The current job market is challenging, and job seekers are utilizing every tool at their disposal to make their resumes stand out from the crowd. It’s no surprise those tools include AI.

In fact, 75 percent of job seekers use AI tools to enhance their applications, according to a late 2024 Software Finder study of more than 1,000 job seekers and hiring managers. Applicants reported that using AI increased their confidence and helped them secure better-paying jobs.

However, asking generative AI to write your resume also has its pitfalls. HR managers notice when resumes sound impersonal. Nearly 20 percent of recruiters will not consider a job candidate who submitted a resume clearly written by AI, according to a survey conducted by career services company, TopResume.

How can job seekers best use AI to enhance their resumes without sounding robotic? Here are three ways you can use LLMs to build a better resume.

Formatting

Your resume isn’t just words on a page. How you present that information visually is important, and AI can help you format your resume for optimal impact.

AI can suggest whether a chronological or functional resume format is better suited to your work history and career goals. It can also guide applicants to the best resume style for their industry. For example, a resume for a designer would look different than a financial analyst’s CV, and a recent graduate would likely choose a different resume format than a mid-career worker. 

An AI tool can also adjust text alignment and fonts to give your resume document an uncluttered, professional look that is easy to read.

Plus, AI can optimize your resume for automated Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) with appropriate sections and headings.

Language and Content

Many resume writers struggle to translate the work they’ve done into concise bullet points. AI can assist job seekers in crafting impactful descriptions of their employment history and achievements.

Use AI to replace vague descriptions of previous jobs with results-focused highlights using strong, active verbs (“directed” and “developed”) and quantifying achievements with metrics (“generated $1 million in revenue”). It can also simplify sentences for readability and adjust your tone to sound more formal or personal as fits your industry.

When you’re satisfied with your resume language and content, AI can make sure you’ve caught all typos and grammar mistakes.

Industry Keywords

Job seekers can expect that hiring managers will use an ATS to screen resumes for preferred keywords before a human ever looks at the application. AI can compare your resume to the job posting and add in any missing keywords to give your application a higher chance of getting noticed. 

AI can also flag missing skills you should include in your resume to better align with job requirements. If you’re worried that you went overboard with keyword stuffing, run your resume through an AI tool to find synonyms or remove extraneous or awkward keywords.

At Kogod, career experts use AI tools to help students improve their resumes by providing instant, personalized feedback on formatting, language, and industry keywords, allowing for more efficient and effective revisions.

Job applicants need to be smart about how they use AI to build a better resume.