Should you steer clear of an AI resumé?

In the summer of 2024, Johnson began to see AI pop up in job-seeker documents. As she says, a number of AI resumé writer tools are available, including Jobscan and Teal, which claim to transform documents to align with a given job description. (Other AI tools, like Perplexity and ChatGPT, can also be used to adapt resumés, although that’s not necessarily their primary function.)

Using AI for guidance, a review or to make suggestions is one thing, but sometimes it’s hard to know where the boundary is between being helpful and handing over ownership. “I have seen people use it in ways that make their cover letters or [LinkedIn^® profiles] too clean,” Johnson says. “The problem is, if it sounds too good, it doesn’t sound like you.”

One of the main concerns that Johnson has about AI resumés is that they stymie the individual’s ability to think and act creatively. By focusing so heavily on AI to write a resumé, Johnson says, people may lose the benefit of generating ideas on their own and standing out for their creativity and personality.

Compared to when she started in the field, Johnson says that technology has dramatically changed how resumés and applications are reviewed. “ATS [applicant tracking systems] with AI are reviewing job search documents for keywords, specific experience and education targeted to the position,” Johnson explains. “No longer can a potential candidate write a general chronological resumé with a focus on the history of the job seeker’s work experience. Job search documents must reflect a percentage of the specific job description’s keywords in order to be selected.”

Even with these changes, some old-school tools can still help today’s job seekers. Johnson refers to The Damn Good Resume Guide, first published in 1983. The book is in its fifth edition, and those resumé templates and recommendations have benefited countless job seekers.

At the time of the book’s release, there were two types of resumés: chronological (listing out experience from newest to oldest) and functional (highlighting skills and abilities). As the internet became a larger part of how job seekers found work, Johnson says, people began reflecting more on their applications to better emphasize how they could fit the role.

In this context, AI may be a guide, not an infallible author. Johnson, who’s spoken with recruiters across North America, says that many are fine with using AI to write a resumé so long as the writing style seems natural. So, if you use AI to write or improve your document, make sure you reread it for accuracy and that it sounds like you.

“We need to use AI as a tool for targeted writing, not a replacement for writing in general,” Johnson summarizes. “We already know, ethically, it’s been broken via plagiarism in both academia and the law. … We have to go back to setting guidelines and let people know how to use AI professionally and ethically.”

Johnson has worked with students from a range of higher education institutions, from community colleges to liberal arts colleges to Research-1 universities. With this background, she offers the following tips for updating a resumé:

• Be careful with formatting: AI can negatively impact the document’s appearance and possibly disrupt how an ATS reviews it.
• Make it engaging, not all encompassing: Recruiters are notoriously fast, spending just seconds on any one resumé. “Don’t make it too long or too in depth,” Johnson says. “Make it count.”
• Write for who you are: You want to underscore your accomplishments and work history, Johnson says, but you want to be scrupulously honest. Lying is a big no-no.

Additionally, it can be helpful to revamp your resumé by reviewing resumé templates available online, especially those specific to your field.

Johnson adds one more important point: Who you know is a key factor in your job search.

“Of the clients I’ve worked with in the past year, 82% got interviews or jobs through networking,” she says. “It’s the connection, the relationship that makes the biggest difference — I’ve seen more companies hire from within than externally in recent years.”

If you don’t know anyone at the company where you’re applying, it’s more important than ever to make your resumé stand out for all the right reasons. “Strategically write and target your documents to meet the needs of the employer and you will increase your chances of being selected for the interview,” Johnson says. “The right opportunities will open.”