Adriana Modersitzki
Since the launch of ChatGPT, generative artificial intelligence (AI) technology has been a hot topic of conversation, and in a fiercely competitive labour market, job seekers are turning to these tools to save time, cut costs, and create resumes and cover letters. However, there are (very valid!) concerns that relying on these tools can harm job seekers in the long run. Before diving in and starting to use a tool like ChatGPT as part of your application process, it’s important for you to consider the role of AI in your career transition.
Could it write your resume? Sure.
Should it write your resume? For the types of clients we support here at The Elite Collective, probably not.
We’ve researched this topic, we’ve tested it out across a range of content types and career levels, and we’re here to talk about it.
AI resume builders are tools powered by artificial intelligence that automatically create content for your resume and job applications based on user input. For example, with some tools you can simply input your job title, and the algorithms will get to work gathering data from other resumes and cover letters, job advertisements and position descriptions. Then, it will grab the most common or frequently used phrases and responsibilities and bring them back to you for use as dot points, cover letter content, or career objective copy.
Add in that these tools are either free or very low cost, and it’s sounding pretty good, right? Wrong.
Unique Content
As more people start experimenting with AI to write their resumes and applications, the pool of content these tools draw from will slowly become more and more generic. After just a few short months, we’re seeing an increase in repeated, generic content and a surge of very similar resumes flooding the market. I hate to do it, but I’m going to predict that generated content will become even more bland, cover letters will become slabs of text filled with buzzwords to ‘trick the ATS’, and your value proposition will follow suit.
When working on such a valuable personal branding tool, technology simply cannot replace connection and conversation, which are two of the key tools we lean into here at Elite when we create next-level content for you.
Agility
As a very experienced writer, it’s still not uncommon for me to review existing documents, pick up the phone with a brand-new client having a loose idea of what I’d like to create….and make a complete pivot once we’re chatting away. When I engage with a client, I’m listening to far more than just the surface level replies to my questions. I’m probing, listening to tone, identifying where they feel challenges….and digging into it more deeply. My approach is influenced by what they’ve tried and tested in the past, how long they’ve been in the market, and what challenges they’re specifically trying to overcome. A professional resume writer can ‘read the room’, offer choice and context for our reasoning and discuss the pros and cons of different approaches.
AI can’t do that. When you’re using an AI tool to write your job application, you have to be the expert. AI tools rely on your knowledge of resume writing and personal branding, and your objectivity of your skills, experience, and value proposition.
It can’t suggest that you pivot to a functional resume, ensure you address a career gap rather than ignore it, or lean into a different example for your selection criteria.
But at Elite, we can.
Context
In any job market, employers want to speak to jobseekers who stand out, align themselves with their specific organisation, and demonstrate a strong fit. As a former recruiter, and a business owner who has recruited for my own business, I guarantee you there is incredible value in writing applications that are tailored to the organisation you’re applying for. Employers, recruiters and hiring managers want to know that you understand their business or organisation, have looked ‘under the hood’, and are making an informed choice in your application, not just throwing applications out left and right.
The problem with using AI tools to write resume content is that they have a significant lack of insight, understanding and context when looking at businesses and organisations. This is particularly relevant if you’re trying to make a career transition. In this circumstance, using AI tools will very likely fail to extract and present your key transferrable skills in a way that makes sense to the reader, and demonstrates a strong fit with their specific organisation.
For example, I used an AI tool to create a value proposition for a person with a background in retail sales and customer service who wanted to pursue a role in real estate. The real estate company probably wasn’t going to be interested in their tyre fitting training….but the AI algorithm thought it was VERY important!
Then, I asked it to review something on my website, and gave it the specific URL. It returned very complimentary feedback on branding, tone of voice and consistencies…..for a completely different business.
Perspective and objectivity
I touched on it above, but this point deserves its own breathing room. One of the biggest pieces of feedback we receive here at The Elite Collective is about how we give our clients perspective, help them extract quantifiable and commercially relevant achievements, and help them step up and OWN the incredible things they’ve done in their professional lives.
When you work with an AI tool, it simply can’t ask you questions, elicit further information, or help you claim ownership of a success so you can speak confidently to that in writing or at interview.
Once again – we can.
Backlash from employers
The response to AI resume content isn’t always positive. In one study of over 2000 jobseekers who used AI to create their application content, 40% of respondents said an interviewer was aware they used ChatGPT to write application materials, 35% of those reported that they did not get the job because of this.
How does this compare to using a resume writer? Well, AI use is becoming more commonplace, and so is the use of AI detector tools. But when we write for you, a human is creating your content. Naturally, this will pass through any AI detector, but more importantly, the content in your written documents will align with the ‘you’ an employer speaks to on the phone, or at interview.
Our work is so personalised and aligned with you, and we put so much effort into capturing and communicating your ‘secret sauce’ and your ‘why’, that it’s night and day different to AI content.
Human Touch
AI can certainly create your resume, but these tools work within set parameters, and from a fixed knowledge base.
They simply cannot replace the way a professional resume writer will tell your career story, distil your value proposition, and ensure your documents are commercially relevant.
We meet with you, listen to you, and create a game plan FOR you. We don’t manipulate your skills and experience to fit within a set of very narrow limitations. We adapt our approach to meet your specific needs and provide personalised attention and expert advice. This makes a massive difference when it comes to how we present your value proposition and your ‘WHY’.
Confidence boost
I could compare and contrast this category all day, but instead, I’ll leave you with the evidence.
Collaboration and quality assurance
We have a small, tightly knit team who collaborate and bounce ideas off each other regularly. We offer our writers support and mentoring to expand their skills, tackle new challenges, and provide feedback and suggestions on what they have created.
When you work with AI, you’ll have to rely on your existing level of skill and insight into resume writing to give it feedback and request changes.
Industry insight
When you work with an Elite writer, they will have extensive insight into the market, the latest trends and best-practises in resume writing.
It can be tempting to plug some information into an AI tool and see what it spits out. In fact, I highly encourage you to do so! I’ve certainly had a play with AI tools, specifically ChatGPT over the last few months. I’ve explored this more from a business owners perspective and investigated how it could save me time and money.
My biggest takeaway from that experience has been that while AI tools can be fun to play with, help you generate ideas or make suggestions for new angles, they simply can’t replace human touch when it comes to understanding nuance, conveying context, and writing impactful, compelling content.
AI-generated content may be grammatically correct and free of errors, but it lacks the depth and nuance that we pride ourselves on, here at Elite. And your audience can tell.
It might be quick, easy, and cheap. But it’s words on a page, not your career story.
When we work with clients at Elite, we actively take note of how you speak and the way you tell a story, ensuring consistencies that will serve you well throughout your entire job search.
Let’s look at some examples:
In summary, AI tools are incredibly powerful, and they offer a range of benefits in terms of speed, cost and making your writing more concise. If you’re willing to commit time to refining the prompts you give it, and providing feedback, you can certainly pull out some interesting data to guide your writing process. But it will never produce a result in the same league as a professional resume writer from The Elite Collective.
Ultimately, choosing to work with a professional resume writer is an investment in your career. For almost all of our clients, their investment is less than 1% of their earning potential, and they secure a new role three times faster than if they wrote their resume themselves and are also 85% more likely to receive a higher salary offer.
Folks, if you’re considering using AI, because you aren’t sure what working with a professional resume writer costs, or you don’t know if resume writers ‘work’, check out our FAQ to see our payment plan options, see our transparent pricing up on our services pages, or reach out and talk to us. At Elite, we’re not cheap. But we’re also….not ‘cheap’.
Working with us guarantees you a person-centred experience, some supportive straight talking, and a resume that distils your experience, personal attributes and key characteristics into a high-quality value proposition.
That’s where AI simply can’t measure up.
If you’re still in the early stages of exploring a career change, instead of asking ChatGPT, we encourage you to check out our blog on informational interviews and start researching this way! These can be an incredibly valuable opportunity to expand your professional network and make industry contacts that can benefit you for years. If you’d like to keep reading about navigating career change, we have another fabulous blog on this topic that taps into one of our own writers experiences, and shares her lessons learned.
If you’d like to take advantage of the benefits of working with a professional who can guide you, rather than you having to guide them, reach out and talk to us today. We offer a range of payment plans, including AfterPay for online purchases.
If you’d like to get to know us before booking, you can read more about us on our website, or head on over to LinkedIn and connect with me, Adriana!
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