Make ChatGPT your Career Coach

ChatGPT has taken the world by storm. While there are still many doubts about its utility, there is no question that its responses can help generate drafts and collect your thoughts around a topic. Many of us who have faced layoffs this year have looked to others in our network to support our journey to the next stage in our lives, often with mixed results.

Now that I am approaching the three-month mark, I have noticed a deluge of resume writers and career coaches flooding my feed. The algorithms generating targeted marketing have also catered to my personal needs around consistent positive imagery to handle the roller coaster job search. This got me wondering if ChatGPT could be an effective artificial career coach. Here are some use cases you might find interesting.

Mental Health Reminders

Positive affirmations can be beneficial for mental health because they help reframe negative thought patterns, promote self-belief, and cultivate a more positive mindset. By repeating positive statements about oneself, individuals can challenge and replace self-doubt, anxiety, or pessimism with constructive and empowering thoughts.

Try this prompt with ChatGPT to give you a list of things to help boost your confidence when looking for new job opportunities:

Give me some optimistic phrases about looking for work as a [Job Title].        

Tips for success ????

• Use a popular job title for your industry to generate more relevant results.
• Consider writing some of these down on sticky notes and placing them in various work and play spaces.

Over time, this practice can boost self-esteem, reduce stress, and enhance overall well-being. However, it's important to note that while positive affirmations can be helpful, they are most effective when used in conjunction with other therapeutic techniques and strategies for managing mental health.

Analyze job match

With the high number of applicants in the market, it is increasingly difficult for recruiters to weed through applications and many have turned to automation to help. Even if you have a rockstar resume and profile like mine, it is not a bad idea to verify your assumptions before submitting your application. JobScan recommends a job match score of 80% or more. Here is a ChatGPT prompt that you can use to check:

Calculate the percentage that my resume matches this job description.

Here is the job description: [Copy/Paste the JOB Description + Requirements]

Here is my resume: [Copy/Paste your resume]        

Revise your resume

You can use ChatGPT to improve your resume by asking for suggestions on how to highlight your skills, experience, and achievements.

Draft your Job Description

Generating effective job descriptions for your work experience can feel somewhat daunting, especially when faced with looming financial responsibilities. Let ChatGPT help by providing this prompt:

Please provide a job description for a [Job Title] role specialized in [List of skills] serving the [Industry] for my resume in under 2000 characters.        

Tips for success ????

• Be as detailed as possible to generate the most useful information. For example, specify a character limit (LinkedIn limits job descriptions to 2000 characters in length).
• Include a list of skills, industry, and length requirements, so you can avoid unnecessary rewrites.
• Don't forget to sprinkle in some details about metrics and specific accomplishments while you were in that role to provide a personal touch.

Include a Professional Summary

Summary statements are usually best for more seasoned professionals with years of experience to tie together with a common theme. It can also be helpful when you're changing fields and want to explain the value of your transferable skills or have prestigious accomplishments you want to prioritize.

Try out this ChatGPT prompt to generate a professorial summary based on your existing resume for a specific job title:

Create a professional summary under 500 characters that showcases my skills and experiences relevant to a [Job Title] role in [Industry]. [Copy/paste your resume]        

Tips for success ????

• Modify to add your flair to showcase your personality to the recruiter.
• Consider including metrics that are relevant to the job title

Customize for a Specific Opportunity

A tailored resume can go a long way towards getting noticed by a recruiter by highlighting your relevant skills and experiences and pushing your resume to the top, especially if an ATS (Applicant Tracking System) is being used.

Try out this ChatGPT prompt to help you quickly customize your resume for a specific job:

Tailor my resume for [TITLE] role at the [COMPANY]. Here is the job description: [copy and paste the above job description]. And here is my resume: [copy and paste your resume].        

Tips for success ????

• Review and revise for accuracy. The last thing you want is to appear misleading.
• Avoid using too many exact phrases from the job description in your final draft. Too high of a match in this regard can be a red flag for recruiters.

Prepare for your interview

Especially for professional services, hiring managers are asking a lot of technical and behavioral questions during interviews. Prepping for an interview can often feel daunting. Instead of reading through pages and pages of articles on interview questions, consider prompting ChatGPT to help.

I’m interviewing with [Interviewer Role] at [Company/Type of Company] for [Job Title]. What kinds of questions will they ask, and how should I answer them?        

Tips for success ????

• Consider asking ChatGPT about a specific interview question to dig in a bit more.
• If you aren't getting the questions you expect, consider including the job description or your resume in your prompt or doing a mock interview.

Write a follow-up email

Follow-up emails are not just a professional courtesy, it can also be a good opportunity to reiterate your qualifications and remind them of your availability. Let ChatGPT help you draft a customized follow-up email while you are still coming down from the high of your meeting with this prompt:

I interviewed for [Job Title] at [Company]. We talked about [describe what you talked about in the interview]. What should I write in my thank-you note to my interviewer who is [Interviewer Role]?        

Tips for success ????♀?:

• Include tone queues to help ChatGPT personalize your email.
• Emphasize your interest in the position.
• Don't be afraid to follow up again a few days later.

Improve your skills

Getting comfortable with ChatGPT can not only boost your profile but also your job skills relevant to your career. Many of you may already be using ChatGPT to summarize articles for research and retention and video conference sessions for meeting notes. Leverage the conversational strengths of the platform by engaging in a training session:

You are an expert at [skill], and I want you to be my mentor.

Generate a list of specific and actionable steps that I can take to improve my performance in [skill].        

Tips for success ????

• Dig into a specific step that is of particular interest by prompting ChatGPT to elaborate.
• Ask ChatGPT to teach you a topic and quiz at the end.

Start a coaching session

Similarly, you can ask ChatGPT to engage in a career coaching session with you.

I’d like for you to act as if you were my business coach. You ask questions or lead me through activities and I’ll respond. Do you understand?        

Tips for success ????

• Answer questions when prompted as accurately as possible.
• Ask to expand on specific topics.
• Explore setting goals.

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