Do Hiring Managers Care if You Use AI to Write Your Resume or Cover Letter?

Everyone is being told to experiment with artificial intelligence to remain competitive in the workforce. Yet, a lot of people feel a sense of guilt when using the technology for work. Those negative emotions can spill into a person's job search, making them wonder if they should use AI while looking for work.

The good news is that most hiring managers say they don't mind if job seekers use AI to improve their application materials, such as their resumes or cover letters. Using the technology may even help in some cases.

"Having the knowledge to use new technologies is something I actively seek in potential team members," writes Adrienne Woods , who works in digital engagement. "Therefore, I fully support applicants using AI to improve their resumes and cover letters." "I would much rather see someone take the time to work with an AI tool to customize a cover letter that explains why they want this role and what they bring to the table, rather than submitting a generic cover letter that could be used for any role in any company," Woods adds.

Of more than 100 people who responded to a poll on LinkedIn for people senior enough to make hiring decisions, 76% said they would not think less of job seekers who use AI to improve their application materials. Another 16% said they would think less of applicants for using the technology for that purpose. Then, 8% said they were unsure about their opinion.

Some of those in the unsure category said a more definitive answer depends on the nuance of the situation.

For example, William Amos, who works in HR, writes that he would be OK if an applicant used AI to clean up their grammar or cite reference material. However, it would not be acceptable in his opinion if they used the technology to "show skills and comprehension that do not currently exist, and are core to the job."

Using AI to Improve Your Resume or Cover Letter

The good news is there are several methods you can take to improve your job application materials via tools like OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google's Gemini and Copilot from Microsoft, which is LinkedIn's parent company. Many of those methods don't cross the line of misrepresenting yourself either.

For example, you can paste or upload several job descriptions for roles that you want to target into the AI system. Then, you can upload your resume, asking the AI to give you feedback on whether your resume aligns with the job descriptions. You can then ask the AI for advice on how to strengthen your resume for those roles, including the gaps between your experience and what the employers are asking for in the job descriptions.

The AI can also help reformat parts of your resume to help it align with the job descriptions. One way to do so is to ask the AI to use the information from your resume to write more impactful bullet points for your experience section.

As for your cover letter, you can ask the AI to identify your biggest weakness for the role based on what you've uploaded into the system. Addressing that weakness in a cover letter can help alleviate those concerns among the hiring team, increasing your odds of getting an interview and even being hired. The AI can also help create an outline for such a letter, allowing you to add your own style and details.

Of course, you can also ask the AI to identify any spelling or grammar issues or mistakes on your resume or cover letter. As the technology becomes more accessible, the tolerance of employers for those errors will erode.

As mentioned above, the guiding principle of AI should be that you don't misrepresent yourself or your skills by using AI. Otherwise, you risk being put in an embarrassing or awkward situation later in the hiring process when your skills don't match your initial claims, possibly leading to a poor reputation among other hiring managers.

Used appropriately, AI can be an incredibly powerful tool in your job search, especially when you can tout your familiarity with the technology. In fact, roughly half of hiring managers said in a small poll on LinkedIn that they would prefer a job applicant with AI skills and less experience over one with more experience but no familiarity with AI.

Taken together, these data show the benefits of using AI during a job search generally outweigh the risks.

Where do you start when preparing for a job interview? Sam Owens has put everything he learned throughout his marketing into a new book, I Hate Job Interviews: Stop Stressing. Start Performing. Get the Job You Want . Sam joined me on the latest episode of LinkedIn's Get Hired podcast to share some of this top tips for job interviews, including preparation, answering questions, and asking follow-up questions.

A transcript of the conversation is available by clicking here . You can listen to the episode above or on Apple Podcasts by clicking here .

• How do you contact recruiters? (Summary by Todd Dybas ) Be tactful when reaching out to recruiters or hiring managers. Career coach Adam Broda writes on LinkedIn that a clean message with a customized presentation or introductory video grabs attention. He recommends using a template to craft the message. In it, tell the recruiter about your research of the role. Note qualifications that caught your attention and align with your abilities. Then, explain the "key deliverables" you provided at your job that directly relate to what the company is looking for. Attach your resume and ask to connect. Click here to read more .
• How do you write a cover letter? (Summary by Todd Dybas )You may need a cover letter. You may not. When you do, career coach Colleen Paulson writes on LinkedIn to view writing one as interview prep. It helps determine what to focus on and how to deliver context. Paulson relies on a specific formula for crafting a cover letter. She says to explain why you're interested in working for the company in two lines or fewer. Consider what excites you about the organization to help write those lines. Sell yourself by outlining past contributions and future goals. Last, borrow a handful of achievements from your resume to include as career highlights in your cover letter.