AI Academy - For Students & Graduates
AI should make you sharper, not make you someone else. We asked an experienced recruiter what she actually sees, so you get honest answers instead of guesswork.
Read The AnswersFive Ways To Use AI Well
Write your real experience in rough notes first, then ask AI to help shape it. Never start from a blank prompt.
Paste in the job advert and ask: “What are they really looking for, and where are my gaps?”
Get AI to critique your CV like a recruiter would, then make the fixes yourself.
Have AI ask tough questions and push back on your answers. Nobody sees it, and it is one of the best uses.
Check every claim is true, because you will be asked about it in the room. Generic AI text gets noticed.
Try This Prompt
“Here is the job advert and my CV. Act as a recruiter. What would make you reject this, and what questions would you ask me?”
Straight From A Recruiter
In conversation with an experienced recruiter.
Can you tell when an application was written by AI? What gives it away?
Often, yes. Giveaways include American spellings like "specialized", lots of dashes, and a stream of "I am... I am..." sentences. A common check is comparing the CV with the person's LinkedIn profile, and gaps between the two stand out.
What makes you bin an application in the first 10 seconds?
Waffle. A long, wordy profile loses people fast. It's like a book: if the first few sentences bore you, you put it down. Less is more.
Do candidates who use AI well stand out, or does everyone now look the same?
AI-written CVs look very similar. Use AI, but don't become a clone, one of millions.
In your experience, are recruiters using AI to screen or shortlist candidates?
Her team didn't use an AI tracker, as CVs came straight to the consultants. Large job boards probably scan for keywords, so mirror the keywords in the job advert and tailor your CV to each role.
What is the best way you have seen a candidate use AI?
Using it to polish and tidy their own words. And standing out by following up politely and linking a short video or personal page.
What is the worst?
AI that makes a CV claim experience you don't have. People get found out at interview, or soon after starting the job.
If a graduate could do one thing with AI to improve their application, what should it be?
Tailor your CV to the job's keywords and keep your own real history in it.
Is being honest about using AI a plus or a minus?
She had never had that conversation. Saying "I wrote it myself and used AI to polish the grammar" wouldn't count against you. An obviously AI-written CV might get set aside.
If you had 30 seconds on stage, what would you tell students?
Be honest about yourself, your experience, what you want and your skills. Don't tell AI "I'm Jack, I've done a bit of office work". It has to tell your story, not an average of people your age.
Bonus
Treat LinkedIn as your website. Keep it active and put the link on your CV, because hiring managers click through.
A short video or a link to your own page is a win.
Follow up politely with the hiring manager. It makes you stand out.
Date of birth and marital status no longer belong on a CV.
Printing CVs and handing them in person can still work.
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