Leveraging AI in Legal Resume Writing
This article is not about how to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to draft your legal resume but rather how AI can enhance your resume. As an executive recruiter with two decades of experience and a legal career coach, I strongly advise against simply inputting prompts into Claude or ChatGPT to generate your resume. I review between ten to thirty resumes daily, and it's easy to discern those written exclusively by AI—though thankfully, there aren't many. However, AI is an excellent tool for improving clarity and conciseness in writing, acting as a personal assistant by proofreading and clarifying your text. I recommend utilizing AI to enhance, not replace, your own writing. The best resumes seamlessly blend the writer's insights, specific experiences, and unique voice with professional structure and presentation.
How to Spot AI-Generated Resumes
So, how do I know when a resume has been generated solely using AI? There are definite signs. A common theme in discussions about AI platforms is the issue of "AI hallucinations" and the overuse of catchwords like "however" and "it's important." These quirks in AI-generated documents have become a running joke in technology circles.
AI “Hallucinations”
AI hallucinations occur when AI systems generate false, nonsensical, or unfounded information. These are fabrications presented as real data. This could include fabricated job titles or employers, or more subtle errors like inconsistent dates or mismatched skills and experiences.
Generic Language
A resume filled with generic language is another strong indicator that AI was solely responsible for generating it. AI-generated content often relies on broad, generic phrases that could apply to anyone in a given field. For legal resumes, this might manifest as vague statements like “experienced in counseling clients” instead of specific details about cases or areas of expertise.
Formatting Similarities
AI use can also result in overly similar formats, which may echo academic plagiarism concerns. Just as college essays that resemble each other raise suspicion, so do legal resumes that share conspicuous similarities, making their AI origins apparent and potentially detrimental.
Using AI to Enhance Your Legal Resume
Now that we've identified the pitfalls of overreliance on AI, let's turn our attention to appropriate and effective ways to use the technology to improve your work.
1. AI as a Virtual Assistant
Drafting a resume often falls outside the scope of regular office support, requiring precision since it represents your best work as an attorney. AI platforms like Claude or ChatGPT can act as a second set of eyes, reviewing your resume for spelling and grammatical errors, and suggesting improvements in sentence structure and clarity.
2. Suggestions for Formatting and Presentation
A well-organized and visually appealing resume is more likely to grab the attention of recruiting coordinators and hiring managers. AI can offer suggestions on formatting, including section headers, font styles, and layout improvements to make your resume more visually compelling.
3. Tailoring Your Resume for Specific Roles
AI is especially useful for customizing your resume for different roles. Using tools like ChatGPT or Claude, you can create tailored versions of your resume that highlight relevant experience and skills matching specific job descriptions. AI platforms can also help incorporate keywords from the job description, optimizing your resume to increase its chances of being noticed in automated screening processes.
4. Key Skillset Section
I generally recommend attorneys have a "key skillset" section on their resume, which can be adjusted based on the keywords identified in the job description. This customization ensures that your resume aligns with the skills and qualifications recruiters, human resources managers, or applicant tracking systems are looking for.
5. Keeping Up with Trends
As technology evolves, so do stylistic and formatting trends. AI platforms can provide insights into current trends in legal resumes, content emphasis, formatting, and grammar, suggesting new resume sections or improvements to keep your resume up-to-date.
Effective Use of AI in Resume Writing
To use AI effectively for resume writing, lawyers should provide clear instructions and meticulously review the generated content for accuracy and professionalism. Supplementing AI-generated content with personal insights and specific achievements will further highlight your unique strengths and experiences.
Helpful AI Prompts for Resume Drafting
Here are some prompts you can use with your AI platform of choice to assist in resume drafting:
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Job Description and Resume Review
“I am going to upload a job description and a copy of my resume. I will then ask you specific questions regarding adjustments to increase my chances of getting an interview for this position. Please wait for my questions before responding.” -
Layout Suggestions
“Suggest improvements for the layout of my resume to make it more visually appealing and easier to read.” -
Keyword Identification
“What keywords from the job description are present in my resume?” -
Transferable Skills
“What are practical and transferable skills from my experience that are relevant to the position?” -
Rewording for Relevance
“How can I reword these skills to make them more relevant to the position for which I am applying?” -
Identifying Missing Skills
“Are there any practical and transferable skills missing from my resume that are relevant to the job description?”
Conclusion
In conclusion, leveraging AI in legal resume writing offers significant benefits when used judiciously. While AI can enhance clarity and assist in customizing resumes for specific roles by optimizing content and highlighting relevant skills, it's essential to avoid overreliance. AI-generated resumes often exhibit telltale signs like generic language or formatting similarities that can undermine their effectiveness. By treating AI as a tool to refine rather than replace personal input, legal professionals can craft resumes that effectively showcase their unique insights and achievements. This approach, coupled with careful review and supplementation of AI-generated content, ensures resumes are tailored, accurate, and professionally compelling in today’s competitive job market.
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