Improving Student Resumes: Evaluating the Effectiveness of the AI-Assisted Wisedoc Platform

Resume quality is a critical factor in students’ transition into the workforce, yet many struggle to create documents aligned with employer expectations and validated competency frameworks. At the same time, most large organizations now rely on artificial intelligence (AI)-driven applicant tracking systems (ATS) to screen resumes. Because these systems filter applications before a human reviews them, resumes that are poorly formatted, lack keywords, or fail to highlight relevant competencies are often rejected automatically. This creates a barrier for students who may have the skills employers seek but lack the resume-writing expertise to communicate them effectively. This study investigates whether using the AI-based Wisedoc platform enhances resume quality when evaluated against the National Association of Colleges and Employers’ (NACE) eight career readiness competencies. To address the lack of standardized measures for resume quality in prior research, a rubric was developed from the career readiness literature to operationalize how resumes reflect the NACE competencies, allowing subject matter experts (SMEs) to evaluate them in a consistent, competency-based manner directly tied to the skills employers identify as essential for workforce success. Participants will include undergraduate students who voluntarily submit resumes through university-sponsored career services. Each resume will be scored by Wisedoc’s AI engine and reviewed by SMEs using the NACE rubric. Students will then revise their resumes using Wisedoc’s feedback on formatting, grammar, and keyword optimization. Final resumes will then be scored by both AI and SMEs, and students will complete a survey on resume confidence and perceived career readiness. It is hypothesized that resumes revised with Wisedoc will show significant improvements in both AI scores and SME ratings of NACE competencies, particularly in communication, professionalism, and career/self-development. Findings will demonstrate the impact of AI resume tools on students' expression of knowledge and skill gains in their resumes, complementing human coaching in career services. The study contributes to research on AI in business communication and provides practical guidance for preparing students to navigate AI-mediated hiring systems.