Using ChatGPT in your job search

without triggering a computer uprising

These neon tubes from the Milwaukee Art Museum remind me of computer circuits.

Being familiar with technology is one of the best ways an older job seeker can improve their chances of getting hired.

And we just happen to be living through one of the most exciting phases of technology in all of our lifetimes: the rise of artificial intelligence.

While it’s fun to speculate about Skynet and evil robots taking over from lazy humans, what I want to talk about today is simply using a technological tool to your advantage.

That tool is ChatGPT.

ChatGPT is just an on-steroids version of those chatbots we used to play with in the 80s, like Eliza. You give it a text prompt, and it responds. But ChatGPT can do *so much more* than those old chatbots that just parroted back what you said to them. And like all computers, what we must do is wrestle it to the ground and force it to do our bidding. If you’re willing to put in the work, you can get some great stuff back.

If you’ve never used it before, here is a good primer. What I want to do is give you some ideas about how you can use it to jumpstart and improve your job search. But first, some important caveats to keep in mind about ChatGPT:

• It’s not an authority.
  It only has information up to 2021, and it’s been proven that when asked for facts and figures, it can often get things wrong. Be careful using it for things like company research, because it could lead you astray.

• Don’t use it for final copy.
  ChatGPT can write all kinds of things. But its writing at this point is pretty generic and not compelling. Use it for brainstorming; don’t cut and paste anything directly into something like a cover letter.

• Output is only as good as input.
  The more specific you can be with questions you ask the system, the better the result. If you are vague, you will get vague output. Think of it as a small child who needs every aspect of a situation explained.

With all that, what *can* we as job seekers use it for? Here are some ChatGPT strategies I have used myself, and they work.

To prepare, get your existing resume and any job listings into plain text so you can enter them into ChatGPT. Ask ChatGPT to function as your job coach, then paste in the text of your resume and the job listing. Then try these prompts:

• “What are some challenging questions I might be asked in an interview for this position?”
  This prompt is amazing not just for interview prep, but for helping you design all the materials you submit. It’s great brainstorming for thinking through what the employer wants and needs. You can also brainstorm potential answers with ChatGPT.

• “What are 12 keywords I should include in my cover letter and resume to improve my chances of being chosen for an interview for this position?”
  Keywords are so crucial in job application materials these days. Both automated Applicant Tracking Systems and human scorers are looking for how much you repeat key words from the job listing in your cover letter and resume. ChatGPT can help identify those keywords.

• “Write a resume professional summary based on my current resume and the requirements of the job listing I provided.”
  A professional summary, or what I would call an “elevator pitch,” is important to include at the top of your resume. This isn’t about your goals. It’s about how your experience lines up with what the employer needs. And ChatGPT can synthesize at least the start of a great summary.

• “Write a sample cover letter for me using the information I provided in my resume and the job listing.”
  Be careful with this one, though. Remember what I said about final output? You need to use this as a brainstorming session, not as text that you will just cut and paste into an online job application. Cover letters especially need to be in your unique voice. But as always, ChatGPT can give you a head start.

This is just the beginning

Once you start exploring what ChatGPT can do, you will start finding more and more uses for it. For example, you could use it to brainstorm job titles to search for in your industry. If you are looking to pivot into a new field, you could ask it for advice about how to go about that transition. The possibilities are endless.

But remember: ChatGPT is not magic. Its only context is what you give it and text it finds around the internet. And we all know how “accurate” the internet can be. Be skeptical, always.

I keep coming back to the word “brainstorming.” Let that be your guide with this tool. It can give you lots of possibilities. But it can’t carry you across the finish line.

Once it can, like those weird dog robots that can open doors, that’s when we will really need to worry. 😁

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What uses have you found for ChatGPT and other online tools? Let me know in the comments.