April 16, 2025

This AI revolution, led most prominently by LLMs (Large Language Models), has made it possible for everyone to boost their productivity and quality of output when it comes to writing. It is only natural that modern AI tools lend themselves to the context of job search, where success depends on crafting applications and resumes that highlight one’s skillset and help you differentiate from the masses.

However, AI isn’t just being used by LLMs when hiring candidates. AI-powered resume builders and AI-powered job search platforms – even full-on auto-apply tools – are transforming the way candidates search and apply for jobs.
What does this mean for talent acquisition professionals? What information should recruiters have to ensure that they are fully prepared for this revolutionary recruitment era? What AI Tools Are Candidates Using?

The Ever-Growing Arsenal of AI Tools You Need To Know Of

As we already mentioned, candidates can use more than just text-based GenAI tools like ChatGPT to enhance their job search. While LLMs have many job search applications, the market is already full of AI tools designed specifically for job seekers.
AI-generated resumes and cover letters – this might have been the first thing that popped into your mind. While visually appealing templates have existed for a long time, AI-powered web tools can now construct a complete CV from scratch. You should become familiar with resume.io, Jara Match, PowerDreamer, and Careered.AI as a recruiter. These AI-powered resume builders can transform prompts into CVs that are tailored to each position and visually stunning. Using AI to enhance your resume has already been proven a successful tactic. An experiment at MIT Sloan found that job seekers who used AI-boosted resumes were 8% more likely to be hired. Additionally, their wages were 8.4% higher. Is there a way to identify AI-generated application documents? It gets more difficult each day with new advancements in AI space, but there are some telltale signs. Be on the look for repetitive language, lack of personalization, and excessive use of jargon. Even with AI aiding people, the output is only as good as their prompts and quality control.

AI-powered auto-appliers – recently, a Reddit user employed an AI bot to customize CVs and cover letters based on position and apply to them autonomously, generating 50 interviews from 1,000 applications. This story gained traction in talent acquisition circles, raising debate about ethics and AI’s role in recruitment.

AiApply, LazyApply, and JobCopilot are just a few of the AI-based applications automation solutions already available. Most of them can apply on behalf of a candidate via LinkedIn, company-specific career sites, and numerous job portals. Many of the solutions double-down as AI-powered job search bots and recommendation engines, reducing the manual work on candidates’ end.

Job seekers actively share innovations and observations with others, and new tools are constantly introduced and tested. If you want to stay ahead of the curve, we recommend you keep an active eye on the discussion and technological advancements on relevant and contemporary channels like LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok. Reddit and subreddits like /r/jobsearchhacks are another great place to learn about applicants’ AI tools and “hacks.” Potential Drawbacks of Candidates Using AI

There are a lot of doubts, skepticism, and even outright disdain towards the use of AI by candidates. Many managers and talent acquisitions professionals worry that over-reliance on AI tools could lead to a lot of negatives, including:
Increase in the number of irrelevant applications – due to the reduced effort required to apply, recruiters might need to allocate more time for application screening and rejecting unqualified candidates.

Faceless, impersonal applications in large numbers: As more and more applicants rely on AI tools, the number of applications that stand out and are highly personalized may decrease. Recruiters need to adapt and go the extra mile to identify the best cultural and personal fits.

Less time for personalized communication and candidate engagement – due to a flood of applications, recruiters might not realistically be able to engage each candidate.

Increased difficulty in assessing candidates’ writing and language abilities because so many GenAI solutions are readily available, and virtually anyone can produce text of high quality in almost any language. AI-era recruiters must be wary of this and improve their hiring procedures to prevent candidates from effectively cheating their way into subsequent steps, thereby wasting everyone’s time. Candidates who use AI: Do the benefits outweigh the drawbacks? It is easy to focus on the negatives, but as often is, this topic has its flip side too. AI-assisted job search can lead to a lot of positives as well, including:
Increased volume of applications during candidate shortages—the expression “job search is a full-time job” is true. Research shows that job seekers spend up to four hours per application. Both passive and active job seekers can apply for more jobs by shortening the time it takes to fill out a single application. At the same time, AI-powered job boards and recommendation engines can help candidates discover a higher number of open jobs, including yours.

Better quality of hire – highly skilled workers might not always be as skilled at applying for jobs. AI tools can help candidates generate resumes, cover letters, and applications that better showcase their talents, ensuring these “hidden gems” are not missed by recruiters due to lackluster job search skills.

Increased diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) – one of the most underutilized talent pools is neurodivergent people. Incredibly talented professionals with neuro-atypical conditions like dyslexia, ADHD, or autism might be overlooked during recruitment, where people with exceptional verbal and social skills often shine. If given the chance, a neurodivergent hire may very well be the most qualified for the position. AI helps level the playing field in areas that are traditionally associated with making great job applications.

Candidates are showcasing their skills with AI tools which could translate to work – does your open position require or benefit from the candidate being skilled at utilizing AI? The most likely response is “yes.” If candidates are finding ways to use AI to boost their job search, that needs to be seen as a positive skill.