57% of Job Seekers Have or Would Use AI for Resume Writing: Should You?

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT are quickly becoming more popular in all aspects of the professional world, and it’s easy to see why. Having an AI write reports, brainstorm, create images, or perform any other time-consuming task in seconds can free up a lot of your day to work on other projects. Some people are even using AI to help them with their job search. In the What Candidates Want: 2023 Job Seeker Report, iHire asked 600 job seekers in the U.S. if they’ve used an AI-based tool to create their resume or cover letter – 17.2% of respondents said they had, while 40.3% said they would. But should you?

We asked Steve Flook, iHire President and CEO, about his thoughts on whether using AI for resume writing, and for your job search in general, was a good idea. He had encouraging words.

“This is just the beginning for generative AI, so I highly encourage the 34.3% who said they would not use these tools to reevaluate their stance periodically as the technology will continue to advance with each passing month,” Flook said. “Tools like ChatGPT are here to stay and are likely the biggest technological disruption we’ll experience since the ecommerce and mobile phone eras more than a decade ago.”

Pros and Cons of Using AI for Your Resume

Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to use AI to write your resume is a personal one. If you’re one of the people on the fence, it’s important to weigh the pros and cons of using AI for your resume. Then, you’ll be able to answer if an AI-generated resume is right for you.

Pros of Using AI for Your Resume

• Saves time
• Helps overcome writer's block
• Gives you something to start with
• Corrects spelling and grammar mistakes
• Costs nothing to use

Saves time. One of the hardest parts of writing a resume is actually putting aside the time to write one. If you use tools like ChatGPT for your resume, you can have a fully written document in seconds.

Helps overcome writer's block. Writer’s block is a tough challenge to beat, especially for a resume. Simply getting started writing can be the hardest part, but not for an AI. Or, if you know what you want to say but have a hard time making it sound professional, AI can help there, too.

Gives you something to start with. Even if you don’t want to use AI to write your whole resume, it can at least give you an outline to work with, again saving time and preventing writer’s block.

Corrects spelling and grammar mistakes. Spellcheck has been around for a while, but more advanced AI programs like Grammarly that specialize in grammar can dive even deeper and give you suggestions to make your document shine.

Costs nothing to use (for now). Many AI writing programs are free while in their development and testing stages, so you can have your resume written for you at no cost. However, you may have to sign up or request access to the most popular programs.

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Cons of Using AI for Your Resume

• The result could be inaccurate
• It might not follow resume best practices
• Some readers may be able to tell it's AI-generated
• You may end up with a resume someone else is also using
• There could be privacy concerns

The result could be inaccurate. Artificial intelligences know a lot, but they’re not perfect – especially when writing a document as personal as a resume. You may get inaccurate information included on your resume, so be sure to review it carefully before applying to any jobs.

It might not follow resume best practices. There are standards that many employers look for when considering whom to invite for an interview, and if your resume deviates too far from the norm, it might not make it past an automated applicant tracking system (ATS). Additionally, an AI might not utilize best practices when writing your resume and add in outdated content such as objective statements or “References Available Upon Request.” It may also miss a critical section of your resume, like the achievements section, unless you explicitly give it achievements to include.

Some readers may be able to tell it's AI-generated. AI writing tends to follow patterns, and if you know what to look for, it can be very obvious when something is written by an artificial intelligence instead of a human one. It may hurt your chances of landing the job if the hiring manager notices and doesn’t appreciate it.

You may end up with a resume someone else is also using. No one’s career path is exactly the same, but AIs don’t always know that. They aggregate what’s available online to create their responses, meaning if you give a prompt that’s similar to someone else, you may get an identical resume. Another consideration to make is that AI learn by crowdsourcing, thus it is generating a resume based on all the other resumes it's seen. No great resume is cookie-cutter, and most AIs are unable to tailor the resume to the candidate and also to the specific job.

There could be privacy concerns. Always keep privacy at the back of your mind when looking at all the AI options out there. Because of the crowdsourcing nature of AI, it’s important to ensure you’re not giving out sensitive information. Additionally, for some AI programs, any information you put into it can be used by anyone else. So, if you have a personal achievement that you list out, and someone asks for a similar resume, the AI might repurpose your specific achievement to populate a different product.

Should You Use AI for Resume Writing?

In the end, only you can decide if you should use ChatGPT for your resume based on the benefits and downsides most important to you. If you struggle with writer’s block but don’t mind editing what the program gives you, it can be a great time-saving tool. But, if you have a highly specific career path or are in a niche industry, you might spend even more time correcting what it provides, if it even provides you with something usable in the first place.

Still, Flook encourages most job seekers to try out using AI in their job search, if only as a jumping-off point to get you started.

“We all wish there was more time in the day, and writing your resume or cover letter usually falls short in the category of things we love to do,” he said. “ChatGPT and other content generation tools can save significant time, especially for those with writer’s block who are starting from scratch. Use these tools to explore possibilities – for example, ask ChatGPT to provide sample achievements commonly found in resumes for your occupation. You might also use these platforms to initiate first drafts, and then add your personal touch and context. With a blended approach to leveraging GenAI, you can still come out with an authentic, high-quality document that ultimately saves you time.”

For more resume tips, including human-made templates for you to use, head to our Job Seeker Resource Center. If having someone else write your resume sounds great, but you don’t trust AI just yet, iHire’s certified, professional Resume Writers will work with you to create a stand-out document personalized to your needs.