Applying for jobs is a numbers game. The more jobs you apply to, the higher your chances of landing an interview. Anything you can do to expedite your job-hunting process and apply to more desirable jobs per day can be a game changer. Fortunately, this is an area where AI tools can shine.

Experts and AI advocates have already discovered several ways using AI can supercharge the speed and efficiency of the job-hunting process. AI helps speed up every step, from finding job postings to prepping your application material.

If you’re looking for a job — or thinking about it — try implementing these simple AI-supported techniques to help you get started, save time, and apply to more jobs that spark your interest and suit your background.

Use AI to update your current resume

Start by using AI to accurately identify and add the key skills and experiences you can target in your job search. In his course on Nano Tips for Using AI in the Job Search, career coach Sho Dewan shares surprisingly simple prompts for refining two key areas of your resume: your professional summary and descriptions of your past roles.

1. Prompts to improve your professional summary

“Enter this prompt,” Dewan says: “Help me write a professional summary in a resume for [your current role]. I have x years of experience and skills in x, y, z. Now it will give you a solid first draft, but this is where you can make it even better. Follow up with a prompt like, Can you try that again with four lines and more metrics? The final part is now taking that summary you crafted and adding it to the top of your resume.”

And as always when working with an AI tool, be sure to check its work and edit to ensure the output sounds like your voice.

2. Prompts to improve descriptions of your past roles

“Open your current resume,” Dewan says, “and copy the bullet points of the descriptions you want to reword, and then enter this prompt into ChatGPT, CoPilot, or another GAI tool: Rewrite these bullet points for a [job title] resume to showcase more impact. Also, let’s just say you need some inspiration for a good bullet point. You can ask it, What’s a good bullet point on a resume to showcase I have experience doing [insert job skill]?”

Have AI analyze your resume to tell you where to start looking

Now that you have a resume that accurately reflects the skills and experiences you want to showcase, you can start using it to find roles that suit your background. Career coach Elaine Cartas explains how to do this in her course, Using AI to Make a Career Switch: “You can use a prompt like, Please take a look at my resume below and tell me what my transferable skills are and what jobs I can consider that are different from what I do now, then paste in your resume.”

But don’t stop there. “To ask it for more, type: Can you share 10 more possible job titles to consider given the experience in my resume?” she says. “Then look at the list that AI provides and choose a few that stand out to you. Stay open to possibilities you may have not considered before.”

Once you’ve found a few roles that interest you, “check out LinkedIn and other job sites to look for job openings with those specific job titles,” Cartas says. “Pay special attention to the roles and responsibilities for each job title, and see if any pique your interest.”

Analyze job descriptions and highlight keywords

When you’ve tracked down a few interesting job posts, you can take them back to CoPilot, ChatGPT, or another GAI tool for analysis. Dewan shares an easy prompt to get what you need fast:

“First,” he says, “copy the responsibilities and requirements of the job description. Second, enter this prompt: Help me identify the top five keywords for this role, and then paste the job description accordingly. Now you have five words that matter most. Take those skills and fuse them into your resume, and get ready for the interviews that are coming your way.”

Use AI to customize your cover letter

Now that you know the skills your prospective employers are looking for, you can use a GAI tool to design an application that will convince them you have them. In his course on ChatGPT Prompts for Jobseekers, instructor Dave Birss provides examples of prompts you can use to add these skills to your cover letter:

“Start your prompt by writing, You are an HR professional with 20 years experience, interviewing candidates and selecting the most suitable ones,” Birss says. “Then, tell it, I want you to help me write a compelling application letter to [company] that will help me stand out from the crowd of applicants. Write it in a conversational and human style without being irreverent and unprofessional. Make it specific to [job description here] so that it shows my interest and understanding and make it unlike a standard application letter so that it doesn’t blend in with everyone else’s application.”

If you’re unsatisfied with what the tool generates, Birss recommends adding another line to your initial prompt. “Try asking ChatGPT to start by asking me questions one at a time to get all the information you need before you write the letter,” he recommends. By answering the questions the tool generates, you’re helping it understand the job better and write a more effective cover letter in pursuing it.

These examples only scratch the surface of how AI can help you with your job search. Check out the LinkedIn Learning path Develop Your AI Prompt Engineering Skills for a full crash course in writing customized prompts to get what you need.

By using generative AI, you can find a job that aligns with your resume while creating application materials personalized for that role in a fraction of the time you would otherwise. The more you use the suggestions mentioned above, the better your chances will be of finding your next great role and the right next step in your career. Good luck!

 

Source: LinkedIn