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The Ultimate Cheat Sheet: ChatGPT Prompts for Resume and Cover Letter That Recruiters Can’t Resist

Future masters of the business world, sharpen those resume-and-cover-letter-writing skills! Only the most mind-blowing ChatGPT prompts for Resume and Cover Letter will do!

I sense your objections. ‘Applying for jobs with AI? That’s cheating!’ Not at all: think of ChatGPT as your writing coach, offering support to make you shine your brightest. This isn’t about lying – it’s about helping you be your best, authentic self.

Let’s kick things off with some resume magic, shall we?

Supercharging Your Resume: ChatGPT to the Rescue!

 

Job seeker using ChatGPT to optimize resume and cover letter for ATS ChatGPT Prompts for Resume and Cover Letter

 

And first, we’ll give your résumé a complete overhaul. A sizzling prompt to get you started:

I am writing to you regarding the position of [job] at [company]. My resume is attached and it says:Resume:[resume pasted]The job description is: Job Description:[job description pasted]You can analyze both and advise me on how to improve my resume (the use of action verbs, achievements, metrics, etcetera) to make it more powerful. Improve my work experience. Please also advise me on grammar and spelling corrections.

This prompt is your genie, helping you tailor your experience to what the company wants to hear, punch it up a bit, and make sure your pesky typos don’t slip in.

But wait, there’s more! Let’s take it up a notch with some formatting finesse:

“Awesome – thanks for those notes! Now, could you take a look at the format and structure of the resume as a whole? Would you have a few pointers for improving readability, and making it ATS-friendly? Would you have suggestions about the layout or the way that information is presented?”

Done correctly, this prompt will bolster your resume’s aesthetic and substance. Because, after all, you never get a second chance to make a first impression – not even online.

Now, let’s get some cold, hard numbers on how your resume stacks up:

“Please assess my resume with respect to the following attributes on a scale of 1 to 10: 1.) Match to job description 2.) Power words and use of metrics 3.) Formatting/readability 4.) ATS value Please provide comments and suggestions for improving each attribute.”

This prompt is your resume report card: look at what you’re good at, and be sure to highlight those areas in which you can get better because that’s where the gold is.

Crafting a Cover Letter That Captures Hearts (and Job Offers!)

OK, time to write the fun part of a job application. Ha, ha – cover letters suck. These ChatGPT prompts, however, will still have you writing personalized, persuasive cover letters in no time flat.

Start with this gem:

I am applying position at [company] [here’s my resume: paste resume] [here’s the job description: paste job description] Can you write me a custom cover letter for this job? The lead has to be a show-stopper. The body needs to pull out my most relevant experiences and skills. The close needs to be strong. But the whole thing needs to sound like it’s written by a human and not a robot.

This is your prompt: your secret to writing a stunning cover letter that gets you noticed gives you a solid structure that’s tailored to the job, and lets your special brand of awesome shine through.

But we are not stopping there. Also, your cover letter should pass the human test.

“Thanks for that draft! Now, please review and suggest how it can be made to sound more natural and conversational. I don’t want it to read like a text written by AI. Throw in some varied sentence lengths, perhaps a bit of appropriate humor or personality, and anything industry-specific to ground it.”

Master this prompt and your cover letter is brimming with that little something extra that makes its reader exclaim: ‘This wasn’t written by a machine! It was obviously generated by a real human being.’ The next cover letter to land on your desk could be the one that gets you an interview.

The Art of the ATS-Friendly Resume

 

The Art of the ATS-Friendly Resume

Source: Freepik

And then there’s the elephant in your resume’s room: the Applicant Tracking System (ATS). Digital gatekeepers will screen or screen out your résumé before a human has a chance to look at it if you don’t know how to make your résumé ATS-friendly. But don’t worry.

Try this prompt:

‘Can I have you take a look at my resume and give me specific ideas of things I can do to make it ATS-friendly? For example, the look of it, the keywords from the job description and where I should put them, and the structure overall. And then do you have any kind of traps?’

This prompt is your secret weapon, like having an ATS whisperer on your side. It will help you navigate the secretive world of resume-scanning software and increase your odds of getting in front of a human recruiter.

But we’re not writing for robots, are we? Then make sure your ATS-optimised resume is still very much a resume, using words and phrases that will grab a human recruiter’s attention:

“Cool, thanks for those ATS tips. Anything you can recommend to balance ATS-friendliness with something compelling for human eyes? I want to rework my resume so it’s engaging and expresses my personality, but still plays nice with ATS software.”

This prompt strikes a nice balance between being robot-readable and human-inspiring because – after all – it’s a human who will decide whether to invite you for an interview!

Metrics Matter: Quantifying Your Awesomeness

Another proven strategy for helping your resume and cover letter stand out is to include data that quantify your impact. That sounds easy enough, but sometimes it’s trickier, not to mention harder, to quantify what you’ve accomplished. This prompt can assist:

I was an [your job title] at [company name] and my main responsibilities were [list 2-3 key duties]. Help me come up with some metrics or quantifiable accomplishments for this job that may be relevant: Can you provide hard numbers, percentages, or other quantifiable contributions?

This prompt is a pipeline to a metrics-generating machine – it will locate all the gold nuggets in your work history that recruiters will fawn over.

But stop there and you’ve made only half the impact. Once you have some numbers, you have to make sure they’re presented as compellingly as possible:

“Thanks for those metric ideas! So, how do I take them and make my bullet points really powerful and show how much I have/did/caused to happen? “

Use this prompt to generate some kick-ass bullets. It’s not what you did, it’s what you made happen – it’s about impact!

Read also: AI Art Prompts Guides 

The Final Polish: Proofreading and Perfecting

Okay. So you’ve perfected your résumé and nailed your cover letter. Take this prompt for a spin to make sure you didn’t leave any strays.

‘Can you check my application form and CV for errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation, and check that the formatting is consistent (eg dates, headings), the tense is consistent, and the style is formal and professional.’

This prompter is like having your very own malicious copyeditor in the wings, ready to pounce on those dumb little mistakes that will make the difference between your application looking polished and professional or like you wrote it in kindergarten.

However, we are not here to expose you – we are here to help you to create the best application you can. Here’s the prompt again:

“All right, if you don’t mind, I’ll send the error-corrected resume and cover letter to you again. Could you look them over a third time and suggest any places where the language itself is a bit weak, too soft, too gentle, or too unclear? Are there sections where I could better highlight my qualifications and achievements?”

This is your chance to turn a good application into a great one, the final polish that could be the difference between you and the other candidate.

Wrapping It Up: Your ChatGPT-Powered Job Search Journey

 

Successful job applicant landing dream job with AI-assisted resume and cover letter

Source: Freepik

And that’s it! Your ultimate guide to creating CVs and cover letters with ChatGPT that will make recruiters go: ‘Whoa!’ ChatGPT is a complement to your work experience and personality, not a replacement for it. Use it with care, and always be honest in your applications.

The job market is tough, but now you have the ChatGPT hacks to do it. Get out there and write great applications and get that job. You can do it!

Before I sign off, let’s address some burning questions you might have:

FAQs:

Q: Is using ChatGPT prompts for resume and cover letter writing ethical?

A: And if you’re honest with yourself and it’s really just helping your own effort, then there’s nothing unethical about using ChatGPT prompts for resume and cover letter creation. It’s almost like brainstorming on steroids.

Q: Will employers know I used AI?

A: But, actually, if you do what I say here, and make what I say here fit your style, I wouldn’t think so – it’s to use the AI to help what you really are sound more persuasive, not to make you sound fake.

Q: Can I use the same ChatGPT-generated content for every application?

A: Not at all. Each time you should customise your materials for the particular job. Every company and every job is different, so your application should reflect that.

Q: What if I’m not tech-savvy?

A: Don’t panic! ChatGPT is for the people. Starting low-fi is easy, and it’s easy to learn on the job. If you keep your prompts low-fi, that’s fine – you don’t have to be a nerd to use AI.

Q: How do I make sure my AI-assisted application still sounds like me?

A: Remember when using ChatGPT prompts for resume and cover letter writing, this is just a draft; you’re a long way from a finished product. Check your work, edit, and add your experiences and personality – tinker.

In any case, it’s only your particular skills, experiences, and personality that will get you a job. ChatGPT is merely there to help you put them in their best light. It’s a super-clever friend who happens to be really good with words, who can help you say things in a way that will resonate – but the conversation still has to be yours.

Good luck. Now you’re equipped to start some disruption in your job search. Just copy and paste the prompts into ChatGPT, and use the results to spice up your job application letters. Be sure to write in your own words, write for each job, and, most importantly, be you.

In the meantime, here’s the ammunition you need to tell your story.

Now go offer ’em an offer he can’t refuse! Your golden job awaits – and with AI, you have never been better prepared to get it. Best of luck with the job hunt – and may the job odds always be ever in your favor.

 

Raj

I'm passionate about making AI accessible to everyone. My goal is to break down complex AI concepts into easy-to-understand tutorials. Whether you're a complete beginner or looking to expand your skills in using AI tools, I'm here to help you master the tools and techniques needed to succeed in your side hustle.

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