We asked ChatGPT to write a CV and cover letter. Here's What's Good (and Bad) (2023)

By now you've probably heard about ChatGPT and wild chats and the impressive results it generates. While for some it is a fun pastime in the middle of a boring day, others use itChatGPT job search- especially to write themcover lettersIresumes.

ChatGPT results are exciting. Recruitingtry documents generated by ChatGPTand it turned out that the documents offered interviews. ANDtryfound that out of 1,000 job seekers, 46% say they use ChatGPT to write cover letters and resumes. Of these, 78% say they have been interviewed and 59% say they have been hired. Additionally, nearly 70% of job seekers report a higher response rate from companies when they use ChatGPT to help them search. On the other hand, 11% say they turned down a job offer when the company found out they were using a chatbot.

So should you use ChatGPT to write resumes and cover letters? As our tests show, the documents generated by ChatGPT are well written, but they may not be enough to help you get an interview. However, ChatGPT can be a useful tool to help you draft and prepare cover letters and CVs.

>> MERE: Should you use ChatGPT for interview tips?

What is ChatGPT?

ChatGPTwill be a major leap forward in artificial intelligence (AI).

It usesnatural language processing, which makes it easier to ask questions and get relatively realistic answers. For example, you can ask ChatGPT, "Why do you think the sky is blue?" and we will try to answer your question fairly as a friend. This is different from other chatbots or search engines where you may have to phrase the question "just like that" to get an answer.

You can also ask ChatGPT to repeat and possibly improve the response by asking it to "try again" with the same input.

Our ChatGPT Experiment: Resumes and Cover Letters

We wondered if ChatGPT could be used to save time when looking for a job. How about asking him to write resumes and cover letters for us?

Examples of GPT CV in chat

We started with a few CVs.

Deck of a pirate ship:

Entry level programmer:

Entry Level Financial Analyst:

The interesting thing about these AI-generated resumes is that they are relatively unique in prompting. For example, only the entry levelResume includes GPA.

>> MERE:How to write a CV

However, these resumes also cover things that areIt is no longer necessary. They have an address and the prospect's resume includes a reference section.

Examples of cover letters for GPT interview

We gave ChatGPT many cover letters to test its capabilities. Here are some of the best examples:

Key position in investment banking:

Accounting internship:

When you have no work experience:

The main deck of a pirate ship:

It's safe to say that these are well-written cover letters. They follow general cover letter conventions, are polite, and explain why the writer is applying for the role. It also lists a few skills that may be necessary for success in the role, although we have not listed any skills as an incentive.

What went wrong with ChatGPT

While resumes and cover letters generated by ChatGPT aren't half bad, they're just the kind of resumes and cover letters you havewould notsubmit as an application.

Why;

Let's take a look at the primary cover letter, specifically the two middle paragraphs.

The second paragraph talks about "the author's many years of experience, including time as a craftsman in management positions." The third paragraph also states: "I have shown strong leadership skills."

Although the author should mention his leadership skills, especially since the transition to seaman is probably a milestone in his career, there is noHowthe author used their leadership skills.

The same applies to the pirate deck's CV. It lists specific skills such as swordsmanship, raiding, and treasure hunting, but nowhere does it say thatHowthe sailor used these skills orWhyit means something to the captain or the rest of the crew.

Here's exactly what recruiters tell job seekers to avoid. "ChatGPT can give you a good foundation, but you need to provide guidance and plan to use 80% to 100% yourself," says Bonnie Dilber, Recruiter at Zapier. "For example, when I initially asked ChatGPT to write bulleted resume points, it contained no data."

It's fine to say you have leadership skills, but if you don't explain how you used them, the sentence is meaningless. You must include an example of your leadership skills as a measurable result that has had a positive impact on the team.

"Job seekers should use ChatGPT as a starting point to break through a blank space on a blank page, not as a way to build a comprehensive resume," advises Miles Jennings, founder of Recruiter.com. "For example, if you're trying to become a graphic designer, ask him to write a great resume about the graphic designer who started his career. But it goes from there. Paste the result into a Google Doc and edit it as much as possible."

Dilber notes that after ChatGPT provided her first resume bulletins, she asked her to "rewrite those bullet points with examples of performance and metrics" and got a better response. But it also warns that even with a "better answer" you should take the time to review and rewrite the ChatGPT result.

"You always want to edit for accuracy to make sure you don't misinterpret your work and to make sure it sounds like you. As a candidate you want to stand out from the crowd. Lots of people use ChatGPT so if you just upload , what it generates is the chances that your resume and cover letter will be the same as everyone else's.

For example, in the second paragraph of your cover letter to seafarers, you might say:

I have several years of experience working on ships, including time as a captain and in senior positions. For example, I was once asked to lead a raid on a village said to have huge gold reserves. I selected a group of eight decks, made a raid plan and successfully led my crew under the cover of darkness. Not only were none of my colleagues killed, captured, or seriously injured, but we also recovered nearly 10,000 gold pieces.

The rewrite is a clear and compelling example of how you use your leadership skills and more importantly, the positive impact it has had on the entire crew.

>> MERE: How to use the STAR method for interview questions

Co ma ChatGPTReallyOnd

Of course, part of the problem with the cabin crew cover letter is that it wasn't specific. We just asked him to write a cover letter. This is a fairly general question, so we probably got a generic answer.

In the next test, we asked ChatGPT to write a cover letter for a job at Forage and included text from the post describing some of the experiences our team is looking for. Here is the prompt:

Here's what ChatGPT has done:

Once again, the cover letter is decent. However, it referred to what we inserted in the introduction, without any explanation or context.

For example, the second paragraph talks about the writer's ability to plan ahead of the phone call (a key word in the job description). While ChatGPT tries to explain why pre-chat planning is important, the explanation is not specific. It doesn't help a job applicant stand out from the crowd because it doesn't describe how to do itOfThe writer conducts planning before the interview.

It is a problem similar to the third and fourth paragraphs. The cover letter mentions specific skills from the post, but does not explain how the author uses them or provide an example of when he used his skills to "increase sales."

>> MERE:Resume Keywords: What They Are and How to Use Them

The fifth paragraph also adds keywords to practically plagiarize the job ad: "I have a solid track record of achieving measurable internal sales goals in a sales environment that requires accurate lead data entry and management in a CRM system.". Even worse, the cover letter does not include examples of measurable internal sales goals that the writer has achieved.

And that's why job seekers should consider the first ChatGPT result as a very rough draft. "Remember that ChatGPT is designed for conversations and conversations," notes Jennings. "Make sure you're constantly processing the output. Experiment until you're happy with the results, but never rely on initial performance."

And this advice is critical. It seems ChatGPT has compensated to fill in the gaps in the generic prompts we provided. The cover letter for an accounting internship states that the applicant is proficient in QuickBooks, although we did not include this information in the message. It's possible that because the prompt was vague, ChatGPT took this information as an example of what to include in a cover letter, but again, it's something to keep in mind.

Your changes should also keep ChatGPT consistent. It doesn't seem to recycle what it produces itself. For example, in the Prices section of a software engineer resume, one price was formatted with a hyphen and the other with a comma. While this may be the correct way to structure these prices, it shows that the program can be inconsistent.

Should you use ChatGPT to write your cover letter and CV?

To be fair, ChatGPT says some results may be inaccurate. As mentioned above, the more specific the prompt, the more specific the result. When we asked ChatGPT to write a cover letter that included "the fact that my high confidence has increased 20% year-over-year," it produced a slightly better cover letter:

That said, while it's nice to ask ChatGPT to create a cover letter and resume for you to enter the hacker life if you use AI toFROMcover letter and CV?

As the results show, what ChatGPT produces is often general and broad, which may not be enough to get an interview. Copying and pasting parts of the job description is not helpful as ChatGPT returns keywords without explaining why or how you do it.

"Nothing ChatGPT writes will be as powerful and persuasive as what a human can come up with," notes Dilber. "For example, if you're looking for a role as a content writer, you're missing out if you don't create your own work." And Jennings agrees. "You should never let ChatGPT write the final document for you."

If you can't get started, struggle with writer's block, or just can't find the right words, ChatGPT can help with your rough draft. It creates clear contours that are an excellent starting point for creating application materials. However, don't rely on it to create the perfect app.

"I think ChatGPT can help you customize your content quickly," says Dilber. "[You can] take a cover letter and ask ChatGPT to turn it into a cover letter for, say, another role or company. It will definitely speed up your ability to apply for multiple roles with a custom application. And it can do things faster if you're trying to upload a lot of apps. But that doesn't mean the quality of the work done will be better than what you can create yourself."

And Jennings agrees. “He is a creative editor, guide and (very) wise friend. But understand that it's up to you to personalize your own writing, especially for a highly personal document like a resume or cover letter."

Want to learn how to write a resume without AI? Consider signing up for a free resume writing workshop at Forage.

Image source: Canva

Frequently asked questions