7 Mistakes People Make Using AI for Resumes (And How to Fix Them)

AI-generated resumes can be excellent. Or they can be obviously AI-generated garbage that gets you rejected.

The difference is in how you use the tool.

Here are the seven most common mistakes people make—and how to fix each one.

Mistake 1: Generic Prompts Produce Generic Resumes

What people do:

Write me a resume for a marketing manager.

What they get: A resume that could describe any marketing manager on Earth. Nothing specific, nothing memorable, nothing that makes them stand out.

The fix: Include your actual details. The more context, the better the output.

Write a resume in Markdown for a B2B SaaS Marketing Manager with 6 years of experience.

My background:
- Current: Head of Demand Gen at Series B startup (2022-present)
- Key win: Reduced CAC from $450 to $180 while scaling pipeline 3x
- Previous: Marketing Manager at enterprise software company (2019-2022)
- Specialty: Paid acquisition, marketing automation, ABM

Target: VP Marketing role at mid-stage B2B company

Include specific metrics and achievements, not generic descriptions.

Rule: Your prompt should be longer than a tweet. Include real details, real numbers, real context.

Mistake 2: Trusting AI-Generated Numbers

What people do: Accept whatever metrics ChatGPT invents. "Increased revenue by 47%" sounds great—but did you actually do that?

The risk:

Interviewers will ask about these numbers
Background checks can verify claims
Lying on resumes has real consequences

The fix: Tell AI what your actual numbers are, or flag that you need estimates:

For metrics, only use these actual numbers I can verify:
- Reduced support tickets by 30%
- Managed $500K annual budget
- Team of 8 direct reports

For other achievements, describe the impact without inventing percentages.

Or add placeholders to fill in:

Add [INSERT METRIC] wherever a number would strengthen the bullet. I'll fill in real data.

Rule: Every number on your resume should be one you can explain and defend in an interview.

Mistake 3: Using AI Output Without Editing

What people do: Copy ChatGPT's output directly into their resume. No review, no editing, no personalization.

Why this fails:

AI doesn't know your full story
AI makes assumptions that may be wrong
AI uses the same phrases repeatedly
The result feels templated and generic

The fix: Treat AI output as a first draft, not a final product.

Editing checklist:

Spend 10 minutes editing. Your resume will go from "AI-generated" to "professionally written."

Rule: AI writes the first draft. You write the final version.

Mistake 4: Ignoring the Job Description

What people do: Generate a generic resume and send it to every job.

Why this fails: Modern job searching requires tailoring. ATS systems look for keyword matches. Recruiters scan for relevance. One resume for all jobs means optimal fit for none.

The fix: Always include the target job description in your prompt:

Here's my background:
[YOUR INFO]

Here's the job I'm applying for:
[PASTE JOB DESCRIPTION]

Create a resume that:
1. Naturally includes keywords from this job description
2. Emphasizes my most relevant experience for this specific role
3. Orders bullets so the most relevant achievements come first
4. Adjusts my summary to speak directly to what they're looking for

Rule: Never generate a resume without the target job description.

Mistake 5: Fighting with Formatting in Google Docs

What people do:

Get beautiful content from ChatGPT
Paste into Google Docs
Spend 2 hours making it look "professional"
End up with something mediocre
Export PDF that ATS may not be able to parse correctly

Why this wastes time: You're not a designer. Professional resume design takes skill. And many manually-formatted PDFs have inconsistencies that break ATS parsing.

The fix: Use a tool built for this. ResumeMD takes Markdown (which AI already outputs) and renders it with professional, ATS-optimized templates.

The workflow:

AI generates content in Markdown ✓
ResumeMD designs it ✓
You download professional PDF ✓

Time: 60 seconds vs. 2 hours.

Rule: Use the right tool for each job. AI writes. ResumeMD designs.

Mistake 6: Sounding Too "AI-Generated"

What people do: Accept AI's tendency toward certain phrases:

"Spearheaded cross-functional initiatives"
"Leveraged data-driven insights"
"Demonstrated expertise in..."
"Passionate about delivering results"

Why this fails: Recruiters read hundreds of resumes. They can smell AI-generated content. It all starts to sound the same.

The fix: Add this to your prompt:

Write in a professional but natural tone. Avoid these overused phrases:
- Spearheaded
- Leveraged
- Results-driven
- Passionate
- Cross-functional (unless describing something actually cross-functional)
- Demonstrated
- Best-in-class

Use simple, direct language. If you wouldn't say it in conversation, don't write it.

Or ask AI to critique itself:

Review this resume for phrases that sound AI-generated or clichéd. Rewrite them to sound more natural and specific.

[YOUR RESUME]

Rule: If a phrase could describe anyone, it describes no one. Be specific.

Mistake 7: Skipping the ATS Check

What people do: Create a resume and submit it without checking if ATS can read it.

Why this matters: Most resumes are filtered out by ATS before a human ever reads them. If your formatting is off, your content is invisible.

The fix: Test your resume:

Quick test:

Open your PDF
Press Cmd+F (or Ctrl+F)
Search for a word you know is there
If you can't find it, ATS can't either

Ask AI to check:

Review this resume for ATS compatibility:

[YOUR RESUME]

Check for:
1. Standard section headings (Experience, Education, Skills)
2. No tables, columns, or graphics that might break parsing
3. Keywords that match typical job descriptions for [YOUR ROLE]
4. Clean, simple formatting

Identify any issues.

Use ATS-optimized templates: ResumeMD templates are designed for ATS compatibility — single-column layouts, standard section headings, and clean text extraction in every PDF.

Rule: Always verify ATS compatibility before submitting.

The Right Way to Use AI for Resumes

Do:

Include detailed context in your prompts
Specify the target job description
Verify all claims and numbers
Edit the output (it's a draft, not final)
Ask for natural-sounding language
Test ATS compatibility
Use professional design tools (like ResumeMD)

Don't:

Use generic prompts
Trust AI-invented metrics
Skip editing
Send generic resumes to specific jobs
Waste hours formatting in Word/Docs
Accept clichéd phrases
Skip ATS testing

The Complete Workflow (Done Right)

Step 1: Detailed Prompt (2 min) Include your real background, real numbers, and target job description.

Step 2: Generate Draft (1 min) Let AI create the first version.

Step 3: Edit & Verify (5-10 min) Check facts, replace invented numbers, remove clichés, personalize.

Step 4: Tailor to Job (2 min) Ensure keywords match, relevant experience is highlighted.

Step 5: Design (1 min) Paste into ResumeMD, pick template, download PDF.

Step 6: Test (1 min) Verify ATS can read it.

Total time: 15-20 minutes for a professional, tailored, ATS-friendly resume.

AI Is a Tool, Not a Replacement

The best resumes come from:

AI's writing ability
Your actual experience
Your editing judgment
Professional design tools

AI handles the blank page problem. You handle the truth and personalization. ResumeMD handles the design.

Use each tool for what it's good at.

Ready to turn your AI content into a professional resume?

ResumeMD: Paste Markdown → Pick template → Download PDF

Your AI-written resume deserves professional design.

7 Mistakes People Make Using AI for Resumes (And How to Fix Them)