Gen Z abuses AI, cover letters look exactly the same

Thanks to their familiarity with technology applications, especially artificial intelligence, Gen Z is using AI for everything from studying at school to applying for jobs - Photo: LinkedIn

However, one career expert has identified the biggest problem with this trend: identical resumes created entirely by AI.

Mistakes in applying AI when applying for a job

Shoshana Davis, career expert and founder of career consulting firm Fairy Job Mother, told CNBC Make It in an interview that Generation Z has become too reliant on AI tools like ChatGPT to apply for jobs.

“I talk to businesses and recruiters who hire anywhere from 10 to 1,000 Gen Zers a year. One of the main challenges I see right now is the improper and ineffective use of AI, specifically ChatGPT,” she says.

“Recruiters are getting hundreds of cover letters that are exactly the same word for word,” or have the same answers, Davis explains. They suspect candidates are using ChatGPT to craft their resumes.

In fact, 45% of job seekers have used AI to build, update, or improve their resume, according to a survey conducted by Canva and published in January 2024, with 5,000 hiring managers and 5,000 job seekers from the UK, US, India, Germany, Spain, France, Mexico, and Brazil.

Gen Z appears to be the generation that relies most on AI, according to a February Grammarly survey of 1,002 employees and 253 business leaders. 61% of Gen Z cannot imagine performing work-related tasks without using AI, the highest percentage of any generation.

While there is certainly a need to “embrace technology and AI,” copying answers from ChatGPT could hurt young people’s chances of getting a job, Davis said.

A Resume Genius survey of 625 hiring managers found that more than half of respondents disliked AI-generated resumes. They viewed it as a red flag and were less likely to select them.

100 identical answers

One of the reasons why copying from ChatGPT is considered an ineffective use of AI is because chatbots don't always provide reliable information.

An initial issue with ChatGPT was that its knowledge base was limited to data released before September 2021. However, this issue has been resolved by September 2023, the owner OpenAI announced on X.

ChatGPT is not connected to the internet and can sometimes produce inaccurate answers. "The platform has limited knowledge of the world and events beyond 2021, and can also sometimes provide harmful guidance or biased content," she explained.

Davis shares a recent story from a recruiter she worked with who was hiring for a brand marketing position and asked a question on the resume about the candidate’s favorite fitness product launch in the past year.

“They said they got about 100 identical responses about ‘my favorite launch was Peloton,’ which the recruiter assumed was ChatGPT’s work,” Davis recounted.

She believes young people need to educate themselves on how to use ChatGPT properly, rather than just copying answers. “The platform should be used as a tool, not a replacement,” Davis stressed.

Michelle Reisdorf, regional director at recruitment firm Robert Half, shared a similar view. She said that AI is great for “checking and improving what you’ve written, but it’s not the only factor in creating the perfect resume.”

“Employers will know if you don't include specific details about your previous jobs, or if you're writing your resume in a personal, human voice,” Reisdorf adds.

Davis says she uses ChatGPT to organize documents, brainstorm ideas, and create drafts, “never just typing in a question and then copying the answer.”

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/gen-z-lam-dung-ai-thu-xin-viec-giong-nhau-nhu-duc-20240509143936826.htm