AI has changed the way people approach the job search. From writing CVs and cover letters to preparing for interviews, candidates now have access to powerful tools that can save time and help them present their skills more clearly.
There’s nothing wrong with using AI to help with your CV. In fact, when used well, tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini and AI CV builders can be incredibly useful.
The problem comes when candidates rely on AI to do all the work.
As a recruitment agency, we’re seeing more AI-written CVs, and one thing is becoming increasingly clear. When everyone uses the same tools, CVs can start to sound the same.
Research from CV-Library (2026) found that 81% of recruiters believe CVs have become more standardised and less distinctive because of AI.
So, if so many candidates are using AI to write their CVs, how can you make yours stand out?
The answer isn’t to avoid AI altogether. It’s about using it in a way that keeps your experience, personality and achievements at the heart of your application.
In this blog, we’ll explore the best practices for using AI when writing your CV, including how to make sure your application still sounds like you. We’ll also share practical prompts you can use to get better results from AI, without losing the personal experience and detail that can help your CV stand out.
Use AI to Improve Your CV, Not Write It For You
AI can support you write your CV, but it shouldn’t invent your career for you.
Start with your own information, including your skills, experience, qualifications, achievements and responsibilities. You can then use AI to improve the structure, remove repetition or suggest clearer ways to describe what you have done.
This is one of the best ways to use AI for CV writing because the facts still come from you.
What Can AI Help With?
You can use tools such as ChatGPT to:
- Improve wording without changing the meaning
- Make CV bullet points more concise
- Identify repetitive language
- Suggest stronger ways to describe an achievement
- Compare your CV against a job description
- Highlight skills you should make more visible
The difference is simple. You provide the experience and AI helps you communicate it.
Avoid Generic AI Language
One of the biggest problems with AI-generated CVs is they sound generic. Recruiters can spot phrases that appear again and again, such as:
“Results-driven professional.”
“Passionate and motivated individual.”
“Proven track record.”
“Excellent communication skills.”
“Dynamic team player.”
These phrases might sound professional, but they don’t tell a hiring manager much about you.
Your CV needs evidence and use language that feels genuine and not forced
Instead of saying:
“Results-driven sales professional with excellent communication skills.”
Try explaining what you actually achieved:
“Managed a portfolio of 40+ clients and increased annual account revenue by 18%.”
The second example gives the person reviewing your application something real to work with.
Specific achievements will always be more useful than impressive-sounding adjectives when you are applying for new roles.
Tailor Your CV To The Job Description
Your CV should change depending on the role you’re applying for but that doesn’t mean you should create an entirely new cv for every application. Instead you want to make sure your most relevant skills and experiences are easy to find.
Start by reading the job advert carefully.
What skills appear repeatedly? What experience does the hiring manager want? Are there particular qualifications, systems, industries or responsibilities mentioned?
If you have those skills, make them clear.
This can also help with an applicant tracking system (ATS), which some employers use to organise and filter applications. Research from Jobscan reports that 99.7% of recruiters surveyed use keyword filters in their ATS, with skills among the most commonly searched areas.
The key is to use keywords naturally.
Don’t simply paste the job description into an AI platform and ask it to fill your CV with every keyword, as this could have the opposite effect. If your CV appears to be an exact match for the job description, hiring managers may question whether the skills and experience are genuinely yours.
The best use case is to Use the language from the job advert when it accurately describes your skills and experience but be sure to add some personalisation.
Achievements and Responsibilities
One of the simplest ways to strengthen your CV is to show what you achieved, rather than simply listing what you were responsible for.
A responsibility tells an employer what your job involved. An achievement shows what you actually contributed and the difference you made.
For example:
Responsibility: “Responsible for managing social media accounts.”
Achievement: “Managed social media for three brands, increasing engagement by 35% over 12 months.”
How to Find Your Achievements
Look back at each role and ask yourself:
- What did I improve, increase or reduce?
- What did I deliver or help achieve?
- What problems did I solve?
- Did I take on extra responsibility?
- Did I learn something new or improve a process?
- Did I receive positive feedback, recognition or increased responsibility?
You don’t need impressive numbers for every bullet point. Transferable skills, context and evidence of your contribution can be just as valuable.
The aim is to move from “This is what my job involved” to “This is what I did and the difference I made.”
Ensure Your Resume Sounds Like You
Here’s a simple test here at Mexa Solutions we always recommend. read your cv out loud as you can easily spot if you have over optimised or over used certain phrases.
Would you actually speak like that in an interview?
If the answer is no, change it.
Using a generative ai tool to write can sometimes make you sound overly polished or formal. A CV should be professional, but it shouldn’t feel like it was written by a robot.
Research from CV-Library found that recruiters who spot signs of AI use most commonly mention generic or overly polished language, a lack of personal detail and unusual phrasing.
Your personality doesn’t need to come from colourful graphics or an unusual CV design
It comes from the detail.
The projects you’re proud of. The problems you’ve solved. The responsibility you’ve taken on. The skills you’ve developed.
AI can help you polish your CV. It shouldn’t polish away your personality.
Don’t Try To Beat An AI Detector
There’s a growing temptation for candidates to ask an AI tool to make their CV “undetectable”.
We wouldn’t recommend making that your focus and instead he better question is:
Does this CV accurately represent me?
AI detectors aren’t perfect, and trying to manipulate one can lead you further away from what really matters which is a clear, honest and relevant application.
Your CV should give the hiring manager confidence that the person described on the page is the person they’ll meet at interview.
Don’t Keyword-stuff Your CV
Keywords matter, but more isn’t always better.
If a job advert mentions “project management” five times and you genuinely have project management experience, make sure your CV says so.
If you don’t have that experience, don’t add it just because an AI tool tells you it could improve your chances.
The same applies to qualifications.
Never claim a qualification, skill or level of experience you don’t have.
A keyword might help your CV get noticed, but your experience needs to stand up when you reach the interview stage.
Your CV Doesn’t Need To Be Perfect
It can be easy to become obsessed with making your CV perfect.
- The perfect template.
- The perfect keywords.
- The perfect AI prompt.
- The perfect opening paragraph.
Hiring managers want candidates with the right skills and experience who can also contribute to the organisation and fit the role.
Your job application tells part of your story and the next stage being the interview gives you the chance to bring that story to life
That’s why your application should focus on the things that really matter your experience, your achievements and what you could bring to the specific job.
Think Beyond Your CV
it isnt just your job application that represents you. We always tell candidates to remember that your linkedin profile also plays a role.
If there are differences between your resume and your linkedin profile like your job title, skills or recent projects or the way you come across, it could raise questions about your application.
For example If your CV says you’re an excellent communicator but your first email to a recruiter is rushed and unclear, there can be a disconnect.
The same applies to interview preparation.
AI can be a useful tool for practising interview questions, testing your answers and helping you prepare examples. Use it as a preparation tool, but make sure your answers still reflect your own experiences.
Use AI to prepare. Don’t use it to pretend to be someone you’re not.
Practical AI Prompts You Can Use
If you’re going to use AI to create a CV, give it good information to work from.
Don’t simply type:
“Write my CV.”
Give it the job description, your current CV document, your career history, your achievements and the skills you genuinely have.
Then ask it questions.
Try: “Based on my experience below, which three achievements are most relevant to this job?”
Or:
“Compare my CV with this job description. Which genuine skills or experience should I make more prominent?”
Or:
“Rewrite this section to be clearer and more concise, but don’t add any information that isn’t already provided.”
Good prompts produce better results because you’re giving the AI something meaningful to work with. We always say however to go back through and re read to make sure it still sounds like you.
Can Recruiters Tell If A CV Was Written By AI?
Sometimes, yes.
Recruiters may spot patterns such as generic language, repetition, a lack of personal detail or wording that doesn’t seem to match the candidate’s level of experience. Here at Mexa as we see lots of cv’s come through daily we have noticed the heavy reliance on ai because of how repetitive multiple applications are.
For us its not an issue whether someone has submitted an ai generated its more how they used it.
Using ChatGPT to correct grammar is very different from asking it to invent achievements, qualifications or experience.
Using AI to help tailor your CV is very different from sending the same AI-generated CV to 100 jobs.
And using AI to prepare for an interview is very different from relying on AI to answer questions for you during the interview.
Being educated on how to use it properly can make you have a better chance at getting a closer chance at getting the job offer than using it wrong which could hinder your chances.
How Mexa Solutions Can Help
AI can help you improve your CV, but it doesn’t replace speaking to someone who understands the recruitment market.
At Mexa Solutions, we can look at your experience alongside the roles we’re currently recruiting for and help you understand where your skills could be a good fit.
We can also give you a recruiter’s perspective on your CV, including whether your experience, achievements and skills are clear and relevant to the types of roles you’re applying for.
Sometimes, you don’t need another AI prompt. You just need someone to look at your experience and tell you where it could take you next.
Take a look at our current vacancies or get in touch with the Mexa Solutions team to see how we can help with your next career move.
Your Experience Still Matters Most
AI isn’t going away, and there’s no need for job seekers to avoid it.
AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini and AI CV builders can save time, improve your writing and help you approach your job search with more confidence.
The risk comes when candidates rely on AI so heavily that every CV starts to look and sound the same.
When hundreds of CVs arrive for one competitive job, generic language won’t help you stand out.
- Your experience will.
- Your achievements will.
- Your personality will.
- Your understanding of the job will.
So, use AI. Ask better prompts. Tailor your CV. Use relevant keywords. Prepare for your interview. But keep the most important part of your application firmly in your hands.
Let AI help you write your CV. Just don’t let it write you out of it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use generative AI to write my CV and cover letter?
Yes. Using generative AI can help improve your CV and cover letter, but always check that the content accurately reflects your own experience and skills.
Is using AI on my CV a red flag for recruiters?
Not necessarily. It becomes a red flag when your CV sounds generic, contains inaccurate information or doesn’t reflect your real experience.
Can AI help me prepare for a job interview?
Yes. AI can help you practise job interview questions and prepare examples, but your answers should always be based on your own experience and sound natural.
This blog was written by Hollie Agombar, Senior Digital Marketing Executive at Mexa Solutions