Claire is the Group Communications Director at Acacium Group, one of our corporate partners committed to helping young women thrive. In her blog, Claire stresses the importance of our humanness and uniqueness when applying for jobs, amidst the rise in generative AI, such as Chat GPT.
I once worked for a CEO who, when reviewing the content my team or I had drafted, would call in the offending writer – after spotting a typo in the haystack of words – and ask that we find it and fix it there and then. Fast forward 15 years – said CEO would most likely now applaud any typos as they would authenticate that the content had actually been written by a human, rather than generated by AI.
While I’m a massive fan of generative AI and use it frequently – especially Chat GPT – I also recognise that when it comes to the world of work, the one key differentiator we all have is ourselves, and it is this uniqueness that makes us great.
Let me explain.
I was recently invited to meet the Young Women’s Trust and hear about the remarkable work they do. We quickly got onto the topic of generative AI and how easy it makes tasks such as CV and cover letter writing.
No doubt about it – generative AI is a truly creative revolution.
We can now access concise information in seconds, freeing us up to focus on more creative and strategic – and arguably more rewarding – activities. It will change how we work and live forever, and in many good ways.
However, something it can never replace is our selves – our personalities, lived experiences, thoughts and feelings – the “stuff” that makes us not only human, but different. So, when applying for a job, at any stage, (but particularly at the startof our career), it’s important we stand out as our true selves. After all, that’s really all we have – and only we can do that.
So, while it might be tempting for generative AI to write the ‘right’ answer for your CV or cover letter, in reality, it’s making you just like everyone else – andfrankly, it risks making you a bit dull.
A potential employer is interested in the real you. What are your ambitions, and why? What are your values? What do you want to learn and what do you want to bring to the business and team? That’s why they aren’t interested in reading a textbook answer that looks suspiciously similar to the other CVs and/or cover letters littering their desk – they want enthusiasm, they want ambition, and they want someone who is hungry to learn and make whatever it is their business is doing a little bit better.
Additionally, if I’ve learned one thing over the last twenty-five years or so of work, it’s important to find a company culture that fits you – we only do that by knowing what’s important to ourselves and being honest about it, which is why I thrive at Acacium Group – a human, digitally enabled company that puts people first and uses its healthcare, social care and life science experience and capabilities to improve people’s lives, globally. A company that hires on personality and attitude, as we know we can always train the skills.
And anyway, its easy to spot an AI-generated cover letter/CV a mile off!
I’m not suggesting you never use Chat GPT or one of its rivals – as I said, I use it a lot! But use it to help you generate your ideas and check the work you’ve written yourself. For example, ask what a great CV should include, then make sure your CV includes everything you want. Or, find out how to structure a winning cover letter.
Our unique selves are what we bring to work, and being comfortable with who we are and what we bring is, in my experience, what frees us to do our best work.
Young Women’s Trust have a team of recruitment experts – including some of my colleagues – who can give you personalised, detailed feedback and advice on your application, CV or cover letter. They can help you to portray your authentic self and make sure you are hitting all of the correct points. You can find out more here.
Now, did you spot the typo? Find it, and you’ll know that I wrote this blog myself.
