Should You Use AI to Write Your Resume?

 Everyone is talking about how AI is changing the job landscape: companies are using AI to write resumes, people are using AI to send emails, and it's obvious that people are using AI to craft resumes.

But is this a good idea? Should you use AI to write your resume, or should you stick to the old fashion method of writing it yourself?

Let's first review some of the benefits of using AI to write your resume, and then we can look at some of the pitfalls that can happen if you use AI.

Benefits to Using AI to Write Your Resume

Here are the main advantages to using AI to write your resume.

Speed

It's simple , when you are using an AI writing prompt, it's just fast. It is much faster than using a word processing unit. If you are someone who doesn't have time to write a resume--for whatever reason, then using AI might be a benefit. If you won't get it done without using a prompt, it might be better to use AI than not get your resume done at all.

Typo Free - Sometimes :)

If you're the type to make mistakes, and not spend a lot of time reviewing your work--then it makes sense to use an AI prompt. AI doesn't make basic grammar mistakes and so it's a good option for someone who can't proofread their resumes.

Professional Level Writing

Let's be honest, most people are not good writers and their resume will suffer if they write it themselves. The typical resume of the past, if written by the individual, was filled with errors, typos, and structure issues.

What became more common, especially amongst certain sectors such as Government workers, Social Service workers, and medical professionals--was to simply copy and paste the job posting from a website, and use that on their resume.

Obviously this create a resume that looked incredibly strange, read as if created by patchwork, and simply looked unprofessional. In those fields (medical and government) there was little pushback. But this began to spread into professional work sectors (marketing, finance, and other corporate businesses) where there was pushback.

So, using AI to craft the resume would be a positive for most people in these cases.

Drawbacks To Using AI To Write a Resume

While using AI can certainly help you write a resume, sometimes there are problems. Sometimes people use AI and then it backfires.

But why would using AI backfire? Well, there's a few reasons. We will take a look at some of the common problems that occur when you use AI to generate a resume.

It Looks Like AI Garbage

If you use AI to write a resume, but then don't format it correctly--it will look like garbage spun out by a computer.

Half of the battle when creating a resume is the formatting, the graphic design, the basic look of the piece.

This is one of the reasons that people use resume templates and professional resume writers.

You can always try and use an online resume template service, but it might be worth your while to spend time practicing otherwise the results from a free service might not look professional. We have an article that discusses whether or not it's a good idea to hire a professional to write your resume.

It's Not Believable

The first problem with an AI generated resume is that it's going to look odd. They can't create a resume from scratch if you are not able to provide the correct input. If you're someone who's lazy and looking for a fast way to create a resume, then an AI bot might not be the best idea.

The thing to realize about AI is that it need input. If you simply ask it to create a resume, it's not going to be believable. It will grab generic info from random job postings, reddit posts, and other areas and simply mash it together. While it might be enough if you're in a blue collar industry, or a medical position, it's going to not pass the muster if you're sending your resume in for a corporate job or even a professional office role.

If you've been using an AI resume to apply for jobs, and you haven't been hearing back, this could be a reason.

You Won't Be Able To Pass an Interview

One of the major issues with using an AI generated resume is that you will bomb the interview.

When you're sitting across from a real life person, and they start asking questions about your prior experience and job duties--well, if you've used an AI bot to compose your resume then you're not going to be able to respond.

One of the most common things that happens in interviews is that a person has skills, experience, or situations listed on a resume that they can't explain. As soon as that happens , the interview has effectively ended. If you can't explain your prior work, and match what is on the resume, then you won't get the job.

This is mostly an issue in corporate work places, however it can also be an issue in less prestigious work such as medical roles and NGO based work at Non-Profits.

A common issue, especially in the world of non-profit and blue collar work, is that people don't even read the resumes that they are using. Oftentimes, especially for people "re-entering" the workforce after incarnation, or drug issues. There are specific case managers, in fact, whose entire job is to write resumes for their clients.

Many case managers, who don't need a BA, might end up with a resume written by another case manager. They are then placed into a program which helps them find work in the not for profit sector.

It Will Have Wrong Info

Here's a worst case situation--the AI will create a resume with the wrong info. What will happen is that the AI will scrape the internet for job descriptions, using places like Reddit and Indeed. Then, the program will simply cobble together something that fits the algo.

It's become a common issue in the world of recruiting: AI garbage resumes. Recruiters will commonly complain that they see resumes that look like a human never even read the thing.

It extends beyond typos and errors, it can include substantial mistakes regarding job info. For instance, it might list nursing skills for a medical case manager. Or it might include a description of a doorman or concierece for someone who was an operations director.

So, proceed with caution and if you must use an AI program to write your resume, then proofread it.