AI and Your Job Application Documents
AI tools can be genuinely helpful when you are working on your resume or cover letter.
The key is writing clear, specific prompts. The more context you give, the more useful
the response.
Before you start: Remove your personal information, including your name, address, phone number, and
email, before pasting anything into an AI tool.
For general guidelines on using AI responsibly, visit our AI and Career Development page.
Improving Your Existing Resume
Try these prompts to get specific, actionable feedback:
Specific feedback:
- "Evaluate my resume for clarity, conciseness, and keyword optimization."
- "Suggest improvements to the structure of my resume."
- "Provide feedback on the impact of my achievements in my bullet points."
Addressing weaknesses:
- "Identify areas in my resume that could be strengthened."
- "Suggest ways to highlight my transferable skills."
Making it ATS-friendly:
ATS (Applicant Tracking System) is software used by employers to digitally manage
hiring processes.
- "Here is my resume. I am applying for a [job title] position. Please rewrite it to
improve readability and include relevant action verbs and keywords to make it ATS-friendly."
[Paste your resume below the prompt — remove your name and contact information first.]
Tailoring to an industry or role:
- "How can I tailor my resume for the [industry] field?"
- "What are the key skills and keywords I should emphasize for a [job title] position?"
- "Here is a job description [paste it] and here is my resume [paste it, remove personal
info]. What changes would make my resume a stronger match?”
Using a Job Description to Strengthen Your Application
Every application should be specific to the job description. Considering incorporating
the job descriptions into your AI prompts.
Identify key skills and gaps:
- "Extract the essential skills and qualifications from this job description." [Paste
the job description.]
- "Based on this job description, identify any gaps in my experience and suggest how
I might address them." [Paste both the job description and your resume.]
Quantify your achievements:
- "How can I quantify my achievements to better align with the requirements in this
job description?"
- "Suggest examples of measurable accomplishments that would be relevant to this position."
Tailor specific sections:
- "Suggest a new resume section that would strengthen my application for this role."
- "Revise the work experience section of my resume to better match this job description."
[Paste both.]
Cover letters:
- "Write a cover letter opening paragraph for a [job title] position at [company name].
Here is a summary of my background: [describe your experience]."
- "Here is a job description [paste it] and here is my resume [paste it, remove personal
info]. Draft a cover letter that highlights how my experience matches this role."
- "Review my cover letter draft and suggest ways to make it more specific and compelling."
[Paste your draft.]