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The popularity and infamy of generative AI models such as ChatGPT and Gemini have skyrocketed in the employment sector. Numerous applicants are employing them to write and create professional Curriculum Vitae (CV), resumes, cover letters and even answers to interview questions.
Although AI was initially used to ease job applications, it is now triggering red alerts among recruiters and hiring managers. The convenience of AI has brought a tidal wave of generic, impersonal, and deceptive job applications, and it’s doing more harm than good to unwary applicants.
Recruiters from various sectors are sounding the alarm: resumes are starting to look suspiciously similar. With generative AI generating near-flawless grammar and syntax, most resumes and cover letters now sound the same tone, same format, and same buzzwords.
The uniqueness that used to help candidates standout is being substituted with templated copy and copycat phrasing. Employers claim they are receiving several applications with the same introduction and phrases, making it more challenging to spot truly qualified and enthusiastic applicants.
Some candidates are so reliant on AI that they are submitting content without even proofreading. A notable example surfaced when a job seeker submitted a cover letter with placeholder text left in. “I’m proficient in (insert skill here).” The blunder went viral after the company’s CEO shared it online, sparking conversations about the growing misuse of AI in recruitment. Beyond the embarrassment, it signaled a troubling trend, many candidates are prioritizing speed over substance.
Accuracy is another key concern? Candidates are now posting job applications into AI tools to create similar cover letters, without even checking if their qualifications match. The outcome is a resume that checks all the boxes but does not quate to experience in the real world. After being invited to the interview room, the truth tends to catch up with them, leaving them ill-prepared and hiring teams frustrated.
Even job applicants are resorting to AI in pre-employment exams and technical exercises. Doing so risks breaking future employers’ trust and damaging the integrity of the recruitment process. Amazon and Google are said to be investing in technology to flag AI-assisted cheating on tests, highlighting just how seriously the problem is being addressed.
When asked about countering AI-created content, HR professional Bhagyashree P said that they are abandoning cover letters altogether, substituting them with personality tests, skill-based exercises, and even brief video introductions to better evaluate applicants.
Few recruiters are using AI themselves to identify overly polished or repetitive language that could suggest artificial aid. On their part, job boards are also changing. Startups are providing platforms that allow applicants to present their work via portfolios, recommendations, and recorded responses, hoping to capture the essence that AI can’t.
Even with the abuse, generative AI is not evil, it’s the use that is evil. When used responsibly, AI can be an efficient writing tool. It can assist in brainstorming phrasing, summarizing experience, or sharpening tone. However, experts advise applicants always to make their applications personalized, incorporate real-life examples, and not copy outputs word for word.
Think of AI as your co-author, not your representative,” advises a career coach at one of the top recruitment agencies. “It can make you sound great, but it should not speak for you.”
AI is changing the future of job searching, but honesty does count. As firms get better at detecting fake applications, those who use many generative tools and not enough human input might find themselves ignored. The best course of action? Employ AI to augment your application, but do not have it write for you. Ultimately, it’s your narrative, not the program’s, that will land you the job.
The choice is yours, use AI as a tool, not as a crutch.
