Two-thirds of job applicants use AI in CVs - experts warn it could backfire
While 71% believe AI has made recruitment processes more efficient, 46% believe it is making things more difficult as candidates are overusing tools like ChatGPT to enhance their CVs.
Analysing recently submitted CVs and cover letters, digital PR agency Reboot Online scanned 100 of their most recent job applications to understand just how many candidates are using AI. Their recruitment expert and MD also provided her top tips for filtering AI applications and rewarding originality.
Theydiscovered that just two in five (39%) job applications were original, with almost two-thirds (61%) flagging as AI-generated.
Despite being integral to many recruitment teams, LinkedIn and Indeed’s easy apply features are often a magnet for bad applications. However, Reboot found that the percentage of AI-generated CVs and cover letters was lower coming from LinkedIn and Indeed (55%) than from their website career page (70%) - though the number from both is still high.
A recent study found that 73% of hiring managers recognise AI-generated content [2], and it’s no surprise. Reboot collated the AI-generated cover letters to pull the most common phrases used and discovered the following:
...thank you for considering my application… (43%)
...writing to express my interest in… (22%)
...the opportunity to contribute… (21%)
The following, more niche, phrases were also flagged multiple times:
...bring my skills and energy to your team… (9%)
...I am confident in my ability to contribute to… (9%)
They analysed applications from jobs across the digital landscape and discovered that paid media, growth and marketing applicants were most likely to use AI in their applications. Interestingly, PR, data-science and sales applications were least likely to be flagged as AI-generated.
Zoë Blogg, Managing Director and recruitment expert at Reboot Online, warns that candidates relying on AI risk doing more harm than good: “Candidates who don’t use AI actually stand out more. Asking AI to write your cover letter is becoming too obvious, especially when you are reading CVs every day.
“Our research found 61% of recent applications were flagged as AI-written, often riddled with the same overused words and phrases like 'passionate', 'dynamic', or 'I am confident in my ability to contribute to'. Recruiters read hundreds of applications a week. These patterns are now easy to spot.
“Applicants only get a few shots at landing their dream roles. Why waste it sounding like everyone else?
“If you want to stand out, show genuine personality, actually address your application to the hiring manager, and look to highlight a specific project/case study that resonates with you. AI can't fake genuine curiosity and enthusiasm (it makes it harder to rely on it). That's what recruiters notice - crafting your own opinions will separate you from the pile of AI-generated applications.”