What Recruiters Really Think About AI-Written CVs
(And How to Use AI to Successfully Land an Interview!)
Would you trust a robot to write your CV?
Around a third of jobseekers already do: using AI to draft resumes, polish cover letters, and fast-track applications. And while these tools can be incredibly helpful, there’s a catch: what looks impressive on screen doesn’t always land well with recruiters.
So, what’s the real story? Are AI-written CVs helping candidates get ahead or quietly holding them back?
Let’s look at what recruiters are seeing, and how to use AI the right way.
The Reality Recruiters Are Seeing
AI-assisted job applications are now part of everyday recruitment. Many candidates use tools like ChatGPT to speed things up or overcome writer’s block, especially in competitive job markets.
But recruiters are noticing a pattern.
While AI can clean up grammar and improve structure, CVs that lean too heavily on it often feel:
- Polished, but oddly impersonal
- Packed with buzzwords, yet light on real substance
- Disconnected from local industry language, expectations, or work culture
Some hiring managers even say AI can unintentionally overinflate experience, making it harder to tell what a candidate has genuinely done versus what’s been cleverly generated.
In short: the CV looks good, but something feels off.
Why Authenticity Still Wins
Recruiters don’t expect perfect writing. They do expect honesty, clarity, and a sense of the person behind the page.
When AI takes over the storytelling, it can flatten personality and blur important details especially when it misses regional nuances, compliance requirements, or industry-specific terminology that really matters.
That’s often when recruiters slow down, question credibility, or move on.
How to Use AI Well (Without Losing Your Voice)
AI isn’t the enemy; it just needs the right role. Here’s how you can use it as a smart assistant, not a replacement.
- Start With Your Story
Write your experience first, in your own words. Then use AI to organise, refine, or tighten it up. Your motivation, achievements, and real examples are what make a CV memorable.
- Make It Locally Relevant
Before hitting send, sense-check your language:
- Are you using the right industry terms?
- Does it reflect local expectations and work culture?
- Have you removed overly generic or US-style phrasing?
Small tweaks here can make a big difference.
- Keep It Honest and Precise
AI can sometimes exaggerate without meaning to. Even subtle overstatements can become red flags in interviews. Clear, accurate CVs consistently outperform ones that sound impressive but don’t hold up.
- Use AI for Clarity, Not Creativity
Let AI help with structure, bullet points, and flow. But your experience, judgement, and career story should always come from you. The strongest CVs are human first, polished second.
What Recruiters Want Instead
At the end of the day, recruiters aren’t hiring prompts, they’re hiring people.
The CVs that stand out are clear, genuine, and grounded in real experience. AI can absolutely support that but only when it enhances your voice rather than replaces it.
Use it wisely, and you’ll get the best of both worlds.
Need help making your CV stand out: AI or not?
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