Poly Grads Face AI Job Market
As graduating college students seek to launch their careers, artificial intelligence is increasingly changing the way job searches are conducted, with both recruiters and applicants using the technology.
“AI and generative AI are increasingly embedded in applicant tracking systems,” said Ben Alexander, associate professor of management at the Cal Poly’s Orfalea College of Business. “Major systems can conversationally guide applicants and help organizations screen applicants.”
According to TopRésumé, a company that offers professional résumé writing services and other job search assistance, more than 60 percent of companies embrace AI tools as some part of their recruitment or hiring process. That includes writing job ads, drafting interview questions and automatically contacting candidates for interviews. Meanwhile, according to recruiter Career Group Companies, two-thirds of job candidates in a 2025 study used AI for functions such as résumé and cover letter writing, interview practice, career guidance and headshot photos.
A recent Forbes piece described a wide expansion of AI, where machine learning algorithms instantly analyze skills and behavioral patterns, assess verbal and non-verbal cues during interviews and even offer negotiations.
“The landscape is changing rapidly,” Alexander said.
While human resources faculty must keep abreast of the latest research, college career advisors have to assist students applying for internships or career jobs in a fast-evolving AI world.
“I have had students share with me that during a virtual interview, the student received an AI summary as well as AI-appointment scores in their answers,” said Matt Parks, a Cal Poly career counseling specialist and liaison for the Orfalea College of Business. “Within some platforms, such as LinkedIn, there are embedded AI chatbots that a recruiter can ask to find candidates meeting certain qualifications and have specific qualities.”
Kristin Beal, a graduating finance student, said she had virtual job interviews where she spoke to a screen as her answers were recorded.
“It was not as natural, as conversational, and there are no verbal cues, so it’s just different,” said Beal, who is also an Orfalea College career peer advisor.
More commonly, companies use AI to scan résumés for keywords, hoping to solicit candidates that match job descriptions.
“This matters because the terms signal that an applicant both speaks the same language as someone in the role and has read the job post carefully,” Alexander said.
Newer systems using large language models, he added, better understand context, synonyms and the broader meaning behind what applicants write.
Cal Poly’s Career Services recently adopted BigRésumé, which allows candidates to submit both their résumé and the job description of an opening, offering AI-powered advice on how to optimize the résumé for compatibility with applicant tracking systems.
While the hiring process is evolving, Parks cautions against too much AI strategy and guessing.
“Do not obsess over this,” he advised.
Mainstays, like consistent and clean résumé formatting, are still important, Parks said, and he advises job hunters avoid using profile photos and icons, which might throw off AI reviews.
When candidates all use AI, cover letters and résumés all begin to look similar. So, Yasna Mukundan, a graduating finance student, suggests using AI to workshop the human writing.
“Obviously, don’t have AI write it for you because then it’s not that good,” said Mukundan, who is a career peer advisor at Orfalea College. “But as long as you’re using it as a tool, I think that’s fine.”
While AI also threatens recruiter jobs, at conferences and career fairs, Parks said, he has heard that employers are still frequently using human review for applicants.
But the future is unclear.
“Many shared that they use AI as an aid but not the only means for review,” he said. “With that being said, I have had students who apply to larger companies and organizations report back that they received nearly immediate rejection emails, which can be an indicator that their application was reviewed by AI only.”
Woods Partners with UC Davis to Support County Animals
Woods Humane Society is building stronger foundations for animal care by partnering with the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program (KSMP).
KSMP provides expert consultation to shelters across the state, made possible by California for All Animals. The partnership with Woods Humane Society will work to address challenges faced by shelters across California, such as veterinary staffing shortages, longer wait times for essential care like spay/neuter, and increased demand for services as pet owners face barriers to care.
“This collaboration will help us strengthen our systems — from medical protocols to daily planning — so we can provide timely, compassionate care to animals who need it most,” says Woods Humane Society CEO Emily L’Heureux.
Through this partnership, Woods Humane Society will work with KSMP veterinarians to:
• Direct medical and surgical resources, including spay/neuter, where they will have the greatest impact on animal health and community well-being
• Create shelter environments that lower stress and disease risk
• Diagnose bottlenecks that keep animals waiting in the shelter, helping Woods Humane Society to serve more pets and families over time
• Maintain Woods’ capacity for care — the ability to provide high-quality care and individual attention to every animal — by continuously monitoring animal needs, staffing, and resources, keeping animals on track toward the best possible outcomes
• Identify opportunities for partnerships that can expand SLO County’s collective capacity to support animals before they’re in crisis
“Shelters across California are facing veterinary staffing shortages that affect how quickly animals, especially large dogs, can get care and go home,” said Dr. Chumkee Aziz, a UC Davis outreach veterinarian and board-certified shelter medicine specialist. “Partnerships like this show what sheltering does best — adapting and problem-solving to protect animal health.”
Woods Humane Society Director of Veterinary Services Dr. Amanda Hefner referred to Hippo, a young kitten who arrived suffering from Panleukopenia, a highly contagious, potentially fatal viral disease. With the right protocols in place, Woods Humane Society was able to swiftly identify and diagnose Hippo’s condition, isolate her to protect other animals in the shelter, and place her in a loving foster home to provide her with a safe, low-stress environment in which to recover from the illness. This also freed up space at Woods for healthy, adoptable animals.
“Thanks to our prepared and equipped medical team, foster coordinator, and our dedicated fosters, Hippo has since recovered from this life-threatening illness, received her spay surgery yesterday, and is available for adoption today,” Dr. Hefner says. “The UC Davis KSMP partnership will help us build the conditions to make survival stories like Hippo’s possible for more animals.”
Woods Humane Society is located at 875 Oklahoma Ave., San Luis Obispo and at 2300 Ramona Rd., Atascadero, and is open to the public daily from 12-5 p.m., with adoption hours from 12 – 4 p.m. For more information about Woods, go to WoodsHumane.org or call (805) 543-9316.
Share the Hope Raises More Than Half a Million
The French Hospital Medical Center (FHMC) Foundation 17th annual Share the Hope event, held on recently at Hearst Ranch in San Simeon, raised more than $592,000 to support advanced imaging technology in a new San Luis Obispo comprehensive cancer center.
“The support shown at Share the Hope every year powerfully illustrates what our generous community
can accomplish together,” said Steve Hearst in a press release. “It is a deep honor to host this event at Hearst Ranch knowing that it directly funds both the indispensable, no-cost services of the Hearst Cancer Resource Center and the progress toward a state-of-the-art new cancer center. This collaboration will deliver an unmatched patient experience, keeping exceptional cancer care close to home.”
More than 200 guests attended Share the Hope, which began with a reception by the famous Neptune Pool at Hearst Castle, followed by a gourmet dinner, live auction, and live music at the historic Hearst Ranch Dairy Barn.
Since 2008, Share the Hope has raised more than $6.6 million to benefit French Hospital’s Hearst Cancer Resource Center, which offers no-cost programs, services, and resources for local cancer patients. The annual event is hosted by Steve and Barbara Hearst, whose family have been instrumental supporters of the HCRC since its inception in 2008.
The new cancer center will unite the oncology services of Dignity Health’s French Hospital Medical Center, Marian Regional Medical Center, and Pacific Central Coast Health Centers, as well as a number of physician groups. For the first time in San Luis Obispo County, all oncology services will be available under one roof, streamlining the team-based care approach, improving patient convenience, and elevating cancer care in our community. The cancer center will be easily accessible, conveniently located near the corner of Tank Farm Road and Broad Street in San Luis Obispo.
Construction on the two-story, 58,650-square-foot building is actively underway and completion is expected in late 2026.
The new cancer center will provide a seamless experience for patients, offering a wide range of comprehensive services and programs such as medical oncology, hematology, infusion, diagnostic imaging, radiation oncology, general and oncology surgery, and urology. Located at the heart of the new center will be Hearst Cancer Resource Center (HCRC), a unique support resource dedicated to helping cancer patients and their families from diagnosis through recovery.
All HCRC services are offered at no charge to patients, thanks to donor support. To learn more, or to support the Hearst Cancer Resource Center or advanced technology for cancer care, go to supportfrenchhospital.org/hcrc.
New Executive Chef at The Ava Hotel Paso Robles
The Ava Hotel Paso Robles, Curio Collection announced the promotion of Casey McMinn to executive chef, overseeing culinary operations for the property’s dining outlets including EMRE, Esperanza on the Rooftop, and Pine Street Bistro, along with banquets and catering.
EMRE is concepted by local chef Julien Asseo, owner Les Petites Canailles and S’Aranella in Paso, and previous executive chef of the two-Michelin-starred Restaurant Guy Savoy in Las Vegas. The new restaurant EMRE brings a “bold and contemporary offering to the Central Coast, featuring a fire-forward menu inspired by Asseo’s French roots and the coastal borders of the Mediterranean,” said a representative in a news release. McMinn runs the kitchen alongside the continued support from Asseo.
McMinn joined The Ava Hotel as chef de cuisine ahead of its August 2025 debut and has helped define its culinary identity, establishing the property as a coveted downtown dining destination. A former paramedic turned chef, McMinn brings more than a decade of culinary experience and a “strong commitment to operational excellence and elevating guest experiences, with prior chef de cuisine roles at Bay Area restaurants including State Bird Provisions in San Francisco and The Hatch Rotisserie & Bar in Paso Robles.”
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