AI and Your Job Search: Is It Helping You or Holding You Back?

04 Mar 2025

AI is everywhere in the job market. From writing CVs and cover letters to preparing for interviews, candidates are turning to AI tools like ChatGPT for support. And we get it—applying for jobs is time-consuming, and AI seems like the perfect shortcut. 

 

But here’s the thing: AI can help, but it can also hurt your chances of landing your dream job. 

 

At Stopgap, we’ve seen first-hand how AI-generated applications are being rejected by hiring managers. Clients tell us they can spot AI a mile off, and if they think you’ve taken a lazy approach, it's possible that your application won’t even get a second look. So, how do you use AI to your advantage while ensuring your application still sounds like you? Here’s what you need to know. 

 

The AI Trap: How It’s Hurting Your Job Search 

 

1. AI-Generated CVs and Cover Letters Are Too Generic 

We’ve seen it so many times: a CV or cover letter that’s perfectly structured, ticks all the right boxes… but has zero personality. 

 

Why? Because AI doesn’t know you. It doesn’t understand your passion for marketing, the challenges you’ve overcome in your career, or the unique value you bring to a business. 

 

Recruiters and hiring managers want to see you in your application. If your CV reads like a bland, overly polished template, it won’t stand out—it’ll just blend in with the hundreds of other AI-generated applications flooding inboxes. 

 

What to do instead: Use AI to structure your CV, but then personalise it. Add specific achievements, tell a short story about a campaign you worked on, and inject your own voice into your cover letter. If it doesn’t sound like something you’d actually say, rewrite it. 

 
2. AI Gets Spotted (and Rejected)

Think you can sneak an AI-generated application past a hiring manager? Think again. 

We’ve had clients tell us they can tell when a candidate has used AI because: 
 

• The formatting is off 
• The tone is robotic 
• It’s too polished and unnatural 
• There are American spellings or phrases (e.g. “maximize” instead of “maximise”) 
   

One candidate recently lost out on a marketing role because their entire interview presentation was AI-generated. The hiring manager noticed odd phrasing and inconsistent formatting—and if they didn’t take the time to review their own work, how could they be trusted with brand messaging? 
 

What to do instead: If you use AI to help with writing, proofread everything. Make sure it sounds like you and that it aligns with the job you’re applying for. AI can be a great assistant, but don’t let it run the show. 
 

3. AI Can Make Your Answers Sound Flat in Interviews 

AI is great at generating responses to interview questions. You can type in something like, “What are your biggest strengths?” and get a beautifully written answer in seconds. 
 

But here’s the problem: AI doesn’t know your strengths. 
 

Hiring managers can tell when a candidate is reciting something rather than speaking from experience. If you rely too much on AI-generated answers, you might find yourself unable to elaborate when asked, “Can you give me a real example of that?” 
 

What to do instead: Use AI for idea generation, but then put answers into your own words. Practise saying them out loud so they feel natural. And always have real examples from your experience to back up what you’re saying. 

4. AI Won’t Make Your LinkedIn Profile Stand Out 

It’s easy to use AI to craft a LinkedIn summary, but if you’ve ever read one, you’ll know they all sound the same. Something like: 
 

"Results-driven marketing professional with a proven track record of delivering innovative campaigns and driving brand growth." 

Sound familiar? That’s because AI-generated LinkedIn summaries are often generic, impersonal, and identical to hundreds of others. Your LinkedIn is your personal brand. It should reflect who you are, not just be a list of skills and buzzwords. 
 

What to do instead: Write about why you love marketing. What excites you about your work? What kind of roles are you passionate about? Show personality—this is what will make you memorable to recruiters and hiring managers. 

Where AI Can Be Helpful in Your Job Search

We’re not saying AI is all bad. Used wisely, it can be a fantastic tool to enhance your job search—just not to replace your own effort. 

Here’s how you can use AI the right way: 

• To brainstorm interview answers 

Ask AI to help structure your responses, but always add your own experiences and examples. 

• To research companies and industries 

AI can summarise trends, help you understand a company’s mission, and suggest good questions to ask in an interview. 

• To get feedback on your CV 

You can ask AI to critique your CV and suggest improvements—but again, don’t let it rewrite everything for you. 

• To structure a cover letter 

AI can help you format a cover letter properly—but the content should be uniquely yours. 

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The Bottom Line: AI Can Assist, But You Need to Shine 
 

AI isn’t going away, and it can be a useful tool in your job search. But relying on it too much can do more harm than good. 
 

At Stopgap, we talk to marketing professionals every day, and we know what hiring managers are looking for. Here’s our advice: 
 

• Use AI to support you, not replace you – Hiring managers want to see you, not a machine-generated version of you. 
• Be authentic – Your personality, passion, and experience are what make you stand out. Let them shine in your applications. 
• Talk to real people – If you want expert job search advice, speak to a recruiter who understands the marketing industry inside and out. 
   

If you’re looking for your next marketing role, we’re here to help. We’ll give you real advice, connect you with the right opportunities, and make sure your application stands out for all the right reasons. 
 
Check out our latest roles here, or register your CV so we can get in touch if the right opportunity comes along.