Need help crafting an updated resumé? Just ask ChatGPT

In my work as a financial wellness coach I regularly meet ambitious, capable people who earn less than market value given their education and work experience.

We dig in. I seek to understand their career, money and personal goals and what their strengths are. I read their resumé and LinkedIn profile. I learn about their work performance, comfort level with changing employers, pension schemes and how hungry they are to grow their income. Nine times out of 10, there’s an opportunity for growth.

Why are talented people getting stuck, with every incentive in the world to make more money nowadays amid a wildly expensive time in history?

It’s because these common roadblocks seem bigger and way more exhausting than ever. Here’s how to break through.

Ask ChatGPT what a great resumé looks like for the job you want

There’s a strong chance that your current CV and LinkedIn profile are uninteresting and unclear, and need to be redone.

“But, I met with a resumé writer!”

“I followed the advice of a career counsellor.”

“My friend’s friend helped me design it.”

In today’s extremely competitive job market, everything about your application needs to stand out from the crowd and be customized to the job you’re going after. Vague summaries about who you are and your professional background will get you nowhere. Long cover letters and resumés that spill over a page — or two (#gulp) — are also pointless.

Be brief. Be clear. Be descriptive in how you will immediately add value in the role.

Writing can be a major roadblock for job-seekers. So, just ask ChatGPT what a great resumé looks like for the specific job you want. Prompts like “Write me a resumé for a project manager position that earns over $100,000 per year” or “Rewrite my resumé for a senior account executive position in advertising” (you’d copy paste yours into the feed for this one) or “Build me an epic resumé for a junior engineer” will all provide great reference points. You can adjust your prompts and glean ideas that you can incorporate into your personal resumé. Once you’re happy that it stands out enough, update your LinkedIn profile accordingly.

Network in a super-targeted way to save time

It’s the start of school, cold and flu season, commuting times are up as people travel back to the office. Crawling into a coffee shop, shaking hands with someone new, trying not to embarrass yourself by dousing sanitizer all over your hands, and asking for their help in landing you a new job might be the last thing you want to do.

But, inside connections really help in at least getting you an interview.

Here’s what I coach people on when it comes to networking right now. Do it in the most targeted way possible to save time. Make a list of who the decision-makers are in your network, passing on networking with folks who can’t actually help you, and identify gaps where you don’t know the right people but could ask someone you trust for a connection.

Begin reaching out directly to the people on your list, share your newly updated resumé and LinkedIn profile, and reference any specific postings you want to be considered for. If they can meet up in person, awesome. Try to do it in their office to save them time, and hopefully it will snag you a few other introductions. If it’s remote virtual coffee, no problem. Keep those conversations very focused and brief, in case the person starts multi-tasking on you (super annoying, but it’s common).

All networking conversations should include three things; first, you articulating what you’re looking for (no vagueness!) and what you’d bring to the table on day one; second, an ask of them to help you by either passing your details on to a specific hiring manager or securing you an interview; third, a prompt “thank you” for their time — within hours of the meeting, not days.

Make the most of your current career situation while you wait

New jobs and raises are taking longer to secure in this market. Expect to have to apply for double or triple the number of jobs to land an interview as compared to five or six years ago. While you’re amplifying your efforts, do everything you can to knock your goals and current job duties out of the park. Get as much relevant experience as you can. Ask for that raise or promotion you’ve been scared to ask for. Apply for an internal role if it seems like a solid fit. Add any cool new accomplishments to your work experience.

If you’re out of work, incorporate as much mental well-being practice as possible while you’re customizing your applications and arranging networking meetings.

One thing is a guarantee in the job-seeking process — you will need to change. You could end up going hybrid or fully remote, learning a new skill like responsible AI in your line of work, getting out of your comfort zone and negotiating the offers for even more money, morphing your interviewing skills and so on. Try to embrace the changes (they might lead you to a lot more money!), listen hard to feedback so you can get better, and don’t give up.

This article was originally published in The Star. Lesley-Anne Scorgie is a Toronto-based personal finance columnist and a freelance contributing columnist for the Star.