With the fast-paced development of generative AI and the widespread availability of programs like ChatGPT, you’ve probably already thought about using AI to write your resume. It’s not surprising when, within seconds, you can generate a document that may have taken you hours to write yourself.
However, there are a few things you need to consider before you use ChatGPT to write your job applications.
It’s personal
Your resume is your ‘personal’ marketing document and should be uniquely about you – your strengths, accomplishments and experiences. This begs the question, can ChatGPT really know you better than you know yourself? If the answer is yes, you may want to consider completing the Self Awareness module in our online Getting a Job Challenge!
It’s tailored
Your resume needs to be tailored specifically to the job you’re applying for. While ChatGPT can certainly do this, it can still be beneficial to write your resume yourself. If you make it to interview and want to appear knowledgeable, competent and genuinely interested in the job, you are going to have to undertake all the necessary research about the role and company anyway.
Even worse, several other applicants might also be using AI and submitting resumes very similar to yours as a result. So, don’t get caught out before you even get to interview just because you allowed AI to write a resume that you should have written yourself.
It’s your interview
Remember it will be you, not the new and improved robotic AI version of you, that attends the interview, either in person or virtually.
If you’ve misrepresented yourself, either by making claims that aren’t true or by presenting an application which isn’t in your own words, the recruiter is likely to figure that out. In fact, they may have done exactly what you did – run the job advert through ChatGPT – and generated an application just like yours!
It’s a good skill to have
Resume writing is a life-long skill so it’s worth being good at it. We know that workforce trends indicate an increase in short term, project-based work and that the average young person will have up to 17 jobs and 5 careers in their lifetime. That’s a lot of resumes to write. Having the ability to write a strategic, agile and responsive resume is a skill needed now more than ever before – and one worth investing the time in to develop.
It can be a useful tool
Having said all that, generative AI is not the enemy and, just like other programs including Microsoft Editor and Grammarly, ChatGPT can be an effective tool to help you improve your resume. In the same way as you would look at templates or examples, generative AI could help you formulate your career profile or summary.
It can also give you some useful guidance on formatting or ideas about the skills and qualifications you might need to demonstrate further. Just be vigilant in reading through what is generated by AI whenever you use it – ensure that it is accurate and reflects you as an individual.
It’s not your only option
Our Resume Workbook and Getting a Job’s Resume module will show you how to write a powerful and impactful resume. As a Curtin student, you also have free access to VMock – an AI tool that provides you with immediate feedback on your uploaded resume – as well as real life advisors who can help you create a unique document that showcases all the great things about you.
This article was written by Career Development Consultant, Rindala Hadzic.
