Hiring managers reveal telltale signs of AI-dependent job candidates: 'Buzzwords like 'leveraged cross-functional collaboration''

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Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
Jun 23, 2026 1:45 PM EDT

How do you write a cover letter? 

A lot of people are likely asking themselves (and Claude) that very question. These days, companies are opting for mass layoffs, outsourcing, and other desperate measures to stay afloat in this dismal economy, leaving many able-minded and able-bodied workers looking for jobs online. However, a lot of folks have either become dependent on AI to write their emails or never learned to use the critical thinking portion of their brains in the first place, and it's making hiring managers crazy. 

How many times can a hiring manager read the exact same AI-generated cover letter before losing their minds, too? Can anyone actually write or think for themselves anymore? Well, yes, obviously there are humans who don't rely on non-human aid to write a paragraph in the "About Me" section of their job application, but that kind of job applicant is becoming scarce. Apparently, too, there are some telltale signs of corner-cutting in the hiring world that are more obvious than you'd think, making a lot of job hunters think twice before they hit enter on their latest prompt. 

As it turns out, our little human flaws and our nuances are what make us prospective employees attractive to companies. It's not a "perfect" resume or a weirdly robotic buzzword response that makes people more hirable; it's their spirit, expertise, and their innate ability to actually get the job done. But how can a hiring manager see through the artificial intelligence? By scanning for natural intelligence, of course. 

There are a few obvious buzzwords that the chronically online folks have learned to spot, but can you catch the nuances of a clanker faker in the ranks of the legitimate? Probably not as well as these hiring managers from r/AskReddit…

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  • I just recently dusted off my own resume, and after 4 years of sitting on the shelf of my doc drive, it still looks like a human being made it. Why is that important? Well, there are so many robo scams and online bots applying for jobs and creating fake positions. Nowadays, the most important currency in the hiring market is your humanness. 

    Strangely, something we're all born with is the hardest thing to come by on LinkedIn and job-posting sites…

  • Cheezburger Image 10641284096
    via Getty Images (Georgijevic)

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • Hiring managers, what do modern applicants do differently that immediately tells you they're relying on AI?

  • NachoWindows During the video interview round, the person was wearing glasses and you could see the Al responses printing on the screen.
    via NachoWindows
  • They would pause after a question, sit in silence for a couple seconds, and then reply with a very wordy and detailed response right out of a textbook.
    via NachoWindows
  • ThelnfinitePymp The overly professional language is a de d giveaway, especially when you call to schedule an interview and it is like speaking to a toddler.
    via ThelnfinitePymp
  • helluvaresearcher Not a hiring manager but we're involved in the hiring process via panel interview. We had an applicant who was somewhat obviously using Al during the interview
    via helluvaresearcher
  • (kept looking offscreen). We could tell because they knew buzzwords on programs we use, but couldn't elaborate on what they exactly did with those when asked.
    via helluvaresearcher
  • Cheezburger Image 10641283840
    via Getty Images (Georgijevic)

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • Guilty-Speaker-7731 mine's always got that weirdly formal opening line
    via Guilty-Speaker-7731
  • xtreampb I like to ask for people's opinions. I've hired for a lot of software and DevOps engineering roles. I'm looking for passion and conviction in their answers, not technical knowledge.
    via xtreampb
  • Soggy_Caterpillar794 got a cover letter last week that thanked me for "the opportunity to contribute to your esteemed organization." we're a dog grooming salon with 4 employees
    via Soggy_Caterpillar794
  • Glittering Gene8012 The biggest giveaway isn't perfect grammar, it's how generic everything feels. I keep seeing resumes and cover letters full of buzzwords like
    via Glittering Gene8012
  • "passionate," "results- driven," and "leveraged cross-functional collaboration," but they don't actually say anything specific. Then in interviews, the person can't explain half of what's written.
    via Glittering Gene8012
  • The applicants who stand out usually mention concrete achievements, mistakes they learned from, or projects with real details.
    via Glittering Gene8012
  • NeasaV Not hiring manager, but we did get a resume recently from an older guy... It literally had a sentence left in that was obviously an Al prompt. Something like "now make it more..."
    via NeasaV
  • QuiEgo People taking lots of awkward pauses before replying.
    via QuiEgo
  • I think long term, especially as these things get faster and better, we're going to have to go back to flying people in for interviews and end remote interviews. It's just too tempting.
    via QuiEgo
  • ReplacementStill9722 Almost 90% of the cover letters I receive these days start with "I'm excited to apply for...." Stop!! Write your own d in cover letter. It's not hard. You will get bonus points from me if you do!
    via ReplacementStill9722

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