ICYMI... What is ChatGPT?
ChatGPT is the latest artificial intelligence software developed by OpenAI that’s revolutionising the tech industry. The chatbot is set to be a massive step forward in the future of AI and its real-world applications. It uses deep learning techniques to generate human-like text and is trained on a diverse range of topics, allowing it to respond to a wide variety of prompts and produce high-quality, coherent responses.
How can Chat GPT help in your job search?
So, you’re about to graduate and it’s time to explore what jobs are available. Today’s competitive job market can be tough to navigate and exhausting at times. Checking multiple platforms daily, keeping track of what you’ve applied for and what to follow up on, tailoring your application for every role and preparing for interviews… it's a lot!
If AI can help with all of that, then why not leverage it to simplify the process?
Let’s first talk about the downfalls...
Chat GPT is no doubt impressive, but it’s not a substitute - you still need to put in the work. Artificial intelligence is never 100% accurate, it will be up to you to fill in the blanks and make it your own.
The biggest thing to remember is that it’s not you. It hasn’t lived your life. ChatGPT can’t respond to selection criteria by articulating your experiences in the format of STAR-E. It can only give generic responses… not a great way to submit a stand-out tailored application!
Also… Be mindful that technology has already been developed that can detect when something is written by AI. You never know if employers are using this to determine the authenticity of your application. Always use its responses as inspiration, never just copy and paste it directly.
Here are 4 ways to use Chat GPT to your advantage:
1. Write a professional summary
Utilising Chat GPT as a resource to create your resume's summary section can be immensely helpful. Often, crafting a concise paragraph that effectively showcases your strengths and suitability for the position can be challenging. However, with Chat GPT, you can obtain a solid foundation that can be refined to better align with your professional values.
Start by identifying the job description and ‘about you’ sections of a job posting.
Copy and paste them into Chat GPT. Press Shift + Enter to start a new line and put the prompt "Using this job description, write a professional summary for my resume.”
Regenerate a couple more responses to give yourself options.
Take your favourite parts from each response and create a cohesive and engaging summary.
2. Write the ‘about me’ section for LinkedIn
Crafting a well-written and professional 'About Me' section on LinkedIn is crucial, similar to how you would approach creating a professional summary. As it's usually the first part of your profile that potential employers glance at, investing effort in making it stand out is definitely worthwhile.
Paste your resume into Chat GPT with the prompt “Write a LinkedIn profile summary based on my resume.”
Generate a couple more responses to choose from.
Use your favourite parts from each response to write a winning summary!
3. Write a cover letter tailored to the job description
Most job applications will require a personalised cover letter demonstrating your relevant experience and skills for the position. In some cases, you may also need to address specific selection criteria, which an AI cannot do on your behalf given it hasn’t experienced your life. However, Chat GPT can help you organise your thoughts and present the information in a clear and structured manner.
Paste your resume and the job description including roles and responsibilities into Chat GPT.
The prompt will be “Write a cover letter using my resume and this job description.”
Take inspiration from its response to write your own version and add in some of your experiences.
4. Help with preparing for job interview questions
Job interviews are possibly the most stressful part of the application process. As always, preparation is key, and Chat GPT can help. There is a set of questions that are almost always asked during interviews:
Tell me about yourself.
What are your strengths/weaknesses?
What’s been your greatest work achievement so far?
Chat GPT can help you form some responses to these questions that sound professional and succinct. It won’t be able to help with any behavioural type questions though like “Tell me about a time you experienced failure”, because it simply won’t know the answer.
Paste your resume into Chat GPT and press Shift + Enter to start a new line. Now paste in the job description and hit Shift + Enter again. Add the prompt “Using my resume and a job description, give me some ideas for how to respond to these job interview questions: xxx”.
Regenerate for some more ideas. Have a read of them and note any key points that you want to include in your own responses.
Here is an example of what Chat GPT responded with when given a resume and job description for a digital marketing role:
Sure, I can provide some ideas on how to respond to these job interview questions based on the provided resume and job description.
1. Tell me about yourself.
"I am a Digital Marketing and Creative professional with over 10 years of experience in the industry. I have a proven track record of success in creating and implementing digital marketing strategies that drive business growth. Currently, I am seeking a position where I can leverage my skills and experience to find new clients and develop online strategies for [company], Australia's premiere radiology providers."
2. What are your strengths/weaknesses?
Strengths:
"One of my key strengths is my ability to lead and manage teams effectively. I have successfully led cross-department teams and helped increase employee efficiency by 85% while reducing turnover by 30% in my current role as a Senior Digital Marketing Manager."
"I also excel at developing and implementing digital marketing strategies that drive business growth. I have a strong background in SEO, social media marketing, and content marketing, and have achieved significant increases in website traffic and social media engagement in my previous roles."
Weaknesses:
"One area I am always working on improving is my ability to delegate tasks effectively. I tend to be very hands-on and like to oversee all aspects of a project, but I recognize the importance of trusting and empowering team members to take ownership of their tasks."
3. What's been your greatest work achievement so far?
"One of my greatest work achievements was when I partnered with leading advertising brands to boost ad revenue by 400% over 12 months in my current role as a Senior Digital Marketing Manager at Gravito Inc. This achievement not only contributed to the company's bottom line but also helped to solidify our position as a leading player in the industry."
Some final tips
Be as specific and detailed as you can with your prompts. If there’s a word limit, include that. Try specifying the voice by using words like ‘in a conversational style’, or ‘in a professional tone’.
Provide relevant materials to get more personalised responses. Always give it as much information as possible that is relevant including your resume and job descriptions.
Take inspiration and edit as needed. You must be honest in your job application. AI should be used as a tool to get inspiration from. You may get responses that don’t match your own values and experiences, so make sure you edit these to be truthful. Take what it has written but make it your own. Embellish. Add some pizzazz. Ensure your application will stand out from the rest.
Check spelling and grammar. Try Grammarly, it’s a great tool to check grammar and spelling. Also, the chatbot’s default language is American English, so look out for spelling errors!
Have a human read it before submitting. This may be biased but a human eye is better than a computer. Every job application needs an element of personalisation to showcase your character. Particularly in the cover letter. Getting feedback from your friends and family is always a great way to check that your personality has shone through.
