With the October UK government budget setting out plans to increase employer tax by £25 billion from April 2025, including a 1.2 percent hike in employer national insurance to 15 percent, some companies may cut back on hiring.
For workers seeking better jobs, it is important their resumes are up-to-date. One review finds that more than half (56.5 percent) of cover letters are now likely generated by artificial intelligence, which often lacks the personal touch employers seek when reviewing thousands of applications.
In light of this, Digital PR Agency Reboot Online, has analysed applications submitted to them using app.originality.ai to identify trends between AI and non-AI cover letters.
The firm has collaborated with Christoph C.Cemper, founder of AIPRM, to provide advice for using AI in job applications to showcase skill and professionalism rather than reliance.
Cemper outlines how to incorporate AI into a cover letters effectively:
Tailor your prompt to the job that you’re applying for
Detailing relevant information from the job description in your prompt will allow the AI model to discern which skills are relevant to the role and highlight them appropriately. Having ChatGPT first analyse the job description for required skills that are both explicit and implicit in the language used in the description, allows you to craft a cover letter that ticks all of the recruiter’s boxes. Use this as a guide for your cover letter, rather than a carbon-copy template, as if you don’t have the experience to quantify a skill, you will come up short somewhere in the process.
Draft, draft, and draft again
Using an AI-produced cover letter as part of your job application without first proofreading and editing is a recipe for disaster. Always copy the response to your prompt into an editable document so that you can iterate upon it. Make sure to fact-check any claims produced by the model, such as key company details for the job you’re applying for, to ensure accuracy. Check the language used sounds human and natural, and that your own tone of voice comes through. The cover letter allows applicants to be slightly more personable with the hiring manager, not allowing your authenticity to shine through is a missed opportunity.
Where buzzwords from the job description are used, back up with your own experience
Buzzwords combined with substance and experience show expertise, buzzwords without those are exactly that – buzzwords. The AI model will likely have lifted these from the job description, so ensure you’re detailing examples that are grounded in real-life experience, as well as data-led statistics. This “show, don’t tell” method is the best way of proving your fit for the role, as well as reducing the likelihood of AI detection.
Use AI tools to supplement your application
Generative AI has developed exponentially over the past months and years, and neglecting to utilise it where it could further your application is a rookie mistake when businesses are looking for applicants with AI skills. Could you use an AI image generator like DALL-E or Midjourney to mock up a campaign idea that you have according to their brand guidelines? Could you demonstrate a prompt that you use regularly to streamline administrative tasks in your workload? Demonstrating your AI capabilities is more important than ever before.
