The Pros and Cons of Using AI in Job Searches and Career Documents

AI is a Tool, Not a Magic Wand

Artificial Intelligence can supercharge your job search or sabotage it if misused. As more job seekers turn to tools like ChatGPT and resume builders powered by AI, it’s critical to understand what these tools do well, where they fall short, and how to use them wisely. To ignore their potential pitfalls can be catastrophic to your job search and career.

In this post, we’ll explore the key advantages and pitfalls of using AI for resumes, cover letters, LinkedIn profiles, and more. Whether you're new to AI or already experimenting with it, this guide will help you navigate the landscape with strategy and confidence.

PROS: How AI Can Be a Powerful Career Ally

There are at least five ways in which leveraging AI can be advantageous in your job hunt.

Speed and Efficiency

On the plus side, AI tools can create first drafts and tailored versions of resumes and cover letters in seconds, saving you hours of writing and rewriting, especially when you are applying for multiple jobs in a short timeframe. Given that job hunts are already major time sucks, this advantage is huge and probably helps explain the uptake in job search AI we’re seen so far.

Overcoming Blank Page Syndrome

When job seekers turn to professionals like me for help with resume writing or interviewing, this is often one of the reasons why. Some job seekers wrestle with identifying their achievements or with writing. When you’re struggling to describe your experience or find the right tone or word choice, AI gives you a starting point to work from. ChatGPT and other LLMs can gift you with a fresh structure and more modern language.

Keyword Optimization for ATS

One of the most overlooked job search tasks is the need to capture and include keywords from job postings in your career materials. And one of the most expedient uses of AI for these documents is the way it can align your resume content with job descriptions by identifying key terms to include. Paste a job posting and your resume into your favorite AI and ask it to flag missing keywords. Yes, there’s more to it than that, but even a quick-and-dirty prompt can boost your outcomes.

Personal Branding Boosts

Many job seekers have a hard time defining their career brand let alone infusing it in their career documentation. AI can help you to articulate your brand to optimize your career/LinkedIn summaries and bios. For example, it can  help you generate multiple versions of your LinkedIn summary tailored for thought leadership, networking, and recruiter visibility that you can then blend to sound like you.

24/7 Access to Feedback

Working with a job search or career coach is great, but you do have to align your schedule with theirs. With AI, there’s no scheduling and no waiting. AI can offer grammar fixes, tone rewrites, or strategy suggestions instantly. Say it’s midnight and you want to polish a cold outreach message for use on LinkedIn: AI delivers instantly.

CONS: How AI Can Miss the Mark

For all the excitement these advances offer, though, it’s vital to understand the playground you’re playing in. Generative AI is still in its infancy and growing (too) fast and that creates the potential for unintended career consequences.

Generic Output

Without thoughtful and strategic prompting, AI can produce vague, uninspired language that cause your career documents blend into the wallpaper rather than stand out. Your resume ends up sounding like everyone else’s, especially when you use a free or common resume layout or template. By all means experiment with AI, but make sure you find ways to make your content sound like you.

Inaccuracy and Fabrication

It’s important to recognize that AI can invent job titles, metrics, or outcomes if you’re not specific in your instructions and tailored in the content you upload to it. The last thing you want is for an embarrassing embellishment to make its way into the final version of your resume as that can cause credibility issues with employers or even automatic dismissal if caught. Always verify the facts contained in your documents.

Misaligned Tone or Culture Fit

LLMs have different “personalities”, and some may default to overly formal or stiff language that doesn’t match your industry or personality. In other words, if you’re a creative marketing exec, you don’t want to sound like a financial auditor. Uploading personality assessments and past documents you have written will help overcome this potential pitfall.

Overreliance

A recent study by Cornell University and another by MIT revealed that AI can shortcut your thinking with persistent usage in a short span of time, which means that relying on it too heavily might inhibit your ability to refine your own voice or direction. Relying on it too much can cause you to lose sight of your value proposition, and that would be a major drawback in job interviews.

Ethical and Privacy Concerns

Another concern to keep in mind is that uploading sensitive personal information into AI tools (especially free ones) raises data security questions. Your resume could be stored, reused, or scraped depending on the tool’s terms. Always check the settings of whichever AI tools you use and make sure you select any provided option that keeps your chats private and secure. When in doubt don’t chat at all.

Actionable Tips for Smart AI Use

If You're New to AI:

• Start with simple prompts like "Rewrite this experience section with more impact."
• Use free browser-based tools like ChatGPT, Notion AI, or Copy.ai for experimentation.
• Double-check everything for accuracy and relevance.

If You Have AI Experience:

• Build a custom keyword bank to streamline your resume tailoring process.
• Layer multiple tools (e.g., ChatGPT for ideas + Jobscan for ATS optimization).
• Run A/B tests on resume variations to track performance.

For both new and experienced users, it’s important to recognize that learning how to best use AI comes down to learning how you learning best. For some helpful tips, check out Anne-Laure Le Cunff’s article “Why Learning How to Learn Is the Skill Behind All Skills.”

Final Thoughts: Let AI Support, Not Replace You

Generative AI can be a valuable assistant in your job hunt, but it’s not yet a stand-in for your voice or vision. The best results come from human-AI collaboration: you provide the insight, and AI shapes the structure.

Use your favorite AI tools to save time, unlock ideas, and refine your message while staying firmly in the driver’s seat. Own the strategic direction you’re moving in.