Can AI Write My Resume?

Since ChatGPT emerged in November 2022, the rapid uptake of generative artificial intelligence (AI) has created ripples through many industries and functions. With potential applications expanding every day, you may be asking: can AI write my resume? Jobseekers often spend hours crafting these documents, as they know the resume is your first impression to a company. Should you use AI, and if so, how? Let’s dig in.

Can AI Write My Resume For Me?

Undoubtedly, AI has changed the job search and application process. Advanced AI tools scan job descriptions, identify relevant keywords and skills, and can generate a resume tailored to fit those specific requirements. This technology offers a fast, efficient, and automated way to create a resume that might seem perfect at first glance. So, you may ask, can AI write my resume? The answer is, unequivocally, yes.

But should you let AI write your resume for you? While AI can indeed create a resume, it does so based on algorithms and predetermined criteria. It lacks the human touch, the ability to understand the subtle nuances of your career journey, and the capacity to present your unique story in a compelling and engaging way.

AI might excel at handling large chunks of data and identifying patterns, but it doesn't possess the capacity to understand your unique selling proposition. It can't gauge the depth of your experiences or the soft skills you've developed over the years. It won't know how to highlight a specific project you're proud of, or the leadership roles you took that made a difference.

In essence, while AI can technically write your resume, the result will lack the depth, personal touch, and individuality that hiring managers and recruiters are looking for. A resume is more than a list of skills and experiences; it's a reflection of who you are as a professional. AI, as it stands now, can’t fully capture that.

Benefits of Using AI For Your Resume

AI tools can be very helpful collaborators in crafting and tailoring your resume. Here are three primary benefits:

1. Providing a Starting Point: AI can generate a basic resume quickly, providing a solid starting point for your job application process. It can scan through your past experiences, qualifications, and skills, and arrange them into a coherent, structured format. This can give you a foundation to build upon
2. Deriving Keywords from Job Listings: AI's ability to identify and extract crucial keywords from job descriptions is one of its standout features. It can analyze multiple job postings in your field, understand the common skills and qualifications employers are looking for, and guide you in incorporating these keywords into your resume. This can help your resume pass through Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and increase your chances of being noticed by recruiters.
3. Editing and Polishing Your Resume: AI tools can act as your personal editor, catching grammatical errors, checking tone, and ensuring your resume is polished and professional. They can flag overused phrases, suggest better alternatives, and help ensure your resume's content is clear, concise, and impactful.

Drawbacks of Using AI For Your Resume

While AI can be useful in many ways, there are some drawbacks of using AI for your resume to keep in mind:

1. Lacks Personal Touch: Being algorithm-driven, AI lacks the ability to infuse your personal touch into your resume. It can't understand your unique career journey or highlight your individual strengths and skills in a way that resonates on a human level. It might miss out on the subtleties, such as transferable skills from non-traditional experiences, that can make your resume stand out.
2. Generic Language and Formatting: AI tends to use generic language and formatting. While this ensures your resume is professional, it might also make it indistinguishable from others. Unique formatting or personalized phrasing that reflects your personality and career story can often make your resume more memorable.
3. Limited Understanding of Job Descriptions: AI can derive keywords from job descriptions, but it may not fully understand the context or nuances behind these keywords. It might miss out on the less obvious but still important skills or experiences the employer is looking for.
4. Lack of Strategy: A resume is not just a collection of skills and experiences; it's a strategic document that positions you for the job you want. AI can organize information and identify keywords, but it lacks the strategic thinking that a human resume writer brings to the table.

In summary, while AI can be a useful tool in crafting your resume, it's important to balance its use with human input. After all, a resume is a crucial tool in telling your story in your own voice. Outsourcing entirely to AI is a major risk not worth taking.

Do Consulting Firms Use AI to Screen Resumes?

While firms don’t disclose details about their recruiting processes, it’s fair to assume that most of them use AI in some fashion. After all, 99% of Fortune 500 companies use AI to screen job applicants.

Consulting firms like McKinsey, Bain, BCG, Deloitte, and Accenture receive thousands of applications, and resume review is time consuming. Therefore, while firms will manually review resumes for candidates in later stages, AI almost always completes the initial screening.

Should I opt out of AI resume screening?

Opting out of AI resume screening isn't typically an option, but doing so could mean your application won’t be considered at all. Instead, it's more effective to understand how AI screening works and to optimize your resume accordingly. This includes using relevant keywords from the job description, highlighting your key skills and experiences, and ensuring your resume is clear and well-structured.

Remember, AI screening is just the first step. If your resume passes this stage, it will likely be reviewed by a human recruiter later in the process. Therefore, while it's important to optimize your resume for AI, it's equally important to ensure it tells your unique career story and stands out from the crowd.

Comparing AI vs. Expert Resume Editors

Now that you have some ideas about how you can use AI to craft a powerful resume, let’s discuss where an expert resume editor may come in. While the ultimate future of AI in recruitment remains unclear, telling stories (including through a resume) will always be an inherently human activity. An expert resume editor is, in essence, someone who can help you refine and improve your story.

An expert resume editor can understand your unique career journey and highlight your individual strengths and skills in a way that resonates with employers. They can bring out the nuances of your experience, emphasizing the transferable skills you've gained from non-obvious experiences.
If you’ve used AI to establish a very high baseline with your resume, an expert editor can help you take it to the next level. Plus, any time invested in their coaching is even higher leverage after you’ve utilized AI, as you may not need as much support with structure, fixing errors, etc. and can focus more on optimizing the story.

Conclusion

In the job application process, the use of AI is more or less inevitable, but understanding how it works can help you optimize your resume and pass the initial screening. However, standing out from the crowd requires a human touch. Therefore, the most powerful approach is to use AI to establish a solid foundation for your resume and then to add the human element, either yourself or with expert help, to refine and elevate your narrative.

Additional Resources:

• Consulting Resume: Complete Guide
• Resume Keywords: Consulting Action Words
• Consulting Resume Tips
• Gaps in Resume: How to Account for Gaps in Resume
• Case Interview: Complete Prep Guide (2024)