40 MILLION JOB SEEKERS, ONE VOICE

OpenAI recently studied more than 600,000 ChatGPT conversations and estimated that about 40 million American adults have used it for help with a job search. The most common request, roughly one-third of those conversations, was rewriting a resume or cover letter. Career research came next at nearly 30%, followed by messages to recruiters at 20%.

Older, more experienced job seekers were the most likely to hand AI their resume and cover letter for a rewrite. Younger job seekers leaned on it to prepare for interviews, research open roles, and plan their careers.



After nearly 40 years of helping executives land their next roles, I think the younger crowd has it right.

THE SAMENESS PROBLEM

In a June 2026 Resume Genius survey of U.S. hiring managers, 58% said they had received AI-generated resumes or cover letters. Eighty-two percent said they were concerned about candidates using AI in their applications, and 86% expect AI to make it harder to verify that a candidate's materials reflect real ability.

That matters most at senior levels. Employers hire senior leaders for judgment: the calls you made, the context around them, what they cost, and what they returned. AI writes from the average of everything it has read. Ask it to describe a transformational leader and you get the same “results-driven executive with a proven track record” that a thousand other candidates received that afternoon.

The key to telling your story is to focus on what problems/business challenges/scenarios you are great at solving or navigating and the environments in which you thrive. Use metrics wherever appropriate. 

The details that win interviews are the ones a machine cannot guess. The board that had lost confidence. The acquisition nobody wanted to integrate, the angry customer that you saved. The number you moved, and how you moved it.

WHERE AI EARNS ITS KEEP

Used well, AI is a fast research analyst and a tireless sparring partner. My executive clients get the most value from it in four places:

·      Company due diligence. Have it summarize the last two earnings calls, the risk factors in the annual report, recent leadership changes, and press coverage. Then ask what problems the next hire will be expected to solve. Check every fact against the original source, because AI still invents details.

·      Interview rehearsal. Give it the job description and ask for the ten hardest questions a skeptical CEO or board member would ask. Answer out loud, then ask it where you were vague.

·      First drafts of routine messages. A thank-you note or a recruiter follow-up goes faster with a draft in hand. Rewrite it in your own voice before you hit send.

·      Negotiation prep. Model the offer, map out counteroffer scenarios, and rehearse the conversation before you have it.

WHAT TO KEEP OUT OF THE MACHINE'S "HANDS"

1.    Your story. Why you made the moves you made and what ties them together. That narrative sets you apart, and it has to sound like you.

2.    Your numbers. AI will round, inflate, or invent figures without hesitation. One wrong number that surfaces in a reference call or background check can end a candidacy.

3.    Your toughest answers. “Tell me about a decision you got wrong” is a question you should prepare for, or interviewers may hear a borrowed answer.

4.    Confidential information. Never paste board materials, deal terms, client names, or anything under NDA into a consumer AI tool. Discretion is part of what you are selling.

THREE PROMPTS TO TRY THIS WEEK

Each of these makes AI interview you instead of writing for you.

1.  Think like the hiring CEO. “Here is the job description for [role] at [company]. Act as the CEO filling this role. What three business problems must this person solve in the first year, and what evidence would convince you a candidate can solve them?”

2.  Find your generic bullets. “Here is my resume. Which bullets could any executive in my field have written? For each one, ask me a question that would draw out a detail only I could provide.”

3.  Face the skeptic. “I am interviewing with [company] for [role]. Ask me the five toughest questions a skeptical board member would ask, one at a time. After each answer, tell me what was vague or unconvincing.”

THE BOTTOM LINE

Use AI to prepare faster. Keep your story human.

If your resume or LinkedIn profile could belong to anyone in your field, let's talk. I pull out the specific moments that make an executive memorable, help my clients distill information, and decide which data points make the cut. Whether you need a new resume or a coach in your corner for the whole search, I am here to help.

Liz Handlin

Ultimate Resumes

512-431-6038

liz.handlin@ultimateresumes.com

SOURCES

·      Finding work with AI, OpenAI Economic Research (sample of 600,000+ conversations, May 2024 to July 2025)

·      New data on genAI use for finding and applying to jobs, Charter, November 2025

·      AI's Impact on Hiring in 2026, Resume Genius, July 2026

·      How Job Seekers Use AI to Research Employers, PerceptionX, May 2026

Liz

Executive Resume Writer & Career Coach

Need Help? Call me 512-431-6038 or lizhandlin@gmail.com