Should you use AI for job applications?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is on the rise, and many are considering using it to help streamline the job application process.

Applying for a job can be laborious and time-consuming, as best practice would see an applicant writing a tailored resume and cover letter for each job opening.

AI in general can prove a contentious subject, and Newsweek reached out to experts on whether using it in a job application is a good or a bad thing.

And, like much of society, opinions varied.

David Reed, Global Head of Talent Acquisition at global claims administrator Sedgwick, said it was important to consider “the good, the bad and the ugly” when applying to a job using Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI).

“A good usage of GenAI can be seen in building a strong foundation in a job search, by leveraging this technology to help identify jobs of interest and to generate and customize resumes and cover letters to have a better chance of a recruiter reviewing your application,” he said.

However, Reed added, this technology can potentially lead to misleading representation of themselves if applicants do not do a proper review of the letter before submitting it.

He said: “Overall, GenAI has many strong use cases for job seekers, but the human element should always be involved, especially in fact-checking any AI-produced materials before sharing with companies.”

Kyle Samuels, founder and CEO at Creative Talent Endeavors, who has been in the hiring space for two decades, said that “blindly copying” what AI generates as a cover letter and job application should be a “cardinal sin in the hiring process”.

He said hiring managers are now “experts” at detecting where AI has been used, and notes that unless you trained the AI tool yourself, “it won’t reflect any aspects of your personality that could differentiate you from other candidates”.

Samuels went on: “There’s still immense value in conducting your own research into a company and taking a personalized approach in your resume organization and cover letter composition that reflects your knowledge and interest in the role — and hiring managers are well-versed in sensing that degree of authenticity.”

From applying for entry-level to senior roles, “AI usage should only be used as a reference point. It should be the first draft of a first draft that you then shape and mold into your own voice and shows your dedication to the role.”

HR business partner Daniel Space, aka DanFromHR, said that in his experience from an employers’ side, AI can be used as a tool to help applications, resumes and cover letters, as it “creates content so much faster and it’s far easier to react and adjust something than to create it from scratch”.

It can also help people who struggle at articulating their achievements to “tailor and focus their message,” he said. But he warned not to “overuse it or lean on it too much”.

While employers are not, in his experience, “penalizing” applicants who use AI, they will “favor candidates that ensure it’s personalized to the individual” rather than copy-pasting a ChatGPT prompt.

“The purpose of a resume is to stand out, but if 100 people all used ChatGPT to write a resume to the same job description, you are again just one more qualified person among 100,” he argued.

“The best way to view it as a tool. Use it to brainstorm, use it to give you a starting ground, but make sure you edit, update and personalize it,” he said.

And Justin Marcus, CEO of www.bigfourtalent.com, asked: “As long as it is honest and not a writing position they are applying for, why penalize someone for using a service that helps them better articulate their background?”

He said: “The better route would be to use AI to help you better articulate sections of your resume at a time, then proof it and make sure it sounds more human.”

According to a survey by Statista, approximately 70 percent of those companies surveyed claim to use AI in business operations as of 2024.

At the same time, 63 percent of respondents claimed to use it in both internal and external communications, and just under half used it in human resources and training.