By Shilpa Kannan
Shilpa Kannan is a newsroom editor, Content Strategist and a journalist working at the intersection of media and technology.
This is a Tap In explainer on how to use Generative AI to improve your resume.
Now we have all heard of the new buzzword — ChatGPT — everywhere. But how can you use it to help you in your job search and use it to create a standout resume?
Well, I took the question straight to the expert in this field — CHatGPT itself!
So first things first, what is Chat GPT?
It is a kind of Generative artificial intelligence (AI) and there are many others.
Generative AI describes algorithms (such as ChatGPT) that can be used to create new content, including audio, code, images, text, simulations, and videos.
ChatGPT (which stands for Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer) is among the most popular ones currently — a chatbot that Microsoft-backed OpenAI released late last year. The AI powering it is known as a large language model because it takes in a text prompt and from that writes a human-like response.
Now to the main question, how can you use it to write a better resume?
The help you receive from any chatbot including Chat GPT will depend on the quality of prompts you give it.
Your resume should reflect your own unique skills, experiences, and achievements, but you can always polish it with better descriptions and tighter editing.
So I asked ChatGPT for some general steps to follow while asking it to polish your resume:
- Begin by providing it with your personal details, such as your name, contact information, and professional summary. Your summary should be a brief statement that highlights your experience, skills, and goals.
- Next, provide it with a detailed description of your education, including the name of your degree, the institution where you studied, and any relevant coursework or academic achievements.
- Provide a section on your work experience. Be sure to list your most recent job first, and include the job title, the name of the company, the dates of your employment, and a brief description of your responsibilities and accomplishments in each role. Use strong action verbs to describe your accomplishments, such as “increased,” “improved,” or “developed.”
- Provide information about any relevant skills or certifications you have obtained. This could include languages you speak, software you are proficient in, or any professional certifications you hold.
- Include any relevant volunteer experience or extracurricular activities that demonstrate your skills and accomplishments outside of work or school.
- Finally, proofread and edit your resume to ensure that it is clear, concise, and error-free. Double-check all contact information to make sure it is correct.
Once you have provided it with all the necessary information, the chatbot can generate a draft of your resume for you to review and edit as needed.
Now that you have the basics covered, how can you take it to the next step?
If you say, “I’m a marketing manager and can you write a few points for my resume,” the results won’t be bad. But they can be a lot better if you get a little more specific with your prompt.
So here are some best practices for effective prompts:
- Start with a basic draft: copy and paste your resume into the chat window and says “Write a professional summary using my resume”
When you get your result, click “try again” to generate two more versions.
Pick your favorite phrases from each version and create a new impactful version
- What if you don’t have a basic draft and you are starting from scratch? Find two or three examples of resume formats you admire, upload them to ChatGPT and ask the bot to create a resume format for you based on the examples you provided.
Or, if you have an updated LinkedIn profile, you can share a link with ChatGPT and ask the bot to create a resume for you based on the information in your profile
- Next, go to the job posting platform and pick a job description for your targeted role.
Copy and paste the requirements and responsibilities into ChatGPT alongside your resume.
For the prompt, write, “Write a cover letter using my resume and a job description.”
- Finally, improve the existing resume with a few steps:
Paste your job description in the chat window and Write three (or any number you want) achievements with metrics based on the job responsibilities below.
Using the resume and job description below, please showcase three relevant skills I should highlight.
Paste your resume and Write three persuasive achievements based on my resume below
Paste your resume and write: Create a compelling professional summary for a job application using my resume and the job description below as a reference in 250 words or less
Here are five best practices to get the most out of ChatGPT prompts for your resume:
- Be specific: When using ChatGPT for your job search, it’s important to choose prompts that are specific to the role you’re applying for. This will help you create materials that are tailored to the position and demonstrate your relevant skills and experience.
ChatGPT is a powerful tool, and when used strategically, it can help job seekers in today’s competitive job market reach their career goals even faster.
Remember to make sure that the final product accurately represents your skills and experience and effectively communicates your value as a potential employee.
Hope you enjoyed this TAP In explainer on effective ways of using generative AI tools.
What do you want to hear next in our Tap In Explainer series? Do let us know in the comments below.
Views expressed are personal.
