ChatGPT Resume Prompts That Actually Work

You are a senior recruiter. Rewrite this CV bullet using a strong action verb and a measurable outcome. Keep it under 20 words. No filler, no "passionate", no "spearheaded", no "leveraged". If the original has no metric, flag where one should go in square brackets rather than inventing one.

Original bullet: "[paste your bullet]"

My actual contribution: [one sentence on what you did]

Compress this CV bullet to under 18 words while keeping the action verb, scope and metric. Cut adjectives and adverbs first.

"[paste your bullet]"

You are a senior recruiter for [function] roles. Produce three bullet variants for the same achievement, each leading with a different action verb. Each under 20 words. Include the metric "[your number]" verbatim. No marketing language.

Achievement: [one or two sentences describing what you did and the outcome]

You are a CV reviewer. Diagnose three specific problems with this bullet (verb choice, vagueness, missing metric, wrong scope, AI tells). Suggest one fix per problem. Quote the exact phrases you are critiquing.

Bullet: "[paste your bullet]"

You are a senior recruiter. Rewrite this CV bullet so it uses the language of the attached job spec, mirroring the exact terms it uses for tools, methods and seniority. Do not add anything I did not actually do.

CV bullet: "[paste]"

Job spec: "[paste the relevant section]"

You are a senior recruiter. Write three professional summary variants for this candidate. Two to three sentences each. Different tone (direct, narrative, results-led). State seniority, function, two specialisms, one quantified outcome. No "passionate", no "results-driven", no "proven track record".

Candidate: [seniority, function, years, two specialisms, one quantified outcome]

Tighten this CV summary by cutting filler words and any phrase a hiring manager has read in a thousand other CVs. Keep the underlying claims. Aim for under 50 words.

Summary: "[paste your summary]"

You are a CV reviewer specialising in career changers. Write a two to three sentence summary for someone moving from [previous function] to [target function] after [number] years. Lead with what transfers, not what is changing. No apologetic language.

Rewrite this CV summary to mirror the language of the attached job spec. Keep my actual experience truthful. Do not invent skills. Do not exceed 60 words.

My summary: "[paste]"

Job spec: "[paste]"

Extract every hard skill, tool, method and certification from this job spec. Return them as a comma-separated list, deduplicated. Do not paraphrase. Use the exact wording from the spec.

Job spec: "[paste]"

Group this list of skills into three categories: Languages, Tools, Methods. Order each category by relevance to a [target role]. Drop anything that does not fit a CV skills section.

Skills: [comma-separated list]

For each soft skill in this list, replace it with a specific behaviour I have demonstrated. Use first-person past tense. Example: "team player" becomes "facilitated weekly cross-team standups for 8 engineers". I will provide a behaviour for each.

Soft skills: [list]

You are a senior recruiter. Draft a four-paragraph cover letter for this role based on the candidate's CV and the job spec. Specific opener (no "I am writing to apply"), one paragraph on relevant experience, one paragraph on why this company, sign off with a clear next step. Under 300 words. British English.

CV: "[paste]"

Job spec: "[paste]"

Company: [name and one factual detail you found about them]

Give me three distinct opening lines for a cover letter for this role. Each must include a verb in the first three words, name the company, and reference something specific to the role (not a generic claim).

Role: [title and company]

Why I am applying: [one sentence in your own words]

Write a 60-word paragraph on why I am a fit for this company specifically. Reference [recent fact or initiative you have actually researched]. Avoid mission-statement language. Do not invent claims I cannot defend.

Write a 50-word paragraph that explains a [number] month break for [reason] without apology. Frame what I learned or built during it. Tone: matter-of-fact, professional.

Compare this CV against this job spec. List every important skill, tool or method the spec mentions that does not appear in my CV. For each, suggest the most truthful place I could add it. Do not invent skills I do not have.

CV: "[paste]"

Job spec: "[paste]"

I need to add the keyword "[term]" to my CV in a way that does not look like stuffing. Show me three places where it could legitimately appear, based on this experience block.

Experience block: "[paste relevant bullets]"

Compare these two CV versions side by side for [target role]. List what improved, what got weaker, and what got vaguer. Pick a winner and justify it in two sentences.

Version A: "[paste]"

Version B: "[paste]"

Read this CV. Identify every formatting decision that could cause ATS parsing problems in Workday, Greenhouse or Lever (tables, columns, headers, icons, skill bars, unusual section names). Be specific: quote the section and the issue.

CV: "[paste]"

For each role in this CV, suggest a standardised job title that recruiters search for, matched to industry conventions. Keep the original in brackets if it differs significantly. Do not inflate seniority.

Roles: [paste each role and title]

You are a hiring manager for [role] at [company]. Based on this CV and job spec, generate the 10 questions you would most likely ask in a 45 minute first-round interview. Split into: behavioural, technical, role-specific.

CV: "[paste]"

Job spec: "[paste]"

Help me build a STAR answer for the question "[paste question]". I want short prompts for Situation, Task, Action and Result, not a finished script. Ask me one clarifying question per section before writing the next.

Write a 90-second "tell me about yourself" for this specific role. Three beats: who I am professionally, the strongest evidence I am right for this role, why this company specifically. No marketing language, no "passionate", no "results-driven".

My CV: "[paste]"

The role: "[title, company, one factual detail]"

Write a 100-word email negotiating an offer of [amount] for a [role] at [company]. Reference [market comparable or competing offer]. Direct, professional, leaves the door open. British English. No "I would love to" or "I just wanted to".