Whitney Ortiz, certified professional and executive resume writer and DoD training and development manager at Recruit Military, joined MyComputerCareer’s Get Into IT Live to tackle a question most job seekers hate asking: why am I not getting the job?
For a growing number of candidates, the answer starts with how they build their resume.
The AI Resume Problem
According to multiple sources Whitney cited, hiring managers are rejecting AI-generated resumes at rates between 57 and 80%.
“The AI resume says a lot of stuff, but it’s not saying anything at all,” Whitney said. “It might look good, but it doesn’t make sense to the reader.”
The tells are easy to spot if you know where to look. Em dashes, blue text labels, a dump of 50 categorized skills at the top, and paragraphs that sound impressive but don’t say anything specific. Hiring managers see these patterns daily and move on fast.
Use AI as a Springboard, Not a Ghostwriter
Whitney isn’t anti-AI. She recommends using it to brainstorm, test different ways of wording your experience, or restructure a resume for a career change. The key is treating it as a starting point, not a finished product.
“We still need to go in and make sure it’s in our voice,” she said. “If we’re sitting in an interview and you don’t sound like your resume, that’s a red flag.”
She also suggested flipping the script. Prompt AI to act as a hiring manager. Give it your resume and the job description and ask what stands out, what’s missing, and what raises concerns. Her words: “Game the system.”
The Page Fold Test
For career changers (a big chunk of MyComputerCareer’s student body), Whitney shared a dead-simple gut check. Print your resume, fold it in half hamburger-style, and look at the top section. Does that half of page one clearly communicate your value for the role you’re targeting?
If your certifications, technical skills, and strongest qualifications live on page two, that’s likely why you’re not hearing back. Pull them up on the doc.
Whitney also recommended the combination resume (sometimes called a skills-based resume) for anyone whose job titles don’t translate to a new field. Lead with skill categories and supporting examples instead of a chronological job history.
Networking Still Wins
Even with AI running both sides of the hiring process, Whitney kept driving one point home: human connection.
“I might see 500 resumes a year, but if I’ve talked to a person about their resume, I’m going to remember them,” she said. “A conversation changes everything.”
Her advice: get to career fairs, connect on LinkedIn, stop being a stranger. Name recognition can be the reason your resume gets a second look when AI filters miss you.
One Thing to Do Today
Whitney’s final takeaway was simple. Know your target. Think about a dartboard with a single bullseye. Your resume, your LinkedIn, your interview prep should all aim at the same spot. If you’re applying to different types of roles, build separate versions. Don’t try to make one document accomplish everything.
Watch the full Get Into IT Live conversation with Whitney below.
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