Everyone on the internet seems to be talking about artificial intelligence (AI) lately—especially a new tool called ChatGPT that people are increasingly turning to. But what's ChatGPT exactly? And how do you access it? Here's everything you need to know about how the platform works, and how you can leverage it for your job search.
You may be more familiar with artificial intelligence than you think. If you've ever used AI-enabled assistants like Siri and Alexa, where you can ask questions and get an immediate response in return, you've experienced firsthand how artificial intelligence can integrate with your day-to-day life to provide real-time answers.
Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer—ChatGPT for short—is a powerful new artificial intelligence tool developed by OpenAI, one of the world’s most ambitious AI labs, that uses natural language processing (NLP) technology to help people communicate with computers more naturally and intuitively.
Since its November 2022 debut, the tool and its sophisticated data science have taken the world by storm, showing us how exploring new forms of machine learning can result in powerful use cases—including for your job search.
The job search process can be exhausting: Checking multiple job sites and job boards. Keeping track of all the relevant jobs of interest and the various job descriptions from target companies. Remembering which positions you've already applied for, which ones are in progress, and which ones require follow-up. Optimizing your LinkedIn profile. Customizing and tailoring your resume for multiple job descriptions. Prepping for interviews. Ensuring you stand out from other qualified candidates. Writing thank-you notes.
The process of looking for a new job is daunting—and especially in an ever-changing job market where hiring trends are evolving amidst mass layoffs and reductions in the workforce. If artificial intelligence can help streamline the process for job seekers, that may not be such a bad thing.
Should you use AI for job search? We'd say yes, but with caution and the caveat that machine learning—while impressive—isn't a total replacement for putting in the work. Candidates searching for a boost from technology are in luck, but ChatGPT and other AI solutions aren't 100% accurate; they do the best job they can with the information they're given, but it's up to the job seeker to provide the appropriate inputs and adjust the outputs accordingly.
There's a lot of debate over whether using a chatbot like ChatGPT and leveraging AI to enhance your job search is "cheating"—a replacement for doing the work yourself. Our take: Technology was created to support our work, but it's not a substitute for doing the work.
Only you know your real work history: your achievements, metrics, and accomplishments. But platforms like OpenAI's ChatGPT can lend valuable insight into the process.
A word of caution: The ChatGPT platform is trained to decline inappropriate requests, but it notes on its site that it may occasionally produce harmful instructions or biased content, may occasionally generate incorrect information, and has limited knowledge of the world and events after 2021. Proceed with caution and, if you feel inclined, review the company's privacy policy to make sure you're comfortable with the way they use personal data.
So you've decided to try out artificial intelligence to help speed up your process. When it comes to AI and ChatGPT, the use cases are seemingly endless, but here are three ways to start to leverage ChatGPT in your search to help you land a job you're excited about:
You've heard it's important to tailor your resume to the job description to show that you're a qualified candidate for the role—but how can you ensure your bullet points reflect that? In addition to using Teal's free Achievement Assistant tool within the Resume Builder, try leveraging ChatGPT for this part of the process:
Professional summaries are another hot topic, with some recruiters and hiring managers saying they're helpful as they speak to a candidate's career in aggregate and highlight their key accomplishments. Others argue it's a waste of space and job seekers should dive right into their skills and achievements.
We tend to be fans of the professional summary, especially if you have multiple years of work experience or are pivoting to a new career or industry. Here's how to use artificial intelligence to create the first draft of your summary:
Check out the videos below to see it in action:
For a more specific breakdown of how to use ChatGPT for LinkedIn, check out our article, "4 Ways to Use ChatGPT to Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile (with Prompts.)"
Controversial topic number three: Cover letters. Spend five minutes on LinkedIn or TikTok and you'll see heated debates over the value and importance of cover letters, whether recruiters and hiring managers even read them, and whether they're an outdated part of the job search in 2023. We'll dive into the specifics below, but we encourage you to also check out "How to Use ChatGPT to Write a Cover Letter," for a more detailed approach.
But regardless of how you may feel about cover letters, many companies still require them as part of the application process, so here's how to crank out a first draft quickly. Be sure to edit and tailor it as needed before submitting it!
If you do choose to leverage AI tools for your job search, here are four best practices to keep in mind.
It's important to use various strategies to increase the chances of success in your job search. ChatGPT is one of many tools that can be used in the process; though it shouldn't be the only technology you implement, it has powerful capabilities that can help you best position yourself as a top job candidate, especially when used in partnership with your Teal Job Tracker and Resume Builder.