Artificial intelligence has surged over the past three years, and many people see it as a kind of magic wand—capable of performing near-miraculous feats. In this issue of my newsletter, we’ll explore how to tap into that power to supercharge your job search. I’ve tested about a dozen AI tools, ranging from general-purpose large language models (LLM) like ChatGPT and Google Gemini to specialized interview tools such as TalkBerry and InterviewGPT.

Some time ago, I wrote an article about using AI in the job search. Since then, the landscape has evolved rapidly—existing tools have improved, and new ones have emerged. So I figured it’s time for an update.

Beyond the well-known conversational LLMs like ChatGPT, Copilot, Google Gemini, and DeepSeek, there’s now a growing market of specialized AI tools designed specifically for job seekers—most of which come with a price tag. Interestingly, many of these paid platforms still rely on ChatGPT as their underlying engine. Their main added value? Saving you the effort of crafting effective prompts.

But here’s the thing: why pay for that convenience when you can get the same results for free? Just copy-paste my carefully engineered prompts into ChatGPT (or any other LLM you prefer)—and unlock the same power without spending a dime!

Download the 10 Best ChatGPT Prompts to Supercharge Your Job Search

To fully harness the potential of ChatGPT, it’s essential to use tailored, well-crafted prompts, as they can significantly impact the quality and relevance of the responses you get. To help you get started, I’ve created and tested the 10 best ChatGPT prompts designed to simplify your job search. Download them here for free and try them out today!

What AI Can Do For You

While AI has its limitations (yet), there are certain areas where its usage is definitely beneficial and will save you significant time and effort:

Resume Writing and Polishing

Since ChatGPT is a language model, working with text is one of its strengths. It can help correct spelling, grammar, punctuation, and make your resume look more professional. If you want ChatGPT to create your resume from scratch, make sure to provide all the essential information, and thoroughly review the output. These AI tools sometimes fabricate skills or achievements to make your resume appear better, which could however backfire. For more on this topic, check out my earlier article, ‘Catch Me If You Can: How to Lie on Your Resume’.

Resume Tailoring

While I don’t recommend relying on any AI tool to tailor your resume, as it may incorporate inaccurate information (see above), ChatGPT can help you analyze the job description and identify key focus areas and keywords to include. This approach can increase your chances of passing through the prescreening process and getting an interview.

Cover Letter Writing

ChatGPT can be a great help in crafting your cover letter by turning the information you provide into a professional, well-structured letter. It can suggest phrasing, improve the flow of your writing, and ensure your cover letter highlights your key qualifications and enthusiasm for the role. Additionally, ChatGPT can help tailor your letter to the specific job and company.

Company Research

AI tools can assist in gathering information about potential employers, including their background, culture, and value proposition. This aids in tailoring your application and preparing for the interview. However, most established companies provide a comprehensive ‘About Us’ section on their webpage, where you can find most of the relevant information anyway. Moreover, AI-generated research reports may occasionally provide inaccurate or outdated information. When the AI model can’t find specific details, it may attempt to be ‘creative’ and fill the gaps with fabricated information. Also, be aware that it may not perform as well for small, private companies with limited public information available about them. Therefore, the output always requires additional verification.

Analyzing Job Descriptions

You can leverage AI tools to analyze job descriptions and identify relevant keywords and skills. Integrating these into your resume and cover letter should enhance their visibility in applicant tracking systems (ATS) and leave a positive impression on hiring managers. However, job descriptions are often transparent, with keywords prominently listed in bullet points, making them easily identifiable even without the aid of AI.

Interview Questions Preparation

The set of questions you may be asked in a job interview is fairly standard, and you can find them in my book, ‘Get Your Dream Job’, along with detailed instructions on how to answer them. However, ChatGPT can help you generate more specific examples tailored to the job and the company, thus enhancing your preparation. The same applies to the questions you should ask the interviewer (see more on this topic in my earlier article, ‘What to Ask in a Job Interview to Land the Job’).

Following Up

As a language model, ChatGPT can help you draft the communication you may need when following up during your job search, especially if you are not a native speaker of the language your potential employer uses or if you simply want to ensure there are no grammar mistakes. However, be careful not to overdo the follow-ups, as it may lead to unwanted consequences. For more information, see my earlier article, ‘The Shocking Truth: Following Up After an Interview Can Destroy Your Job Prospects’.

Testing Your Resume Effectiveness

Employers often use AI to screen candidates. A smart approach on your end is to use tools like ChatGPT or specialized ones like JobScan to analyze your resume. Check which keywords these tools extract and whether they align with those in the job description. This enhances the likelihood that your application will successfully pass through automatic screening.

Salary Negotiation

AI tools equipped with research capabilities, such as Google Gemini or DeepSeek, can analyze salary data based on your location, skills, and experience, providing you with valuable information for your salary negotiations. While they are fairly accurate, it’s advisable to cross-verify the information with other publicly available databases, your recruitment agency, or a headhunter.

What AI Can’t Do (Yet)

As mentioned earlier, some people perceive AI as magic. However, despite this perception, currently available AI tools still have severe limitations. Let’s begin by exploring what AI cannot do for you. Here are my findings:

Resume And Cover Letter Writing

Using AI for creating content for job applications, such as drafting a cover letter or crafting your CV, comes with a significant drawback: the tool lacks knowledge about you. Its capabilities are confined to the information you provide and any publicly available data it can access. Consequently, it cannot generate an authentically personalized cover letter or resume for you out of the blue. At best, it offers a generic template, but you might find better results using a professionally designed template (you will receive one for free when you get a copy of my book, Get Your Dream Job).

Exercise caution when employing AI for resume and cover letter optimization, too. The tool may incorporate skills or experiences you don’t possess to enhance your resume, which is counterproductive. Moreover, it has the potential to depersonalize the content, making it appear as though it was crafted by AI. Recruiters are adept at recognizing the output of typical language models, and if they suspect your documents were generated by AI, it could work against you and lead to elimination.

Generating Interview Answers

In a job interview, success hinges on providing answers that genuinely reflect your experience, knowledge, and personality. Similar to the previous paragraph, the same issue applies here. While AI tools can craft articulate responses to common interview questions like ‘Tell me why you want to join our company,’ they can’t convey why YOU, specifically, want to join the company. This also holds true for behavioral questions; you must generate your own examples rather than relying on hypothetical scenarios generated by AI. (By the way, I don’t recommend memorizing interview responses at all. You can find comprehensive guidance on successfully answering any interview question in my book.)

Mock Interview Practice

Several AI platforms offer mock interview simulations, enabling you to practice responding to common questions and receive feedback on your delivery.

However, it’s essential to note that these tools focus exclusively on verbal communication in written form. While some platforms have speech recognition and video recording capabilities, your answers are typically converted to written text and analyzed by a large language model (LLM) like ChatGPT in the backend. Consequently, answers that garner positive feedback from these tools are often very elaborate, well-structured, grammatically flawless, and showcase an extensive vocabulary range—similar to reading responses from an interview preparation book. However, this style of response is far from how people normally speak. If you deliver such a polished answer in a real interview, you would be immediately suspected of pretending. Moreover, various studies in the field of human communication suggest that a significant portion of human communication is delivered nonverbally which these tools almost completely ignore.

From a content perspective, AI tools struggle to connect the dots and often settle for clichéd responses. In one mock interview, where I pretended to be a software engineer applying for a position in a fictitious global company proud of its green initiatives, the tool persistently questioned me about specific new green initiatives I’d propose to the CEO to align with the company culture. After several desperate attempts (like, why would a software engineer be expected to design green initiatives??), I decided to let my imagination run wild and devised an elaborate eight-tier recycling program that was entirely nonsensical but, finally, it satisfied the tool.

Searching for Job Opportunities

Recently, a well-known job search expert recommended using ChatGPT as your personal AI assistant—scanning job boards, filtering roles, and sending daily updates so you never miss the perfect opportunity. Intrigued, I tested the suggested prompt using ChatGPT-5 as well as several other AI tools.

Here’s what I found: some tools performed slightly better than others, some worse, and a few didn’t work at all. But none delivered results at a level I’d consider truly usable for job searching. The tools often failed to follow the prompt instructions, missed key details in job listings, offered outdated postings, or even fabricated them entirely.

Dos and Don’ts of Using AI in Your Job Search

Here are some essential guidelines to follow when using AI tools in job search:

DOs:

• Seek Ideas: ChatGPT can provide inspiration for your resume or interview questions, acting like a knowledgeable friend you can consult for advice.
• Enhance Your Writing: If you’re unsure how to phrase something, ChatGPT can help refine your language to sound more professional.
• Verify Your Facts: Before submitting your resume or attending an interview, use ChatGPT to double-check that all facts and dates are accurate.

DON’Ts:

• Avoid blind reliance: ChatGPT is a tool to assist you, not a substitute for your input. Simply copying and pasting its output can result in a document that doesn’t reflect your true background, skills and experience.
• Don’t delegate your story: Your job history is unique to you. ChatGPT can only generate generic text, so ensure your resume and cover letter convey your personal unique narrative.
• Don’t rely on it too heavily: While ChatGPT is a valuable resource, don’t overlook other job search methods, such as career newsletters, books, or consulting with an expert career coach.

Conclusion

While AI is a cool tool, it’s important to remember that it’s still just a computer program. Always double-check the output and information it provides, and be careful and honest in what you include on your resume and say in job interviews. Also, ensure your application materials reflect your personality and unique story, and make sure your application looks authentic and genuine.

It’s still unclear where AI will take us in the future, and we’ll certainly see many changes as these tools continue to develop. Don’t be afraid to play around and see if there are new ways they can help you during the job search.

Before you go, don’t forget to download my free ChatGPT prompts and try them in your job search today!

Good luck!

You may also like:

• Catch Me If You Can: How to Lie on Your Resume
• The Shocking Truth: Following Up After an Interview Can Destroy Your Job Prospects
• What to Ask in a Job Interview to Land the Job

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Do you need my personal assistance? Simply send me your resume and a link to your LinkedIn profile at vaclav@getyourdreamjob.co and I will come back to you!