AI has infiltrated the hiring process. As we noted in our blog post “The Resume Black Hole” most employers are using applicant tracking systems to scan your submitted documents. Job search platforms like LinkedIn, ZipRecruiter, Indeed, and Monster all use language-processing AI tools to filter applications. In fact, the CEO of ZipRecruiter estimated that AI algorithms process at least 75% of all resume applications in the United States.
One of the touted benefits is that AI is objective, and recruiters are subjective. Using AI will help ensure that every application is analyzed. However, this also means that straightforward, keyword-optimized applications are just as important as having the right qualifications.
What Should Job Seekers Do?
First and foremost, it is important for job seekers to understand the system. Too often, we still hear that people are creating one general resume, CV, or cover letter and using it broadly.Take advantage of the AI tools available to help with your own search. Some of the main benefits to using AI is that it can help ensure you produce quality, well-tailored documents in a speedy fashion.Using these tools can also be a way to provide inspiration as you get started crafting your documents.
Tools like ChatGPT run on prompts for what it should write. You will need to provide enough background information for the prompt to run effectively. Provide context and be as specific as possible – ChatGPT is a very powerful tool and it can handle being given a lot of direction at once.
While we do not recommend using these tools to create a brand-new resume/CV, it can very effectively help you perfect the documents you have started. Many of the AI tools create resumes with antiquated sections. It can create the structure of a new resume for you, but you will need to humanize it and make sure this document makes sense in real life. As it stands now, these tools are not going to entirely replace writing your resume, which is good, because remember: you will also need to know your documents very well for the eventual interview.
AI tools are excellent though for finding inspiration and for polishing your text. With that in mind here are some suggested ChatGPT prompts you can use to improve your resume/CV.
- (Copy and past job description) à Showcase the top five relevant skills I should highlight for this position. à Regenerate a few times to get new ideas
- Tailor my resume for this job description à (Copy and paste resume and job description)
- Write three resume bullet points for a scientist role that includes impact and metrics.
- Write a 300-word qualifications summary that includes the keywords Python and R.
- Please review my resume and suggest improvement for better clarity and impact.
- Write a qualifications summary that is 100 words or less based on this resume. à Shift Enter: Copy & paste your resume
- (Copy & paste a small section of bullet points) à Rewrite these bullet points for a Science Policy role.
- Get inspired! Can you provide examples of powerful resume bullet point for “Program Manager” roles?
- Create a resume summary based on my LinkedIn profile. à Shift Enter: copy and paste your LI profile copy
- ChatGPT can handle long, detailed prompts! Write a tailored resume for this ROLE at COMPANY. Don’t include an objective statement or references, but do include a professional summary, my past 12 years of work experience and at least five bullet points per role while incorporating the most important keywords from this job description. à (Copy & paste job description)
- When asking ChatGPT to create a new resume from scratch, remember to review it carefully. It will likely not be ready to hand in as is; you will need to use this framework as a starting point to make it your own.
