How to Write a Resume with AI (Without Losing the Human Touch)

Resume writing is often stressful: Wrestling with templates or office software, guessing what employers really want, and searching for the right words to highlight your latest achievements. AI tools, like ChatGPT, can help you write better and can also be used to write resumes. But there's a catch: AI can only improve on what you feed it. So, should you use AI for writing a resume?

What AI Can and Can't do in Resume Writing

AI can significantly improve how your resume looks by cleaning up awkward phrasing, reducing repetition, conveying information more clearly, or creating a consistent structure.

However, AI cannot invent details about your experience or know your real impact at previous jobs. Every information you want included must first be provided by you. Otherwise, your resume won't accurately reflect your experience. For example, if you instruct AI to rewrite "Managed a team" it can become "Led a team of 5 engineers," but only if you explicitly provide that information.

AI can improve your clarity, but it doesn't know what's missing from your resume. Don't rely on it to fill in your achievements, quantifiable results, or other details. Always double-check the output: The suggested output might sound impressive but can introduce errors. Let AI rewrite your content, but always verify that no incorrect details or exaggerated metrics have been added.

Should You Really Include Numbers on Your Resume?

It's common to hear the advice to "always quantify your impact." Metrics are valuable, but only if they're accurate. Only include numbers that were actually measured and that you can clearly explain. Be certain your work directly caused the improvement rather than it being coincidental. When people ask about an impact you stated, be prepared to explain. Otherwise, your impact might sound coincidental or exaggerated, which would only harm your credibility. It is perfectly fine to not have quantifiable impact.

Step-by-Step: Writing a Strong Resume with AI

1. Gather your information: jobs, education, skills, certificates, any achievement you want to include
2. Enter resume information into an AI like ChatGPT
3. Ask for phrasing optimization, order, improve clarity. Include any relevant context like the industry or specific position you are applying for. Example prompts for improving style could be:

   Here’s my resume. Can you improve clarity, remove repetition, and make it sound more professional?

   Rewrite this for a native English tone and style.

   Reorder sections so the most important parts come first.

   For more specific prompt ideas, read our article on 10 AI Prompts to Instantly Improve Your Resume.

4. Always manually review and personalize the output further. You remain the ultimate editor

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Expecting AI to fill in missing details
• Keeping unnatural-sounding text that is obviously AI-generated
• Faking or exaggerating metrics/impact
• Using AI output without checking for correctness
• Skipping a final human review

Can ChatGPT Write My Resume?

You can, and probably should, use AI to write your resume. AI tools like ChatGPT can offer you a significant head start, especially with phrasing and clarity. They can make your resume feel polished and clear. Yet, only you know the details of your career and the story you want to tell. Provide honest and detailed input, and AI can effectively transform your information into a convincing resume.