Using AI for Resumes

AI can be a useful tool when you use it carefully.

General Guidelines

Always check what the AI writes. Is anything untrue? Is anything missing?
AI can be wordy and repeat itself. Make sure each line is short and adds something to your resume.
Start with a master resume. List all your experience, duties, and skills first. Then cut things for each job you apply to. It's easier to trim a long list than to come up with more later.
Sign in to the AI tool so your chat is saved. You can come back to it later without typing everything again.
Protect your personal information. Don't paste your Social Security number, date of birth, full street address, or account numbers into an AI chat. Use placeholders like [Phone] and [Address], and fill them in yourself later.

AI Prompts for Resume Writing

Want all the guidelines and prompts on one page to print? AI Resume Guide and Prompts (PDF)

Choose a task to see the prompt. Copy it, paste it into an AI chat like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Copilot, and fill in the parts in [brackets].

Prompt 1: Add Job Duties

Use this to write job duties for one job at a time.

You're going to help me come up with job duties for my resume. I'll give you the job title, employer, and location, and you'll use that context to write the job duties. Keep the duties concise. Use past tense for past jobs and present tense for my current job. Format all lists using simple hyphen bullets (-) only. Some jobs will already include a few duties; use those for context.

[Paste one job title, employer, and employer location]

Prompt 2: Get a Master List of Skills

Use this after you've listed all your jobs and education.

Here is my current resume (below). From it, give me a master list of skills. Be concise: each skill should be no more than 3 words. Put it in a format that's easy to copy and paste. Split the skills into two categories: "Transferable" and "Technical."

[Paste your full list of experience, education, and certifications]

Prompt 3: Combined Prompt

Use this to set up one chat that does both tasks.

You're going to help me with two things for my resume.

1. Job duties: I'll give you a job title, employer, location, and dates. Use that context to write concise job duties. Use past tense for past jobs and present tense for my current job. Some jobs will already include a few duties; use those for context.

2. Master skills list: When I say "my resume is below," I'll paste all my experience, education, and certifications. Give me a master list of skills, no more than 3 words each, split into "Transferable" and "Technical."

Format all lists using simple hyphen bullets (-) only, so they're easy to copy and paste.

How to Use the Combined Prompt

Start a new AI chat.
Copy the combined prompt, paste it into the chat, and send it.
Paste one job title, employer, location, dates, and any duties you already have. Send it. Repeat for each job.
When you're ready, type my resume is below. Give me the master skills list. Then paste ALL of your experience and education, including job duties and details. Send it.