It’s not just companies who are throwing their weight behind all things AI – job hunters are using it too, to polish their resumes and increase their chances of landing that dream job.
A recent study also reveals that most employers are more than fine with AI being used in this way, and also showed that the text-only resume could be going the way of the dodo.
We tell you how to make your resume stand out from the crowed, and how AI can help.
Nearly Half of Job Seekers Using AI
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the way we work, and the realm of recruitment is no exception. Crafting the perfect CV is an arduous task for many, therefore it’s no surprise job seekers are welcoming the host of free and paid AI-powered resume tools which take the heavy lifting out of the task.
The online graphic design platform, Canva teamed up with research company, Sago, to survey 5,000 hiring managers and 5,000 job seekers to uncover the latest trends in both job seeking and candidate hiring.
The headline finding from the survey was that 45% of job seeker respondents said they had used generative AI to build, update or improve their CV.
The survey respondents came from the U.S., United Kingdom, India, Germany, Spain, France, Mexico and Brazil, with job candidates in India utilising AI to bolster their resume the most (74%) followed by Brazil (50%), in France and Spain however, job seekers preferred good old fashioned methods, with their AI uptake sitting in the low-to-mid thirties.
Hiring Managers Actually Like AI-Enhanced CVs
It may feel counterintuitive to the popular belief that using AI to build your CV is in some way cheating, the survey found that a staggering 90% of hiring manager respondents said it is acceptable to use generative AI in application materials.
Of those hiring managers surveyed 46% said it should be used minimally to augment an applicant’s ideas and content, and 44% said it can be used to create any content.
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What’s more, 57% of all hiring managers prefer CVs with visual components rather than text-only CVs, with 71% of respondents saying the latter will be obsolete within five years.
Amy Schultz, global head of talent acquisition at Canva, told Fox Business that candidates should feel reassured by this survey that they can continue to use AI as “a sort of great jumping off point.”
“We know that job seeking can be really hard, it can be really daunting, so if there’s something that can make you feel better about that experience, then I think that folks should lean into that,” she continued.
Can Hiring Managers Detect AI Created CVs?
One question that comes to mind is whether or not it’s obvious to recruiters when candidates have used AI to enhance their CV.
The survey found that an overwhelming majority (67%) of hiring managers believe they can tell most or all of the time when they are reading an AI-modified resume.
Whilst Schultz was positive about the benefits for both candidates and recruiters using AI, she did caveat that candidates should always proofread what AI resume tools output to ensure it’s correct and inline with their tone of voice and experience.
Make it Stand Out: Hot Tips for Candidates
Schultz said that recruiters spend an average of just 7.4 seconds scanning at CV before deciding whether or not to spend time reading it in more detail. For candidates that means that their CV must grab the hiring manager’s attention visually right away to give themselves a higher chance of making the shortlist.
AI Resume Builder Tips
- A virtual graphic designer for everyone
Whilst it’s possible to design an attractive resume without the use of artificial intelligence, it’s certainly much more time consuming and the results are likely not going to be as polished unless you’re a graphic designer! Using an AI tool to do this part will save significant time and will lay out your content in the most visually appealing way that will get more eyeballs on your actual experience. - Keyword optimization is essential
As AI becomes an integral part of the hiring process, many HR teams are also turning to AI to sift through CVs and find the most relevant candidates. Therefore it’s vital that your CV encapsulates the keyword and terminology that are present on the job listing. This will often occur naturally however, an AI tool will save you time fine-tuning the language and technical terms used in each job description and tailor your application to each position, giving you a higher chance of actually getting your CV in front of a human. - Embrace but don’t replace
AI can be a valuable asset, but it’s crucial to remember that your resume is a representation of you. Proofread any AI-generated content carefully to ensure accuracy and authenticity. Personalise your resume so it showcases your unique value proposition and your personality and maybe think again before using it for the cover letter as well.
