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Using ChatGPT to write resumes and cover letters

Job hunting can feel like a job of its own, which is why some are using ChatGPT to write resumes and cover letters. Learn how AI can make the process of creating these documents easier as well as its limitations.

ChatGPT has become a popular choice for all kinds of content creation . Here’s what you need to know about using ChatGPT for your resume or cover letter.

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Should I use AI in my job search?

The process of searching for a new job is rarely easy. Not only are you constantly checking job boards to find positions that both interest you and fit your skillset, but you’re also updating your resume and cover letter with every new application and editing these documents to suit each potential employer.

Using AI like ChatGPT for your job search can help you if you’re truly stumped for how to express your thoughts. Of course, it isn’t foolproof, either. Because this technology is so new, its output won’t be entirely accurate, and is no substitution for putting in the work yourself. The AI does the best it can with the information it’s given, which means it’s up to the job seeker to be both specific and accurate when inputting prompts, and to make any necessary adjustments to achieve a specific result.

If you plan to use ChatGPT for resume writing or crafting a cover letter, make sure you have a solid understanding of how to write both documents. After all, they’re a potential employer’s first impression of you; if you’re not well-represented because you relied on AI instead of your own skills, you’re not likely to get the job. ChatGPT can be useful for helping you come up with new ways to talk about your relevant skills and experience, but your personal touch is what will really make your resume and cover letter stand out.

Tips for writing a resume and cover letter

Whether you’re editing existing documents or starting from scratch, here are some tips to make sure that your resume and cover letter can help you make a good first impression.

• Use simple, professional formatting. Use a template to ensure that you’re delivering something that makes you look your best and is easy to read.
• Less is more. A busy resume can feel overwhelming for a recruiter. Show results where you can and leave off any unnecessary details.
• Proofread. Even if you’re using ChatGPT to help you with your job search, you’ll still need to look over the results to not only make sure that the content is accurate, but that it’s grammatically correct and sounds like you.
• Insert yourself. Make sure that your resume and cover letter are representative of you and not a chatbot. Your own personality should shine through, even if you’ve used AI to help you put things together.

At the end of the day, recruiters want to learn about you and whether you’re a good fit for a job. The best way for you share that information with them is with a well-written cover letter and a resume that’s easy to read .

What are the drawbacks of using ChatGPT to write a resume or cover letter?

Leveraging AI like ChatGPT to write your resume or cover letter does have a few pitfalls:

• This AI is very new technology and is certainly not foolproof. It’s constantly being tested and adjusted due to its newness.
• It may accidentally generate inaccurate statements due to its limited knowledge of the world after 2021.
• If you’re not proofreading carefully, you may gloss over some major errors. ChatGPT may generate content that is biased or harmful and it’s on you to catch those statements and not use them in your resume or cover letter. The AI may also repeat information between sections of a generated resume.
• The AI works with the information it’s given. The quality of the output depends entirely on the quality of the input.
• If you’re not specific enough when entering your prompts, you will get vague, generalized output. Similarly, if your prompt is poorly formatted, the AI may not understand what you’re asking for.
• ChatGPT may embellish some of your accomplishments. While it may be tempting to leave these in place, it’s never a good idea to lie about what you have and have not done.

This AI is not a replacement for doing the actual work yourself, but it can be a useful tool during the process of looking for a new job. Only you can truly know what you’ve achieved through your work and life experiences, and you’re the one who is best suited to crafting any type of resume or cover letter.

Entering resume and cover letter prompts into ChatGPT

The goal of using ChatGPT to write your resume or cover letter is to lessen the stress of creating these documents. But that doesn’t mean you’re off the hook. You still must give the AI very clear instructions about what you want it to generate.

Prompts for using AI to write a resume

You can use AI to review an existing resume and provide feedback or tailor your resume to a specific posting. Make sure you ask very clear questions about what you’re looking for, as well as providing very clear guidance to the AI about what its role is. In both scenarios you’ll need to include your resume in its entirety, but if you’re looking for tailored edits, you should also include the job posting.

Prompts for these scenarios might look like:

• I am going to provide my resume and want you to act as a reviewer and provide feedback on it. How can I make it more readable? Are there any action verbs I should use? Am I using too many buzzwords?
• I will provide you with a job description for a position I am applying for. Understand the key points and requirements for this role and summarize them. Then review my resume and provide feedback on how to tailor it for this job.

These might seem overly specific but if you’re not specific enough, you won’t get the response you’re looking for.

Prompts for using AI to write a cover letter

When using ChatGPT to work on your cover letter for a specific job, you’ll need to provide:

• Your resume
• The job description of the role you’re interested in
• Information about what kind of tone you’d prefer

You can also ask the AI to review your cover letter for readability and help you get through a bout of writer’s block.

Prompts for these sorts of asks might look like:

• Write a cover letter for a [position] role at [Company] in a professional tone. Use my resume and the job description as a reference.
• I want you to review my cover letter for readability and relevance to a job post. I will share the job post as a reference. Tailor my cover letter for the job referenced in the post and adjust wording to make it more relevant.

These prompts may feel awkward to write, almost as though you’re explaining something to a small child. But the clearer and more specific you are, the more pleased you’re likely to be with the results.

While AI like ChatGPT is making some waves on the tech scene, it doesn’t totally replace human writing and editing skills, especially when it comes to resumes and cover letters. It certainly has value but comes with a few caveats. Use ChatGPT with caution, and don’t forget to keep an eye out for grammatical errors .

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Home » How to Use ChatGPT to Write Resume: Step-by-Step Guide [2024]

How to Use ChatGPT to Write Resume: Step-by-Step Guide [2024]

ChatGPT is the new buzz everyone’s talking about. One use case of this tool is to write resumes.

With the right methods and techniques, ChatGPT can help you build a perfect resume, depending on the job you’re applying for. But it’s not just generating AI content, copy-pasting it in your resume, and submitting it. It’s a lot more than that.

In this article, you’ll discover the benefits of using ChatGPT for resume writing, how to use it the right way, and the limitations of the whole process.

The Benefits of Using ChatGPT for Resume Writing

How to use chatgpt as a resume builder, tips for effectively utilizing chatgpt for resume writing, what are the limitations of using chatgpt for resume writing, wrapping up, #1. follows best resume writing practices.

When asked to act like an expert, ChatGPT follows the best practices for writing a professional resume. You can use it to learn and improve your resume writing skills.

For instance, when we asked ChatGPT to rewrite the achievements section content, it changed paragraphs to bullet points and led each bullet point with an action verb.

Why did it do so?

Resume experts suggest using an “action verb” when describing your achievements as a good practice. Likewise, ChatGPT includes necessary, quantitative information highlighting your experience and skill set. Eventually, helping you write professional resumes from scratch.

#2. Saves Time

When you’re on a job hunt, time is of utmost importance. So is having a tailored resume that fits the job description. However, writing a resume from scratch is intimidating and time-consuming.

Let’s not forget those innumerable modifications every time you apply to a new job opening. 

ChatGPT helps create professional-looking resumes within minutes. Its powerful algorithms are excellent at weaving words and providing suggestions to align your resume with the job role.

All it asks is to input the job description, add relevant information, and let AI do the heavy lifting. 

#3. Tunes Your Resume to the Opportunity

ChatGPT provides tailored resumes specific to the job description. The AI extracts relevant keywords and content from the job description you provide as input. It then crawls its vast directory to adjust the response based on the specifics of a new role.

So rather than making 100s of tweaks to your generic resume template, you can get a custom-made, highly targeted resume quickly and easily.

#4. Get Feedback to Improve Your Resume

When it comes to resumes, ChatGPT can critique everything: your writing style, grammar errors, job-specificity, and more. It’s a great AI-powered tool to get feedback and improve your resume. 

#5. ATS Friendly Writing

Over 99% of Fortune 500 companies use the Application Tracking System (ATS) regularly in their hiring process. The system is in place to scan resumes for keywords and details fitting the job description and then shortlist the most deserving candidates for the next hiring round. 

Luckily, ChatGPT can easily modify resumes for different industries, positions, and experience levels. Based on the JD, the AI adds relevant keywords to the response, ensuring that your resume can easily ethically bypass application tracking systems, of course.

However, it’s a good practice to review ChatGPT-generated content for blunders. AI is fast but not perfect. 

With the recent ChatGPT update, there are two ways to use ChatGPT to build a resume:

• Converse normally with ChatGPT and build a resume step-by-step.
• Use GPT to build a resume (only available for ChatGPT Plus or Team subscribers).

Let’s start with the first method.

👀 Note: We’re using Team-GPT to do Method 1.

Method 1. Have Normal Conversation with ChatGPT to Build a Resume

For this method, we are taking an example of a candidate looking for a s oftware engineering role in a fintech startup .

Here’s the chat link: https://chat.team-gpt.com/public/tanish/65bc606ebccdd230959c7c03   

Step 1. Define Your Career Objective

Defining career objectives isn’t just about telling ChatGPT what job you’re looking for; it’s more than that. 

You must provide AI with information like the specific industry you’re job hunting in, the type of company you want to work at (startup, scaleup, mid or large companies), and job role nuances.

When ChatGPT has all this information, it can give you a precise, relevant output.

Here’s how to approach this step:

• Be specific about the role you’re looking for. Instead of telling ChatGPT, ‘I want a job in tech,’ specify the exact designation, ‘I am looking for a role as a software engineer.’
• Mention the industry you want a job in. A software engineer in the e-commerce industry will require a different skill set than a software engineer in a fintech company.
• Mention the type of company you want to work at (startups, scaleups, enterprises) and mention any other special requirements you might be looking for.

Goal: I am looking for a mid-level software engineering position focusing on back-end development at a fintech startup. Help me construct a resume that highlights my relevant skills and experiences for this specific role.

Context: I have experience with Python and Ruby on Rails and have worked in agile development teams. 

What ChatGPT has given me, for now, is a template with my skills explained.

Let’s move on to the next step.

Step 2. Detail Your Professional Background

After defining your career objectives, educating ChatGPT about your background must be your next step.

What does this involve?

A deep dive into your skills, experience, and educational background. This will give ChatGPT a clear understanding of the relevance between the job you’re looking for and your past experience.

Here’s how to do it:

• Start by listing the skills that are most relevant to the job you’re looking for. For a software engineering role, highlight your technical abilities (programming languages, tech stack, etc) and soft skills.
• Share specifics about your professional journey so far, the projects you’ve worked on, companies you’ve worked with, challenges you faced, and more.
• Tell ChatGPT about your educational background and highlight all the achievements you have so far.

Following my goal to secure a mid-level back-end software engineering position at a fintech startup, I need advice on presenting my professional background. 

Context: I have 5 years of experience with Python and Ruby on Rails and a Bachelor’s in Computer Science. I have played a pivotal role in a cross-functional team developing a payment processing application that increases company revenue by 20%. 

Goal: How should I structure these details in my resume to highlight my suitability for the role I’m targeting?

ChatGPT has now refined the resume and made it more personalized.

Step 3. Organize Resume Structure and Content

The structure and content of your resume are crucial for making a strong first impression. It must be intuitive and highlight your strengths in a way that aligns with your job target. 

For a role in a specific sector, like a fintech startup, understanding how to present your information can significantly impact the reader’s perception.

Here are the things you must do when finalizing your resume structure and content:

• Choose between chronological, functional, or a combination resume format based on what best showcases your experiences in relation to the fintech software engineering role you’re targeting.
• Your summary statement is the first thing a recruiter will see and read. Ensure you hook the recruiter right from the start. In this case, your summary statement must resonate with the fintech sector’s needs, emphasizing your relevant skills and experiences.
• Determine what order of sections (skills, work experience, education, projects, etc.) looks best.
• Reflect on the job description and the conversation about your background. Use this to infuse your resume with keywords and phrases that are relevant to the job and industry, ensuring it passes through Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and catches the recruiter’s eye.

Based on my goal to land a mid-level back-end software engineering role in a fintech startup, and considering my 5 years of experience with Python and Ruby on Rails, plus my involvement in a significant project that boosted company revenue – how should I structure my resume? 

Specifically, how can I craft a compelling summary that highlights my expertise in fintech, and in what order should I arrange the sections to showcase my relevant skills and experiences best?

Step 4. Final Touches and Reviews

The process of refining the resume is complete. You can now export this resume and fill in all the personal information.

We’d suggest you read your resume word by word and edit it wherever you feel a human touch is required.

Submitting an AI-generated resume without reviewing it won’t get you through round one.

Method 2. Leverage GPT

👀 Note: This method is only for people subscribed to ChatGPT Plus or Teams plans.

ChatGPT has launched a store that has several GPTs in it . 

What are GPTs?

GPTs are smaller and more personalized versions of ChatGPT that ChatGPT users have trained to do very specific tasks like building resumes, learning how to cook, how to write short-form posts, and more.

You can either train a GPT on your own or use GPTs from the store that OpenAI has integrated with ChatGPT Plus and the Team interface.

To get started, you can just search for the term ‘resume’ in the top search bar and click on the GPT you want to use.

Once you click on the GPT you want to use, you see an interface similar to ChatGPT, but it will give you short pre-built prompts to get the ball rolling.

You can also write a custom prompt in the Message box, but for this example, let’s use a preexisting prompt.

I clicked on ‘Build Your Dream Resume Now.’

The GPT requested us to upload the current resume for it to analyze, so we did that.

ChatGPT analyzed the resume and then moved on to give tips for making the resume better.

It then followed up with a question: Would you like to try improving a specific section based on these suggestions, or would you prefer more detailed advice on a particular part of your resume?

The good thing about using GPT for resume-building is that it asks you questions that are needed to build a personalized, stunning resume.

Here are some tips for using ChatGPT effectively in helping you write resumes. 👇

Tip #1. Write a Great Summary

Being specific will generate better responses for you. Make sure your prompts are specific to the job role and carry impressive details about you. Highlight your skills, achievements, and other notable mentions to add weight to your resume. 

Here’s a prompt by Rob Wilson , author at Wall Street Journal, that helped him generate an impressive resume:

“Write a resume for me. I am the co-author of the first best-selling book on conversational AI, Age of Invisible Machines. I’m also the CEO and co-founder of OneReach.ai and the owner of UX Magazine. Previously, I founded EffectiveUI, one of the world’s first user-centered design agencies, which was acquired by Ogilvy/WPP. Before working in design and technology, I was a sound editor for Warner Bros.”

Tip #2. Use Role Play to Your Advantage

Ask ChatGPT to act as a recruiter or resume reviewer. This way, you train the AI to synthesize information the right way. As a result, you get detailed-oriented feedback as if coming from the experts themselves.

I want you to act as a resume expert. I’m uploading my resume with the job description, and I want your feedback on improving my resume for this particular job. Include feedback on the following points:

• What sections should I add/remove from my resume?
• How do I make my resume easy to read and scan?
• What kind of action verbs should I choose?
• Any grammatical mistakes or bad sentence fragments you can identify?

Tip #3. Use AI as an Enhancer, Not a Writer

ChatGPT can help update and modify the content in your resume so that it aligns with the job description. It can further enhance the content for better readability, consciousness, and impactfulness. 

But remember, writing complete resumes with ChatGPT and submitting them to the recruiter is against the ethics and also low-quality work. AI just can’t match human-resume writing quality as it lacks emotions and the touch of personalization and styling humans bring to the table.

I need your help modifying the experience section in my resume and aligning it with a job description. I’m providing the resume content and pasting the JD below:

Here’s the Experience section I wrote: [insert experience section from your resume]

And here’s the job ad I’m applying for: [insert job description]

Chat link: https://chat.team-gpt.com/public/tanish/65c050c2aa549cae93d5918c  

Tip #4. Always Double-Check GPT Generated Content and Suggestions

No matter how optimized your prompts are, it’s important to review and edit AI-generated responses. It’s normal for ChatGPT to hallucinate and make up things on its own, leading to incorrect information.

To prevent this from happening, leverage AI only for generating the first draft. And then edit them with personal expertise. If things go as planned, the end results can make the recruiters happy.

#1. Limited Word Input Capacity

ChatGPT has an upper limit of 2048 characters , around 300-450 words per input. Anything after that gets truncated. The problem arises for industries like social media, legal, and ed-tech, where the length of a job description can be 750 words .

This creates a significant challenge if you’re looking to personalize resumes based on the job description. Of course, you can identify and input the key details in your prompt, but that’s another task in your bucket. 

#2. Lacks Human Touch

When compared to AI, humans are any day better at sounding like humans. Even though ChatGPT is good at following the best practices for resume writing, it’s still crucial to cross-check the information AI gives for accuracy. 

Meanwhile, make sure you edit the AI content to sound as if a human wrote it. Since there’s a boom in AI-generated resumes, companies have started using AI detectors as an add-on to their Application Tracking Systems (ATS).

#3. ChatGPT Has Its Own Biases

ChatGPT is not an independent thinker. In fact, not even a thinker. 

ChatGPT responses revolve around the data it is trained upon. Sometimes, the response may unintentionally reinforce gender stereotypes. 

This raises concerns about potential bias or subjective content when using AI for resume writing.

Even ChatGPT feels this way:

That’s why it’s essential to review and modify generated content for fair and unbiased language. 

#4. Frequent Hallucinations

ChatGPT is trained on limited data. However, it’s stretched to unexpected use cases. Eventually, the AI hallucinates to generate a response to your query.

For instance, when ChatGPT is used for writing resumes, you’d find AI assuming things that are far from reality. This also increases the risk of sharing flawed information with recruiters. 

Hence, it’s recommended that you fact-check ChatGPT’s content before you submit your resume to the recruiters.

Using AI to write and edit resumes is an effective practice everyone should leverage. It fastens your resume writing process and gives you feedback on your existing resume. What’s more,  use it to draft a resume template based on the job description.

But where AI can be a boon, using it blindly can backfire badly. Remember to always review any information AI gives you and edit the resume for personalization.

With the right balance between AI and human expertise, it’s possible to build a resume recruiters would love.

About the author

Iliya Valchanov

I teach data science and AI to 1.2M students on Udemy. I'm co-founder of 365 Data Science, 3veta, and Team-GPT. My work is mostly focused on helping people and organizations adopt AI.

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How To Use ChatGPT To Write a Resume: The Full ChatGPT Resume Guide

Writing a resume can be daunting, particularly for those with varying skill sets; not everyone finds it easy to translate their achievements into written words. This only gets harder when you’re writing a resume for a new career and aren’t sure how to stand out.

Fortunately, this is one area where emerging artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT are a big help. 

Is it cheating? No! Just as we use software to check spelling and grammar, AI tools serve a similar purpose, if a bit more advanced. These tools can highlight your strengths and make your resume pop. 

But the key to getting it right is using the tool in such a way that you can lean into its strengths. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll look at how you can use AI to craft an impressive ChatGPT resume that will increase your chances of landing that dream job.

We’ll cover:

• Should you use AI to write a resume?

Step 1: Determine your aims and target audience

Step 2: identify the key sections of your resume, step 3: craft nuanced prompts, step 4: refine and review outputs, step 5: engage chatgpt in dialogue, step 6: compile your chatgpt resume, step 7: tailor your chatgpt resume for each application, step 8: final amends.

• Key takeaways

Ready to explore the world of AI-assisted ChatGPT resume writing? Let’s dive in.

1. Should you use AI to write a resume?

The idea of using AI to craft a resume might sound futuristic, but it’s a practice that’s gaining traction for several good reasons. 

First of all, this new technology makes the possibility of AI-assisted resume writing possible in the first place. But “assistance” is the keyword here—despite the hype, ChatGPT is not a magic bullet that will generate a perfect resume with a single command.

Instead, you’ll need to learn how to use the tool in a way that saves time and effort while ensuring you still contribute to creating a carefully crafted document.

Here are a few benefits of using AI in resume writing:

• Customization: If you have an existing resume that’s more or less ready to go, ChatGPT can help you tailor it for different job roles. For example, by creating a prompt that includes an existing resume with text from a new job ad, ChatGPT can recommend how best to highlight your suitability for the new position.
• Writing support: Writing not your strong suit? ChatGPT can help speed up the process. While you should avoid simply using its output as is, ChatGPT is excellent for ideas generation and first drafts, allowing you to meet application deadlines without compromising on quality.
• Meeting technical requirements: Many recruiters now use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to detect keywords and phrases relevant to the role. They’ll use these to filter out resumes that don’t match. ChatGPT can help you choose the right keywords and phrases to increase your chances of making it through the ATS.
• Support and guidance: If you’re stuck on what to write, ChatGPT can also act as a guide, asking questions that will help you think differently about how to frame your achievements, skills, and experiences in relation to the job you’re applying for. But more on this later.

How not to use ChatGPT 

Although ChatGPT is a great tool, and there is a lot of hype about what it can do, it’s also good to be aware of its shortcomings. 

For instance, ChatGPT is trained using large amounts of text data. On paper, this sounds good. However, it also means the tool is inclined to use words or phrases that appear more commonly in its training data. 

As a result, ChatGPT’s output can sound generic, lacking a personal touch or creative flair. 

This might be acceptable for some use cases, but if you’re using it to write a ChatGPT resume that stands out, you’ll need to keep this in mind.

Furthermore, relying on AI-generated suggestions without careful review can often lead to inaccuracies. Imprecise prompts, for example, will cause ChatGPT and similar tools to  “hallucinate” or “fill in the gaps” with plausible-sounding nonsense. 

Remember this and check the output accordingly if you’re using it to inform your work.

The key takeaway here? AI tools should complement your resume-writing skills, not replace them entirely. 

2. How to use ChatGPT to write a resume

Creating a standout resume requires careful consideration, especially during a career change or in a competitive industry like tech or IT. 

Your resume should, therefore, effectively showcase your skills and highlight why you’re suited to the job you’re applying for. 

This is where the concepts of “prompts” and “outputs” in ChatGPT come into play. The key to getting the most useful output lies in using nuanced prompts that act as guiding instructions, shaping the direction of the tool’s response. 

Initially, try crafting prompts that capture your unique experiences, and don’t worry if it requires a little trial and error! 

The main thing is not to simply accept the first output you receive but to critically review and hone the content as required.

We’ll take you through some steps you should consider following to portray yourself in the best possible light. Where relevant, we’ll include examples of good and bad prompts so you can see the difference in practice.

The biggest mistake people make when using ChatGPT is to assume the tool knows everything. This is a fair assumption, but remember, despite being called “artificial intelligence”, it’s not intelligent in the same way that we are!

As such, before diving into a ChatGPT resume writing session, ensure you have a clear idea of the job you’re applying for and the specific skills relevant to the role. 

Read the job description and see what you can learn about the company culture. You can do this by looking at their website or reading reviews on sites like Trustpilot (for customer reviews) and Glassdoor (for employee feedback). 

This knowledge will not just help you create prompts that guide ChatGPT to generate more suitable responses but will give you the insights you need to ensure that these responses are accurate.

Next, your resume should have clear sections, each highlighting different aspects of your professional background. You can, of course, ask ChatGPT to suggest some of these for you, but the common ones are:

• Contact details: Name, phone number, email address, and city.
• Personal summary: A brief overview of your career goals and what you can bring to the job.
• Skills: A list of technical and soft skills you have that are relevant to the role.
• Work experience: Details of current and previous jobs, including—where relevant— responsibilities, achievements, and measurable results as evidence of your success.
• Education: Your educational background, including degrees, courses, or online certifications you might have completed.
• Additional sections: Depending on the job and your background, you might include sections outlining your awards, publications, or volunteer projects you’ve worked on.

From here, feed your desired sections into ChatGPT and ask it to produce a resume template for the job you’re applying for. 

As we’ve learned by playing with the tool, it helps to specify that it shouldn’t populate the template with any information. This will avoid the tool “hallucinating” or using made-up facts. 

You can then use this template to develop your ChatGPT resume, section by section.

As mentioned, the key to getting the best output from ChatGPT is crafting appropriate prompts and breaking tasks down into smaller chunks. 

Resist the temptation to ask ChatGPT to write the whole resume in one go!

Be specific and provide context about your experiences, achievements, and skills. 

You can also specify instructions such as “use action-oriented language”, or “use language that would resonate with a tech industry recruiter”. You get the idea. 

The main thing is to experiment with different prompts and then choose the outputs that resonate best with you.

Perhaps you want to start with your personal summary.

Here’s an example of a sub-optimal prompt for the “personal summary” section and the corresponding output:

“Write a basic summary for my resume explaining why I’m suited to a job as UX Designer”

Initially, this first output looks pretty good. But as you read more closely, you’ll realize it’s pretty generic-sounding and doesn’t say anything special about why you are suited to the role. 

By contrast, here’s an example of a good (albeit fictional!) prompt for the “personal summary” section:

“Write a 100-word resume summary for a role as UX Designer at software design company Hyperdyne Systems. Highlight my experience as a software engineer at Weyland-Yutani Corporation, where I improved the efficiency of the company’s xenomorph detection software by 30%. Focus on transferable skills and mention that I did a UX Design certification with CareerFoundry. Please use active language.”

The second output—although imperfect—includes all the important information provided in the prompt. 

While it still needs some editing to flow better, match the role, and add some personal flair, it’s a vast improvement on the first output, which—while cosmetically well-written—is vague and repetitive. Remember: you will only get out of AI tools what you put into them. 

Continue this approach for each section. 

Learn more: How to Create a Winning UX Design Resume

Once you’ve got ChatGPT’s responses, refine them. Make sure each one matches your preferred style and the job requirements. 

Initially, you might find the tool making up information. If that happens, it means you need to provide more context and content. 

This could involve editing your initial prompt or directly editing the autogenerated output for accuracy. Make sure you’re happy that the information flows logically and that there’s nothing erroneous.

Stuck? Sometimes when writing a resume, even with the help of an AI tool, the biggest challenge lies in knowing which skills to highlight and how these can be valuable to a new employer. 

This problem is even worse if the AI tool starts making up information, which is actually quite common. One solution is to engage ChatGPT in a dialogue. 

For example, if you’re transitioning from marketing to UX design, look at the job description. 

Perhaps an essential skill is “coding”. Then you could use the following prompt: “I’m stuck writing my resume. Can you suggest the sorts of accomplishments I should be highlighting to showcase my coding skills?” 

As you can see, this partial output offers some helpful suggestions for writing your resume, all without “hallucinating”. While you don’t have to use all (or any) of the ideas that ChatGPT gives you, they can certainly spark new avenues of thinking!

The next step is to compile all the sections generated by ChatGPT into a cohesive resume.

One option is to place edited content from ChatGPT into an existing template. 

Another is to copy and paste each section into a word processor before formatting and proofreading it.

Whichever approach you choose, stick to a clean, professional layout and use a font that’s easy to read. 

Pay attention to bullet points, headings, and spacing to ensure you create an aesthetically pleasing document that is not more than two sides long.

Once you’ve got your initial draft resume, you’ll have done most of the hard work. Nicely done!

Remember, though, when applying for jobs, customization is key. For each job application, tailor your resume to the company culture and job description. 

Fortunately, ChatGPT can help here, too. 

With the right prompt, you can ask it to generate a new version of your resume that matches the requirements of that job. 

Input the new job description (or, better yet, take each section of the job description and each corresponding section of your resume) and ask the tool to combine them. 

You might not always be happy with the output, but you’ll at least have something to work from. If you’re writing a cover letter , you can use a similar approach.

(Be sure to check out our full guide on how to write a cover letter using AI , too.)

Before submitting your resume, step away from the AI tools! Proofread it thoroughly to catch any grammatical errors or typos. 

These often sneak in during the editing process. It’s also important to check that the content of your resume is factually accurate, uses the right language conventions, and so on. 

The main thing is to present a polished and professional document that will entice potential employers.

While a human pair of eyes should always be the last to look over your resume, one option is to input your document into ChatGPT and ask it to assess areas for improvement. 

Use your judgment here, though—using “leading” prompts that ask for suggestions might encourage ChatGPT to suggest changes that aren’t really necessary. 

Nevertheless, it can’t hurt to give it a shot in case it spots an obvious mistake that you missed.

Most importantly, always—always—make sure you get a friend or colleague to read over your resume before submitting it.

ChatGPT is a great tool but it won’t always detect subtle nuances or mistakes that a human being might be able to spot right away.

3. Key takeaways

There you have it! In this post, we’ve learned how you can use ChatGPT to craft a resume that catches the eye of recruiters.

Incorporating ChatGPT into your resume-writing process can be a powerful way to enhance your offering. 

But it’s still crucial to use your judgment to ensure the final product accurately represents you and your qualifications and doesn’t include “hallucinated” information.

The main takeaways from this article include:

• Use AI as a complement: ChatGPT is not a replacement for your own skills but it is valuable for offering guidance and structure.
• Use precise prompts: Specific prompts lead to more relevant outputs. Break your resume into sections and use AI to help you with one at a time.
• Engage in dialogue: Stuck? Then engage ChatGPT in a conversation about the problem. See if it can inspire you to think differently about your skills.
• Personalization matters: Tailor your resume’s language and tone to reflect the needs and industry language used by each employer you are applying to.
• The human touch is vital: While AI excels at generating content, a human set of eyes is essential for editing, refining, personalizing, and proofreading.

Ultimately, if you see working with ChatGPT as a form of collaboration, you’ll soon be on the way to creating a career-changing resume that will be a powerful tool in pursuing exciting new opportunities! 

But don’t rely on it to do everything; that’s not what it’s there for. To learn about all the ways AI can be used to get your dream job, read our guide on how to use AI for your job search .

And to learn more about leveraging AI tools in the modern working world, check out the following posts:

• The 20 Best AI Tools for Digital Marketing
• ChatGPT for UX Design: The Top 15 Prompts
• 6 AI Programming Tools You Should Know in 2024

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How to use ChatGPT to build your resume

Whether you're searching for your first job out of college or have been in the labor market for decades, there's one thing we can all agree on -- creating a resume that attracts the eye of recuiters is a tough challenge. 

How to use ChatGPT to write: Code | Excel formulas | Essays | Cover letters  

As if landing a job that aligns with your qualifications and expectations wasn't difficult enough, you also have to sum up all of your professional experiences and strengths into one application .

Also:  How to use ChatGPT: Everything you need to know

That application consists of many moving parts, such as references, experiences, a cover letter, creative portfolio, and the most intimidating one for some -- the CV or resume. 

Well, now the generative AI tool ChatGPT is here to help make the resume-building process a breeze. 

How ChatGPT can help with your job application 

You can use ChatGPT to help you generate ideas and bullet points for your role from scratch, or to refine and optimize your current bullet points that might not be hitting the mark. 

Also:  How to make ChatGPT provide sources and citations

Beyond bullet points, the AI tool can help you answer questions about putting together your resume. Here is how to get started.

Side note: If you have access to Bing Chat, it could serve as a great assistant for this process because it has all the same capabilities as ChatGPT, but with access to the internet.  

1. Choose a resume template

ChatGPT will help you with the text in your resume, but you'll need to pick a template before you get started. The program you're using to write the resume -- such as Google Docs, Microsoft Word, and Canva -- will likely have a resume template already. 

Also: 5 ways to use chatbots to make your life easier 

A quick Google search for resume templates will also bring you hundreds of editable templates that you can import into your program of choice. I recommend picking one that best represents you and your needs. 

2. Sign in to ChatGPT

You will then want to visit OpenAI's ChatGPT homepage  and sign in or create an account. 

Also:  How to save a ChatGPT conversation to revisit later

ChatGPT is free to use, so the sign-up process is simple, requiring no credit cards or obscure information. 

3. Add text

If you want ChatGPT to generate text for your resume from scratch, all you have to do is ask. 

Whether you want it to generate your professional summary or an individual bullet, ask it directly. For example, I asked ChatGPT, "Can you write a short, professional resume summary about my role as a tech reporter?" Within seconds it created the results, as seen by the photo above.

Also:  ChatGPT is the most sought out tech skill in the workforce, says learning platform

Although ChatGPT is more than capable of coming up with content that is ready to be copied and pasted into a resume, you should tweak the text so that it is personalized to your actual experiences and to make sure it doesn't look like it was written by a robot. 

At the end of the day, employers want to learn about what makes you unique. Without your assistance, the chatbot will only have access to generic prompts about your role. 

4. Use ChatGPT to revamp your own text

Whether you decided to take a stab at filling out the template yourself before using ChatGPT's assistance or have an existing resume you want to enhance, ChatGPT is a great resource for polishing up text. 

All you have to do is copy and paste your own text and ask ChatGPT to make it better. 

Also: The best AI chatbots: ChatGPT and other interesting alternatives to try

For example, I asked ChatGPT, "Can you make this resume bullet sound better: I write stories about technology". Within seconds, it pushed out an elaborate bullet point that incorporated a professional tone and made that simple sentence more complex, as seen by the photo above. 

Once you get your result, you can always tell ChatGPT to tweak it further with prompts like, "Make it shorter" or "Can you include [additional details]?". 

How much does it cost for ChatGPT to write my resume?

ChatGPT is currently free to use regardless of what you use it for, which includes resume-building assistance. 

How can ChatGPT help me with my resume?

ChatGPT can generate text for different parts of your resume, including your professional summary and individual bullet points for each experience. 

Also:  How to nail the 'Do you have any questions for me?' part of the interview

The chatbot can also help enhance your current resume by optimizing your text. If you have any questions about how to format your resume and what to include, ChatGPT is able to give you some answers. 

What should I put in my resume?

Ideally, you want a resume to highlight all of the accomplishments of your career. This can include any educational, professional, and leadership experiences that are meaningful to you. 

Also:  How to protect yourself from ChatGPT-generated job scams

You should also include as much detail about your unique experiences to make you stand out from other applicants. 

How to use ChatGPT

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