Over the previous years, the drop in job opportunities has compelled job hunters to identify unique ways of distinguishing themselves among a throng of candidates competing for the same positions. Enhanced digital tools and emerging technologies like generative AI have expedited the creation of advanced CVs and cover letters, vastly different from the age-old printed document in a non-descript Times New Roman font.
However, this trend isn’t without its drawbacks. According to Govind Balakrishnan, Adobe Express’ Senior Vice President, the vast majority of job applications have become homogeneous, often lacking personality because many job seekers opt for ready-made CV templates available from their software provider. These templates can be personalised with text and pictures but generally look alike.
Balakrishnan observes a growing count of users who are opting to be innovative, adding moving images to their CVs or creating video applications. While he recognises the necessity of standing out to catch recruiters’ attention amidst a pile of similar-looking resumes, Balakrishnan cautions about going overboard with experimental applications, which may turn off-putting and backfire.
Canva, an Australian competitor of Adobe, also provides analogous design tools and recorded over 900 million users developing CVs on its platform the previous year. As per Canva’s survey involving above 5,000 hiring managers, 39 percent mentioned their primary concern with CVs was an excessive amount of text.
Canva’s European boss, Duncan Clark, noticed an emerging trend of attaching a portfolio or providing links to additional information, thereby reducing the CV to an elegantly formatted document encapsulating the critical points in a summarised and readable fashion. There’s an increasing preference for visual communication, and new digital tools are enabling even those without specialised design training to create captivating visual presentations.
Modifying elements like colour schemes, layouts and illustrations can amplify submissions’ visual attraction, suggests an expert. A recent study by Canva discovered nearly half of job hunters were utilising generative AI to enhance, refresh or craft their CVs, indicating successful results.
Nonetheless, generative AI tends to recycle responses and replicate content. As a result, certain applications may entirely mirror each other’s text. Over the last year, AI chatbots – including OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Bard – have facilitated generating copious amounts of human-like text using generative AI.
Due to its training on extensive textual data, this technology excels with natural language. Consequently, users can input job specifications into the chatbot and solicit it to generate a cover letter or answer potential questions. They can also have their own CVs reviewed, edited and tailored to the job’s demands.
However, the output from generative AI tends to be monotonous and may plagiarise responses. Khyati Sundaram, the CEO of Applied – a recruitment platform, observes many people merely copying forms into ChatGPT thus leading to an onslaught of similar structure applications and blatant plagiarism in some cases.
Applicants discovered using AI in this manner have been usually rejected, causing considerable frustration. Conversely, certain employers are experiencing a surge in AI-generated applications leading to an overflow. Neurosight, a Kent-based firm, helps businesses including Virgin Media, NHS, and Auto Trader in curating online tests in advanced stages of hiring and provides counsel on reducing bias in these exams.
Jamie Betts, founder and chief product officer at Neurosight, states there is unease about people faking their abilities through generative AI, putting companies at risk of inapt recruitment. He believes people are still in the nascent stages of AI usage and are naively duplicating responses, however, repetitive rejections could push them to learn how to effectively use prompts to avoid detection.
Nicky Hutchinson, a careers and employability consultant for the University of Exeter, has come across students who experienced multiple job rejections due to their reliance on generative AI for application writing.
She explains that if a single chatbot is utilised by all, it produces similar clichéd expressions. Hutchinson believes AI is valuable but its excessive use causes an erasure of individuality.
According to her, AI is optimal for generating potential interview questions and assisting in the structure of applications. Candidates need to then incorporate their personal touch into the process.
Hutchinson also advises caution when using generative AI or CV templates without adequate consideration or customisation, as it could lead to uninspiring outcomes.
Lastly, she offers counsel to those wanting to enhance the visual appearance of their CVs – ensure the quality of content is not compromised due to restrictive design or lack of space.