Should you use AI to write your resume and cover letter? Where it helps and where it hurts

Almost everyone applying for jobs now has access to an AI writing assistant. Used well, it can save hours and help people who find writing hard, or who are writing in a second language, present themselves clearly. Used badly, it produces applications that read the same as everyone else's, or worse, include things that aren't true. Here's where the line is.

Where AI genuinely helps

• Turning duties into achievements. Paste a plain description of what you did and ask for three bullet options that start with a verb and show a result. Then choose and edit.
• Tightening. Long, vague sentences become short, clear ones.
• Tailoring. Asking which of your experiences best match a posting, and how to order them.
• Second-language polish. Fixing grammar and phrasing while keeping your meaning.
• Structure. Getting a first outline for a cover letter, a summary or a LinkedIn 'About' section.
• Practice. Generating likely interview questions from a job description.

Where it hurts your chances

• Invented facts. Assistants sometimes add skills, tools, numbers or responsibilities you never mentioned. If an interviewer asks about them, the application falls apart.
• Generic language. Phrases like 'results-driven professional passionate about leveraging synergies' tell a recruiter nothing and are easy to spot.
• Sameness. If everyone uses the same tool with the same prompt, applications converge. Your specific stories are what make you different.
• Wrong conventions. AI may use US spelling for a UK employer, add a photo line for a market where photos aren't expected, or format a CV the wrong way for the country.
• Over-length. AI tends to add words. Recruiters want fewer, better ones.

A safe workflow

1. Write your facts first, yourself: roles, dates, what you did, results with numbers. This is the raw material, and only you know it.
2. Ask the assistant to improve the wording using only those facts, and to flag anything it's unsure about.
3. Edit line by line. Delete anything untrue, inflated or generic. Put back any detail it removed that matters.
4. Check it against the posting with the ATS resume checker for keywords and formatting.
5. Read it aloud. If it doesn't sound like you, rewrite the sentences that don't.

'Here are my work notes for one role [paste]. Rewrite them as 4 resume bullets for a [target role] application. Use only the facts provided. Start each bullet with a verb, keep each under 25 words, and include numbers only where I gave them. After the bullets, list any place where you made an assumption.'

'Using only my resume [paste] and this job description [paste], draft a 200-word cover letter in four short paragraphs: why this role, my most relevant achievement, one more strength the posting asks for, and a polite close. Use [UK/US] spelling. Avoid clichés such as passionate, dynamic and synergy.'

Beyond the resume: other places AI can help

The same rules apply to the rest of your application: you supply the facts, the tool helps with shape and wording, and you check everything.

• Your professional profile. Ask for three versions of a headline from your real title and strengths, then pick one. Our LinkedIn headline generator does this from your own details.
• Application form questions. Draft answers to 'Why do you want to work here?' from your own notes about the company, then add one detail only you could know, such as a product you use or a conversation you had.
• Interview preparation. Paste the job description and ask for likely questions, then answer them yourself, out loud. The answers have to come from you; that's the part interviewers test.
• Follow-up emails. A polite, short thank-you or chase email is a good job for an assistant, as long as you add the specific thing you discussed. See how to follow up after an interview.
• Translation checks. If you're applying in a second language, ask the tool to point out errors rather than rewrite the whole text. You'll keep your own voice and learn as you go.

Privacy: what not to paste

Many AI tools may store what you type, and some use it to improve their models depending on your settings. Before pasting, remove anything you wouldn't want stored: national ID numbers, full date of birth, home address, salary slips, references' contact details and confidential information about current or past employers' clients. Check the tool's privacy settings.

Will employers know, and do they care?

Some employers use tools that try to detect AI-written text, but these are unreliable, so most recruiters judge on what they see: is it specific, true and relevant? Some employers explicitly ask candidates not to use AI in certain parts of the process, such as written assessments or live interviews. Follow those instructions; breaking them can end your application.

Quick answers

• Is it cheating to use AI on my resume? No, as long as everything is true and you'd be comfortable explaining it. It's the same as asking a friend to proofread.
• Can I use AI during an online test or interview? Only if the employer explicitly allows it. Otherwise, assume not.
• Should I use an AI-generated photo? No. If a photo is expected where you're applying, use a real, recent one.