The Rise of AI-Generated Resumes… and a Recruiter’s Dilemma
A few months ago, I started noticing a pattern: a wave of eerily perfect CVs landed in my inbox. Clean formatting, laser-focused keywords, punchy summaries. It didn’t take long to realise I was looking at AI-Generated Resumes—and while they looked great on the surface, something still felt… off.
I’ve been knee-deep in crypto recruitment for years—since back when titles like “DeFi Strategist” or “Blockchain Evangelist” raised eyebrows outside of Twitter. And let me tell you, the shift hasn’t just been in the types of roles we’re filling, but how candidates are choosing to present themselves.
AI-generated resumes have exploded. Tools like ChatGPT, Rezi, and Resume.io are doing a solid job churning out clean, professional documents. And honestly, I get the appeal. Writing your own CV is painful. Especially in crypto, where job titles are fluid and your real experience doesn’t always fit into neat little bullet points.
However, when everyone uses AI, all those resumes start to sound the same.
So, what’s actually working in crypto hiring right now? Is the human touch still relevant—or are bots taking over?
Let’s break it down.
The AI Advantage: Clean, Clear, and Keyword-Rich
There’s no denying AI-generated resumes shine when it comes to structure and clarity. These tools know how to satisfy the needs of Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). They highlight the right skills, drop in just the right amount of industry buzzwords, and present everything in a beautifully organised format.
If you’re applying to a larger Web3 company or a crypto exchange with more formal HR processes, this can absolutely work in your favour. I’ve seen AI-generated resumes breeze through filters that would’ve otherwise chucked a more unconventional CV into the void.
For example, a Solidity developer I recently placed at a mid-sized DePIN project used ChatGPT to completely overhaul his resume. He fed in the job description and some rough notes from Notion, and out came a neatly structured CV that landed him five interviews in under a week.
That said, when he got to the interview stage, the hiring manager told him, “Your resume is slick—but your GitHub told us who you really are.”
In other words, in crypto—especially for devs and builders—your work still speaks louder than your words.
The Human Touch: Storytelling Still Matters
AI can do clean and polished. But what it can’t do—at least not convincingly—is tell your story.
Crypto is full of misfits, career switchers, and self-taught experts. I’ve interviewed ex-lawyers who now manage NFT communities, and economists who’ve pivoted to leading tokenomics teams. That journey? It matters.
A human-written resume brings personality. Maybe it’s not flawless. Maybe it has the odd rambling sentence. Nevertheless, when I read it and feel your passion—how you fell down the rabbit hole, or how you helped a DAO grow from 200 to 20,000 Discord members—it sticks.
I’ll never forget a candidate I nearly passed over for a governance role. Their AI-written CV made them sound like a corporate drone. But a line in their cover letter hinted at a deeper story. So I gave them a call. Turns out, they were a DAO OG who’d written some of the earliest Snapshot proposals for a now-top 50 token. None of that made it onto their resume.
Why? Because the AI didn’t think it sounded “professional enough.”
Unfortunately, this happens more than you’d think.
Crypto-Specific Resumes Need Context, Not Just Keywords
AI tools can handle general formatting, but they struggle with the nuances of crypto. If you’re applying for roles in DAOs, startups, or community-first projects, context is more valuable than compliance.
Let’s say you list “Community Manager at XYZ Protocol” on your resume. Sounds good. But what did you actually do? Did you grow a Telegram group from 1,000 to 50,000? Did you write governance proposals? Manage a token launch? Handle FUD when the price tanked?
These are the real-world contributions that hiring managers in crypto want to see. Unfortunately, most AI tools don’t dig deep enough to include them—unless you already know how to feed in hyper-specific prompts. And let’s be honest: most candidates don’t.
Additionally, crypto resumes often benefit from showing proof of work. GitHub links, Mirror posts, on-chain credentials, community forums, or even well-crafted Twitter threads can say more than a line of text on a CV.
As one founder bluntly put it at DevConnect: “We don’t want another guy who knows how to use Midjourney and calls himself a ‘brand builder.’ Show me the one who rallied 10,000 Discord members to vote on a real proposal.”
Best of Both Worlds: How to Actually Win With AI
So, am I saying you should ditch AI entirely? Not at all.
If you’re short on time, stuck on where to begin, or applying to a more traditional crypto company, AI can be a fantastic starting point. It’ll get you 70% of the way there.
However, here’s where most people drop the ball: they forget to add themselves back in.
Here’s a formula that’s worked well for candidates I’ve placed:
Step 1: Use AI to generate a clean, keyword-optimised base
Step 2: Go through and add crypto-specific impact—things like metrics, community growth, or hackathon wins
Step 3: Include a short, personal summary that sounds like you, not a LinkedIn robot
Step 4: Share links to your work—GitHub, Notion docs, forum posts, Mirror articles, you name it
Crucially, always ask someone in the space to glance over it. Whether it’s a mentor, a friend who’s hired in Web3, or even a recruiter, a quick review can help you strike the right balance.
Ultimately, crypto is a space that rewards transparency, initiative, and real contribution. Your resume should reflect that.
So… What Works in Crypto Right Now?
To wrap this up: AI-generated resumes can definitely help, but they shouldn’t be your only strategy.
In this space, where everyone’s path is a little unconventional, your story is part of what sets you apart. A resume that combines AI polish with human context and genuine passion is what makes hiring managers sit up and pay attention.
Yes, keep it readable. Yes, hit the right keywords. But never erase the person behind the paper.
Because in crypto, we’re not just hiring skillsets—we’re hiring stories.
