Applying for a job can be a very tedious task, especially for the type of job seeker who applies for many jobs.
You may have thought of using an artificial intelligence tool like ChatGPT to build your resume or find answers to your job application questions.
Narsiti spoke with recruiter Emily Durham, who shares career tips and tricks on TikTok, about everything you need to know about using AI to apply for jobs.
“Every job seeker is thinking about how to improve their profile over the next two to five years,” says Durham. “It’s AI.”
But that doesn’t mean you have to be a software engineer and be able to code. “What you need to be able to do is take advantage of technology and start exposing into our lives how AI enables us to do great work,” she said.
“There is a big misconception that AI will take our jobs, and in some cases that may be true. My prediction is probably not true,” Durham said. “The people who really shine are those who can embrace technological change.”
Is letting an AI write your resume a red flag for recruiters?
“From the bottom of my heart, I don’t care,” Durham said of the AI-written resume.
“Did you know? You sent me your resume. That’s great news,” she continued.
Recruiters say there are caveats to using AI to write resumes, write cover letters, and fill out job applications.
If you let AI software do the work, you need to make sure it’s “working with integrity.”
“If you apply for 50 jobs and need 50 cover letters, absolutely let AI do it,” says Durham.
Career consultant Jerry Lee, who posts job tips on TikTok, shared a hack for applying to hundreds of AI-related jobs in just a few days.
Job applications ask him to add basic information about himself, including his name, address, and phone number, so Lee uses a Google Chrome extension to fill it all in automatically.
Then use ChatGPT to create answers to job-specific questions, such as what work experience would be appropriate for the role.
Can recruiters determine if your resume was written by AI?
Recruiters and recruiters may wonder if they can tell if your resume was written by an AI and not by you.
“There’s a big misconception that recruiters can look at your resume and say, ‘ChatGPT wrote this,'” Durham said.
“Absolutely not,” she continued. “There is no way to tell it.”
But that doesn’t mean you can simply enter your work history and skills into ChatGPT, ask them to write a resume based on that information, and submit whatever is offered when you apply for a job.
“The best thing you can do is use AI. Use it to your advantage, but proofread it and make sure it’s the tone of your written voice and make sure it reflects you.” It’s about adjusting,” suggested Durham.
“Part of how you shine is your values and who you are,” she said. “It’s an AI risk, and you lose your own talent.”
Why is it important to have a great resume?
Whether your resume was written by AI or you took the time to write it yourself, having a great resume is always important when applying for a job.
“At the end of the day, everyone’s résumé goes into the same talent pool, regardless of where they apply,” Durham said.
According to recruiters, there’s a big misconception that applying in certain formats, such as PDFs, or using certain words will give your resume the highest rating.
“It’s mostly not true and the system works differently,” she said.
Durham also said that if there were 1,000 job applications, a good recruiter would read them all, but that might not always be possible.
So the recruiter made it clear they needed a great resume. This is very important, but you also need an additional asset: personality.
“In order to get a resume opened and read, nothing beats the power of networking and personal connections, because that is ultimately the biggest challenge,” said Durham.
For more resume tips, Durham also spoke to Narsiti about resume red flags and what not to include in your resume.
These tips will not only save you time writing your resume, but also increase your chances of passing an interview and getting hired.
The cover image in this article is used for illustration purposes only.
