ChatGPT For Resume Writing

Using ChatGPT for resume writing is a new and sometimes controversial strategy. If used correctly, however, this AI software can make the strenuous process of resume writing much easier.

In this article, we’ll go over ways you can use ChatGPT for resume writing, including tips for how to use the AI program to its fullest potential while avoiding potential pitfalls.

Key Takeaways:

• ChatGPT can write your whole resume or parts of it, depending on what you need.

• Edit everything ChatGPT gives you to make sure it’s accurate, sounds like you, and meets the job application criteria.

• ChatGPT can help optimize your resume for applicant tracking systems (ATS).

How to Use ChatGPT for Resume Writing

Using ChatGPT for resume writing is a great way to save time and produce a professional-looking resume with minimal effort. There are a few ways you can do this.

• Give ChatGPT your qualifications and ask it to write a resume. For example, your prompt could be,

  “Write a resume for me. I’m a teacher with six years of experience. I taught second grade for two years at Green Valley Elementary, and sixth-grade science for four years at Birch Creek Middle School. I was also head of the fundraising committee at Birch Creek, where we raised $5,000 in one semester.”

  ChatGPT will then generate a resume for you based on this information. It will likely leave plenty of placeholders for you to fill in, or may use its own assumptions and ideas, so you will need to perform some significant editing. However, this can give you a great place to start.

• Ask ChatGPT to make a bullet point list of role responsibilities. You can ask ChatGPT to write the bullet points for the work experience sections of your resume. To do this, simply say something like,

  “Please write a list of job responsibilities for my position as a marketing coordinator for my resume. I wrote press releases, ordered marketing materials from vendors, handled advertising accounts, and managed several social media ad campaigns.”

  ChatGPT will then arrange this information into bullet points – complete with action verbs – and flesh out each task to highlight your skills and experience.

  ChatGPT will make plenty of assumptions about your role and produce some untrue bullet points, so it is important to check its results thoroughly to ensure these additions are accurate to your experience and relevant to the job you’re applying for.

• Have ChatGPT write your resume summary. A resume summary is a paragraph at the top of your resume that gives readers an overview of who you are and what you bring to the table as a candidate. It can be tricky to condense an entire resume into a single paragraph, so you may want to use ChatGPT for help with this.

  You can either give ChatGPT your own overview of your experience and skills as a base for the summary, or you can copy and paste your entire resume and ask it to write a summary based on that.

  Whichever way you choose, make sure you edit the summary so that it’s accurate, applicable to the job description, and sounds like you.

• Use ChatGPT to format your resume. If you aren’t sure how to arrange your summary, job experience, skills, and certifications on your resume, simply type it all into ChatGPT and ask it to format your resume. The system will arrange it all into a basic resume layout.

  However, you will need to tweak this newly formatted resume to make sure all the information is correct. However, it may be easier to make adjustments to an existing resume’s format than to start from scratch. Just remember, the more information you can give ChatGPT, the more useful this function will be.

• Ask ChatGPT what keywords you should include in your resume. You can do this by asking:

  “What keywords should I include in my resume for a software development position?”

  Or you can give it the job description you’re applying for as a reference.

  Don’t use keywords or terms that don’t apply to you at all, but use ChatGPT’s suggestions to make tweaks to your resume’s vocabulary. This will give your resume a better chance of making it through automated applicant tracking systems (ATS).

Advantages of Using ChatGPT for Resume Writing

There are some definite benefits to using ChatGPT for your resume. Here are a few of them:

• It can help you break through writer’s block. ChatGPT can help you get the ball rolling when it comes to condensing your work experience into written bullet points, formatting your resume, or writing a personal summary, saving you a significant amount of time and stress.

• It can give you new ideas. If you can’t think of action verbs to use at the beginning of your bullet points, or you aren’t sure how to write a summary of your skills, ChatGPT can help. It can even give you lists of keywords to include based on the job you’re applying for, or help you figure out how to arrange the information on your resume.

• It can help you get through ATSs. Some companies use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to automatically screen resumes before hiring managers lay eyes on them. The key to getting through these systems is to format your resume clearly and include keywords relevant to the job description.

  ChatGPT can help you do both of these things better than most people can, because, like an ATS, ChatGPT is an AI.

Disadvantages of Using ChatGPT for Resume Writing

As with most technology, ChatGPT isn’t a foolproof way to avoid doing any work. Make sure to familiarize yourself with the downsides of this approach before using this AI to write your resume. Some of the disadvantages of using ChatGPT for resume writing include the following:

• It isn’t always accurate. Not only can ChatGPT not understand the nuances of your work experience and skills like you can, but it only has information published through 2021. This means it will likely be behind on more recent resume formatting trends and company information.

• It doesn’t sound like you. Everyone writes with their own particular voice, but ChatGPT sounds the same no matter who it’s writing for. Hiring managers want to hear your voice, so while ChatGPT can be great for an idea of what to say and how to say it, you should write in your own words as much as possible; this will help your application stand out.

• Some companies may not accept resumes written by ChatGPT. Some companies may run your resume through an AI or plagiarism detector, and if they discover ChatGPT wrote the entirety or majority of your resume, they might discard your application.

  To avoid this, only use ChatGPT to write certain sections of your resume, or paraphrase what it gives you so that you write the entire resume yourself.

Tips for Using ChatGPT for Resume Writing

• Do give ChatGPT as many details as possible. The more detail about your past jobs, skills, and work requirements you can give ChatGPT, the better the results will be. Play around with your prompts to see how providing a few more details can make the results much more thorough and/or accurate.

• Don’t use ChatGPT for more than idea generation when you’re applying for a writing job. If you’re a reporter, content creator, or writer of any kind, don’t use ChatGPT to help you write your resume or cover letter.

  Hiring managers look at these documents to get an idea of your skill level, and if they look at your resume and figure out that an AI wrote it, they will likely toss your application.

  Even if a hiring manager doesn’t realize ChatGPT was used, the resume will still not contain your voice, style, or ability, resulting in a missed opportunity to show the hiring managers what you can do.

• Do double-check everything ChatGPT generates. ChatGPT isn’t a human, and it makes many assumptions based on the information it has. So if, for example, you say that you worked for a university, it might assume that you have a degree from that university.

  If that isn’t true, you don’t want it on your resume. This is why it’s important to make sure you read through everything ChatGPT gives you carefully to ensure there are no inaccuracies in the content.

• Don’t give ChatGPT too many personal details. All of the information you put into ChatGPT is stored on its servers, and there have already been plenty of concerns about data privacy.

  So, when you’re giving ChatGPT information for your resume, consider using a fake name and contact information as placeholders, then filling in the real details later.

• Do follow the guidelines the job posting gives you. The resumes ChatGPT writes are typically generic regarding formatting and voice.

  If the job you’re applying for has any specific requirements for resume formatting or content, always defer to those, not ChatGPT. Even if you give the guidelines to ChatGPT, don’t trust that it will know how to follow them exactly.

Writing a Resume with ChatGPT FAQ

1. Can I use ChatGPT to write my resume?

   Yes, you can use ChatGPT to write your resume. You can use the AI software to write your whole resume or parts of it. Make sure you edit the resume for accuracy and relevance to the job you’re applying for before submitting it.

2. What is an ATS-compliant resume?

   An ATS-compliant resume is a resume that can be easily read by an applicant tracking system (ATS). These systems are automated programs that scan resumes for certain keywords and content before they move on to human readers.

   An ATS-compliant resume usually has very clear formatting (some companies even give applicants formatting requirements to follow) and keywords relevant to the job description.

3. Can ChatGPT be detected?

   Yes, ChatGPT can be detected. Some companies are running documents through AI and plagiarism detection software to see if applicants copied and pasted their resumes and cover letters from ChatGPT. Others are simply experienced enough to be able to pick out ChatGPT’s voice.

   Regardless, it is vitally important to perform thorough editing on your ChatGPT-generated resume, or to only use this program to write a few parts of your resume rather than the entire thing.

Final Thoughts

ChatGPT is a powerful tool for resume writing – as long as you understand its limitations. If you choose to use ChatGPT for this purpose, be sure to perform an in-depth edit on whatever it gives you. When using ChatGPT responsibly and with a thorough understanding of its limitations, this program can help make your resume writing process much less stressful and time-consuming.

References

1. The University of Texas at Austin – 5 Things to Know About ChatGPT

Author

Abby McCain

Abby is a writer who is passionate about the power of story. Whether it’s communicating complicated topics in a clear way or helping readers connect with another person or place from the comfort of their couch. Abby attended Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she earned a degree in writing with concentrations in journalism and business.