AI uses for resume writing

AI tools are easier than ever to access, and using one to help with your resume can seem like a good idea. In many cases, it can be, but like any tool, it depends on how you use it. This article walks through a few ways to prompt AI to support your resume writing, along with some things to watch out for so your process stays thoughtful and effective. 

Cross analysis: resume to job description

If you’ve met with a career advisor for a resume review, you may have been advised to use job postings of interest to help you tailor your resume. You can manually review a job posting to pick out the skills and qualifications an employer is looking for. Then, review your resume to see which of those you’ve already highlighted, which ones you haven’t emphasized, and which you may not have experience with yet.

This is a great step not just to help you present yourself effectively to potential employers, but also to help you recognize and prepare to discuss any gaps there may be between your experiences and what an employer is seeking. AI is a tool you can use to help with this process, and which could also provide an even greater depth of cross-analysis. 

As a start, one strategy is that you could use AI to compare action verbs between your resume and a job posting. For example, you might ask, “how can I make my resume align more with the language in the job posting”? One caveat here is that you may need to give AI some guidance on what part of the job posting you want it to focus on. For example, putting in a prompt to pay attention to “non-negotiable” vs. “preferred” sections. 

As a next step, you could ask AI more detailed questions to help you learn more about your fit for the job. For example, you could ask: 

• “Based on my resume, what aspects of this job do you think I would do well in?” 

• “Based on my resume, what aspects of this job do you think I have less experience in?” 

Questions like these can help you identify and prepare for possible areas of weakness in your application, but can also serve as a good reminder that sometimes experiences that seem to be less relevant can actually be great ways for you to highlight relevant skills. AI may also identify a weakness in your resume that you do already have experience with but hadn’t included or emphasized in your application materials, allowing you the opportunity to make mention of those skills. 

Working on bullet points

An effective use of AI tools is to edit your resume bullet points. Consider asking the tool to analyze factors such as redundancy between bullet points, or whether or not you are utilizing strong action verbs.  

It is important to provide instruction when asking for analysis. Consider instructing it to check if you are following PAR statement (project, action, result) framework, for instance. It can offer suggestions of ways you can better follow the PAR statement method.  

Another interesting prompt could be to describe to it how you want to come across via your different experiences. For instance, do you want to display your research capabilities, or that you can work well across disciplines? Or perhaps your communication skills are what set you apart? Describe this to the AI model and ask if you are effectively representing that version of yourself. With that insight, or “fresh pair of eyes,” you might realize that you aren’t describing yourself as you think you are.  

Setting guide rails

Setting instructions for the AI model is a must if you want to make the most of it and use it ethically. These rules, otherwise referred to as “system prompts,” allow you to mold the results that you receive into a form that makes the most sense for your needs. In essence, you are explaining to the model how you want a task to be completed. 

In addition, you can ask the model to make sure to incorporate your own voice in any edits that it suggests. If you ask it to analyze your own resume writing style, it can factor that into any recommendations that it makes. This can help to keep your resume feeling authentic to you and true to your voice.  

Becoming reliant and not being critical of results 

While AI can certainly be a valuable tool to help you prepare your job application materials, it’s best used as a starting point and to help you generate ideas. Being able to present yourself and your background, skills, and accomplishments is a valuable skill to learn and practice for yourself. While you can use AI to help you prepare, you will still need to be able to present yourself during interviews, career fairs, and networking conversations so be aware of becoming too reliant on AI’s help. 

One strategy to challenge yourself to use AI truly as a starting point is to ask it not to generate content. Instead, you might have AI help you to grow as a resume writer by asking you questions to help you reflect or expand on your experiences. Consider providing it with a system prompt that instructs it to serve in the role of advisor, asking it to be supportive and detailed in its feedback. You could also ask it to explain its reasoning, allowing you to build up your own understanding. 

Be sure to also carefully review any AI analysis as it may sometimes say something that is incorrect or doesn’t make sense. It may even make up an experience in order to fit your resume to a job posting, otherwise known as AI Hallucination. You certainly wouldn’t want to be asked in an interview about an experience that AI created but that you’ve never had, so be sure to review any AI analysis or content. 

Data protection

Data security is an important topic when it comes to working with AI tools, and that holds true when working on your resume. If you are uploading the contents of your resume into an AI model, it is worth considering ways to safeguard your data, as resumes can contain sensitive information, like contact information. 

Most mainstream AI tools have ways to ensure that your data is not saved in the system. For instance, ChatGPT allows you to turn off “Improve the model for everyone,” meaning that your data is not used to train the model in the future. Other models have similar systems. Regardless of the model, it is worth it to look into what data security options exist, and to always be mindful of what you are choosing to provide to these models.  

Conclusion 

AI can have tremendous benefits for your resume writing, assuming that you use it in an intentional and thoughtful manner. By using some of the tips above, you can get efficient help in the present while also growing as a resume writer for the future.  

If you want hands on help with your resume, schedule an appointment with CAPD – we’re happy to help!