3 Ways to Use AI in Your Job Application Without Raising Red Flags 

By Seb Morgan

Eager to use AI in your job application but worried what employers might think? We explore three ways you can use tools like ChatGPT honestly and professionally to craft standout CVs, refine job searches, and create compelling personal profiles. 

AI can be a powerful tool for job seekers — if used wisely. 

With their ability to swiftly generate human-like content, generative tools like ChatGPT have become an immensely popular resource for writing CVs and cover letters.  

But as AI accelerates the job hunt, some applicants are harming their own chances of success. According to a recent survey, 53% of hiring managers dislike AI-generated applications.  

I’m not here to argue that AI in job applications is a bad thing. As a careers coach, I find that thoughtful use of AI demonstrates initiative, adaptability, and digital literacy. Overreliance on AI, on the other hand, looks rushed, unprofessional, and unremarkable: a red flag. 

In this article, we’ll explore three ways you can use AI to fine-tune your job search, find out what employers are looking for, and improve your CV writing. I use ChatGPT to demonstrate these techniques, but they’ll also work on similar models like Gemini and Perplexity. 

1. Use keyword research for better job searches 

Knowing how to use an online job board properly is an essential skill, especially as most workers prefer to look for jobs online. 

To get the most out of a job board, you need to use the right keywords. Precise keyword research will help you find the best opportunities for your skills and experience, increasing the likelihood of interviews and job offers. 

Finding the right terms for your situation takes time and effort, but you can expedite the process with ChatGPT. 

For example, let’s say you’re looking for a digital marketing job, but you aren’t sure what job titles are the best fit for your skills and experience level. Try feeding ChatGPT the following prompt:  

I am interested in a career in digital marketing. Suggest some relevant jobs I might be qualified for based on my experience below: [Your CV or a short summary of your work experience] 

ChatGPT will then return a list of relevant job titles that you can use as a starting point. To refine your job search, you can ask for a list of relevant skills and keywords:

What are the most sought-out skills relevant to each job you suggested? Give your answer as a list of keywords. 

With this output, you can now combine relevant job titles with skills-based keywords that match your strengths (e.g., ‘video editor’ + ‘animation’). You’ll obtain more specific search results of job opportunities that are more relevant to your profile. 

2. Ask for an edit to enhance your work experience section

Want to write a CV that recruiters hate? Ask ChatGPT to write your work experience section from scratch.  

‘Write me a work experience section for a software engineer’ might sound like a good way to get words on the page, but ChatGPT will return a generic answer without any specific examples: 

Utilised programming languages such as Java, Python, and C++ to develop scalable and efficient software solutions.

Even if you do know Java, Python, and C++, those skills might not be relevant to the specific job. 

So instead, provide specific details and then ask ChatGPT for suggestions for improvement. Even if your original content is poorly written, ChatGPT will be able to understand and improve it:  

Suggest three ways to add more quantitative impact to this bullet point: [Scripted and presented YouTube video tutorials.] 

Because ChatGPT is trained on a vast text database, it suggests common metrics that employers care about when they see you have a particular skill. 

Still, you should be thoughtful about which edits you actually use on your CV. Don’t make bold claims like ‘Implemented [action], resulting in a cost reduction of £10,000 per quarter’, unless you’re able to explain how your individual actions saved the company money. On a CV, loose correlations are just fluff.  

3. Write a compelling personal profile

ChatGPT is great at summarising lengthy content, which makes it ideal for crafting concise CV introductions you can use to capture the employer’s attention. 

The best personal profiles speak to a specific employer’s needs by highlighting skills and experiences that will help you excel in the role. ChatGPT can help you identify key points for your personal profile by reverse engineering the job description and identifying your most relevant skills and achievements.  

First, feed ChatGPT your completed CV sections so that it has a summary of your top skills and achievements. Use this phrasing so you don’t receive an unnecessary response:  

Here is my CV. No further action is required. Say ‘Yes’ to confirm that you understand.  

Second, paste the job description under the following prompt:  

Here is the job description for the job I am applying for. Analyse the job description and identify the most important skills the employer is looking for. Also, tell me the biggest daily challenge someone in this role would face and its root cause.  

Third, have ChatGPT generate a personal profile for you using the information in the previous two prompts:  

Now use my CV to write a brief CV personal profile of around 70 words. Highlight skills and achievements that are relevant to [Skill Requirement or Responsiblity] you identified in the job description. 

Because you’ve taken more time to be detailed and clear about your needs, ChatGPT will be able to produce a personal profile that is specific to your situation. Still, the model isn’t perfect, and you should check for any vague or imprecise language before sending it to the employer. You don’t want to misrepresent yourself in your CV intro. 

Final thoughts 

Using AI in your job application should not raise a red flag for employers. Problems only start to arise when you over-rely on technology and fail to exercise creativity and critical thinking skills. While AI can help you tweak your writing and get a clearer picture of the employer’s needs, it can’t generate authenticity and relevance to the position. Ultimately, it’s down to you to explain why you should be hired. AI can help you polish that argument, but it can’t build it from scratch.

About the Author

Seb Morgan is a Careers Expert and Digital Content Writer at CV Genius, where he helps professionals in a variety of industries get the jobs they want. With over 7 years of experience in business and lifestyle journalism, he’s written for a stack of careers-focused publications, including Oxbridge Home Learning, Study International, theHRDirector, and Employee Benefit News. His expertise includes skill development, interview preparation, and CV and cover letter writing.