ChatGPT: Job Search & Interview Tips

#ChatGPT is excellent for tailoring your resume, finding keywords to include in your cover letter, preparing for your upcoming job interview, and more. Below are ChatGPT prompts I’ve found useful for the job search. Happy hunting!

ChatGPT Prompts:

1. Search for Relevant Keywords.

My ChatGPT Prompt: “I’m applying for a XYZ role at a XYZ organization. What are some keywords or phrases I should have in my resume?

Example 1: “I’m applying for a data analyst job in Power B.I. at a university. What are some keywords or phrases I should have in my resume?”

When I used this prompt, ChatGPT provided a long list of keywords for my job application, including Power BI (obviously), data analysis, SQL, Excel, data visualization, business intelligence, data modeling, R and Python, statistical analysis, data cleaning, and more. I am currently in a data analytics role, so I can confirm that these are all helpful skills in this position and would be compelling as part of a job application.

Obviously, it goes without saying that professional integrity is key, and you should not pad your resume with skills that you do not have. However, this prompt can help you remember skills you already have that you forgot to list, or push you to develop those skills you do not yet have.

Example 2: “I’m applying for a human resources job at Pepsi. What are some keywords or phrases I should use in my resume?”

When I used this prompt, ChatGPT gave me a long list of helpful keywords to use in my job application, including talent acquisition, employee engagement, positive work culture, employee satisfaction, compliance and legal guidelines (EEO, ADA, FMLA), HRIS (Human Resources Information Systems), training and development, diversity and inclusion, and more.

2. ?Discuss a career pivot in a job application.

My ChatGPT prompt: “I’m applying for a XYZ role, but I have limited work experience in XYZ. How can I discuss this in a job interview?”

Example: “I’m applying for a communications position at a nonprofit, but I have limited work experience in communications. How can I discuss this in a job interview?”

ChatGPT offers several ways to talk about your lack of work experience in a job interview while playing to your strengths.

ChatGPT suggests highlighting transferable skills (written and verbal communication skills, research, project management, social media), showcasing relevant volunteer experiences, discussing any relevant courses or certifications, and providing examples of your ability to effectively communicate as part of a team and manage projects.?

3. Gauge company culture during an interview.

My ChatGPT prompt: “What are some questions you can ask during a job interview to make sure it isn’t a toxic workplace?”

ChatGPT provided 15 questions that you can ask in an interview to learn more about the company’s culture and attitudes toward mental health. Below are just a few:

• Can you describe the company culture and work environment?
• Can you share examples of how the company promotes work-life balance for its employees?
• How does the company support employee well-being and mental health?
• Can you provide information about the company’s approach to conflict resolution and handling employee grievances?
• What steps does the company take to ensure that employees have opportunities for growth and development?
• How are employees recognized and rewarded for their achievements?
• Can you describe the leadership style within the organization?
• Is there an opportunity to speak to current employees or team members to learn more about their experiences working here?

4. ?Discuss working from home in a job interview.

My ChatGPT prompt: “I’m about to have a job interview. I would like to work remotely because I’m most productive when working from home. How can I phrase this in a job interview?”

ChatGPT offers helpful example text about how to bring this up in a job interview. ChatGPT says to emphasize that you’ve found remote work to be beneficial for your productivity and that you have strong self-discipline and time management skills that allow you to meet deadlines and maintain open lines of communication with colleagues and supervisors. Emphasize to the interviewer that you will use technology to regularly communicate with the team and that you’re open to occasional in-person meetings or team-building activities, as needed.

My notes – ChatGPT is a bit too wordy for my taste, so I’d take the key points and make them more concise. I’d also be more specific and state which technologies you’ll use to communicate with your team (phone calls? Slack? Outlook? Teams Chat? etc.) and how often.

5. ?Explain why you want to work there.

My ChatGPT prompt: “I’m interviewing for a XYZ job at the XYZ. How can I answer the question during the interview about why I want to work there?”

Example: “I’m interviewing for a communications and marketing position at the Darden Career Center. How can I answer the question about why I want to work there?”

I had to go back-and-forth with ChatGPT a little bit, asking it to make the response more and more concise – also, ChatGPT kept saying I was an alum, so I asked it to not do that. The response ChatGPT provided was still too wordy for my taste, but there are some helpful nuggets: wanting to help students navigate their career paths and connect them with top-tier employers, finding it rewarding to help students, etc. To really drive this message home, I would look for more specific examples that demonstrate I’ve done research on the Career?Center.

6.???Answering the dreaded “Tell me about yourself”.

My ChatGPT prompt: “How do I answer the question ‘tell me a bit about yourself’ during a job interview? Be concise.”

This template is super useful and practical. Of course, you need to tailor this template to the specific job position and company you’re applying for. ChatGPT recommends focusing on the most relevant experiences and skills that showcase your fit for the role, while keeping it concise and avoiding excessive detail or personal information. The goal is to provide a brief overview of your professional background, not your life story.

7. Predicting Job Interview Questions

My ChatGPT Prompt: "What are some common interview questions for someone applying for a XYZ role at an XYZ organization?"

Example: "What are some common interview questions for someone applying to be a communications manager at a university?"

ChatGPT provided a long list of possible questions that may be asked of someone applying for a communications position at a university, including strategies to promote the university's brand and reputation, handling a crisis communication situation on campus, and staying up-to-date on latest communication trends. Before an interview, it would be helpful to review ChatGPT's generated questions and think of possible responses, or even test out your responses with ChatGPT and ask it to give you feedback.

Example: "What are some common interview questions for someone applying to be a data analyst at a university?"

Again, ChatGPT generated a long list of interview questions that would be very helpful as part of interview prep. I particularly liked these questions:

• How would you communicate the results of your data analysis to non-technical stakeholders, such as university administrators or faculty members?
• How do you stay updated on the latest trends and advancements in data analysis and data visualization?
• Can you discuss a time when you had to work with multiple data sources to create a comprehensive analysis or report?
• How would you ensure data privacy and security when working with sensitive information, such as student or employee data?

As always, remember to edit any ChatGPT output to make it sound like you - your tone, your voice, the appropriate level of formality, etc. So many recruiters are receiving cover letters that read as though they were AI-generated. Use ChatGPT as a starting point, and then make the language sound more human.