AI CV Writing And The Need for Human Intervention

In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed many areas of our lives, including the job search process, from CV writing to interview simulations. AI-powered tools now streamline CV creation, making it faster and more efficient.

As experts in the field, we have explored this topic to emphasise the continued importance of human input. The burning question is: Can recruiters really identify when career documents are generated by AI? Yazia from TechRise shares her insight: “Yes, I can tell when documents are generated by AI because the writing is very professional, and the sentence structure is very different.”

With AI advancing rapidly, career services—from CV writing to applicant tracking systems—have experienced significant growth. Although AI in CV writing may seem daunting, we're here to help you use it effectively.

In this article, we cover:

• Limitations of AI.

• How to use AI to write a CV.

• AI vs hybrid CV examples.

Limitations and challenges of AI for CV writing

The problem with AI-generated content is that it often sounds robotic and lacks a personal touch. This can be particularly challenging for individuals with diverse backgrounds or unconventional career paths, including students, job hoppers, career changers, and those who aren’t very tech-savvy.

• Students need to figure out how to showcase their strengths.

• Job hoppers might have trouble creating a clear career story.

• People who aren’t tech-savvy may find it hard to use AI tools.

That’s why many recruiters advise against relying solely on AI for your CV or cover letter. But does it really affect candidates' prospects? Industry expert Yazia says, “If everything is generated by AI, it doesn’t look very good. It seems like no effort is being put into the work. I like AI, but you always need to adapt it to your personal style.”

1. Personalisation

AI is unable to create CV templates and tends to rely on generic content. While you might hope recruiters won’t notice, presenting your strengths in a clear and engaging way still requires a personal touch.

Example: AI might overlook key achievements from your role as a Sales Associate and fail to recognise that your responsibilities extended beyond basic tasks. In such cases, you would need to provide AI with additional context, and even then, you’d have to adjust and rephrase the content to ensure it’s coherent and meaningful.

Writing a good CV or cover letter can be tough, from showcasing your skills to fitting everything into the ideal length. Many people struggle with formatting and choosing the right CV template, which AI does not do. Our easy-to-use CV builder helps by letting you customise our CV examples and switch between CV and cover letter templates as you like.

Choose and format a CV template effortlessly

Start now

2. Context

AI struggles to capture your individual identity, career goals, and the specific requirements of your target job or company. While it might list your duties and skills in a clear format, you still need to review and edit the content to ensure accuracy.

Example: AI may misinterpret job roles and misuse industry-specific terms, leading to a mismatch between your actual skills and what is presented. Additionally, AI might misrepresent your skills and experiences, such as downplaying the significance of a project management certification and its impact on your career.

3. Non-traditional career paths

Not all careers follow traditional paths; some require versatility and a diverse skill set. AI might struggle to create the ideal CV layout if you're considering a career change or dealing with unique circumstances.

Example: A skills-based CV can emphasise specific competencies, but it's only one of many CV writing strategies. It's important to recognise that no single CV format works for every situation.

• Unique job titles: AI may not recognise or accurately describe unconventional job titles or roles that don't fit typical industry standards. For example, the title "Brand Evangelist" might be misunderstood or translated into generic terms that don't reflect the unique responsibilities and skills required. 

• Varied skill sets: Unconventional careers often need various skills across different areas. AI may struggle to combine and show these skills well, which could make the candidate's abilities seem scattered.

• Career transitions: Individuals switching industries or pursuing unconventional career paths may have experiences that don't neatly fit into traditional job categories. AI might struggle to effectively showcase how these experiences are relevant or beneficial in the context of a new career path.

• Project-based work: Freelancers, consultants, and contractors often have a portfolio of project-based work rather than a linear job history. AI may not easily capture the breadth and depth of these diverse projects, potentially overlooking key accomplishments and skills developed through such engagements.

Tips on how to use AI to write your CV

AI tools can simplify the process by generating initial drafts from your input. However, AI should be used thoughtfully to ensure your CV accurately reflects your qualifications and makes a strong impression on employers.

1. Be specific

Provide comprehensive and accurate details about your education, work experience, skills, and achievements. The more precise your input, the better the AI will help you. 

Example: If you list your work experience, include specific roles, responsibilities, and accomplishments, such as "Managed a team of five and increased sales by 20% over six months." The more precise your input, the better AI will be able to assist you.

2. Review for accuracy

While AI-generated content is a great starting point, reviewing your CV for accuracy, relevance, and completeness ensures it truly reflects your unique profile. Add any specific details or achievements the AI might have missed. 

Example: If the AI-generated CV overlooks your certification as a "Certified Project Manager," make sure to add this important detail yourself to fully represent your qualifications. Check out our project manager CV example and matching project management cover letter.

3. Customise job requirements

Use the AI-generated draft as a strong foundation, and then tweak it to emphasise the skills and experiences that align with the job's requirements. 

Example: If you're applying for a marketing role, adjust the draft to highlight your experience with digital campaigns, such as "Led a successful email marketing campaign that boosted engagement by 30%." For marketing-related CV examples, check out the below:

• Marketing CV and matching marketing cover letter.

4. Utilsie AI for final CV polishing

AI can also assist in checking grammar, spelling, and style consistency. Utilise these features to polish your CV, ensuring it’s polished and professional before submission.

Example: Use AI to correct errors like “resposible” to “responsible” and ensure consistent formatting throughout your document.

Examples of AI CV writing prompts

Try out a couple of the following prompts to see how AI can help with your CV writing. For more job-specific CV content, check out our CV examples writing guides.

• Personal profile: Create a CV summary that effectively showcases my leadership abilities and achievements. This CV summary should be written for a Senior Software Engineer with over 10 years of experience. 

• Skills: Highlight my key skills and experiences relevant to project management.

• Work experience: List the main duties and responsibilities associated with the role of a Marketing Manager. 

• Achievements: Provide examples of strong action verbs to enhance the impact of my achievements.

More examples of AI-powered CV writing prompts:

• Suggest improvements to make my CV more concise while maintaining key details

• List the tools and technologies that are relevant to a graphic designer.

• Recommend additional sections or categories to include that could strengthen my CV.

• Review my CV for any grammar or formatting errors and suggest corrections.

• Generate a cover letter that complements my CV and emphasises my motivation for this specific role.

Example of an AI CV writing prompt

• 1st prompt: List the hard skills associated with a civil engineer.

• 2nd prompt: Include only the main skills without the description.

Depending on the CV template you select, you can either group all skills into their own section or list them as shown above. Keep the below in mind:

• Include only relevant skills.

• Distinguish between hard and soft skills.

• Consider adding a separate section for technical skills.

Remember, AI is not a one-time solution; you will need to rephrase and continually refine your prompts to reach a satisfactory result, after which you can take over and make necessary edits.

AI CV example

Prompt: My name is Lara and I'm a motion designer with 8 years of experience. Plus I've been leading projects since 3 years and I know adobe premiere, after effects, cinema 4D. Can you create a CV for me based on this information.

Professional Summary

Creative and detail-oriented Motion Designer with 8 years of experience in creating dynamic and visually appealing motion graphics. Proven expertise in leading projects over the past 3 years, ensuring timely delivery and high-quality results. Proficient in Adobe Premiere, After Effects, and Cinema 4D.

Skills

• Motion Design: Expertise in creating animations, visual effects, and motion graphics.

• Project Management: Strong leadership skills with a focus on project planning, team coordination, and timely delivery.

• Software Proficiency: Adobe Premiere, Adobe After Effects, Cinema 4D

Professional Experience

Motion Designer & Project Lead

[Your Current or Most Recent Company]

Month/Year – Present

• Lead motion design projects from conception to completion, ensuring alignment with client goals and brand standards.

• Coordinate with clients, creative teams, and other stakeholders to deliver high-quality projects on time and within budget.

• Develop and implement creative concepts and designs using Adobe Premiere, After Effects, and Cinema 4D.

• Mentor junior designers and provide feedback to improve their skills and output.

• Motion Designer

[Previous Company]

Month/Year – Month/Year

• Created compelling motion graphics and animations for various media platforms, including social media, TV, and web.

• Collaborated with creative directors, scriptwriters, and other designers to produce cohesive visual narratives.

• Utilised Adobe Premiere and After Effects to edit video footage and add effects, transitions, and other elements.

• Assisted in the development of style guides and design templates to streamline production processes.

Education

• Bachelor of Fine Arts in Motion Design

• [Your University]

• Graduation Year

Projects

• Project Name: Brief description of the project, your role, and the impact of the project.

• Project Name: Brief description of the project, your role, and the impact of the project.

Certifications

• Certification Name: Issuing Organisation, Year

• Certification Name: Issuing Organisation, Year

Awards & Recognitions

• Award Name: Description of the award, issuing organisation, and year.

• Award Name: Description of the award, issuing organisation, and year.

Professional Affiliations

• Organisation Name: Your role or membership status

• Organisation Name: Your role or membership status

References

• Available upon request.

This AI-generated CV example is a good starting point, but it needs more detail to stand out to recruiters. You'll need to be more specific when prompting GPT to refine it further. Once you've done that, transfer the information to an eye-catching CV template. That's where we come in – you can simply copy-paste the information from GPT and choose a template that you can easily download.

Land more interviews with CVMaker’s professionally designed CV templates.

Choose and format a CV template effortlessly

Start now

Hybrid CV example

Hybrid CV writing combines the strengths of both AI and human expertise. AI helps set up the initial framework and content for the CV, while human input fine-tunes and personalises it to ensure it meets professional standards and highlights individual strengths effectively. For more expertly tailored CVs, check out our CV examples page.

Key takeaways

So can recruiters really identify when career documents are generated by AI? In short, yes. It’s evident that although AI can indeed speed up the process and perhaps assist in other ways, the need for human intervention is still essential. 

Next steps?

Unlike AI, our intuitive CV and cover letter builder empowers you to create personalised documents, giving you the confidence to write, download, and apply for your dream job. We provide a diverse selection of expertly created CV and cover letter examples, acknowledging that relying solely on AI for your career documents may not always be dependable.

FAQ

Does AI generate your CV in PDF or Word format?

Currently, ChatGPT is unable to directly generate or create files such as PDFs. However, it can assist you in outlining the content for your CV.

Is AI dependable for applicant tracking systems (ATS)?

The reliability of ChatGPT for ATS can vary. While AI-generated CVs can be formatted to be ATS-friendly, ensuring compatibility often requires meticulous customisation.

Can an AI tool write my CV? 

AI tools can help generate a CV based on the information you provide, but they shouldn't be relied on completely. They lack the context and strategic understanding to create a CV tailored to your personal career goals and the best-suited format for your needs.

Can you use ChatGPT to write a CV? 

ChatGPT can assist in drafting parts of a CV or cover letter based on prompts but it is recommended that you refine it with human input.

Can recruiters tell if you used ChatGPT? 

Recruiters might not be able to pinpoint the use of ChatGPT specifically, but they can often identify generic content that lacks a human touch.

Is it okay to use ChatGPT for job applications? 

It's okay to use ChatGPT for initial drafting, but personalisation and human editing are crucial to tailor the CV effectively.

Is there a free AI I can use? 

Yes, there are free AI tools available, such as ChatGPT, but advanced features may require a paid subscription.