Tag: career AI tools

AI can write a CV draft in two minutes. Recruiters take six seconds to decide if they will read it fully or move to the next candidate. Those six seconds depend on three things: whether your CV looks accurate, sounds professional, and matches what the job needs. AI gets you speed. But it does not guarantee accuracy, tone, or relevance. That is your job. Here are the three checks you must do before sending any AI-generated CV. Check 1: Factual Accuracy AI generates content based on patterns, not facts. If you tell it to "make my experience sound impressive," it may add skills you do not have, exaggerate job titles, or create achievements that never happened. What to look for: Job titles match what you actually held. If you were "Marketing Coordinator," the CV should not say "Senior Marketing Manager." Dates are correct. Check employment start and end dates, education timelines, and certification years. AI sometimes invents dates to fill gaps. Skills listed are skills you actually possess. If the CV mentions "advanced Python programming" but you have never written Python code, remove it. Achievements are real and verifiable. AI might write "increased sales by 40%" when you do not have data to support that claim. Only include numbers you can prove if asked in an interview. How to fix it: Read the CV line by line against your actual work history. Cross-check dates with LinkedIn, previous job contracts, or your own records. Delete anything that is not true, even if it sounds good. Recruiters verify claims. Hiring managers ask follow-up questions. If your CV says you did something you cannot explain in an interview, you lose credibility immediately. Check 2: Tone and Professional Consistency AI can shift tone mid-document without realizing it. One section might sound overly formal while another sounds too casual. Or the entire CV might be written in a style that does not match your industry. What to look for: Consistent formality level throughout. The entire CV should use the same tone. Do not mix "responsible for managing teams" with "helped out with some projects." Industry-appropriate language. A corporate finance CV should not sound like a startup pitch. A creative role CV should not read like a legal document. No generic buzzwords without substance. Phrases like "results-driven professional" or "dynamic team player" mean nothing if they are not backed by specific examples. How to fix it: Read the CV out loud. If sections feel like they were written by different people, rewrite for consistency. Match the tone to your target industry. Formal industries (law, finance, academia) need formal language. Creative or tech roles can be slightly less rigid but still professional. Replace vague phrases with concrete statements. Instead of "excellent communicator," write "presented quarterly reports to executive leadership." Check 3: Job Relevance and Customization AI often generates generic CVs that could apply to any role. Recruiters want to see why you fit this specific job, not a general summary of your career. What to look for: The CV highlights experience relevant to the job description. If the role requires project management, your project management experience should be prominent, not buried under unrelated tasks. Keywords from the job posting appear naturally. Many companies use applicant tracking systems (ATS) that scan for specific terms. If the job asks for "stakeholder management" and your CV says "client coordination," you might not pass the filter even if the skills are similar. Irrelevant details are removed. If you are applying for a senior role, your part-time job from ten years ago probably does not need to be there. How to fix it: Compare the CV against the job description. Circle the top five skills or requirements the employer lists. Make sure your CV addresses each one clearly. Use the same terminology the job posting uses. If they say "data analysis," do not substitute "information review" unless you are certain they mean the same thing. Cut anything that does not support your case for this specific role. Every line should answer the question: why does this make me qualified for this job? Why These Checks Matter Recruiters see hundreds of CVs. They recognize patterns. Research from HR professionals shows that AI-generated content has identifiable patterns. Generic phrasing, exaggerated claims, and irrelevant details signal that you did not take time to review what you are sending. A CV is not just a document. It is the first impression of how you work. If you submit something with errors, inconsistencies, or irrelevant information, the recruiter assumes that is the quality of work you deliver. AI is a tool that speeds up drafting. But you are responsible for what gets sent. Check accuracy. Check tone. Check relevance. Those three steps take ten minutes and can be the difference between getting an interview and getting ignored. Learn how to use AI strategically for professional growth with training that focuses on practical, responsible application. Explore AI Literacy Academy's programs at ailiteracyacademy.org.