AI Resume Builders Tested by a Hiring Coach: ChatGPT vs. Claude
As a hiring manager and a hiring coach, I've had many AI generated resumes cross my desk recently. I have no issue with using AI for efficiencies and as a starting point to save some time, but if I can tell the resume has been created by AI, it is the ultimate turn off. When hiring someone, I want to know this person is truly invested and interested in working together and that means taking some time to be thoughtful during the application process.
Some tells:
Candidates leaving placeholder text in their submitted resume (i.e. "Worked as a project manager from 20XX-20XX")
Using keywords/buzzwords/fluff without data or details to back it up
Information that does not align with fact checking (Dates or details are different on your linked in or personal website than your resume)
Since I like to test and play with AI, I decided to test out the resume-building abilities of both Chat GPT and Claude.
Overarching tips:
Use AI to help provide a template or structure you can to build upon rather than your comprehensive resume
Always tell AI to "check its work" for accuracy before sending you the results
If you are using AI to add detail to your resume, you must go through and make sure it is all accurate/revise as needed
Use AI for feedback on how to make your resume stronger (Caution: don't blindly use its feedback! Consider whether following its guidelines would be ethical, factual and truly helpful)
Use AI for feedback on keywords/synonyms you should be using in your resume to align with the job description
If making the choice between Chat GPT and Claude to get a resume draft started, go with Claude
Chat GPT:
I asked it to use my linked in profile and my websites to draft a resume for me to use. I did not provide a sample job description for a role I'd be applying for, which I would recommend you do if you are working towards a specific job application.
Pros:
I liked how it pulled in "Publications" as a section of my resume, which I hadn't previously considered.
Cons:
It added certifications I don't have! Yikes.
So many errors that it took more time to edit it than it would've been to just copy and paste from Linked in and reformat.
For example, it said I was a volunteer for Alpha Gamma Delta when you can find Alpha Phi all over my LinkedIn Volunteer Experience and groups as well as my websites.
It also lumped in all of my pre-Amazon work experience into Amazon and make it look like I was there for 15 years instead of 6.
It did not fill in my educational information even though I had copied and pasted it from LinkedIn.
It created a bulleted list of some very basic skills that would just take up unnecessary space in my resume.
I am never a fan of listing skills unless you are applying for something that requires extremely specialized or technical skill.
Grade: D - I think you're better off on your own than trying to spend time fine-tuning with Chat GPT unless you take a lot more time up front to craft your prompt for very little room for error.
Claude:
I copied and pasted content from my linked in profile and my websites to draft a resume for me to use. I did not provide a sample job description for a role I'd be applying for, which I would recommend you do if you are working towards a specific job application.
Pros:
Resulted in a much better quality draft (note: still required a lot of editing for accuracy!)
Nice formatting when copied and pasted into Microsoft Word.
Did a pretty good job condensing a large amount of information into shorter more impactful bullets.
Cons:
Also created an unhelpful list of skills that took up too much valuable space.
Cut out some important contextual information which I only caught because of the level of detail I was reviewing the draft with - I would've missed this if quickly scanning through.
Grade: B- - While I still had to make many updates, this did provide a helpful foundation to build off of with very minimal effort crafting the prompt up front.
If you ever want another set of eyes to review your resume or cover letter, reach out. I love to help job seekers feel more confident and make this daunting process more efficient (and fun!) for you.