People have been using ChatGPT to do their homework, craft social media posts, and even code applications. So why not use it to land your next job? Interestingly, there are some stats to support using the world’s best AI friend, or one of its compatriots, to boost your chances of getting hired: The National Bureau of Economic Research found that those who used AI to craft their resumes stood an 8% higher chance of landing the job.
So, should you use ChatGPT or other AI in your job search as you build an effective resume, cover letter, or portfolio? Yes and no.
Here’s what you could (and maybe shouldn’t) ask AI to help you with.
ChatGPT Can’t Replace Your Expertise
You probably shouldn’t use ChatGPT to write your entire resume or cover letter from scratch. It could be misrepresenting your writing and communications skills (especially if that’s an essential skill for the job) or even incorrectly conveying your skills, experience, qualifications.
On top of that, there’s a chance that any artificial intelligence could just get it wrong. An errant word in a job description could be misunderstood by the AI—and mistakenly included in your resume to make it look like you’ve done something you haven’t. Explaining that kind of mistake could ruin the chances of landing a job.
RELATED: 10 Jobs in Artificial Intelligence (AI) You Should Consider Hiring
What ChatGPT May Be Useful For in Your Job Search
So, what’s the best way to use AI to get a better job? Like a lot of tech, It can have its place in the job hunt .
Fixing Syntax and Other Grammatical Errors
Some applicants may be highly qualified when it comes to the hard and soft skills needed to ace a position, but they may not have mastered the nuances of English grammar. In this case, once you’ve written your resume and cover letter, you could run it by ChatGPT for ways to shorten sections, get ideas to rephrase something, or spot grammar issues.
For instance, the verbs in your resume that describe what you’ve done in previous positions should all be in the same tense. Which is incorrect in the examples below?
- Designed user interfaces for internal business applications
- Building UX templates for use in other applications
- Served as team lead on the development team for three projects
If you guessed the second bullet point, you may not need ChatGPT’s help. ChatGPT can help catch these kinds of errors and provide alternatives if you don’t have someone else readily available to review your resume.
Adjusting Spelling
You could be a whiz at using a certain technology but still not be sure how it’s spelled. Or you may have been using an acronym for so long that you forgot exactly what it stands for. (Does CRM stand for “customer relations manager” or “customer relationship manager,” Or is it “management”?)
Even though AI may get some acronyms wrong, it can sometimes help to polish the rougher edges of your application.
How ChatGPT Could Hurt Your Chances of Getting Hired
Hiring managers want expert people working for them, not cyborg-ish combinations of tech and flesh. If you need to use AI to craft your resume or cover letter from beginning to end, that could turn off managers who want to hear from, well, humans.
For example, let’s say you include “excellent communication” in your skills section. If the interviewer figures out that AI built your entire resume and cover letter, this could become an issue. On the other hand, if you’re interviewing for an AI Engineer or Machine Learning Engineer role, it could be a way to begin a conversation to showcase your skills.
Some companies are using AI detectors, and yes, they can be wrong. But if an interviewer uses one to evaluate your resume, it may not matter who’s right if the tool says the resume was created by a machine. If your resume has a high probability of being AI-generated, the hiring manager may simply skip to the next one. So, be mindful of this as you proceed through the interview process.
For example, if you used AI to improve your grammar, it may be valuable to tell them that. If English isn’t your first language, you can talk about the areas you are working on and why using AI was helpful. Many jobs will need to work well with AI in the future, so it could be to your advantage to show you’re already engaged with it. Honesty is the best policy for anyone on the job hunt.
Get Ready to Get Hired Now
Check out Insight Global’s job board to search out your next great opportunity. And when you connect with us, we guide you through interview prep and make sure your qualifications shine. Get started by reaching out to us today.