Why Over-Relying on AI for Resumes and Cover Letters Hurts Your Interview Prep
Hey there, students! If you’re navigating the job market - whether for part-time gigs, internships, or pathways to permanent residency - you’ve probably heard about using AI tools like ChatGPT to whip up a resume or cover letter in seconds. It’s tempting, right? A shiny, polished document with zero hassle. But here’s the catch: while AI can be a handy sidekick, leaning on it too much can leave you unprepared for the real test - the job interview. Let’s dive into why crafting your resume and cover letter with personal effort is a game-changer for interview success, when to use AI wisely, and how to balance both to land that dream role. Whether you’re budgeting for Tet or networking at a Diwali event, this guide’s got your back with practical tips and reliable stats.
The Problem with AI-Generated Resumes and Cover Letters
AI tools like ChatGPT are fantastic for generating quick drafts, but over-reliance can trip you up, especially when you’re sitting across from a hiring manager. Here’s why depending solely on AI can hurt your interview prep:
1. Missing Your Unique Story
AI can churn out a resume that sounds professional, but it often misses the personal touch that makes you stand out. For example, it might list “teamwork” as a skill without tying it to your experience organizing a Lunar New Year festival. This generic output can leave you stumped in interviews when asked, “Tell me about a time you showed leadership.” If you didn’t craft the resume yourself, you might struggle to recall specific examples, making your answers feel vague or disconnected.
Why It Matters: A 2025 LinkedIn hiring trends report notes that 85% of recruiters prefer resumes with specific, tailored examples over generic skills lists. Personal effort, reflecting on achievements like leading a Pohela Boishakh event, helps you internalize your story, so you can confidently share it in interviews.
When to Use AI: After listing your achievements (e.g., volunteering at Eid), use ChatGPT to polish wording or format. For example, prompt it with, “Refine this bullet point: Organized a Chuseok workshop for 50 students.” Tools: Notebook to draft achievements, LinkedIn to research job-specific skills.
2. Skipping Self-Reflection
Writing a resume or cover letter manually forces you to dig deep into your strengths, weaknesses, and goals. For instance, reflecting on how you managed a group project during a Holi celebration can reveal your organizational skills. AI skips this step, producing content that doesn’t connect to your lived experiences. In interviews, this can leave you unprepared for questions like “Why are you a good fit?” or “What are your strengths?”
Why It Matters: A 2023 Harvard study emphasizes that self-reflection during resume writing helps candidates articulate their value in interviews, with 70% of interview success tied to preparation through personal narratives. Manual effort builds a mental script you can draw on under pressure.
When to Use AI: After researching your skills and goals (e.g., via Study Australia for SOL jobs), use AI to enhance phrasing. For example, input your draft cover letter and prompt, “Make this more concise while keeping my passion for nursing.” Tools: Study Australia for job research, Notebook for reflections.
3. Generic Output Lacks Authenticity
AI-generated documents often sound polished but impersonal, missing the passion or personality employers crave. For example, a cover letter might not convey why you’re excited about a teaching role inspired by mentoring at an Indigenous Australian workshop. In interviews, recruiters may spot a disconnect if your verbal responses don’t match the resume’s tone, raising doubts about authenticity.
Why It Matters: According to a 2024 Michael Page report, recruiters can detect AI-generated resumes due to their generic tone, with 60% rejecting applications that lack personalization. Crafting your own documents ensures your voice shines through, aligning with your interview responses.
When to Use AI: After drafting a cover letter with specific examples (e.g., problem-solving at a Tet event), use AI to improve clarity or grammar. Prompt ChatGPT with, “Check grammar and suggest concise phrasing for my cover letter.” Tools: LinkedIn for company values, Grammarly for editing.
4. No Prep for Behavioral Questions
Interviews often include behavioral questions like “Describe a challenge you overcame.” Writing your resume manually - say, detailing how you budgeted for a Diwali fundraiser - helps you practice these narratives. AI doesn’t prepare you for this, leaving you scrambling to explain resume points you didn’t create.
Why It Matters: A 2024 USC Career Center guide highlights that cover letters are a “work sample” for communication and persuasion skills, with 80% of employers using them to assess interview readiness. Personal writing builds STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) stories you can use in interviews.
When to Use AI: After writing STAR stories (e.g., leadership at a Chuseok event), use AI to format them. For example, prompt, “Organize these STAR stories into bullet points for a resume.” Tools: Notebook for STAR drafts, Meetup for practicing stories at events.
5. Stunting Long-Term Skills
Relying on AI skips learning critical job application skills like tailoring documents or researching industries, which are vital for employability and PR pathways (e.g., Skilled Occupation List roles). Without these skills, you might struggle with company-specific interview questions like “Why do you want to work here?”
Why It Matters: A 2025 Study Australia report notes that 48% of students face financial strain, often seeking part-time jobs or PR pathways. Researching and tailoring resumes manually (e.g., for IT roles tied to Tet startups) builds skills that impress employers in interviews.
When to Use AI: After researching job requirements on LinkedIn, use AI to suggest keywords or formatting. For example, prompt, “Add keywords from this IT job description to my resume.” Tools: LinkedIn for research, Study Australia for SOL roles.
How Personal Effort Prepares You for Interviews
Crafting your resume and cover letter yourself isn’t just about the document - it’s about building a mental framework for interviews. Here’s why this process is your secret weapon:
Builds Your Narrative: Reflecting on experiences (e.g., organizing a Lunar New Year event) creates stories you can share using the STAR method, making you sound confident and prepared.
Boosts Confidence: Researching job roles (e.g., via Study Australia) helps you articulate your fit, so you’re ready for questions like “Why this role?”
Ensures Authenticity: Writing about your achievements (e.g., volunteering at Eid) aligns your resume with your interview responses, showing genuineness that recruiters love.
Prepares for Behavioral Questions: Documenting specific examples (e.g., problem-solving at a Holi event) gives you ready-to-go answers for common interview prompts.
When and How to Use AI Effectively
AI isn’t the enemy - it’s a tool that can shine when used right. Here’s how to use ChatGPT or similar platforms after doing your part:
Do Your Research First: List your achievements (e.g., leading a Pohela Boishakh workshop) and research job requirements on Study Australia or LinkedIn. This ensures your resume reflects your unique experiences.
Draft Personally: Write a rough resume or cover letter with specific examples (e.g., budgeting for Tet). This builds your narrative and prepares you for interview questions.
Use AI for Polish: Input your draft into ChatGPT to refine wording, grammar, or formatting. For example, prompt, “Improve the clarity of this resume bullet: Managed a Diwali event for 100 students.”
Check for Authenticity: Read the AI output aloud to ensure it sounds like you. If it feels robotic, rewrite it to match your voice (e.g., passion for nursing from Eid caregiving).
Run Plagiarism Checks: Use tools like Copyscape to ensure originality, as recruiters reject identical AI-generated applications (per Michael Page, 2024).
Practical Steps to Craft Your Resume and Cover Letter
Ready to create documents that prep you for interviews? Follow these steps:
List Achievements: In a notebook, jot down 3-5 experiences (e.g., organizing a Chuseok event, volunteering at Indigenous Australian workshops). Note skills like leadership or budgeting. Tool: Notebook.
Research the Job: Use Study Australia for SOL roles or LinkedIn for company values. Tailor your resume to match (e.g., IT skills for Tet startups). Tool: LinkedIn.
Write STAR Stories: For each resume point, create a STAR story (Situation, Task, Action, Result). For example, “Led a Holi fundraiser (Situation), aimed to raise $500 (Task), coordinated 10 volunteers (Action), raised $700 (Result).” Tool: Notebook.
Draft Manually: Write your resume and cover letter, focusing on specific examples (e.g., teamwork at Lunar New Year). This builds your interview narrative. Tool: Study Australia.
Polish with AI: Use ChatGPT to refine grammar or suggest keywords. Prompt, “Optimize this resume for a marketing role with these keywords: creativity, teamwork.” Tool: Grammarly.
Practice for Interviews: Rehearse STAR stories at Meetup events (e.g., Diwali networking) to boost confidence. Tool: Meetup.
Get Feedback: Share drafts with uni career advisors or peers at Eid events to ensure clarity and authenticity. Tool: Study Australia.
Wrapping Up
Using AI like ChatGPT to create your resume or cover letter can save time, but relying on it without personal effort can leave you unprepared for interviews. Crafting your documents manually - reflecting on experiences like organizing a Tet festival or volunteering at Pohela Boishakh - builds a narrative that shines in interviews. It helps you answer questions confidently, ensures authenticity, and develops skills for long-term job success. Use AI wisely, after researching and drafting, to polish your work, not replace it. By balancing personal effort with AI tools, you’ll create standout applications and walk into interviews ready to impress. So, grab a notebook, start reflecting, and let’s get you that job!
References
Harvard FAS Mignone Center for Career Success (2025) Create a Strong Resume. Available at: https://careerservices.fas.harvard.edu (Accessed: 10 October 2025).
LinkedIn (2023) Why AI Generated Resumes & Cover Letters Are a Huge Risk. Available at: https://www.linkedin.com (Accessed: 10 October 2025).
Michael Page (2024) The Pros and Cons of Using AI to Write Resumes for Job Seekers. Available at: https://www.michaelpage.com.au (Accessed: 10 October 2025).
Study Australia (2025) Study in Australia. Available at: https://www.studyaustralia.gov.au (Accessed: 10 October 2025).
USC Online (2024) How to Use AI to Write Your Cover Letter. Available at: https://online.usc.edu (Accessed: 10 October 2025).
Disclaimer
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