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Using AI to Write Your Resume: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

ByKris LeBoutillier

Introduction

Artificial Intelligence has revolutionized resume writing. With just a few clicks, you can now generate a complete resume draft in minutes. But while the technology offers convenience, it’s not without its drawbacks, and even a few red flags. Here’s a breakdown of the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to using AI for your resume. And why we suggest adding a human to edit and, ultimately, write it for you.

Using AI for resume writing.

The Good

1. Fast & Efficient
AI is fast. Instead of staring at a blank page, AI tools can give you a solid draft to work from almost instantly. This is especially helpful when tailoring your resume for multiple job applications.

2. Polished Output
AI is a good editor. It’s great at catching grammatical errors, improving sentence structure, and formatting your resume in clean, professional layouts. These tools often ensure your resume looks modern and readable.

3. ATS Optimization
Many AI-powered resume builders incorporate relevant keywords from job descriptions to help your resume get past Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), which scan resumes before a human ever sees them.

The Bad

4. Generic Language
AI often uses boilerplate phrases like “results-oriented professional” or “excellent communication skills.” While these sound fine, they don’t stand out. Recruiters see them on dozens of resumes every day. Remember, you need to be different from the others.

5. Context Blindness
AI can struggle with nuance. It might turn your role as a team lead into “Managed staff” without understanding what kind of leadership you demonstrated or what challenges you overcame. This can flatten or misrepresent your experience. Resumes are often about slight (yet very important) differences and specialized experience.

6. Inaccurate Results if Unchecked
Some users make the mistake of copying AI-generated content without reviewing it carefully. The result? A resume that may exaggerate your role—or worse, include completely irrelevant content. This is common and picked up in the first round of interviews when applicants can’t comfortably talk about their experience.

The Ugly

7. Risk of Plagiarism
Remember, AI ‘scrapes’ or remembers everything you input. Some AI tools pull language or examples from online databases or other resumes, which can lead to duplicate content. That’s a red flag for recruiters, especially in academic or highly competitive fields.

8. Loss of Personal Voice
AI can write a very boring CV. Your resume is your personal marketing document. If it reads like everyone else’s, you disappear into the crowd. Over relying on AI may strip away your unique personality, tone, and career narrative.

Use a Human

AI can generate a decent draft, but when it comes to telling your story in a compelling, strategic way, nothing beats a human.

A professionally written resume isn’t just about listing jobs or stuffing in keywords. It’s about crafting a narrative—showing how your experiences connect, highlighting what makes you valuable, and aligning your story with the roles you’re targeting. AI doesn’t understand nuance, ambition, or career pivots. We humans do.

Professional resume writers and editors know how to:

  • Ask the right questions to uncover achievements you may have overlooked.
  • Tailor your tone to match the industry and role you’re applying for.
  • Spot red flags (like employment gaps or vague bullet points) and help you frame them more effectively.
  • Balance clarity with creativity, making sure your resume is both ATS-friendly and memorable to human readers.

For help with career counseling, resume writing, career testing, please click: https://careerstudio.asia/

CareerStudio

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