Introduction

Note: We'll use "resume" and "CV" interchangeably here, but they refer to the same document. When using AI to assist with resume writing, it's crucial to carefully review and edit any generated text. AI can provide useful ideas and templates, but may also contain inaccuracies or irrelevant information. The final resume should reflect the applicant's authentic background and voice.

In today's competitive job market, applicants often decide to have resumes tailored specifically to each job they apply for. With so many people applying for the same roles, it's increasingly hard to capture a hiring manager's attention with a generic, one-size-fits-all resume.

This is where AI-powered resumes come in handy! Rather than spending hours trying to customise your resume every time you apply for a new role, AI can help you build a job-specific resume in minutes.

AI can best help you write your resume when you give it the right information:

• your skills
• your background
• the role you're applying for

Used correctly, the AI's ability to process natural language helps you:

1. analyse the job description
2. identify the most desirable skills and qualifications
3. tailor your resume to highlight the relevant parts of your experience

The best part is that the AI a lot of the heavy lifting for you. It can create the structure for you and fill in much of text. All you need to do is provide details about your work history and the job you're targeting.

The AI will take care of formatting your resume, phrasing your skills and achievements using keywords from the job ad, and more. This level of personalisation makes creating eye-catching resumes much easier.

So if you're looking for a simple way to make your resume shine for each and every application, read on to learn how to use AI to build your CV. In just minutes, you can have a standout resume tailored specifically to land your dream job.

How AI helps you write CVs

Writing an effective CV can be a daunting task. With so much personal information to include and formatting decisions to make, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Fortunately, advanced AI language models like ChatGPT and Claude can help make the process more efficient and successful.

These AI assistants can generate human-like text on demand. Simply describe the type of content needed, and they can produce initial drafts, saving you hours of work.

First, pick an AI assistant and create an account. ChatGPT and Claude both have free usage tiers, but you may need a subscription for unlimited access to their best models. You can also access all these models through Nack (currently on iOS and Android).

Then provide details on your background, skills, experience, and target roles. The AI assistant will analyse this data to compose tailored CV drafts. You can iteratively add more details to refine the output.

Some key potential benefits include:

• Condensing information into one resume draft
• Highlighting relevant skills and achievements
• Polished writing and formatting
• Faster drafting compared to manual creation

So if you want to take some effort out of resume writing, AI assistants can reduce time spent creating an impressive first CV draft. After reviewing and refining it, you're more likely to have a polished resume that impresses.

Provide your background details

When using an AI assistant to create a customised CV, it's important to provide thorough background details to allow the language to tailor the resume to your unique credentials and career goals. Here are some tips on the types of information to supply:

• Work History - List all previous jobs, including company names, job titles, employment dates, key responsibilities and achievements. Be as comprehensive as possible, even if a role may not seem directly relevant. The AI will determine what's most pertinent to include.
• Education - Note all degrees, certifications, training programs, etc. Include institution names, majors/subjects, graduation dates, academic honors, relevant coursework.
• Skills - Make a list of hard and soft skills. Hard skills are technical abilities like programming languages or tools you have expertise in. Soft skills are interpersonal strengths like communication, teamwork and time management.
• Optional Sections - You can also provide details on awards, publications, licenses, languages and other areas that showcase your capabilities.

The more background information you supply, the better the AI can customise your CV. Be direct, thorough and clear. The AI will incorporate your credentials into a compelling resume format tailored for each application.

Use the AI's ability to create a unique CV that highlights your best qualifications, but always remember to check what the AI generates. AI hallucinations (or confabulations) could result in mixed up facts, so it's important to always check what has been generated is true and accurate.

Using AI to create your first draft

Once you provide the AI with your background details, you can use it to rapidly generate an initial CV draft. While AI can quickly produce text, it requires oversight and substantial refinement before having a polished resume.

Review the entire draft closely rather than just sections added by the AI - issues may arise from poor integration. Note that the AI draft reflects its own generated interpretation of your data – it might miss or misrepresent key information.

The speed at which AI can create a professional-looking CV draft is impressive. Rather than spending hours trying to format a template or figuring out what content to include, the AI assistant can put together a comprehensive first draft within seconds or minutes. It should analyse your work history, skills, and accomplishments to determine the most relevant information to include for the job you're applying for.

Treat the AI output only as a starting point. While it can suggest relevant experiences and skills to highlight, you'll need to thoroughly verify accuracy, add personal voice, and customise the content to reflect your authentic qualifications before having a CV ready for use.

The goal of this initial drafting stage is to give you a head start on shaping the structure and content. The AI-generated draft will be far superior to any generic CV template. Generic CV templates are static and require you to do all the work molding your details to fit the template. AI takes your background and crafts a bespoke CV tailored specifically to you. It can highlight your most impressive and relevant achievements and skills. The AI considers things you may not have thought of, like optimising content for applicant tracking systems.

At this stage, you'll have a polished, professional first draft far quicker than you could have produced on your own. Now you can move on to reviewing the draft and making refinements rather than starting from a blank page.

Review and refine the draft

Once the AI assistant creates an initial draft of your CV, it is crucial to carefully review it and refine the details to accurately reflect your background and qualifications. Here are some tips for optimising the AI-generated CV draft:

• Read through the entire draft from start to finish, looking for any inaccurate details about your work history, skills, or education. Verify that dates, job titles, company names, and other facts are correct.
• Tweak the wording of any job descriptions or bullet points that don't effectively convey your accomplishments and contributions. You know your experiences best, so ensure the descriptions use keywords and phrases tailored to your roles.
• Check that the most relevant skills and qualifications are highlighted near the top. You can move around or add new sections as needed so the most important details stand out.
• Add any custom sections if key information is missing, like a section for certifications and licenses, academic projects, foreign language skills, and more.
• Expand on any points that seem too brief or vague. Provide concrete facts, figures, and examples that demonstrate your capabilities. Quantify results when possible.
• Make sure your CV is tailored for each specific job you are applying to. Target your skills and experiences to match the position requirements.
• Double check for any errors in formatting, grammar, spelling, and punctuation. These are less likely than hallucinations, but still worth checking. So proofread carefully.
• Review the CV through the eyes of a hiring manager. Is your value and fit for the role coming across clearly? If practical, get feedback from relvant professionals.

Thoroughly reviewing and refining the AI assistant's draft is essential for creating a compelling, accurate, and results-driven CV that stands out. Put in the time to customise it with your real experiences and accomplishments. This will ensure you make a great first impression and advance through the hiring process.

AI can generate the best CV format

When creating a CV, choosing the right format is key to effectively highlighting your skills and experience. There are three main types of CV formats to consider:

Chronological - This format lists your work and education history in reverse chronological order, with the most recent experiences first. It's the most common and traditional format, best suited for jobseekers with a consistent work history in the same field.

Functional - Rather than focusing on chronology, this format highlights your skills and accomplishments. It works well if you're changing careers or have employment gaps. The sections are organised by skill sets and achievements.

Combination - As the name suggests, this format combines aspects of chronological and functional CVs. Your employment history is presented in reverse chronological order, while a skills summary section highlights areas of expertise.

When using an AI assistant to create your CV, you can specify any of these formats or ask it which one is best to use!

The AI will generate the content in the layout you select.

Some rules of thumb to consider:

• If you're a recent graduate or have limited work experience, a functional CV draws attention to your abilities.
• If you have steady progression in your career, stick with a chronological format to showcase growth.
• The combination approach works well for most jobseekers, balancing skills with experience.

Present your background and goals to the AI to determine the ideal format. The AI can provide advice and adjust the CV layout accordingly. With an AI assistant, you have the flexibility to easily update and tailor your CV format for each application. The AI takes care of the formatting while you focus on the content.

AI can optimise for Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)

Applicant tracking systems have become ubiquitous in the hiring process. Most large companies use ATS software to screen resumes and CVs before a human recruiter ever sees them. That's why it's crucial to optimise your CV for these systems.

AI can help tailor your resume by analyzing job postings to identify relevant keywords. It suggests rephrasing of your skills and experience to naturally incorporate keywords. But you decide what to actually include in your CV. This can help you match the company's requirements and potentially make it past the initial ATS screening.

The AI also adjusts the formatting, style and focus of the CV for every application. For example, for a sales role it may emphasise achievements and quantify results. For a design job, it could highlight visual layout skills and portfolio projects.

AI can help you optimise your CV for applicant tracking systems. It suggests keyword and formatting optimisations, but you remain in control of your resume content. Used thoughtfully, AI can save you a lot of time tailoring your CV without sacrificing personalisation.

Conclusion

AI resume assistants can help streamline the process of creating a polished CV. But human oversight remains essential for reviewing content and ensuring an authentic, customised resume. While AI tools can aid drafting, the ultimate responsibility falls on applicants to tailor their resumes to each role. No technology can replace customised content showcasing genuine fit. With a thoughtful approach, AI can supplement - but not replace - human effort in crafting an effective CV.

The goal should be a resume that reflects the applicant's voice, showcases transferable skills, and is tailored for each opportunity. Used thoughtfully, AI can help job seekers produce quality resumes more efficiently. But it is not a magic pill. With reasonable expectations, AI writing aids can enhance rather than replace human creativity and effort.