Customize Your Résumé & Cover Letter With AI

Before asking ChatGPT or another AI to write for you, define:

• The job title and industry you're targeting

• Your core strengths, metrics of success, and unique value proposition. 

• Keywords from the job description (for ATS purposes).

⭐ Pro Tip: AI is powerful, but it needs clear inputs. If you give it vague information, you'll get vague output.

AI can generate solid first drafts, especially when you:

• Paste in the job description

• Provide your résumé or LinkedIn profile content

• Ask for a tailored résumé or cover letter for that role

🔄 Then edit the draft for voice, tone, and authenticity. Recruiters can smell a generic letter from a mile away.

Tools like ChatGPT can help you:

• Rewrite bullet points to include action verbs + quantifiable results

• Mirror keywords from the job description

• Condense experience for different formats (e.g., one-page résumé, executive summary, CV)

✏️ Try asking: "Rewrite my résumé bullets to highlight strategic leadership and operational efficiency using metrics."

AI makes it easy to customize your materials for different roles. You can:

• Ask it to tailor your résumé  for a strategy consulting role vs a brand management role

• Emphasize different experiences depending on what the job prioritizes

• Match the tone and priorities of the industry / company (e.g., buttoned-up vs. start-up)

⚡Save time — but don't skip personalization.

• Over-reliance: AI doesn't know your full story. Inject your personality and accomplishments.

• Fluff: AI-generated content can be vague ("dynamic leader with proven track record"). Replace with concrete achievements.

• Typos or hallucinations: Always proofread. AI sometimes invents roles, awards, projects or results you never had.

Here are some great starter prompts: 

• "Write a one-page résumé for a former D1 athlete with an MBA and 10 years in marketing leadership, applying to a brand strategy role. Use the following copy for reference." [Paste your résumé in the chat].

• "Optimize the following résumé to align with the attached job description." [Attach job description and paste copy of résumé]. 

• Revise these résumé bullets to highlight quantifiable impact and leadership skills.  Here's my current version: [paste bullets]." 

• "Compare the attached job description and résumé. 1) Rewrite existing bullets on the résumé to address gaps, where possible. 2) Make a prioritized list of remaining gaps in skills and experience in the résumé. 3) Recommend strategies and timelines to build skills that are missing in the résumé to qualify for the job." 

• "Give me 3 variations of my professional summary targeting: a) product management, b) operations, c) business development."

• "Write a cover letter for a senior marketing role at [Company Name] based on this job description and my résumé. Emphasize brand strategy and cross-functional leadership. Reference my LinkedIn profile summary (insert URL) to add my personality."