From my May 2024 Newsletter
Last month, I wrote how AI could hurt you more than help you:
You won’t stand out.
It won’t help you with your why.
The results might not reflect your genuine self.
You’ll be just like the young woman in The Twilight Zone episode Number 12 Looks Just like You. In spite of my admonition (Stop Using AI), you will use it. We all will. Just be sure to use it correctly.
That means doing your own writing first (with or without a professional writer).
I have a real-life example for you.
As I am a concise writer, I wrote a concise description of day to day duties for a client:
Foster collaboration, uniting team around shared vision; ensure staff execution aligns with strategic goals. Oversee marketing campaigns to drive new sales; protect brand identity; and drive year over year growth.
That took up 2 lines on the resume. The client offered some feedback; I worked on it for an hour or two; couldn't really come up with something both different and impactful.
So I tried an AI package to see what it would suggest. (Brace yourself)
"Leveraged exceptional leadership capabilities to rally cross-functional teams around a compelling, transformative vision. Adeptly mentored and motivated staff, promoting synergistic collaboration to ensure seamless execution aligned with overarching strategic objectives. Spearheaded integrated, data-driven marketing campaigns that orchestrated substantial new customer acquisition, solidified brand equity, and catalyzed impressive year-over-year revenue growth. Continually optimized marketing ROI by analyzing performance metrics and adjusting tactics for maximum impact."
The AI response would have taken up at least 7 lines on the resume. No one wants to read all that!
And it's filled with adjectives and adverbs that recruiters and managers have learned to ignore. We call that fluff.
But there were some interesting phrases and a few good words in the AI response.
I can't share what the client and I decided on, but I can share how the AI response inspired me to change a few words and add just a bit more. The final version took up 3 lines on the resume.
To sum up: I did a lot of work. I ran it by the client. They offered feedback; so, we both put in a lot of work. Only then did I try AI. And I noted quickly that its recommendations were not what the client wanted or what I felt was needed. But I did use a bit of what the AI suggested.
If you use AI, use it this way. Don't start with AI. Don't rely on AI.
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