe space to build confidence

Created through a cross-institution collaboration, the AI Interview Agent gives students the opportunity to practise realistic interview scenarios tailored to the jobs they are applying for — all within a safe and supportive learning environment.

The project was initiated by Career Development Consultant Elizabeth Morris after she completed a course in online learning and wanted to explore new ways to enhance employability support for students.

The idea evolved from an online CV course, Key Ingredients of a CV, now available on Moodle and Canvas learning management systems across MIT and Unitec.

Recognising that securing an interview is only part of the challenge, the team identified interview preparation as the next critical area for support.

“With the number of applications employers are receiving now, students need to make a strong impression quickly,” says Elizabeth.

“Ākonga are using AI to assist them, so we wanted to create something safe in-house where we know what the parameters are and can see where they require further assistance,” Ms Morris says.

“Students are already using the technology so we may as well be part of that journey.”

Using existing AI agent technology through Cogniti and ChatGPT, the tool allows students to upload a CV and a job description before being guided through tailored interview questions, including introductions, general interview questions, behavioural-based scenarios, and even suggested questions students can ask employers.

Students can respond either by typing or speaking — an important feature for practising verbal communication skills before real interviews.

Elizabeth Morris says feedback from kaimahi ‘staff’ highlighted that students often needed more confidence asking questions during interviews, which became a key feature of the agent’s design.

The project was developed with support from Career and Employability and Te Puna Ako kaimahi. Technical support was provided by Te Puna Ako’s Sharnell Aumua, while her colleague, Kait O’Callahan developed the backend of the agent using Cogniti and ChatGPT technology.

“I enjoyed collaborating with Te Puna Ako,” adds Elizabeth. “As we are now one organisation, this agent is also available to ākonga across our institute.”

Early student feedback has highlighted the impact the technology is already having on confidence and interview readiness.

One student says the platform was more relevant than other publicly available AI tools.

“It’s more targeted to New Zealand jobs than ChatGPT is, so it has more of an alternative lens,” according to the student.

Another student praised the quality of the interview preparation and guidance.

“I really liked how they asked questions that would really help me. They were also giving tips on how I could answer the questions.”

For international students, the tool has also helped reduce anxiety around language barriers and communication.

“English is not our first language, so we do have a big language barrier,” one student explained.

“Most interviews will be in person or by video, so this feels like a practice round before the actual interview. It boosts confidence because I know where I say something wrong.”

Another student says the agent successfully connected their CV and the job advertisement to create realistic interview questions.

“It gave some good questions about how I fit the job. It’s good at grabbing information from the ad and my CV and giving the right questions to ask.”

Students have also strongly endorsed the initiative to their peers, with one responding: “Yes, I would 100 percent recommend the use of this agent to my classmates.”

Planning is already underway for the next iteration of the Key Ingredients of a CV course — with AI expected to play an even greater role in helping students prepare for employment in a rapidly evolving workforce.