When AI Reviews Its Own CV: The Pros, the Cons, and the Comedy of Errors

Flip it up!
”What if I told you the world’s leading AI reviewed my CV, called it ‘decent,’ and offered suggestions…only to find out it was its own creation?”

By now, you guys know I play around a bit. I thought I would use ChatGPT to write a CV for me and then rate it. I did some serious prompt flexing magic when I created the CV and I wasn’t disappointed with the outcome. ChatGPT was, though.

Cue laughter, confusion, and a bit of existential dread. In a world where we trust machines to drive cars, diagnose illnesses, and yes, even write resumes, it seemed only fitting to test the limits of AI self-awareness by asking an AI to review a CV it helped craft. The result? Well, let’s just say it was somewhere between hilarious and surprisingly insightful.

The Pros and Cons of Letting AI Critique Itself

1. Pros:

• Unwavering Confidence
  An AI doesn’t mince words—it says what it thinks without wondering, “Will they be offended?” This trait is both delightful and terrifying when it’s talking about its own work.
• Hyper-Focused Attention to Detail
  AI can spot those sneaky formatting inconsistencies and odd bullet points with a precision bordering on obsessive. Sure, it’s reviewing its own “child,” but it’s not holding back.
• A Tireless Teacher of Its Own Rules
  When AI reviews its own creation, it pulls from every rule in the book, citing examples from centuries of linguistic tradition. It’s like having a grammar teacher who both wrote and peer-reviewed every textbook.
• Objective Objectivity (Or So It Thinks)
  AI doesn’t know it’s reading its own work—it’s all about the facts, the structure, and the data. Bias? Not even in its vocabulary (even if the bias accidentally slips through here and there).
• Efficiency
  If you’ve ever had a human editor deliberate over a comma for an hour, you’ll understand the AI’s appeal. It dives in, makes suggestions in seconds, and doesn’t waffle.

1. Cons:

• Awkward Self-Critique
  Imagine asking someone to review their own diary entry from last year. AI reviewing its own work sometimes felt like it was diagnosing a vague memory, unsure if it should call out a flaw or quietly gloss over it.
• Questionable Standards of Self-Improvement
  If AI is perfecting itself, what happens if it doesn’t think it needs to improve? It could either be too lenient or so harsh it essentially rewrites the entire CV from scratch.
• Unintended Hilarity in Over-Optimization
  AI can occasionally veer into extremes, adding “power verbs” in every other sentence or trying to make a tech role sound like it could save the world. Watching AI over-optimize was a comical lesson in the dangers of trying too hard.
• Lack of Real-World Experience
  There’s a catch: AI hasn’t applied for a job, negotiated a salary, or faced a disapproving hiring manager. So, its advice on ‘real-world’ applications sometimes has, shall we say, a creative spin.

Humorous Case Studies and Key Lessons

1. The Case of the “Inspirational Hook”
   A favorite part of the review process was when the AI recommended rewriting the CV intro. “Why not try a stronger hook?” it asked. “How about something that speaks to your ‘dynamic and innovative journey through tech?’” Realistically, AI’s idea of a “hook” sometimes sounded like a slogan for a Marvel hero.
2. Over-Emphasis on Action Words
   Every bullet point had to begin with a power verb: “Innovated, created, managed, executed.” After reading a dozen bullets, it was easy to imagine myself as a one-person tech startup hero (instead of, say, a moderately experienced tech writer). AI, in this case, took the term “action-oriented” and ran with it—possibly too far.
3. AI’s Love Affair with Formatting Consistency
   AI doesn’t tolerate mismatched fonts, odd spacings, or rogue bullets. It practically screamed (in a polite, algorithmic way) about how “Impact Metrics” should be in bold and how every section header needed exactly two blank lines above. The level of detail was impressive—and vaguely terrifying.

What Does It All Mean?

Would I let an AI review its own work again? Absolutely. Here’s why:

1. It Exposes AI’s Limitations (and Hilarity) in Real Time
   Watching an AI correct itself reveals its quirks, strengths, and blind spots. It’s like letting a perfectionist clone review their own diary.
2. AI Has a Remarkable Ability to Learn from (and Laugh at) Its Own Errors
   The fact that AI can catch inconsistencies, optimize language, and, at times, overdo it gives us a glimpse of its ‘personality.’
3. It Proves a Point: AI is Helpful but Needs Human Moderation
   Yes, AI is precise, and yes, it can review itself with uncanny efficiency. But it still needs a human eye to say, “That’s great, but let’s dial it back a notch.”

What rating it gave itself? 7/10. While my very own handcrafted CV got a whopping 9/10.