Prompt templates

8 resume prompts for ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini (copy and paste)

Most resume prompts online are one line long and get generic results. These eight follow the four moves every major AI company teaches — goal, context, output, check — and each one tells the AI not to invent experience. Fill in the brackets, copy, paste.

By Chris · Updated Oct 2, 2026 · Facts checked Oct 2, 2026

How to use these

Paste your resume and the job ad where the brackets say. Remove your phone number and address first. Always read the result: the AI is drafting, you’re deciding. Want to write your own? Use our prompt builder.

1. Tailor your resume to one job ad

I'm applying for [job title] at [company]. The job ad is below, then my current resume. Rewrite my resume bullets so they match what this ad asks for. Start each bullet with an action verb and show a result where I've given one. Don't invent experience, skills or numbers: if a bullet needs a number I haven't given, write [ADD NUMBER]. Keep it to one page, plain text. Then list the 3 requirements in the ad my resume doesn't yet show. JOB AD: [paste] MY RESUME: [paste]

2. Turn duties into achievements

Here are bullets from my resume for a [role] job. Most describe duties, not results. Rewrite each one as an achievement: what I did, how, and what changed because of it. Use plain words, no buzzwords like "spearheaded" or "results-driven". Don't make up numbers; where one would help, ask me a question instead. [paste bullets]

3. Write a short profile summary

Write a 3-sentence profile for the top of my resume. I'm a [your situation, e.g. "retail supervisor with 6 years' experience"] applying for [target role]. My strongest points are [2–3 strengths]. Write it in the first person without "I", in plain, confident language. Give me 3 versions: one formal, one warm, one very short.

4. Draft a cover letter that sounds like you

Write a cover letter for the [job title] role at [company], using the job ad and my resume below. Under 250 words. Open with why this company specifically, not "I am writing to apply". Pick my 2 most relevant achievements and connect each to something in the ad. Friendly, direct, no clichés. Here is an email I wrote so you can match my tone: [paste a short email you wrote]. Don't invent anything. Mark gaps with [CHECK]. JOB AD: [paste] RESUME: [paste]

5. Check it against applicant tracking systems (ATS)

Many employers screen resumes with software first. Compare my resume to the job ad below. Make a table: important keywords and skills from the ad | is it in my resume? (yes / no / worded differently) | where I could honestly add it. Only suggest adding things I've actually done. Also flag anything in my formatting that screening software often struggles with, like tables, columns or text in images. JOB AD: [paste] RESUME: [paste]

6. Reframe for a career change

I'm moving from [current field] to [new field]. Below is my resume. Identify my experience that transfers to [new field] and rewrite those bullets in the new field's language, without exaggerating. Suggest a one-line headline that explains the change. Then tell me honestly what's missing for a first role in [new field] and one way to close each gap. [paste resume]

7. Prepare for the interview

Based on this job ad and my resume, act as the interviewer. Ask me the 8 questions you'd most likely ask, one at a time. After each answer I give, tell me what was strong, what was vague, and how to improve it using a short story: situation, what I did, result. Don't ask the next question until I've answered. JOB AD: [paste] RESUME: [paste]

8. Start from nothing

I don't have a resume yet. I'm going to list my jobs, dates, duties, training and anything I'm proud of, in no particular order. First, ask me up to 8 questions to fill in what's missing, one at a time. Then write a one-page resume for a [target role] job in plain text, with a short profile, experience (newest first), skills and education. Don't invent anything I didn't tell you. [paste your notes]

Why these work

Each prompt has the four parts OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and Microsoft all recommend: a clear goal (“rewrite my bullets”), context (the ad, your resume, your situation), the output you want (one page, plain text, a table), and a check (“don’t invent anything; mark gaps”). That last line matters most for resumes — AI will happily make up impressive numbers, and an interviewer will ask about them. Studies also show popular tricks like “you are a world-class recruiter” don’t make answers more accurate, so we left them out. More on what works and what doesn’t.

Before you paste personal details into any assistant, it’s worth switching off training on your chats.

Sources for the method: OpenAI cookbook · Anthropic · Google Prompting Guide 101 · Microsoft Copilot · Wharton on expert personas

Quick answers

What is the best ChatGPT prompt for a resume?

The one that includes the job ad. Paste the ad and your current resume, say who you are and which role you want, ask for bullets that start with an action verb and show a result, and tell it not to invent experience or numbers. Prompt 1 on this page does exactly that.

Can ChatGPT write my whole resume?

It can draft one, but it works much better rewriting a resume you already have. If you start from nothing, give it a plain list of every job, dates, duties and anything you’re proud of first (prompt 8).

Will employers know I used AI?

Many can spot generic AI phrasing: “results-driven”, “spearheaded”, “dynamic”. Ask the AI to use plain words and your own voice, and always edit the result yourself.

Is it safe to paste my resume into ChatGPT?

Remove your phone number, home address and any ID numbers first; the AI doesn’t need them. Also consider turning off training on your chats — see our privacy guide.

Do these prompts work in Claude and Gemini too?

Yes. They use plain instructions rather than tricks that only work in one tool.

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