Job seekers who had algorithmic assistance in writing their resume received 7.8% more job offers than those with no help. In order of frequency, applicants’ primary job categories were design and creative, writing, administrative support, and software development.

The researchers studied 480,948 job seekers who first signed on to the marketplace between June 8 and July 14, 2021. To examine how the quality of writing on a resume affects hiring, the researchers studied new users participating in a global online labor market for contract work. The results were summarized in a working paper titled “ Algorithmic Writing Assistance on Jobseekers’ Resumes Increases Hires ,” which was co-authored by MIT Sloan PhD student Zanele Munyikwa and MIT Sloan professor John J. “The takeaway is that employers actually care about the writing in the resume - it’s not just a correlation.” That means that AI assistance can be a useful tool for those hoping to get hired, she said.

“If you take two identical workers with the same skills and background, the one with the better-written resume is more likely to get hired,” van Inwegen said.

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