Artificial Intelligence and Résumé Critique Experiences

Where résumés are concerned, student supports tend to include tactical feedback that addresses issues in students’ writing and strategic feedback aimed at coaching critical self-reflection. However, there is not always time to cover all that could be offered by both kinds of feedback in a single résumé critique. Given demands on staff time, many career services administrators are considering opportunities to leverage artificial intelligence-based (AI) products that might offer tactical feedback and allow staff to focus on offering strategic feedback. In a field experiment, we explored how novice job seekers’ use of an AI-based résumé critique product influenced their subsequent face-to-face résumé critique experiences, especially the kinds of feedback offered and learning outcomes that resulted from this. As expected, the AI offered substantial tactical feedback and less strategic feedback. Students’ use of the AI did not result in greater opportunity for strategic feedback and associated learning outcomes. Rather, the AI rendered issues in students’ writing more salient. In turn, this invited more attention to tactical aspects and less attention to strategic aspects of students’ résumés.