“Organisations we talk to say AI-assisted applications are wasting their time, with many being inundated. Sifting through job applications generated by AI uses up valuable time and resources. Therefore despite all the AI hype, creating an authentic CV that represents you and is tailored to the job is our absolute recommendation”
Exclaimer: This article has been written by a human.
Why Might You Turn To AI For CV Support?
Coming out of the education sector can be confusing. Your job search is rooted in the tradition of crawling through the TES and County websites before completing a generic school application form.
When you are looking beyond the school system things start to get a little bewildering. Should you join a recruitment agency? Which job board should you be focusing on? Whose advice should you take? It’s a minefield and the omnipresent buzz surrounding AI is making things even more fuzzy.
But whichever path you choose outside of the school system the CV is still very much alive and kicking when it comes to your job search. And if you are attempting to write one for the first time in years or even decades it’s a daunting proposition.
The Hype
As John Author said in his recent article for Bloomberg ‘the Zeitgeist is won’. AI and machine learning has been talked up to the point of hysteria heralding a future where the human touch is sidelined at the expense of machines crunching big data. The ‘Internet of Things’ has finally arrived with humans yielding control of all that we do. But away from the doom-mongering and digital apocalypse what can AI really do to support your job search process?
What Marketers Tell You When It Comes To AI & CVs?
Artificial intelligence in the CV writing process promises so much. You get the impression that after using the technology recruiters will be calling you off the hook with job offers, that your machine-powered CV will immediately guarantee you an interview and that CVs produced in this way will ensure that you smoothly navigate even the most ‘Fort Knox’ like of applicant tracking systems.
Can It Give Your CV The Right Structure?
With thousands of CV templates available, in chat rooms, Facebook groups, digital forums and recruiter websites it can be confusing to select the right one. In terms of structure AI does deliver, all of the platforms that we have tested produce CVs that follow an industry standard and are applicant tracking system friendly with a focus on skills up front. So, if you need a good solid foundation for a CV layout that you can later edit AI is a sound option.
Can It Save You Time?
Although there are huge promises made regarding the rapidity of AI CV services there is no getting away from the fact that you still have to input information, and this takes considerable time. AI can’t magically know your entire work history by osmosis.
Your employment, experiences and key skills must be entered for the platforms to generate a CV that fits your profile. Also, many of the tools can take up to 24 hours to deliver your final CV to your inbox, so it’s certainly not yet an immediate process. However, if you are completely lost the prompts provided for you to enter data may save you hours fumbling around for ideas. Overall, the time gains using AI are for us at present marginal.
Is It Cheaper Than A CV Writer For Hire?
Many of the platforms that we have tested offer CV writing services for free however premium features that allow you to tailor CVs for specific roles or test a CV against a job description are hidden behind paywalls. This is especially true if you want to get detailed feedback at which stage hiring a professional CV writer may well become more cost-efficient.
Is It Really A Substitute For Humans?
One of the important things to recognise is that the job search process demands resilience and skill. This skill is refined over time. By using AI you are perhaps not developing a finesse for CV writing that would allow you to craft and refine your CV further down the line. We believe it is better to learn about the tools required to write an effective CV so that you are empowered to move forward independently with future job applications instead of turning to a machine each time to do it for you. Also, the CVs we have tested are at best only about 60% of the way to excellence. The other 40% has got to come from you and at present AI cannot deliver in the same way that a human CV writer or career coach can. Such people will take the take time to understand you as an individual and are able to authentically represent you in a compelling document.
Something For You To Ponder
Ultimately it can feel like you are using or hiring a machine to beat another machine and at some point, we have to ask ourselves is this really the best way to select candidates for jobs that inevitably will involve human interaction.
WARNING If you’re using AI to help you in parts of a screening process then please note that good hiring managers are going to compare your answer to an AI-generated answer. So if you want to score highly then it is probably best to rely on your flair and creativity rather than a machine!
Our blog ‘5 Quick Tips For Teachers Writing A CV‘ is a great starting point, but if you want a more detailed understanding of how to write and tailor your CV for a new career, please see our CV Masterclass a fantastic online tool. Or, if you feel you would like to speak to a human and get individual support and guidance, book on to our 1-2-1 CV Workshop.
