Check out these quick and timely tips from Carolina Alumni Career Coach Catherine Tuttle.
Since the AI tool ChatGPT launched in November 2022, it has become more and more popular, and users are leveraging the technology to write everything from college essays and short stories to resumes and cover letters. A recent survey by Resume Builder reported that job seekers who used Chat GPT to write their application materials reported a higher response rate from companies. Similarly, a study by MIT Sloan PhD student and professor found that job seekers with AI-boosted resumes were 8% more likely to be hired.
Typically, if you take two people with identical skills and backgrounds, the one with the better-written resume is more likely to get hired. This is attributed to the fact that the resume is seen as a representation of the applicant’s communication skills and overall abilities. By eliminating typos and grammatical errors and enhancing the resume with stronger language, AI can save time and enhance outcomes, however it is important to consider the pros and cons.
Pros:
- ChatGPT saves individuals time by quickly generating content based on prompts you provide and matches the details to specific positions.
- It can also help you identify skills or experiences that are relevant to a job but that you may have overlooked.
- It can also be used to rewrite your resume bullets with more impactful language and personalize your professional summary for a specific job.
Considerations:
- While AI is incredibly sophisticated technology, it is not always 100% accurate and has the potential to get things wrong. Always review the document carefully for grammar and spelling (and/or run it through a tool like Grammarly).
- Honestly assess the achievements generated by ChatGPT. It is important that resume bullets are truthful and that you actually have the experience AI says you do.
- Recruiters are, and will continue to, become savvier in detecting AI help. Make sure you personalize your materials from the original content provided.
Bottom Line: Always review your resume content carefully and consider having someone else read it over, ideally someone familiar with your work. You might also choose to run your AI-generated resume (or cover letter) through a plagiarism checker before submitting.