Graduates should stop relying on chatbots to write their CVs and apply the \u201cold-fashioned\u201d way, if they want to get a job in professional services, the boss of Grant Thornton UK has said.<\/p>\n
Malcolm Gomersall, chief executive of the accounting giant, said an increase in AI-written applications was making it harder to assess candidates, especially for more junior roles. <\/p>\n
He said: \u201cWe\u2019re getting many more applicants per role because it\u2019s possible to use tech to generate hundreds of applications really quickly.<\/p>\n
\u201cFactually, it is possible to use AI to make a CV look perfect. You have to spend a lot of time\u2026 working out whether you\u2019re recruiting the skills that are on the CV that AI has generated and whether you\u2019re really recruiting the skills that you want.\u201d <\/p>\n
As a result, the firm has tightened its controls when recruiting. It is closing job ads earlier and capping the volume of applicants. Grant Thornton itself uses a \u201cpart AI and part human\u201d process to filter out \u201cwhat is AI and what is real in terms of CVs\u201d, Gomersall said. <\/p>\n
This helped reduce the number of applicants from about 60 per graduate role to about 39. The firm does not entirely discourage the use of AI during the hiring process, but provides guidance on how to use it \u201cresponsibly\u201d.<\/p>\n
Gomersall added: \u201cI would encourage [graduates] to do the old-fashioned thing and actually apply to a smaller number of roles that you really care about.\u201d<\/p>\n
His comments come amid growing worries over the shrinking number of graduate jobs in traditional white-collar sectors such as accounting, consulting and law. <\/p>\n
Many of the biggest firms in these sectors have cut back on graduate hiring, blaming a combination of AI<\/a> and, in some cases, a slowdown in demand for consulting services. <\/p>\n According to the Institute of Student Employers (ISE), a non-profit body, there were 8 per cent fewer graduate jobs available in 2025 than the prior year. A further 7 per cent drop is expected this year. <\/p>\n Malcolm Gomersall, chief executive of Grant Thornton<\/p>\n![\"Malcolm](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/\/c1f8871b-d04f-4baf-9388-5cfb865f6ed1.jpg\")
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