I use AI as a “hostile translation layer”. Not for creativity, not because I can’t write, but because I’m sick of losing time to the ATS black hole.

I use it in three main ways:

I paste the job description in and have AI extract the actual hard requirements vs fluff, then I map my experience bullets to those exact terms (only where true). It’s basically controlled mirroring so I’m not losing on synonyms. If they say “stakeholder management” and I wrote “partner alignment,” AI helps me normalize language without rewriting my whole career into keyword stuffing garbage.

I also use it to generate resume variants fast. Same accomplishments, different surface vocabulary depending on the posting. The point is speed: if a role is likely a ghost job, I’m not spending an hour polishing prose just to get auto-filtered by Workday.

Then outreach: AI helps me draft short messages that are specific but not performative—one concrete reason I’m relevant, one question that forces proof-of-life (“is this an active headcount?”) without sounding like I’m begging. Because if there’s no human behind it, I want to find out early.

People keep saying “tailor your resume” like it’s some wholesome craft. It’s not. It’s translation for an automated bouncer that doesn’t care who you are.