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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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More From Forbes

How to use chatgpt to write your résumé, with 3 step-by-step prompts.

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Give yourself every possible advantage, in your job search.

According to Jobscan, over 97% of Fortune 500 companies are using ATS (applicant tracking system) software, an automated system that screens candidates for keywords. For savvy job applicants, using ChatGPT, Bard and other AI tools can help tailor your CV to what the software seeks. In a tough market, the job search has turned into a battle of the bots. Today, software and machine learning is being used by candidates and companies alike. Here’s how you can use ChatGPT to write your résumé, with three step-by-step prompts designed to give you an advantage in the world of ATS and AI.

Benefits of Writing Your Resume with ChatGPT

ChatGPT can be useful in generating text, but the text on your resume needs to fit within a format. That format, and guidance, can be found on several websites that can help - including Resume Genius , Resume Nerd , Grammarly and Career.io . These sites and others offer AI-powered platforms to help give your CV a boost. But, as with any written assignment, remember the first rule of writing: It will never be your best work until someone else (with a pulse) has read it. Placing your career in the hands of AI might be a good move, but just make sure it’s not the only move you make. Do you have a trusted advisor, coach or executive recruiter who will weigh in on what you (or your bot) have written?

Save Time with ChatGPT - writing a résumé from scratch can be time consuming. Creating takes more time than editing, so the time savings with AI can’t be denied, according to new guidance from FlexJobs.

Automatically Critique Your Grammar and Spelling - going beyond spellcheck, AI can help you to see if your story makes sense. “Sometimes you need some help but you’re not sure who to ask,” says Forbes Senior Contributor, Jodie Cook. A leading expert on all things AI, she says, “More often than not, we don’t need to be taught, we need to be guided .”

Quickly Tune your Résumé to the Opportunity - you can easily and quickly adjust to the specifics of a new role, with a few modifications. The key is: understanding how to work with AI. “It’s what you learn after you know it all that really counts,” according to basketball legend, John Wooden. Here’s how you can learn to bring your talents to life, with guidance from ChatGPT (and other AI platforms).

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Best 5% interest savings accounts of 2024, step 1: write a great summary.

You can turn your résumé summary in to a powerful representation of your skills and talents. A sample prompt, before you feed the bot your CV: “Based on this original summary, and the following resume, create an improved and high-impact summary for me. Include these desirable words and phrases , using data to support soft skills wherever possible, and optimize for both SEO and ATS keywords.” Remember, ChatGPT is like a blender. You have to put in the ingredients you want, to get the output you need. FlexJobs says, “AI won’t understand anything about your history that you don’t tell it.”

Step 2: Include Bullet Points

Step 3: be consistent.

Have you ever seen a résumé that looks like it was written by three different people? Consistency counts. FlexJobs says that you can use AI tools to create a polished and uniform tone for your résumé. And using AI is a great way to ramp up your productivity .

Time savings, consistency, and clarity: just three of the many advantages that can be found when using ChatGPT, or other similar AI based tools, to write your résumé. And let’s face it, in this job market - where almost all employers are using some form of ATS analysis to screen candidates - having AI input on your CV might be exactly what your career needs.

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