Career Consultants support people to move forward in their working life. Their clients may have experienced an injury or illness and need to retrain or be returning to the workforce following time caring for their family. Career consultants support people to change roles whether it be climbing the career ladder, switching industries entirely or clarifying career direction. They work in collaboration with the individual on their goals and help them to define these if they are feeling stuck.
In today's busy world, job seekers are always keen to find ways to cut down time spent trawling through advertisements and putting together applications. Enter Artificial Intelligence (AI), a techno tool taking the world by storm. For many (including me) AI feels like it has arrived abruptly and left many on the backfoot feeling unsure of how to use it and wondering whether they want to dip their toe into this uncertain new type of technology at all. However, if there is one thing that is becoming increasingly apparent in the careers space which is that AI has the ability to transform the way job seekers find work, making the process more efficient. In this blog, we will look at one way you can utilise AI to help you in one aspect of your job search- cover letter writing.
Sites such as ChatGPT (Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer) can write cover letters for you. It is a large language model-based ‘chatbot’ which describes its function as ‘enabling users to refine and steer a conversation towards a desired length, format, style, level of detail and language’. In my quest to explain to you how to use it I felt it was only fitting to ask ChatGPT itself to put together a ‘how to’ list of instructions to be referred to. I typed in ‘Please write a brief instruction list for someone wanting to use ChatGPT for cover letter writing’ (manners are always important even when speaking to a chatbot). Here’s the response;
1. Specify Your Request: Clearly state your request to ChatGPT, such as "I need assistance in writing a cover letter for a job application."
2. Provide Key Information: Share important details about the job you're applying for, including the job title, company name, and any specific requirements or qualifications mentioned in the job posting.
3. Set the Tone and Style: Specify the tone and style you want for your cover letter, for example, formal, professional, or creative.
4. Outline Your Background: Give a brief overview of your professional background, highlighting key skills, experiences, and achievements that are relevant to the position.
5. Ask for Paragraphs or Sections: Request ChatGPT to generate content for different sections of the cover letter, such as the introduction, body, and closing. You can ask for paragraphs or sections one at a time.
6. Review and Revise: After ChatGPT generates text, review it carefully to ensure it aligns with your specific experiences and the job you're applying for. Make any necessary edits for personalization.
7. Proofread and Edit: Thoroughly proofread the entire cover letter to catch any grammatical errors or typos. Make sure the formatting is professional.
8. Customize for Each Application: Remember to customize the content for each job application by incorporating details relevant to that specific position and company.
9. Sign Off and Send: Sign off the cover letter with a professional closing and your name. If it's a digital copy, type your name. For a physical copy, you can sign it by hand.
10. Final Review: Take a final look at the cover letter to ensure it meets your expectations and is ready for submission.
By following these steps, you can effectively use ChatGPT to assist in the process of writing a cover letter tailored to your specific job application.
One thing that is important to stress is that AI-generated cover letters should be treated as a draft copy. You can put in as much information as you want which will most likely result in a pretty comprehensive letter covering everything you need it to however it will be missing the personality and style you would bring to your own writing. Often words used may be those you wouldn’t usually or it may be written in a more formal manner than you would typically use. It is important to make changes to ensure the letter is as authentic as it can be. Treat the letter as a good base and way to get off the ground. Once you have made it more ‘you’ it'll be ready to use.
Kelsey is a passionate Career Consultant working for Enable Works. Kelsey has full CDANZ membership and has excellent experience working alongside a wide range of people at all stages of their careers. Kelsey is skilled in providing pre-employment preparation, interview skills coaching, CV preparation and job search support.
Kelsey can be reached on 022 369 6072 or kelsey@enableworks.co.nz