It’s a very good questions that didn’t even enter the equation until relatively recently. These days though more people (and some CV firms too) are using AI (artificial intelligence) to write CVs.
This page explores just how good (or not) AI CVs are.
AI CVs are essentially those who’s content has been generated (either wholly or in part) by artificial intelligence software.
They come in all kinds of shapes and formats. AI mainly affects CV content, and not the layout.
The primary users are mainly students, entry-level job seekers and those further down the career ladder.
Most executives use professional, rather than DIY CVs, and as such the vast majority of executives steer clear of AI CVs. That said, as mentioned, some professional CV firms use AI, and as such, some executives may (unwittingly) be applying for competitive executive, director and C-level jobs with AI-generated CVs!
It’s a problem for those executives who (even unwittingly) have AI CVs. It’s not a problem for those who don’t. Indeed, the use of AI CVs by some executives gives an advantage to the others who don’t.
AI can generate content that, on the surface, sounds relevant and reads okay. So, if you are a student on a budget looking for a part-time job, then AI may be a convenient option, and especially if the job isn’t a very competitive one (and at student-level, many aren’t).
The problem arises if you are aiming higher up the career ladder and competing against stiffer competition. At executive level, high-calibre competition is inevitable. It’s also inevitable that the vast majority of your competitors will not be using AI CVs, but better quality professional ones.
This is a crucial point because at executive level you really need to be doing your utmost to stand out from your competitors. The risk with using AI at executive level, is that you may well stand out – just not in a good way!
Recently, the boss of a different CV firm showed our head writer, Paul, some AI CVs and asked for his thoughts. If you haven’t already read the Executive CV Services story, it’s the same CV firm owner as previously mentioned.
This CV company boss had already shown the AI CVs to some others, and their comments tended to range between 'okay' and ‘pretty good.’ Paul didn’t disagree that it was ‘okay for AI’, but what he did highlight was the AI CVs’ unsuitability for jobs – and especially competitive jobs.
Why?
Well, while grammatically the AI CVs were okay in the main, amongst other things, they didn’t flow as well as they should, some entries struck as over the top, some entries were clichéd, and the sales messaging lacked power and authenticity. And that was just an observation on standalone AI profile and work entries. Look at the bigger picture, and throw things like channelling, pitching and optimisation into the equation and it was evident that the AI examples were not up to standard for typical jobs, let alone executive jobs!
Another point to consider is that the best CVs are sales and marketing documents that flow well, read naturally and entice, engage and captivate the reader/employer. To do all of that well takes career experience, marketing expertise, flexibility, creative flair, appreciation of nuances and the ability to see and dynamically paint the best bigger picture.
AI has come a long way, but it has still got a long way to go before it gets near genuinely talented (human) writers on all the above.
If you have a cheap CV then it could well have been written using AI. If you paid more for your CV then it’s less likely, but still a possibility (depending on the firm you chose).
Indicators
The most common indicators to AI-written CVs are in the language.
As mentioned, the grammar can be fine, but often some entries sound OTT, artificial or contrived. Also, if you read it out loud and doesn’t strike as natural or if it doesn’t flow as well as it should then that’s another sign.
At the same time…
At the same time, it should be said that some professional CV writers, including the writers of some “top” firms don’t write as well as you’d expect either. And if you read the CVs of some “top” firms out loud you’ll may well wonder if they were written by a human or a machine.
If you have a CV written by another professional company then try reading it out loud now.
If it sounds a bit different to how people speak in real life then that should tell you something!
We can’t tell you which CV company to choose. That’s entirely your choice – and rightly so.
All we can do is highlight longstanding issues in the CV sector that executives really ought to be aware of (but many aren’t).
The rest is down to you, your gut and your intuition.
At the very least, we hope this page (and the links) has given you food for thought.
If you want a better CV than not just AI, but better than all other CV firms, then you’ve come to the right place. Moreover, it’s very easy to prove. You can start by putting us to the test.