How to Write a Resume With ChatGPT (Guide + Sample Prompts)

As seen in 1

Table of contents

How Can You Use AI for a Resume?
ChatGPT Resume Do’s and Don’ts
How to Write a Resume With ChatGPT (With Sample Prompts)
Key Takeaways
Resources to Help With Your Job Search

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) can answer questions, write stories, and even give advice. But can you use AI to level up your career? Our guide will show you how to write a resume with ChatGPT that makes the most of AI's strengths so that your resume still feels like you.

Our guide will cover:

What AI tools should you use for your resume.
The do's and don't's of ChatGPT.
Tips for writing a resume with AI.
Key takeaways to remember as you get to work.

Want to build a resume quickly without worrying about prompts or AI models? Our AI Resume Builder walks you through the writing process with AI-powered content suggestions and ready-to-use templates to help you make a polished resume in minutes. The best part — you don't need to prompt it at all!

How Can You Use AI for a Resume?

When you think of using AI to apply for jobs, land interviews, and perfect your career documents, ChatGPT is often one of the first tools that comes to mind. It's accessible and easy to use, and many other AI tools are built from ChatGPT. But before you dive headfirst into writing a resume with ChatGPT, you should know that there are many different ways to approach using AI on your resume, including:

Using an AI resume builder tool: If you're unsure what you want your resume to look like, starting with ChatGPT can set you up for confusion. ChatGPT can answer your prompts, but it won't design a neat template for you. A targeted resume builder tool makes writing easier by asking you questions to decide how best to structure your information and providing stylish template options.
Using an AI resume summary generator: Does your resume need an update? If you want to improve a specific section, try a tool designed to generate exactly what you're missing. There are generator tools for every section of your resume, from resume summary generators to AI resume skills generators. These smaller tools are perfect for touching up your resume.
Using an ATS resume checker: If you're proud of your resume but not getting results, the issue might not be your content — it could be the applicant tracking systems (ATS) employers use to scan for keywords. Without the right keywords, your resume may be ignored before a human sees it. Fight AI with AI by using an ATS resume checker to spot missing keywords and boost your chances.
Using AI tools for your other career documents: Don't stop at your resume — AI can help streamline the process for your cover letter and CV too. Use AI to make a cover letter expressing your unique interest in the role and your indispensable skills, or use AI to create a CV demonstrating your career progression.

ChatGPT Resume Do's and Don'ts

If you're wondering how to use ChatGPT for a resume, it might be more productive to think about what ChatGPT is and isn't capable of. ChatGPT takes data it has seen before and combines it in new ways based on the patterns it recognizes. It is great at providing generic answers to prompts and questions. Generic might sound like a bad thing — and it is if you're trying to write the next great American novel — but an AI assistant with a strong understanding of what a "typical" answer sounds like is very helpful.

ChatGPT relies on its training data, often producing outdated, inaccurate, or vague answers. It doesn't know you or your career, so it can't craft a resume without your input. To get the best results, you must leverage its strengths. Here are some key do's and don'ts.

Do:

Start with an outline containing your specific resume information. ChatGPT can't guess your work history or skills, so you must provide a detailed summary of your career.
Fact-check any advice ChatGPT gives you. ChatGPT is prone to mistakes. It may be trustworthy on average, but you should independently verify any information you plan to act on.
Use the job description to hone your resume. ChatGPT can help you create a resume that matches the job description. Providing specific information, such as keywords, will help ChatGPT create specific and useful responses.
Edit your ChatGPT resume as needed to ensure your voice shines through.

Don't

Allow filler text to take up space on your resume. ChatGPT is notoriously wordy, and phrases like "delve into" and "deftly navigate" have become dead giveaways for GPT-speak. A concise resume avoids sounding like ChatGPT while efficiently using resume space.
Lie on your resume. ChatGPt often generates a strong resume because it adds skills, details, and experience that seem to fit in with your career details. This can help you brainstorm skills to include on your resume, but it's important to draw the line when allowing information that simply isn't true.
Expect a miracle. No tool can write a resume without you contributing some thoughts and specific details.

Pro tip

Often, the hardest thing for job-seekers is writing an AI-friendly resume that passes ATS screening. One of the biggest benefits of ChatGPT and other AI tools is that they can give you an inside perspective on how AI reads and understands your work.

How to Write a Resume With ChatGPT (With Sample Prompts)

Now that you understand what AI tools are available and what ChatGPT is capable of let's examine how to use AI for a resume.

Option #1

Let ChatGPT critique your resume

An audience is a powerful tool in and of itself. Let ChatGPT act as your audience and read your resume in whatever state it's in. Even if your resume isn't finished, ChatGPT can help you get closer to your goal by identifying opportunities to improve.

Sample prompt:

"Please read the following resume and generate a list of improvements for the candidate to make."

Pro tip

Start with a simple prompt and add more as you go. Don't be shy! You can upload your entire resume, the job description, a list of skills for the role, or even a comprehensive summary of your career. Just be prepared to hone your prompt as you go to keep ChatGPT on topic.

Option #2

Ask ChatGPT to organize your thoughts

Don't have a resume to share with ChatGPT yet? No problem! That's what your AI assistant is for. Start the writing process by sharing all of your ideas with ChatGPT and asking it to organize them into a basic resume. You can treat this as an outline and hone it with ChatGPT's help or edit it yourself.

Sample prompt:

"Please write a simple resume outline based on the following summary of my experience and skills."

Pro tip

ChatGPT often includes made-up placeholders, so read its output carefully and remove irrelevant information.

Option #3

Ask ChatGPT to write you a successful sample

If you're having a hard time imagining a successful resume for the role you're targeting, ChatGPT can help you visualize. Try feeding it the job description and asking for a winning resume sample. Then, you can take it further by asking ChatGPT which keywords it used and why they are important to the resume's success.

Sample prompt:

"Examine the following job description and generate a strong resume for a candidate who would be chosen for this role. Include your reasoning for the content in each resume section."

Option #4

Ask ChatGPT to provide keywords and ideas from your resume

ChatGPT can help find keywords from the job description that you can use on your resume, but what about your resume itself? Ask ChatGPT to read your resume and generate a list of keywords and professional skills based on your document. This exercise will help you see your resume through the employer's eyes and may help you find blindspots you hadn't noticed before.

Sample prompt:

"Read this resume. Give your impression of the candidate's expertise and a list of keywords that an employer might notice while reading this resume."

Pro tip

Be patient! ChatGPT is not perfect and won't always give a helpful response on the first try. If you want to use ChatGPT to write your resume, you'll need to get comfortable using prompts and fine-tuning them to get the response you need.

Key Takeaways

Explore other AI tools.

ChatGPT isn't your only option for building an AI-assisted resume. Try an AI resume builder or an AI generator that targets specific resume areas. This will help you skip the prompt writing process. Don't forget to run your resume through an ATS checker to see what the employer's ATS screening sees.
Don't overrely on AI.

AI is a great tool, but relying on it too much can cause trouble. Make sure to fact-check your content and include your unique voice as much as possible to create a strong ChatGPT resume that's accurate and feels human.
Make the most of your AI assistant.

Let AI organize your thoughts, critique your work, identify blindspots, and create samples you can reference as you work. The more prompts you try out, the more ChatGPT skills you'll develop and the more confident you'll be when making the most of AI.

Resources to Help With Your Job Search

Was this information helpful? Let us know!

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Hailey Brophy is an experienced writer with a diverse career in digital publication. She is passionate about using her unique skills and experiences to help job seekers find the information that they need to succeed.