Using AI to create cover letters and resumes can be a deal breaker

• Many job seekers are starting to use ChatGPT and similar AI tools to write their resumes and cover letters.
• Thirty-nine percent of HR professionals surveyed said the use of AI in their applications is a deal breaker.
• Some recruiters said using AI to create applications could be a “marketable skill.”

Job seekers use ChatGPT for cover letters, interview questions, and resumes.

Not all recruiters participate.

This is according to a March survey of 500 HR and recruitment professionals at talent cloud company iCIMS by Wakefield Research, which found that 39% of respondents said that novice-level job seekers had a cover letter or resume. It turned out that they used AI bots such as ChatGPT to create Decisive deal breaker. iCIMS and Wakefield Research also surveyed 1,000 seniors in March.

“Almost half (47%) of college seniors are interested in using ChatGPT or other AI bots to write resumes and cover letters, and 25% of Generation Z have already used AI bots to and writing a cover letter,” the news outlet reported. It was revealed in a release from iCIMS.

Nearly a third of the HR professionals responding said they would “not blame” entry-level candidates for using AI tools to create their cover letters and resumes, and nearly a quarter said they would ” I don’t like it, but I don’t like it.” new trend. ”

“I don’t think they’re looking at it like, ‘Oh, we don’t want them to have that kind of support,'” said Christy Spilka, vice president and global head of talent acquisition at iCIMS. I think,’ he said. insider. “What we want to know is who you really are and how you would deal with certain questions in an interview.”

ChatGPT may not be the best way to tell your story

Mandy Tan is a career coach and business owner. Tan told Insider’s Beatrice Nolan that he received a job application that included a cover letter, even though the job posting didn’t require one. Tan said the cover letter was “well-crafted, incredibly well-written, and contained literally everything I could have hoped for.” ”, so he thought that AI might have generated it. .

“I thought I would respond to them,” Tan said. “But I moved on and he hired three really good people who were actually qualified. He probably had the qualifications too, but I didn’t know from the cover letter.”

Even AI-powered Bing discourages job seekers from using it to write their resumes. Insider’s Huileng Tan asked newcomer Bing to write a cover letter for the role. However, Tan’s report said the company responded, “Sorry, I can’t write a cover letter for you. It’s unethical and unfair to other applicants.”

AI tools may not help you express your best self. Insider’s Rebecca Knight experimented with ChatGPT to make resumes “better, better targeted to potential senior-level editorial positions,” and found that “the results were: , nothing impressed me more than hiring an AI bot to tell my story.”

“There were some helpful ideas, but there was also a lot of flair, unnecessary superlatives, and bland suggestions,” Knight wrote. “The bottom line is that ChatGPT will probably give you some inspiration, but you still have to do most of the work yourself.”

Instead, use AI as a starting point for your application

Sandy Torchia, KPMG’s vice chairman of talent and culture, said in a statement to the insider that people have historically turned to things like career centers and career coaches as available resources to assist them in their job search process. said. Torchia added, “Using generative AI tools in the same way could be a game changer.”

“For example, an applicant who uses generative AI to create a resume or cover letter that accurately depicts their background and experience is using the technology to create misleading or inaccurate information. They are very different from applicants,” Torchia said.

Doug Ebertowski, a former career professional at FlexJobs, says that hiring managers, recruiters, and HR professionals are “smart people, canned, and can discern what’s not personal to them or their organizations.” We can,” he told Insider.

Ebertowski says you can use ChatGPT as a starting point, but then you’ll need to personalize what your bot offers. That way, recruiters “know that this person is someone who can take the time to think about who they are,” Eveltowski said.

Knowing how to circumvent AI is a good promotional skill, even if you don’t use AI to create your application

While some employers and recruiters may react negatively to the use of AI in the job search process, career professionals believe that ChatGPT and other types of AI should be known. are also aware of the benefits of For example, Lisa Frank of career coaching and recruitment firm LBF Strategies said, “ChatGPT will be a marketable skill for candidates to put on their resumes and discuss during the interview process.” said he was thinking. Or get certified.

“Knowing when and how to use ChatGPT effectively and ethically can be a great way to stand out and add value to your role and company,” Frank told Insider.

AI can also improve work productivity. One study that gave customer support agents access to AI assistance reported that “access to the tool increased productivity by an average of 14%.” High-skilled workers had no real benefit, but low-skilled workers did.

“These tools are still very new, so given the potential benefits and risks, how companies will use them will be a challenge,” said Trisha Provey, senior vice president of the future of work at Robert Half, in a statement. It’s hard to predict what,” he said.

Provey added that he wasn’t sure companies would want candidates with “expertise and experience” with AI tools.

“However, it is always a good idea to learn about new technology and how it can be applied to your work, especially if its use can impact your work,” Provey said.

Did you find a job with the help of AI tools? Are you an employer who doesn’t want job seekers to use AI tools to build resumes and cover letters? Please contact me at the address of mhoff@insider.com.