Jobhop Jobhop's blog : Three Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Rely on AI to Write Your CV and Cover Letter
Finding good jobs and sending out applications is an incredibly time-consuming process. It’s little wonder, then, that lots of modern job seekers are looking for tools to speed it up, and artificial intelligence (AI) stands out as one of the most popular options. In fact, 45% of respondents to one survey admitted to using generative AI to ‘build, update or improve their CV’ during their job search.
AI can be a wonderful tool when used in moderation, but relying solely on the technology to produce a unique, stand-out CV and cover letter is a misguided approach. In this post, we explore three of the most pertinent reasons why you should proceed with caution when utilising AI to optimise your CV and cover letter.
The three reasons why you shouldn’t rely on AI to write your CV and cover letter
You’ll lose the personal touch
As clever as AI-powered tools are, they can’t yet think for themselves, or generate entirely original ideas. This means your application documents are likely to sound more generic and robotic than they would if crafted by a human.
To really appeal to your potential employer, you need to focus on language that makes you stand out from the crowd, and highlights to them why your unique personality and skill set is perfect for the role. AI can’t speak to your lived experiences, or discuss the anecdotes that have shaped your career; it’s more likely to produce broad statements that could apply to just about any applicant.
It could lead to instant rejection
AI and its countless applications have permeated into so many different aspects of the corporate world. However, there is still a lot of resistance to the technology, especially when it comes to recruitment.
According to one study, 39% of HR and recruitment professionals said the use of AI bots by entry-level candidates to create a CV or cover letter is “a definite dealbreaker”. Of course, understanding how AI works is a desirable skill for many modern employers. However, using it as such an intrinsic part of the job search process makes it harder to show your authentic self and highlight previous experiences. Although it appears these tools may save you time in the short term, ultimately the extra effort of crafting the documents yourself will be worth it if AI-generated content will only lead to more automatic rejections.
Information often lacks context
Generative AI tools learn from various sources on the internet to provide as relevant an output to your query as possible. But as we know, the job market is constantly evolving, and relying on AI to produce an effective, up-to-date cover letter means you may run the risk of missing out on some important context about the role, the company or more.
Whether it’s citing recent events in the industry, or using the most up-to-date keywords employers will expect to see in your application, these things are only possible through human intuition. So don’t rely on AI to keep you up to date with the latest trends or industry context – doing so will only be detrimental to your application.
Using AI effectively
AI can be an incredibly valuable tool for job seekers, but it can also hamper your chances of securing an interview when leveraged incorrectly. View these tools as a starting point, rather than relying on them for the final product; your human insight will always be more valuable when it comes to creating a compelling CV and cover letter.
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