How Has AI Changed the Way Candidates Apply for Jobs?

AI has transformed the way candidates apply for jobs at a speed few expected. Job applications are faster, tools are more powerful, and candidates now have access to resources that felt unimaginable just a few years ago. But that shift has created an unintended side-effect: a widening gap between efficient applications and effective ones.

To understand what’s happening inside hiring teams, I spoke with Anna-Lena Glismann, Tea Lead of Talent Acquisition at momox, who has been watching candidate behaviour evolve rapidly over the past two years. Her verdict is straightforward:

AI is here to stay, but the way most candidates use it is doing more harm than good.

A Market Flooded With Applications… but Lower Quality

Across almost every hiring team, the pattern is the same: significantly higher application volume, noticeably lower quality.

Anna-Lena described receiving the same style one-page CV repeatedly, with only the name changed. This might seem exaggerated but when everyone is using the same LLMs, eventually they all start to become morphed from one and other. Many applicants are clearly using AI to generate a template and applying at speed to dozens of roles. The result is a wave of generic, misaligned CVs that make it harder for genuine candidates to stand out.

The challenge is not AI itself, but how it is used. Auto-apply tools and one-click submissions lead to candidates applying for roles they do not meet even the basic criteria for. Recruiters spot it instantly.

The Problem With AI-Generated CVs

AI has made CV writing easier, but also far more uniform. When you review a large volume of applications, AI-generated documents are obvious: identical structure, similar phrasing, and a tone that feels polished but personality-free.

As Anna-Lena put it, “They all become the same. You lose the parts that make you memorable.”

Despite this, AI can be highly valuable when used to sharpen your voice, not replace it. Candidates who stand out are those who use AI as a starting point, then add detail that signals intent, curiosity, and individuality. A short personal touch, a relevant anecdote, or something that subtly links your interests to the company’s world can make a real difference.

When Anna-Lena applied for her current role at momox (books and media space) she added a small line to her CV: “Books I own but haven’t read yet.” It was simple, honest and relevant and it made her memorable.

Where AI Helps and Where It Damages Your Chances

AI helps when it supports clarity: refining your profile summary, improving structure, or helping you articulate why you’re interested in a company. It also works well for drafting early versions of cover letters, reducing the pressure of starting from a blank page.

But it becomes harmful the moment it overrides judgement, for example when you send it without proof reading or cross referencing against the intended job role.

The more AI tools shape the application, the harder it becomes for recruiters to understand the real person behind it. This makes authenticity, your reasons for applying, your motivations and your story, more important than ever.

How Hiring Teams Are Responding

Recruiters are adapting just as quickly. Many companies are building internal guides to help hiring managers understand where AI fits into the process. Some teams are even testing candidates’ ability to use AI thoughtfully not to generate answers, but to refine their ideas.

One emerging shift is a rise in on-site interviews. This isn’t a return to old habits; it’s a response to uncertainty. When CVs and written answers are heavily shaped by AI, in-person conversations become the most reliable way to understand someone’s skills, communication style and intent.

How Candidates Should Use AI Today

The most successful candidates use AI deliberately. They use it to save time, not to skip the thinking. They keep their own language visible, and they make sure their application still reflects them.

Three principles matter most:

1. Do your research. AI can help polish a CV, but it cannot compensate for a lack of understanding of the company or the role. You still need to know what the job requires.

2. Keep your voice. Your motivation, your decisions, and the things that genuinely interest you should be written by you. AI should edit, not author.

3. Create touchpoints. In a world of mass applications, a short note, a thoughtful message, or a small detail that links you to the company helps you cut through the noise.

What to Expect in the Next 1–3 Years

AI will shape applications even more deeply, but not always in the ways people assume. Anna-Lena expects on-site interviews to increase further as companies look for more human verification of skills. Candidates will become more subtle in how they use AI abbreviating tools, editing prompts, and blending human and AI writing in ways that look less templated.

But the biggest shift will be in what company’s value. Technical skills remain necessary, but intent, motivation, and authenticity will become the differentiators. When everything else can be generated or polished by AI, the human elements rise in importance.

AI has made applying for jobs easier than ever but ease is not the same as impact. The candidates who succeed in this new landscape are not those who use the most tools, but those who use them thoughtfully.

Efficiency will get your application submitted.

Authenticity will get it read.

Clarity will get you to interview.

And the human connection will get you hired.

If you’re navigating a job market increasingly shaped by AI, having the right support matters more than ever. At Peritus Partners, we specialise in human-first recruitment, helping candidates stand out authentically and supporting companies to hire with clarity and intent. Whether you’re exploring your next move or building a high-performing team, we bring insight, care and expertise to every step. Learn more at Client Resources | Peritus Partners and explore how we can support you I'm Hiring | Peritus Partners