In these turbulent times, you may be wondering about job security. Or perhaps you're wondering whether making a career move is a wise decision right now. Or maybe you’re trying to land your next position or re-enter the job market after some time away.
Whatever your circumstances may be, Chat GPT or Claude can act as your career coach to help you!
In this newsletter, you’ll get a step-by-step guide on how to use AI to help you land a new job or even start a new career.
1) PROFESSIONAL HISTORY ANALYSIS
Using AI is a smart way to get an objective view of your work experiences (or even your valuable life experiences). AI can help you get a concise summary of your strengths and perhaps offer a new perspective on your background.
Here’s the recommended prompt to use in either ChatGPT or Claude (or try both if you want to compare answers) to get an analysis of your professional history:
“ROLE: You are a top-notch, world-class career coach and recruiter.
CONTEXT: I am looking to {Insert Your Goal Here; For Example, start a new career, change careers, better understand how to use my skills in a new position, get a new job}. To that end, I need a comprehensive summary of my skills and core value proposition.
TASK: Your task is to analyze the attached resume and the “About” section of my LinkedIn profile and provide a comprehensive summary that includes:
My top 5 hard skills, with a brief example of where I’ve demonstrated each;
My top 5 soft skills, with a brief example of where I’ve demonstrated each;
A list of my most impressive quantifiable achievements (for example, “increased sales by 10%); and
A single paragraph that summarizes my core professional identity and value proposition.
Here is my resume:
{Paste full text of resume here}
Here is my LinkedIn “About” section
{Paste full text of LinkedIn “About” section here}
FORMAT: Please provide the hard skills and soft skills summary in list format and use a paragraph format for the rest. Use subtitles for each section, as appropriate.
Please ask any qualifying questions.”
2) IDENTIFYING THE TASKS YOU ENJOY
For long-term happiness and success, it’s important to find a fulfilling role or career. Manifesting the life of your dreams requires aligning with the higher energetic vibrations of joy, contentment and fulfillment.
Here’s the recommended prompt:
“ROLE: You are a top-notch, world-class, and highly sought after career coach.
CONTEXT: I am trying to ascertain which tasks in my current job as {enter job title, or volunteer position, or if you’ve not been working, a desired position} bring me the most enjoyment. The purpose is to help me identify what I should do more of in my next role.
TASK: I will provide you with a list of my tasks {in cases in which you’ve not been working and are using imagined tasks for a desired position, list the tasks you would imagine doing}. Based on this list, please do the following:
Categorize the tasks under the following categories: “Strategic,” “Analytical,” “Creative,” “Administrative,” “Interpersonal.”
For each category identify the core skill being used in each task.
Here is my list of tasks: {Input list of daily and weekly tasks and responsibilities. For example: “Write monthly performance reports;” “Create and draft social media posts;”
“Answer client support emails;” “Create systems automations and workflows”}
FORMAT: Create an interactive table that I can use to personally rate each category on a scale from 1-5 for (a) “Energy Level” (1=draining and 5=energizing) and (b) “Enjoyment Level” (1=dislike and 5=love).
Please ask any qualifying questions.”
3) Brainstorm Future Career Paths
Next, using insights from the first two steps, you can use AI to generate a list of potential new careers which are well-suited to what you are looking for.
First, think about what is the number one objective that you want to achieve with your next role (for example, more money, remote work, better work-life balance, more impact, entry into a specific industry). Open a Google document and make a list of these priorities.
Then, use this prompt:
“ROLE: You are still acting as a top-notch, world-class, and highly sought after career coach.
CONTEXT: I need help with brainstorming possible future career paths and positions. Use the table you created above to assist with this.
TASK: Based on the analysis of my skills, achievements, and tasks that I find energizing and enjoyable, help me to strategize for my next career move. My main priorities for my next career move are: {list your priorities here}. Suggest 10 potential career paths or roles that would be a good fit for me. This may/may not {you must choose} include roles in which I would work as a contractor, or which would require me to form my own business.
FORMAT: Please structure your response as follows, categorizing the roles into three different groups in a table format:
A Small Pivot (3 suggestions): Roles that are a natural next step, leveraging my current skill set directly.
A Significant Shift (4 suggestions): Roles in a different field or function where my transferable skills would be valuable.
A Wildcard (3 suggestions): Unexpected or creative roles I may not have considered.
For each suggestion, provide the job title, a brief explanation of why it’s a good fit for me, and the potential key skill gaps I might need to fill with additional training or education.
Please ask any clarifying questions.”
This prompt helps you to expand your thinking about new career and job opportunities that you may not have considered before.
4) Re-branding Your Resume & LinkedIn Profile
Now that you’ve identified the perfect career or role for you, you can use AI to tailor your resume and LinkedIn profile. It’s important to have a resume and LinkedIn profile that speak directly to the role you are targeting.
Choose one of the roles from step 3 above and use the prompts below - one prompt is for your resume, and one is for your LinkedIn profile. Use them one by one.
Prompt for Your Resume
“ROLE: Please act as a professional resume writer.
CONTEXT: I need help with tailoring my resume to the role of {insert the role you’ve chosen from step 3 above}. Here is my current resume for context {insert resume text here}.
TASK: Rewrite my professional summary and five of the most relevant bullet points from my work experience to specifically highlight the skills and achievements that are most attractive to this new role. Use strong action verbs and focus on quantifiable results.
FORMAT: Please provide the output in a paragraph format, using heading and/or subheadings when appropriate. Please identify the jobs from my resume that you used as the sources for your answers.
Please ask any clarifying questions.”
Prompt for LinkedIn Profile
ROLE: Please act as a professional recruiter.
CONTEXT: I need help updating my LinkedIn profile to attract recruiters for a position as {enter Target Job Title}.
TASK: 1. Write 3 options for a new, compelling headline that is under 220 characters.
2. Write a new “About” section that tells a compelling story, connects my previous experience to this new role, and ends with a clear call to action (for example, inviting connections for a chat).
FORMAT: Please provide the headlines in a list format and the “About” section in a paragraph format.
Please ask any clarifying questions.”
5) Cover Letter & Interview Preparation
Cover Letter
Most job postings require a cover letter to express your interest in the position. Cover letters also provide an opportunity to summarize how your experience fits the position and why you’re the perfect candidate.
“ROLE: Please act as an expert resume and cover letter writer.
CONTEXT: I am applying for {Insert Job Title} at {Insert Company Name}. Here is the job description: {Paste job description}. My relevant experience includes {List 3-4 relevant experiences}.
TASK: Write a compelling cover letter that:
Shows I’ve researched the company.
Connects my experience to their specific needs.
Demonstrates cultural fit.
Includes a strong opening and closing.
FORMAT: Please limit the cover letter to no more than 500 words.
Please ask any clarifying questions.”
2) Interview Preparation
Always prepare in advance for an interview. The prompt below will help you with this.
“ROLE: Please act as an expert career and interview coach.
CONTEXT: I have an interview for {Insert Position} at {Insert Company Name} in {Insert Industry}. The job requirements include {List Key Requirements}.
TASK: Please provide:
1)10 likely behavioral questions with STAR method answers based on my experience {Insert Brief Experience Summary}.
2) 5 technical questions specific to this role.
3) 5 insightful questions I should ask the interviewer.
4) How to address this potential concern {Insert any gaps or weaknesses}.
5) A strong closing statement for the interview.
FORMAT: Please provide the outputs for #1-3 in list format and the outputs for #4 and #5 in paragraph format with subheadings.
Please ask any clarifying questions.”
Make sure to practice what ChatGPT or Claude provides for you out loud. The more you practice, the more confident you’ll feel in your interview.
6) Post-Offer: Negotiation and Decision Making
After you receive a job offer, you will want to evaluate the value of it to be sure you receive fair compensation. If you receive multiple offers, you may want to create a decision-making matrix to help you decide which one to choose.
Below are prompts for each scenario.
Offer Evaluation
“ROLE: Please act as an expert job recruiter with a particular expertise in {Add Industry}.
CONTEXT: I need help with determining the real value of a job offer. I received a job offer with these details:
Role: {Insert Job Title}
Base Salary: {Insert amount}
Bonus: {Explain Bonus Structure}
Benefits: {List Key Benefits}
Other perks: {List, for example, minimum commute, health club on premises, etc.}
My priorities are: {List Your Top 3-5 Priorities}
My current compensation: {Describe Compensation Package Offered}
TASK: Please help me:
1) Evaluate the total compensation value.
2) Identify areas for negotiation.
3) Compare this with market standards.
4) Assess the long-term career impact.
5) Create a negotiation strategy.
FORMAT: Please provide this in a paragraph format with headings and subheadings, as appropriate.
Please ask any clarifying questions.”
Career Decision Matrix
Having a career decision matrix will help you to make decisions with clarity.
“ROLE: Please continue acting as an expert job recruiter, with a particular expertise in {Add Industry}
CONTEXT: I have received more than one job offer and I am trying to decide which one I should take. I am deciding between:
Option A: {Describe Option A}
Option B: {Describe Option B}
Option C: {Describe Option C} - if applicable
My Career Goals Are: {Describe Career Goals}
My Personal Priorities Are: {Describe Priorities}
My Concerns Are: {List Concerns - if there are any}
TASK: Create a decision matrix that weighs:
Short-term benefits (1-2 years).
Long-term trajectory (5+ years).
Learning and development opportunities.
Work-life balance.
Financial implications.
Risk v. Stability.
FORMAT: Please create the matrix in a table formula, adding as much detail as possible. If the information doesn’t fit within the table, please add explanations in paragraph format in support of the table.
Please ask any clarifying questions.”
And there you have it! Just remember that if you’re not satisfied with the outputs you’re receiving from ChatGPT or Claude, you can refine the prompts as needed. If you’re not sure how to refine your prompt, just ask the AI! Be curious and try to have fun with the process. Your next major career move is within your reach! Good luck!