Inquiry Post 4: Reflection and Portfolio
Looking back on this inquiry project, it started off with a simple project pitch: What AI tools could improve resumes. As a computer science student, it felt like a practical problem to solve as I step into learning more about the professional workplace and job application process. As the project developed, it became a lot less about testing and analyzing different AI tools and more about how AI actually fits into the process of presenting yourself professionally and learning about the hiring process as a whole.
Perspectives and Overview
A big part of that shift came from the experimentation phase. When we were doing our ChatGPT vs Google Gemini vs Microsoft Copilot comparisons, it was clear that all of them could improve clarity and structure. They all had different outputs and comparing the results, there were many areas that one tool performed much better than other. Through this process, we also learned about the inacurracy and over-optimization that generative AI delivers. The tools were good at making things sound more “professional,” but sometimes at the cost of sounding less personable and unique to the experience. That’s something we go into more detail on in the AI Resume Guide page, where the focus is less on the tools themselves and more on how to actually use them properly and which prompts/structure to properly follow.
Another turning point was bringing in an industry perspective. I reflected on this conversation in an earlier inquiry post. To summarize, what stood out to me was how much emphasis was placed on fit, authenticity, and how clearly you communicate your experience. This reframed much of my thinking about resumes. It’s not just about making something sound impressive, it’s about making it understandable and relevant to the person reading it. This idea also connects directly to the Tool Comparison page, where we highlight how different models can either help or hurt that clarity depending on how they’re used. Extending past our inquiry, this conversation also gave me lots of insight on how the hiring process is conducted, and that staying true to yourself through explaining your story and experiences play a large role in being a hirable candidate.
The LaTeX portion of the project added another layer to this. Clean formatting can make a resume easier to read and more professional, but it doesn’t fix weak content. That separation between presentation and substance became a consistent theme across the whole inquiry.
Overall, the biggest change in my perspective is how I now see AI in this space. At the start, I viewed it as a tool to optimize and improve outcomes and specifically resumes. This inquiry has shown me that AI tools can cater/tweak a resume to fit a particular role and description, and that the accuracy of how it is delivered is an extremely important aspect of the curation of resume building. The responsibility still sits with the user to make sure everything is accurate, intentional, and actually reflective of their experience. This ultimately all ties back to the idea of digital literacy and the ability to critically reflect and utilize this technology, and knowing the bounds and limitations, is an important skill and competency to understand. That’s something that applies way beyond this project, especially as these tools become more common in both academic and professional environments.
Summative Assessment – Digital Portfolio
Through this process, we have developed a digital portfolio site that goes through the processes of testing and evaluating AI models and show other like-minded students or new professionals a guide on practical resume building using AI. The site includes a brief overview that covers the sources and academic references to our inquiry research topic as well as step-by-step instructions that anyone can follow along to understand more about the workflow and process. This source also cites much of what we uncovered in our unique conversation with an industry professional, and how it ties in to the professional workplace, hiring, and AI limitations. We hope this resource proves to be a reliable source in those wanting to learn more about using AI in a professional and academic setting, as well as the importance of understanding AI’s unique sets of tools and capabilities.
Click the link below to see our summative assessment on our inquiry project!