Should You Use AI to Improve Your CV?
AI shouldn’t write your CV. But it could help make it better.
Recently, a candidate applied for one of our Key Account Manager roles and sent us their CV.
At first glance, it had all the right words.
But there was one problem:
It had very few numbers.
For a sales professional, we would expect to see things like:
- Revenue generated
- Sales growth
- Targets achieved
- Account values
- Number of customers managed
- New business won
Instead, the CV mainly described responsibilities rather than results.
When I asked the candidate about this, they explained that they had paid an ex-recruiter to write their CV and had been told this information wasn’t necessary.
That made me curious.
I put the CV and job description into AI and asked it to be highly critical.
One of its first comments was:
“The profile reads like a traditional CV from 15 years ago.”
It made an interesting point.
CV writing is changing
Recruitment has changed significantly over the last few years.
Technology is increasingly being used to help recruiters and employers manage applications, meaning your CV needs to be clear, relevant and easy to assess.
But this isn’t just about keywords.
Compare:
“Responsible for managing key customer accounts.”
with:
“Managed 35 key accounts worth £4.2m, increasing revenue by 18% over two years.”
The second tells a recruiter much more.
It shows scale, responsibility and results.
So, should you use AI?
Absolutely, but don’t ask it to write your CV.
Ask it to challenge your CV.
Try prompts such as:
- “Be highly critical of my CV.”
- “Compare my CV against this job description.”
- “What achievements or measurable results are missing?”
- “Which parts sound generic?”
- “What would make this CV stand out to a recruiter?”
You can even try several AI tools and compare their feedback.
Your CV should still be yours
AI doesn’t know what you achieved unless you tell it.
It shouldn’t invent figures, responsibilities or achievements.
Write your own CV. Use AI to challenge it.
Because a strong CV doesn’t just tell an employer what you did.
It shows them what you achieved.
