In this mini-episode of Promoted, Merit America Career Coach Tanesha Washington shares how you can use ChatGPT to support your job search and tell your story without losing your authentic voice.
Key Takeaways
ChatGPT, Perplexity, DALL-E, Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot—these companies have the entire world abuzz for one simple reason: artificial intelligence.
Maybe you’re a casual user occasionally using a large language model (LLM) to create a recipe from the leftovers in your refrigerator. Or you’re a power user generating imaginary dream vacation itineraries using Gemini. Or, artificial intelligence hasn’t largely impacted day-to-day life.
No matter where you fall on the spectrum, we have news for you: Artificial intelligence has a greater use than making funny, cartoon images from old photos. You can use AI to supercharge your job search.
“AI is a powerful tool that can help you be more effective and efficient in your job search,” says Merit America Career Coach Tanesha.
That’s right! You can use AI to perform the following tasks:
- Refine your job search
- Identify your strengths
- Revise your job search materials
In addition, you can use AI to tell your professional story—the story you share with hiring managers and recruiters to communicate your experience and value.
When you are changing careers, you should use every tool in your toolkit. That’s why in this episode of Promoted, Tanesha explains how to leverage AI to support your job search and tell your story without losing your unique voice in the process.
Tune in to learn:
- Practical ways to use AI to strengthen your job search
- The benefits and limitations of using AI tools
- How to strategically leverage AI to craft and communicate your personal story
Listen to full episode!
Tune in to Tanesha’s talk about refining your story using AI.
Podcast Transcript
Tanesha: Welcome to another episode of Promoted, a podcast about leaving low-wage work for good. I’m Tanesha, a career coach for Merit America, a national nonprofit organization, providing a pathway for workers out of low-wage jobs and into well-paying careers with upward mobility.
In today’s mini episode of Promoted, we’re talking about something that’s really relevant in today’s society: AI and careers. More specifically, using AI effectively to tell your story to potential employers.
According to Software Finder, 75% of job candidates use AI tools during their job search. With more and more job candidates using AI, it’s important to think about how to use AI effectively and how to stand out when telling your story.
Everyone has a story, and how you share your story plays a key role in your job search. By telling your story and creating those connections with potential employers, you can achieve your career goals. That’s why on today’s mini episode of Promoted, we’re going to talk about how you can use AI to help tell your story and share your skills in a way that helps you stand out from other job candidates.
So, like most things, there are pros and cons in using AI during your job search. Let’s start with the pros.
First, AI can help you refine your job search. It can help you with your job search materials and help you refine how you share your story. AI can also help you be more efficient in your job search process. Not only can AI help you refine your materials, but it can also help you understand your strengths, weaknesses, and find career themes so you’re telling a more coherent story.
Now, there are also some cons that you might consider. For one, so many people are using AIs for their resumes, cover letters, and more. Some hiring managers know whether or not you use AI to create your resume, for example. You can become too reliant on using AI for your job search to the point that your story doesn’t even sound like your story anymore. So, you’ll want to make sure that the words match the story that you’re effectively telling, which is why it’s important to use it as a supplement, not as the end-all be-all. Input equals output. What you put in, you should be getting back something that sounds like your authentic voice.
So, how can you tell your story in the age of AI? Ask yourself, “How do you want to tell your story?” Share the elements of the story that you feel comfortable sharing. If you ever look at your resume and wonder, “How do I say this more professionally?” Use elements of AI to help describe what you’re aiming for. I’ll give a couple of examples.
First, you can use ChatGPT to find themes that stand out in your career journey. Emphasize those themes during your interviews or on your portfolio website.
You might be naming skills that you haven’t named before, and it can elevate your chances in the job market.
You can also use ChatGPT to help you make qualitative accomplishments more quantifiable. We want to illustrate the impact of your previous roles on your resume. When we quantify, we help your accomplishments stand out, and it shows hiring managers what you bring to the table.
Once you ask yourself how you want to tell your story, be authentic. It’s your story. It’s personal. To stand out amongst AI resumes and cover letters, tell your story authentically and let your personality shine through your words.
Part of the conversation around using AI for resumes and in your job search sometimes comes back to: Is this cheating? Reframe your approach to using AI. It’s not just about using your resources. It’s about working smarter, not harder. AI cannot replace the ways that you uniquely tell your story.
So, let’s recap. AI is a powerful tool that can help you be more effective and efficient in your job search. Using AI tools like ChatGPT to refine your messaging in your story—use that refined messaging in interviews, on your portfolio website, or in your LinkedIn profile.
Use AI sparingly so that way you’re not dimming your own personality when sharing your story, especially through written communication. AI is a supplemental tool, so let it help you with your authentic voice.
Lastly, be authentic when sharing your story. That authenticity will help you stand out amongst the many candidates who are also using AI during their job search.
At Merit America, we know telling your story can seem overwhelming. That’s why our program includes personalized coaching from career coaches like me. We’re here to help you tell your story and show potential employers what you bring to the table.
A career coach can offer you personalized guidance. We provide tailored advice and strategies to help you craft your story in an authentic way. We can offer confidence. We’ll highlight your strengths so you can share your values and strengths clearly and confidently. We offer goal setting. Together, we’ll define clear and achievable goals that reflect what you want from your career and accountability. We’ll help you follow through on your plan, keeping you moving forward even when there are road bumps.
Thanks for tuning in. I hope these strategies give you practical ways to keep moving forward in your career. If you’re ready to take the next step, Merit America can help. Visit our website at meritamerica.org to learn more.