AI and Your CV

Blog by – Janice Woods

As an applicant starting the process of looking for your next role, you may be thinking that you should be looking at using AI to help you write or compose your CV.

Take a quick look on Linkedin, google or ChatGPT, and search for how to write a CV.

You can be quickly inundated with advice on how to generate a CV, twelve easy steps to tailor your CV to the job description or grade your CV against the job description. The list goes on.

So, what should you do?

Some AI advocates are telling us if we don’t use AI, we will be left behind in the recruitment process. They go on to say why would you hire someone who does not use AI to write their CV. Others advocate for moderate use of AI for generating concepts, as a support rather than doing everything for you including thinking.

Is it wrong to use AI to write your CV?

Employers use AI to screen applicants’ CVs for key words and match the job description. In some cases, your CV can be screened for AI content. If the “purported AI content” of your CV is too high, this could cause them to either reject your application or contact referees to validate your claims.

AI screening can go further and is the subject of Research by Dr Natalie Sheard. Dr Sheard has investigated how AI job recruitment tools could “enable discrimination” against marginalized groups as recently reported by the ABC (read more)

Of note, unlike the European Union, Australia currently does not have an AI act. A report released in February by the House Standing Committee on Employment, Education and training has made recommendations to the Australian Government highlighting the urgent need to establish, enforce, and continually review management and safeguards for the use of AI and ADM.

Speaking with Marilyn and many recruiters she met up with recently, she also commented on the number of CVs/candidates that are applying has dramatically increased.

Why is this?

One of the reasons being that many candidates think AI is making their CV better and applying a lot more broadly than they would have in the past.

She questions now more than ever ‘Does this person really have the skills that they have articulated on the CV? Do they demonstrate their expertise with true examples and key achievements?

AI can certainly develop a reasonable CV and can be a starting point for you to adapt its output using your own words and/or spell checking ie. beware the use of z vs s – this is a dead giveaway.

However:

1. Does it make you stand out from the other applicants?

2. Does it differentiate you and your key achievements?

The personal touch that comes from you is vital to best align your CV to the job opportunity.

In our mexec jobstrategy™ program, we spend time with jobseekers to understand and explore your experiences, and how you articulate these in your CV. This knowledge that is expressed in the CV can also be invaluable should you reach the interview stage: as you truly know the expertise from having to articulate it clearly.

A good Recruiter or hiring manager will quickly work out that you are not what you say you are if you have padded it out with information from AI.

Also, hopefully the interview is with a human and not a bot – that is already happening -however that is a topic for another day.

Remember, your CV is your CV. Let the best you shine through,