As recruitment specialists, we read hundreds of resumes each week and we have some pretty strong opinions on the use of AI in the application process.

Firstly, let’s take a look at what AI thought about this topic. We asked ChatGPT to write a short paragraph about why you shouldn’t use ChatGPT to write your resume, and this was the response:

“In the dynamic landscape of career advancement, it’s enticing to embrace innovative tools like ChatGPT to sculpt your resume and cover letters. Yet, amidst the allure of AI assistance, it’s prudent to pause and….. Ok, we can’t take any more🤦‍♂️

Whilst ChatGPT is a fantastic tool and can be useful in many circumstances, sending a resume or cover letter written like the above is not going to be well received. Here’s why:

Personal Touch:

Writing your own cover letter is your opportunity to inject a bit of your personality into the application process – and don’t underestimate just how valuable this is! A personalised, well-written cover letter can help the recruiter or hiring manager to get an insight into you as a person, why you believe you’re a good fit for the role and what has motivated you to apply.

Customised application:

A well-written cover letter will address the key criteria listed in the job advertisement which makes it easy for a recruiter or hiring manager to make a quick assessment of your suitability. It is also an opportunity to convey your genuine interest in the position advertised. There is nothing more frustrating (and counter-productive) than receiving a generic cover letter that has likely been used for dozens of applications.

Correct use of language:

Some AI tools only use American English which can include different spelling to Australian English. Seeing ‘z’ used instead of ‘s’ is a pretty good indication that AI has written the piece. The language being used is also a good indication of who authored the work. Read some of the (bizarre) examples of what we’ve seen in resumes here 

Whilst it can be great to get some guidance from AI when applying for jobs, we recommend against solely relying on it to write your resume and cover letter. Recruiters and hiring managers read countless resumes every day and we want to see something that stands out – or at least makes sense! Unfortunately, AI is not going to create that for you and could in fact hinder your chances of landing your dream job.