5 Recommendations for Customizing AI-Generated Content in Your Job Search

I am excited to share an article written by Vivian VanLier and edited by me for the March 2024 Career Experts Group's "Your Career > Your Future" newsletter titled "5 Recommendations for Customizing AI-Generated Content in Your Job Search". Be sure to check out the two sections where I share multi-step AI prompts to help you (1) Tailor Content for Specific Job Descriptions, and (2) Generate Custom Cover Letters.

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5 Recommendations for Customizing AI-Generated Content in Your Job Search        

In today’s highly competitive job market, artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a significant technology tool for job seekers to use in creating resumes, cover letters, and personal branding materials. However, the power of successfully using AI-generated content lies in customization and personalization. Following are five recommendations for personalizing AI-generated content so that your documents not only stand out, but they also truly represent your unique professional identity.

UNDERSTAND AI TOOLS — The first step in customizing AI-generated content is to understand the capabilities and limitations of various platforms. Spend time exploring various AI content generation tools, noting how their specific features can benefit your job search and document creation. Here are some of them:

1. For General Writing, Interview Prep, and Ethical Engagement: ChatGPT (3.5 or 4) and Claude-2 stand out for their conversational capabilities. Claude-2 adds an emphasis on ethical AI use and safety.
2. For Up-to-Date Information and Research: Perplexity AI and Gemini (formerly BARD) are excellent for obtaining the latest information and insights into companies, industries, and job market trends.
3. For Specialized Job Search Assistance: CoPilot (formerly Bing) and other AI-driven tools provide targeted help with resumes, job searches, and career development strategies.

DEFINE AND HIGHLIGHT YOUR UNIQUE VALUE PROPOSITION — AI by itself does not understand, and will not generate, what makes you uniquely valuable as a professional candidate. Consider your unique skills and achievements, your approach to solving problems, and your leadership style, and then edit the AI-generated content to reflect how your value proposition aligns with the job description. Check out our June 2023 article “Communicate Your Value Proposition: Using Headlines and Statements to Stand Out” for ways to craft your unique value proposition.

TAILOR CONTENT FOR SPECIFIC JOB DESCRIPTIONS — Tailor your content to specific positions by asking AI to compare your resume to specific job listings. You can also ask AI to identify keywords from job listings that you should integrate into your job-search documents. Try this 2-step prompt:

1. Prompt 1: What top 15 main keywords would a recruiter be looking for in a resume for this job? Job Posting: “[copy and paste job posting]”.
2. Prompt 2: Based on this job posting and the list of main keywords, what is missing from this resume? Identify anything in the resume that could be transferable to those missing keywords. Identify sample bullets to address each of those missing keywords. Resume: “[copy and paste the resume – do not include any personal information]”.

USE AI CONTENT AS A FOUNDATION — Treat AI-generated content as a starting point, not the final product. AI can provide structure and ideas, but make sure that the final version reflects your personality and personal brand. Demonstrate your fit for a position by inserting relevant stories of your accomplishments. Our June 2023 Special Feature, “Should You Use Artificial Intelligence Tools to Write a Resume and Cover Letter? Do’s and Don’ts,” has excellent tips on using AI as a tool, rather than relying solely on its output.

GENERATE CUSTOM COVER LETTERS - Employ AI-driven writing assistants to help craft personalized cover letters for each application. Input the job description, and AI can suggest content that aligns your experience with the role's requirements. This approach ensures each cover letter is unique and tailored, demonstrating genuine interest and effort. Try this 3-step prompt to help you craft a customized cover letter:

1. Prompt 1a: Identify any problems, pain points, goals, new products, etc., for [company name] for 2024 and 2025.
2. Prompt 1b: Using this resume and job description, pick the top 3 or 4 pain points and identify how this candidate could help with those challenges and opportunities. Resume: “[copy and paste resume]” Note: make sure to remove any of your identifiable information first! Job description: “[copy and paste job description]”.
3. Prompt 1c: Using all of this information, write a 250-word professional cover letter. Begin with an impactful statement that speaks to the candidate's key areas of expertise and accomplishments and how it can help the company achieve its goals, address pain points, etc. The initial paragraph should jump right into the value the client brings, specific to this company. Focus on impressive information to grab immediate attention: content on specific prior accomplishments and how they relate to the job description and the company’s goals. End the cover letter with an impactful and direct call to action.

While AI provides a strong foundation for creating materials, the importance of customization cannot be overstated. Customizing AI-generated content ensures that you can effectively showcase your unique skills and experiences with a personal touch.

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