How Do I Use ChatGPT to Write a Resume?

You’ve probably heard that artificial intelligence is out to steal your job, but have you ever thought about using it to get a job? ChatGPT — and its smarter successor GPT-4 — are AI models that can do things like take exams and craft essays on command. I thought I would put it to the test by asking it to write a resume. While there are numerous resume templates online, I wanted to see if ChatGPT could create a better one. 

What prompts should I ask ChatGPT to build a resume?

Using ChatGPT is like having a convo with a customer service rep. You ask it questions or give it prompts, and it’ll respond. Unlike a customer service rep, you can ask many follow-up questions. I’m a writer, so I wanted to make a resume for a reporter.  And this is exactly what I asked for.

Admittedly, parts of this sample looked similar to my actual resume. The prompt gave me a good idea of how to format my resume and what skills and responsibilities I needed to list. I liked that it included a summary at the top, which is something I’ve never included on my own resume. However, I still wanted something more personalized, so I plugged in some of my previous work experience and briefly described those roles.

This resume got me even closer to something that I would actually use, but it still needed some tweaking — I’ve never done data analysis or created podcasts, so I deleted those details. 

I was pleased with this template, but now I wanted a resume that was tailored specifically to a certain job. So I asked it to make a resume based on my experience, and also copy/pasted the job description into the prompt. Note: ChatGPT remembers your previous responses in the convo so no need to repeat yourself.

This was definitely personalized to the listing I gave, but it inserted some experience that I didn’t really have. Again, this would need tweaking, reformatting, and more information. 

If I were actually applying for this role, I would’ve included more info about how my experience and skills fit the requirements. There were no spelling or grammatical errors, but I’d still recommend running your ChatGPT-assisted resume through spell check to make sure everything is correct.

What are the pros and cons of using ChatGPT to write a resume?

Pros

• Resumes can be easily personalized

• It takes seconds to create

• It’s easy to tweak

Cons

• It may include factual inaccuracies 

• It provides a simple, bare bones resume template (which can be a pro or con depending on what you’re looking for)

theSkimm

If you’re hunting for jobs, consider ChatGPT as another tool in your kit. Unlike generic templates, ChatGPT can help you customize your resume for specific roles. You just have to give it your work experience, educational background, and the job description first.