Haven’t updated your CV for a while? You’re not alone. Career coach Gwynedd Theron explains how job seekers can navigate AI-assisted recruitment without losing the all-important human touch.
Technical and creative
One expat partner recently admitted the last time he looked at his CV was almost 20 years ago. And yes, things have changed! “The job search combines understanding technical screening with thinking strategically about how your content stands out,” explains Gwynedd. First, your CV and LinkedIn profile need to perform well during AI-assisted screening. That means understanding the language in a job description and incorporating relevant keywords with purpose. “But it’s not a keyword dump,” she stresses. Eventually, a human will read your application and needs to understand what distinguishes you from everybody else.
Keep it clean
Your application should demonstrate that you understand what an employer needs and how your experience can help solve their problems. But resist the temptation to overdesign your CV. “You don’t need a ‘sexy’ CV or a multi-columned template,” says Gwynedd. Avoid text boxes, images and complicated layouts that interfere with automated screening. Her preference is a straightforward Word document, an easy-to-read font such as Calibri, and plenty of white space. “Simple formatting also helps the human recruiter scanning your application later.”
Use AI wisely
AI can also work for the job seeker. If your last CV dates from 2008, Gwynedd suggests uploading it to your preferred LLM (Claude, ChatGPT, etc) and asking it to identify the strongest elements. Provide a job description and ask: What problem is this employer trying to solve? Which of my skills and experiences are most relevant? What important requirements am I failing to address? But don’t hand over the creative process. “AI tools such as ChatGPT or Claude are aggregators and they can be generic,” she cautions. “They can also make mistakes or produce recognisably AI-generated language. Use them to analyse and organise information, then apply your own judgement and voice.”
Know what you don’t know
For someone returning to the job market after several years, all these moving parts can feel overwhelming. Gwynedd’s approach with coachees is to break the process down and explain today’s recruitment ecosystem, from LinkedIn and job boards to whichever social platforms matter in their sector. “Once you understand the tools, you can use them confidently while concentrating on what technology cannot replicate: your experience, personality and individual value.” And if all goes well, your first interview might even be with a bot. But perhaps we’ll leave that for another day!
Photo: Pexels, Vitaly Gariev
This article was originally published for the thousands of expat partners that Global Connection supports around the globe. It is reproduced here in its original form.
