Guide

How to write a better CV with ChatGPT: 5 prompts

Five practical prompts for tailoring your CV to a job ad, rewriting bullet points around results, and checking it like a recruiter would.

An AI assistant won't write a great CV for you, because it doesn't know what you've done. What it is very good at is the tedious part: comparing your CV with a job ad, turning vague duties into concrete results, and spotting what a busy recruiter will miss. Here are five prompts that do exactly that. Paste your own details into the [brackets].

1. Decode the job ad first

Here is a job ad: [paste]. List the 6 skills or experiences this employer cares about most, in order of importance. For each, quote the words from the ad that show it, and note any keywords an applicant tracking system is likely to scan for.

Do this before you touch your CV. It tells you what to put at the top and which words to mirror.

2. Turn duties into results

Rewrite these CV bullet points so each starts with a strong verb and ends with a result or scale (numbers where I have them; ask me if I don't): [paste bullets]. Keep each under 25 words. Don't invent facts.

"Responsible for social media" becomes "Grew Instagram from 2,000 to 9,000 followers in a year by moving to a weekly video series". The model will ask for numbers you forgot you had.

3. Tailor without rewriting from scratch

Here is my CV: [paste] and the priorities from the job ad: [paste output from prompt 1]. Suggest which bullet points to move up, cut, or reword so the CV matches this role. Show changes as a list, not a full rewrite.

4. Write a profile summary that isn't generic

Write 3 versions of a 3-line profile summary for my CV aimed at [role]. Use my real background: [2–3 facts]. Avoid clichés like "hard-working", "team player" and "passionate". Make each version lead with something different.

5. Review it like a recruiter

Act as a recruiter hiring for [role] with 200 applications to read. Skim my CV: [paste]. In 30 seconds of reading, what do you remember? What would make you stop reading? Give the 5 most important fixes, ranked.

A few rules that keep it honest

Never let the assistant add skills or results you don't have, because an interview will find them out. Remove personal identifiers you don't need to share, and always read the final version aloud. If it doesn't sound like you, rewrite that line yourself.