How to Use ChatGPT for Your Resume and Job Search

Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing how many people do their jobs nowadays. But AI tools like ChatGPT aren’t only for those who are already employed. They can also be beneficial to job seekers

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“I’m a big believer in embracing technology … when it’s used the right way,” says Marcie Wechsler, executive vice president of talent solutions for the staffing firm Atrium. ChatGPT can make it easy to create a resume, but without refinement, hiring professionals will know you used AI, according to Wechsler.

Here’s the right way to use ChatGPT in your job search.

[See: The Best Jobs in America in 2025]

How to Write a Resume With ChatGPT

It isn’t hard to write a resume in AI. If you open the ChatGPT website and type, “Write a resume for an entry-level accounting job,” you get this:

Resume: Entry-Level Accounting Position

[Your Name][Your Address] [City, State, ZIP Code] [Phone Number] [Email Address] [LinkedIn Profile] (optional)

Objective:Detail-oriented and highly motivated recent graduate with a solid foundation in accounting principles, financial reporting and data analysis. Seeking an entry-level accounting position to apply my academic knowledge, strong analytical skills and enthusiasm for finance to contribute to the success of a growing organization.

Key Skills:

— Financial reporting and analysis

— General ledger reconciliation

— Accounts payable/receivable

— Microsoft Excel (Advanced: VLOOKUP, pivot tables, formulas)

— Accounting software: QuickBooks, Xero, FreshBooks

— Tax preparation (basic knowledge)

— Bookkeeping and journaling entries

— Attention to detail and accuracy

— Time management and prioritization

— Strong problem-solving skills

— Excellent written and verbal communication

— Data entry and financial data organization

Education:

Bachelor of Science in AccountingUniversity Name | Location | Month Year of Graduation

— Relevant coursework: financial accounting, managerial accounting, taxation, auditing, business law, economics

— GPA: [Your GPA] (optional)

Internship Experience:

Accounting InternCompany Name | Location | Month Year — Month Year

— Assisted with general ledger entries, reconciliations and monthly close procedures under the supervision of senior accountants.

— Processed accounts payable and accounts receivable, ensuring timely and accurate posting of transactions.

— Performed bank reconciliations and ensured all records aligned with financial statements.

— Supported in the preparation of financial reports, including balance sheets, income statements and cash flow statements.

— Assisted with payroll processing and tax filings, ensuring compliance with regulations.

— Participated in data entry, maintained financial records and supported auditing tasks.

Finance InternCompany Name | Location | Month Year — Month Year

— Provided support for budgeting and forecasting processes for departmental expenses.

— Conducted research and analysis for monthly reports, ensuring accuracy and completeness.

— Assisted in compiling financial data for presentations and board meetings.

— Prepared journal entries and maintained detailed records for financial transactions.

— Collaborated with senior accountants to identify discrepancies and resolve accounting issues.

Certifications:

— QuickBooks Certified User (if applicable)

— Microsoft Excel Certification (if applicable)

— (Any relevant certifications) (e.g., certified public accountant — in progress, or any other relevant courses)

Technical Skills:

— Accounting software: QuickBooks, Xero, FreshBooks

— Microsoft Office Suite: Excel (Advanced), Word, PowerPoint

— Financial analysis tools

— Data entry and database management

Academic Projects:

Financial Analysis ReportUniversity Name | Month Year

— Analyzed financial statements of a publicly traded company and created a report on the company’s financial health.

— Applied various financial ratios and analysis techniques to assess profitability, liquidity and solvency.

Accounting System Design ProjectUniversity Name | Month Year

— Designed a basic accounting system for a small business, including chart of accounts, journal entries and financial reporting.

— Demonstrated the practical application of accounting software to manage transactions and generate financial statements.

References:

Available upon request.

Chat GPT adds: “This resume highlights your educational background, internship experience and technical skills relevant to an entry-level accounting position. Make sure to tailor it with your specific experiences and achievements for a stronger application.”

[READ: Job Skills to Put on Your Resume (And What to Exclude)]

Tips to Create a Good Resume in ChatGPT

While the above resume may look good and sound impressive, ChatGPT is simply making up your work history, education and skills. This can be a good starting point, but job seekers need to customize the resume to match their own experience and the requirements of their desired job.

Erich Smith, director of learning and development for the nonprofit Hopeworks, uses AI to help young professionals build resumes and find jobs.

“It’s allowed us to really customize a resume to the position,” Smith explains. The Hopeworks program — with locations in Philadelphia and Camden, New Jersey — works with participants ages 17 to 26 to complete skills development training and paid internships, with the ultimate goal of helping participants move into long-term careers that provide financial stability.

Part of helping program participants use AI is impressing upon them the limitations of this tool. “We try to highlight how it hallucinates,” Smith says. “It will embellish if you don’t give it the information it needs.”

Just as the example above is made up, ChatGPT and other AI tools often insert inaccurate information if you don’t provide enough details. The ability to easily incorporate more documents and supporting information is one advantage of NotebookLM, a Google AI tool that Smith says Hopeworks has begun using.

Regardless of whether you use ChatGPT or another AI service, try these tips to create a better resume:

— Feed your existing resume into ChatGPT and ask it to make recommendations for improvements.

— Upload your existing resume along with a job listing and ask ChatGPT to customize your resume to fit the job.

— If you don’t have a resume, upload some examples for the position you are seeking and ask ChatGPT to use those to create a resume for you.

— Provide ChatGPT with information about your background, experience and skills to help it personalize your resume.

“ChatGPT is almost like your unpaid intern,” says Jill Gugino Panté, director of the Lerner College Career Services Center at the University of Delaware.

While it can be helpful, just like an intern, an AI tool can’t do its job properly unless it has been given the appropriate information and training.

Can Someone Tell if My Resume Was Written by ChatGPT?

AI-generated resumes are convenient, but they must be reviewed and edited prior to being used in a job search.

“Where people get in trouble is that they just cut and paste,” Panté says. When that happens, they may submit a document with errors or that doesn’t accurately reflect who they are. “Then, when you get into an interview, you’re not going to sound the same as your resume,” Panté cautions.

“You don’t want to lose your voice and tone,” Wechsler says.

Walking into an interview and using a tone that doesn’t match your resume is one way a hiring manager will know you didn’t write your own resume. But there are other giveaways that ChatGPT was involved.

“There are very specific general bulleted formats that you can tell are AI-generated,” according to Wechsler. When one comes across a hiring manager’s desk, it could be enough for that job candidate to be passed over.

Sometimes an AI-generated resume can be obvious for other reasons. “You can easily tell it’s copy-and-pasted because the font and formatting is different,” Panté says.

With companies starting to look for AI, job seekers should be wary of seeing ChatGPT and other AI tools as a fast and easy way to create a resume. It can be a good way to become inspired and improve a resume, but whatever document it produces will need to be refined by you.

Other AI Uses for a Job Search

The potential uses of ChatGPT by job seekers go far beyond creating a resume.

“We’ve found AI can be a very useful and valuable tool,” Wechsler says. It can be used to write cover letters, follow-up emails and LinkedIn messages — all with the caveat that, like resumes, the documents created by AI must be reviewed, edited and personalized.

Panté suggests that job seekers consider ChatGPT more than a tool for writing documents. For instance, you may want to ask AI how you can use LinkedIn to connect with recruiters or which companies in your industry are located in your metro area. Another idea is to enter your skills and interests and have it suggest possible career paths.

At Hopeworks, Smith might have a participant load their resume and a job description into an AI tool and ask if they will get the job. While ChatGPT can’t say for sure, it can help identify potential weaknesses.

“ChatGPT gives us some insight that we use to enhance their preparation for an interview,” Smith says.

[READ: How New Grads Can Find a Job in the Age of AI]

ChatGPT Prompts for Resumes and Job Searches

The more information you give to ChatGPT, the more helpful its response will be.

“You have to give ChatGPT an identity,” Panté says. For instance, you may tell the AI tool that it is a recruiter, hiring manager or career coach. She suggests prompts such as:

— You are a hiring manager for this position. What five things would you change in my resume to help me get this role?

— You are the HR recruiter for this job. Come up with five questions I might be asked in an interview.

— You are a career coach. Give me five ways to improve my resume.

Meanwhile, Smith suggests feeding ChatGPT your resume and asking it to “Revise this resume to highlight XYZ,” with XYZ being the skills or experience mentioned in a job listing.

It also helps to place a limit on your desired result. Otherwise, ChatGPT may present you with an overwhelming amount of information.

For instance, if you ask ChatGPT to “Tell me what questions they will ask in an accounting interview,” the response is 29 questions spread across six categories. They range from technical questions such as “What are GAAP?” to general ones like “Why did you choose accounting as a career?”

A more refined prompt for ChatGPT is: “You are a hiring manager. Give me five questions I may be asked in a job interview for an accounting job.”

With this prompt, ChatGPT provides a more manageable response with five questions and the reason each one may be asked. Its response:

Here are five questions you may be asked in an accounting job interview:

1. Can you describe your experience with accounting software and which programs you are most proficient in? This question assesses your technical skills and familiarity with the tools commonly used in accounting roles.

2. How do you ensure accuracy and attention to detail when handling financial data or preparing reports? This tests your approach to ensuring quality and reliability in your work, which is critical in accounting.

3. Explain a time when you identified a mistake or discrepancy in a financial report. How did you handle it? This question evaluates your problem-solving skills and ability to identify, address and resolve accounting issues.

4. How do you stay current with changes in accounting regulations or tax laws? This tests your commitment to professional development and awareness of industry changes that may impact your work.

5. Describe a situation where you had to meet a tight deadline or manage multiple accounting tasks simultaneously. How did you prioritize and manage your time? This question assesses your time management skills and ability to handle competing priorities effectively.

If you don’t get the answer you want from ChatGPT the first time, refine your question and try again. Consider it a conversation as you work with an AI tool to create a resume, polish your cover letter and otherwise prepare to land the job of your dreams.

More from U.S. News

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How to Use ChatGPT for Your Resume and Job Search originally appeared on usnews.com

Update 01/24/25: This story was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.

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