Our Stance on AI

Using AI When Applying to BDO

AI tools like ChatGPT or CV-writing assistants can be a useful part of any job search. Used in the right way, these tools can help you structure your ideas, proofread application documents and practise interview questions.

When applying for an Early Careers opportunity at BDO, we’re happy for you to use these tools to support your preparation. However, it’s important that the information that you submit to us reflects your experience, the way that you think and work, and your communication style.

Our Guidance

Our guidance on how to use AI tools for the application and assessment process is:

• Do use AI to:
• Improve the formatting or clarity of your CV
• Research our company or the assessments
• Practise your interview answers
• Don’t use AI to:
• Submit content entirely written by AI without reviewing or personalising it
• Generate automatic responses in assessments or video interviews
• Misrepresent your skills, qualifications, or identity

Using AI at Each Stage 

We know that AI tools can be useful. This is our guidance at each stage so that you can make sure that your application reflects your skills and abilities.

• Application: Use AI to refine wording, check clarity, and structure your CV or answers. Don’t let AI invent experience or submit responses you haven’t reviewed.
• Online Assessments: Do use AI to understand the format, practise sample questions, or summarise prep guides. Don’t use AI to complete the actual tasks, they must show your own ability.
• Video Interviews: AI can help you practise questions, plan answers and research what we do. Don’t rely on AI to script or generate your interview responses - we want to know how you communicate.
• Golden Rules: Be authentic, be smart, be open, and own what you submit. AI should support your skills, not replace them.

We believe in Fair Use

Our goal is to understand the real you, not your AI assistant. That’s why, while we use AI at BDO (to support our employees and how they work), we never use it to make any hiring decisions.

We may use detection tools in certain parts of the process to ensure fairness. If we suspect you have used AI to gain an unfair advantage, you may be disqualified from the application process.

If you're ever unsure about whether use of AI is appropriate, just ask us. We're here to help you succeed.