Can companies tell if you use AI in your job applications? I asked a recruiter

“Every application requires a human touch before being submitted.”

Job hunting can be a struggle at the best of times. It requires hours of trawling through LinkedIn, tweaking your CV constantly, somehow finding time for an interview during your workday and mentally preparing for the possibility that after all that effort, you might be unsuccessful.

Naturally, the temptation to take a shortcut can be tempting. And if there was a free, artificial intelligence (AI) service that helped speed this up… should you take advantage of it?

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Developed by OpenAI, ChatGPT is an AI-powered chatbot that can generate text, speech and images in response to prompts. Though it’s only in its second year, ChatGPT reportedly has over 300 million users a week, with one billion messages sent to it every day.

In practice, you can probably get ChatGPT to whip you up a CV within a few seconds. But just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. According to Lauren Dick, the founder of fashion recruitment agency Rèlier, AI can be a handy tool to level up your resume but you should never rely on it.

With a long history of recruiting in the fashion space, Lauren says she’s definitely noticed an uptick in the number of people using AI in their resumes and cover letters. “We’ll see the same phrasing, perhaps slightly unnatural or overly structured and generic phrasing used. It does generate very generic copy for cover letters and resumes.”

Though she isn’t opposed to using AI, at least as a starting point, she’s also careful to note that relying on it too much means your personality won’t come through. And in a crowded industry like fashion, not setting yourself apart can be detrimental. “I think AI is a great tool for productivity but that every application requires a human touch before being submitted.”

 

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So, can brands and recruiters tell when you’re using AI?

According to Lauren, yes. And it’s not just the fashion industry. “I think across all industries we’ve all become pretty adept at noticing when AI has been used for any type of copywriting,” she tells me.

One giveaway is the classic em dash (–), the use of which has been hotly contested and defended online. Other signs lie in an a bland and overly formal tone of voice, repetitive phrasing, a lack of detail and the use of patterns (particularly phrasing in groups of three). “My personal ChatGPT pet peeve is the use of the word ‘deep’ to describe your understanding of something. I see this one all the time.”

Using AI to detect AI

Though there are some telltale signs, the idea that hirers might use AI to check if an application is AI generated, feels very meta.

“Most recruiters, agency or in-house, are using Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to manage their skill database,” Lauren explains. “A lot of these are powered by AI or are integrating AI components to support the way we optimise our processes but they aren’t AI tools themselves. The AI tools within an ATS does basic resume scanning for skill and keyword matches and so on.”

“There is now AI that will analyse how closely a phrase matches AI generation patterns, meaning meaning recruiters can use AI to identify how much copy has been directly generated by a tool like ChatGPT.”

How widely this is being used, and how much this will affect someone from moving onto the next stage, Lauren says, is hard to tell. Of course, there are a multitude of other reasons why someone may or may not be successful for a role. “What I will say is that you need to be clever in how you use AI for copywriting and formatting. Don’t use it as the sole copywriter for your application.”

Instead, Lauren suggests using it as a tool to get you started. “If you wouldn’t say what’s written in your application out loud in an interview, or if it feels unnatural, rewrite it.”

The case for and against

“We are totally for using AI to optimise time spent on your application and to help take your resume or cover letter to the next level, but don’t rely on it too heavily,” she says. “You still need to personalise your application to who you are and what you bring to the table. ChatGPT can’t do that for you.”

While some recruiters might see the use of AI as a lack of effort, Lauren doesn’t think it’s that black and white, especially when it comes to creating the scaffolding for your application or reviewing it before sending. “I also see great benefits in asking AI for feedback on how your cover letter reads in comparison to a brand’s values page, or how your resume captures the skills required from a job ad.”

In Lauren’s experience, where people go wrong is not taking the time to fine-tune, edit and personalise their applications. That’s where AI can backfire. “You don’t want to submit a bland application in this day and age. You want to stand out and AI can get you started but the magic of what you bring to a role can’t be described by ChatGPT. You’ve got to put the elbow grease in there.”

It’s also worth noting the broader risks and harms of using AI. Not only does artificial intelligence have a detrimental impact on the environment due to its enormous energy consumption, but consistent use has been linked to low brain engagement and feelings of loneliness. Plus, it’s not always accurate, nor can it speak properly to your life experiences.

 

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How to write a cover letter (without AI)

Lauren’s advice is don’t overthink it. “I think most recruiters will agree that it’s actually the resume that scores you the interview, not the cover letter.”

Essentially, it should tick a few boxes. Firstly, Lauren says your cover letter should draw a parallel between your values and the brand. The hiring manager should finish reading it feeling connected to you, as though they’ve learnt something about it. In that way, it should always be customised to the brand reading it, rather than a copy and paste cover letter you send to everyone.

“It’s not just a summary of your resume,” Lauren adds. “Use it to really draw connections between how you love to work, what you can bring to the role from a soft skill perspective and how the brand positions themselves in the market.”

Why it’s good to jump the gun

And one of Lauren’s last pieces of advice? Don’t wait around for the perfect job ad. “If you have a list of brands that you want to work for, start connecting with the leaders in that department on LinkedIn. Start networking. Approach people and ask if they have any vacancies coming up in that department or in your area of skillset or if you can chat about the brand over a coffee.”

“A lot of brands are really willing to create roles for people who bring something unique to the table, so if you want to stand out in the market, make it happen for yourself rather than waiting for a Seek ad.” And of course, make sure you’ve got a killer resume ready to go.

For more on the use of AI in applications, try this.