By Daniel Johnson, ABC
Photo: Thomas Lefebvre / Unsplash
Applying for jobs can be stressful and if writing a cover letter leaves you feeling overwhelmed, it can be tempting to turn to generative artificial intelligence (GAI) tools such as ChatGPT.
But according to recruiters and employment experts, using AI could make your job application stand out for all the wrong reasons.
Here are some common pitfalls and how to avoid them.
How common is the use of generative AI by job applicants?
Libby Sander, an associate professor of organisational behaviour at Bond University on the Gold Coast/Yugambeh Country, says GAI has become so common "that most people are going to use it in some form to put their [job] application together".
It's a sentiment echoed by Fiona Macdonald, acting director of the Australia Institute's Centre for Future Work.
"People are learning every day that you can use it for all sorts of things, and drafting letters is one of the things, I think, that it's being increasingly used for in the workplace," Macdonald says.
Noticeable use of AI in cover letters
Maisy Staden, a recruitment team leader based in Sydney, on the traditional lands of the Gadigal people, says she has noticed a significant increase in the number of applicants using ChatGPT to write their cover letters for them.
"The difference I've noticed in the past couple of years is just the increasing similarity between cover letters that I'm receiving," she says.
"If I'm seeing a cover letter that, in my opinion, is really clearly written by ChatGPT, my question is, do you have the ability to write for yourself and think for yourself?"
Sander also warns that if you rely on it too heavily, "you're going to end up sounding like everybody else".
"Yes, it can save time, yes, it can help you through an experience, but don't entirely rely on AI to write things for you in terms of applying for a job, because it's going to miss the unique voice that you have," she says.
"Use it to get ideas and so forth, but really, you need to be thinking about it yourself."
Put your personality into your cover letter
Staden says a cover letter is a recruiter or hiring manager's first impression of a candidate and an opportunity to give some insights into your personality and explain why you would be a good fit for an organisation.
"If I'm seeing a personal touch or an anecdote that's relevant to the industry that we work in, I'm going to prefer that candidate much more than a generic, AI-written cover letter," she says.
Sally Tredinnick, the Gold Coast-based national recruitment manager for the same agency, agrees and says it is important to "inject something about yourself, who you actually are as a person".
"The CV is the user manual and the cover letter is the flashy advert, the thing that makes you want to look at the user manual," Tredinnick says.
Appearing 'too perfect' can be a red flag
Tredinnick says it can be obvious when an applicant has used GAI to optimise their CV to make themselves look like a perfect match.
"When you see a CV come through where the 10 bullet points so perfectly match the exact language, grammar of the job description, it [raises] question marks.
"Then I start to doubt the authenticity of the experience that they say that they have.
"What else are they feeding into ChatGPT in order to make themselves look to be the perfect candidate?"
Tredinnick says a 60-70 percent match "is actually often ideal" because it provides an opportunity for growth, "and then you're going to learn, and then you're going to stay".
"And what we're aiming for is for people to stay in their roles," she says.
Use it as an editor, not a ghostwriter
If you are going to use GAI to help with your application, Staden advises using it "as your editor, not your ghostwriter".
Tredinnick says you can still use GAI to help write a cover letter that stands out from the pack if you give it the right prompts and edit the responses.
She says this involves taking a more nuanced approach than simply saying, "hey, this is the job description, write me a cover letter".
"If you can, think about one thing that interests you about the company, one thing that interests you about the role, three achievements that you've had in your career that are relevant to the role, and one piece of interesting information about yourself, and pop that into ChatGPT.
"[Say] 'Please write a cover letter. Include this information. Don't make anything up.' If you put that through, you will get a cover letter that is authentically you, but written in a cohesive way that's actually going to be pleasant to read."
- ABC
