Job-search guide
Use AI to boost your job search
You don't need to be "good with AI" to make it genuinely useful for finding a job. The trick is to set it up once so it already knows how to review a resume, fix weak bullet points, and write a cover letter. After that, you just paste in your resume or a job post and ask.
Here's a simple, three-step setup. It works with whichever AI you already use: Claude, ChatGPT, or Gemini. Set it up once, use it for every application.
Last reviewed July 2026. AI tools change fast. If a screen doesn't match, the idea still holds; check your tool's help for the current name.
Create a saved assistant
Most AI tools let you create a saved space that remembers a set of instructions, so you don't have to re-explain yourself every time. Create one and name it Job Search Assistant.
The catch: this feature has many names, and they change often. Look for a button to create something like:
- a Project (Claude and ChatGPT; the most straightforward place to paste instructions)
- a Notebook (Gemini; you can add instructions here too; it's just a little more involved)
- …or anything labelled "custom instructions," "saved assistant," "space," or "agent"
Don't get stuck on the exact name. These products change every few months. What's above is accurate as of mid-2026, but your screen may look different. If you can't spot the feature, search your tool's built-in help for "custom instructions" or "saved assistant" and use whatever it points to. The idea is always the same, even when the name isn't.
No saved space at all? You can still do everything below. Just paste the instructions from Step 2 at the start of each new chat. Slightly less convenient, but exactly the same result.
Choosing your AI (a few pointers)
You don't need the "best" tool — you need a capable one, set up well. A few things that make a real difference:
- → Check the web version and the app. The website and the phone or desktop app for the same AI sometimes have different features. If something's missing in one, look in the other before deciding which to use.
- → You may already have a paid version. Before paying for anything, check what you've already got. Some Google One plans include a paid Gemini, and students can often get discounts or free upgrades, so check your school's offers. The free tiers are enough to start, but these give you more room and stronger models.
- → Don't use the most basic model. Most tools let you pick which model (the "brain") to use, and the smallest one is weaker at careful review and writing. Avoid anything labelled "mini," "lite," "flash," or "fast," and pick a medium-level model or better. (In Claude, for example, choose a Sonnet-level model rather than the lightest option. Exact names change, so the rule of thumb is: not the smallest.)
Paste in the instructions
Every AI project has a box for instructions (sometimes called "custom instructions" or "how should the AI behave"). Copy everything below and paste it in. You don't need to understand every line; the AI does.
You are my Job Search Assistant: an experienced, honest recruiter and resume expert. Your job is to help me get interviews, not to flatter me. If something is weak, say so plainly and tell me how to fix it. Never invent jobs, skills, or numbers I don't have. When you estimate something, say so clearly so I can check it. Figure out which of these I need from what I paste in: 1) REVIEW MY RESUME When I share my resume, start with a simple scorecard. Give each of these a score out of 10 with a one-line reason: - Overall - First impression (what a busy recruiter sees in the first few seconds) - Is my experience level obvious at a glance? - Are my achievements backed by real numbers? - Is it easy to read and well laid out? Then tell me: - The honest first impression (be blunt) - 3 to 5 things that are missing - Anything that is actively hurting me - The single most important thing to change - A verdict: "Ready to send," "Needs work," or "Big rework needed" If I also paste a job post, tell me which words from it I should add. 2) FIX MY BULLET POINTS When I paste bullet points, rewrite each one like this: "Did [X] by doing [Y], which led to [Z result]." - Start with a strong verb (Built, Led, Reduced, Saved, Automated). - Include a number wherever possible. If I didn't give one, suggest a rough estimate and clearly label it as a guess for me to confirm. - Cut buzzwords. Keep each bullet short (under about 20 words). Show the original and the rewrite for each one. 3) BE A TOUGH RECRUITER When I ask, pretend you are a senior recruiter at a company I'm applying to. Review my resume brutally and tell me: - 3 things in my favour - 5 red flags that would make you hesitate - Whether you'd invite me to interview, and the one thing that would change a "no" to a "yes" 4) WRITE A COVER LETTER When I paste a job post and ask for a cover letter, write one that is: - 3 short paragraphs, under 200 words, plain text - Specific: mention something real about the company so it's clear I read the post - Confident, not begging, and free of clichés Only use facts from my resume and the job post. At the end, list anything I should double-check before sending. 5) PREP ME FOR AN INTERVIEW When I paste a job post (or just name the role) and ask, get me ready: - List the 8 to 10 questions this role is most likely to ask. Mix the obvious ones with a few I might not see coming. - Then run a mock interview: ask me one question at a time, wait for my answer, and give short, honest feedback before moving to the next. - At the end, tell me my two strongest answers and the two that need the most work, with one concrete fix for each. Keep it realistic: a real interviewer wouldn't accept a vague answer, so don't you either. 6) CHECK MY FIT FOR A JOB When I paste a job post and ask how well I fit, compare it honestly against my resume: - A fit score out of 10, with the three main reasons behind it - Requirements I clearly meet, partly meet, and don't meet (be specific) - Whether applying is worth my time, and if so, how to position my resume and cover letter for this role - If the gap is real, say so plainly and name the one thing most likely to close it ALWAYS: use plain language, never make things up, and label any guesses.
That's the whole setup.
How to use it
Open your Job Search Assistant and start a new chat whenever you need help. No special commands: just paste and ask in plain English.
- •Check your resume: paste it and type "Review my resume." (Add the job post first if you have one.)
- •Fix bullet points: paste a few and type "Rewrite these."
- •Get a tough review: type "Be a tough recruiter at [company] and review my resume."
- •Write a cover letter: paste the job post and type "Write me a cover letter for this."
- •Prep for an interview: paste the job post and type "Prep me for this interview."
Give it the job post. Everything gets sharper when the AI can see the exact role. Paste the full text, not just the title.
Always read the output before you use it. AI can overstate things or guess a number. Check every line, and confirm anything marked as a guess.
Start a new chat for each new job. It keeps the advice focused.
What to expect the first time
Your first resume or profile review will probably take a few rounds: the AI suggests changes, you refine them, you ask it to look again. That back-and-forth is normal, and it's where most of the value is.
If you're on a free account, you might hit a usage limit partway through and need to wait a little before continuing. Don't worry, your project and its instructions are saved, so you can pick up right where you left off.
The good news: this heavy lifting only happens once. Once your resume is in solid shape, future checks and tweaks are much faster; you're polishing, not rebuilding.
Where next?
Once you're comfortable (and especially if you move to a paid plan), you can go further than reviewing documents one at a time. Tools like Claude's Cowork can use your saved information to help automate parts of the search itself, such as scanning for roles that actually fit you. (The other AI tools may have their own versions of this; I haven't mapped them all yet.)
If there's enough interest, I can put together a detailed guide on setting that up, so let me know if you'd use it.
Remember: the AI is your assistant, not your driver. It speeds up the pace of your work, but it's still your work. Review every output carefully before you use it. You're the one who knows your story, and you're the one whose name is on the application.
A note from me: these instructions are a starting template. Tweak the wording as you go, add what matters to you, remove what doesn't, so the assistant fits your own experience, voice, and goals. They also come from my own job search, as a software engineer in tech. I've tried to keep the guide useful for any field, but if something doesn't fit yours, tell me at [email protected]; that feedback is how it gets better. (One-person operation, so please be patient. :))
FAQ
Why a separate project? +
So your job search stays clean and focused. Keeping it in its own project means it isn't mixed up with your other chats, and the assistant's attention stays on your applications, not whatever else you've been asking the AI about.
Which AI do I need, and do I have to pay? +
Any of Claude, ChatGPT, or Gemini works. The free versions are enough to get started; you don't need a paid plan to try this.
Do I have to set this up every time? +
No. That's the point of the project: it remembers the instructions. Just open it and start a new chat whenever you need it.
Is it safe to paste in my resume? +
The professional content is fine to paste. If you're cautious, remove very personal details (home address, phone number, ID numbers) first. The AI doesn't need them to help you. You can also check your tool's privacy settings.
Will it make things up? +
Sometimes, yes. It can invent a number or overstate a claim. That's why the instructions tell it to label its guesses, and why you should read everything before you send it.
The result doesn't sound like me. What do I do? +
Just tell it what to change ("make this warmer," "this isn't how I'd say it") and edit freely. It gets you a strong first draft; the final polish is yours.
Can I use it for LinkedIn or other things too? +
Yes. Ask it in plain English. For example, "Rewrite my LinkedIn summary" or "Give me 5 LinkedIn post ideas."
Is this guide written using AI? +
Yes. The ideas come from other sources and my own experience; I used AI to flesh them out. I've reviewed every word and stand by it, which is exactly (in my opinion) how AI should be used. It saved me a few hours I could put toward testing and refining the app instead.
My resume keeps fighting my word processor over formatting. How do you deal with that? +
I've been there: wrestling a word processor over formatting is its own job. I used to keep my master resume in Word and export to PDF, which worked but took real effort to keep clean. These days I use flowcv.com, which is much simpler and easy to switch templates when I feel like it. If you'd rather avoid online tools and don't mind a small learning curve, LaTeX produces beautiful, consistent results (it does involve a bit of “programming,” but some people find the control worth it).
Can an AI just apply to jobs for me? +
This is really an ethical-use question. AI is a tool you use, and if it makes a mistake, a wrong claim, or does something it shouldn't, that's still your responsibility as the person sending it. The aim here is to use AI as an assistant and a second pair of eyes, so you have more time to search, apply, and prepare. Nothing in this guide can't be done by hand with more time and effort. But spending 30 minutes reviewing and refining AI output beats 3 hours doing it from scratch. That's 2.5 hours back for preparing, revising, or resting.
This is all good advice — what's stopping me from just doing it in a spreadsheet? +
Nothing at all. If a spreadsheet works for you, more power to you — the advice on this page is yours to use with whatever tool you like. I built AppliHawk because I got tired of wrestling with my own spreadsheet, but the workflow matters more than the tool. :)