Two rules before you start
AI can save you hours on a job hunt. It can also make you sound like everyone else, or put things on your CV that aren't true. Two rules stop that.
- Everything must be true. AI will happily invent a qualification or a number. Read every line and delete anything that didn't happen.
- Make it sound like you. Recruiters see hundreds of AI-written letters. Edit the draft until you'd say it out loud.
Take your address, phone number, date of birth and National Insurance number off your CV before you paste it. The AI doesn't need them.
Find and understand jobs
Decode a job advert
You've found a job and can't tell what they really want.
Here's a job advert: [paste it]. Tell me in plain English: what this person will actually do day to day, the three things the employer cares about most, which requirements are essential and which are wish-list, and any warning signs. Then list the words and phrases I should reflect in my application.
Find jobs you didn't know you could do
You're changing career, or your job title doesn't travel well.
In my work I've done these things: [list what you actually did, not just job titles]. I enjoy [what you like] and want to avoid [what you don't]. Suggest ten job titles I could search for, including some I might not think of. For each, say why my experience fits and what gap I'd need to fill.
Tip: The more specific your list of what you actually did, the better the ideas.
Your CV
Turn duties into achievements
Your CV says what you were responsible for, not what you got done.
Here are bullet points from my CV: [paste them]. Rewrite each to start with a strong verb and show the result. Where a number would help, ask me for it. Don't invent one. Keep each to one line.
Tip: If it adds a number you can't back up, take it out or replace it with the real one.
Tailor your CV to one job
Before every application. Ten minutes that makes a real difference.
Here is a job advert: [paste]. Here is my CV with personal details removed: [paste]. Tell me which of my experience matches what they want most, what's missing or buried, and how to reorder or reword my CV for this job. Only use things that are in my CV. Flag any gaps honestly so I can decide how to handle them.
Write your profile paragraph
The four lines at the top of your CV. The part everyone reads.
Write three versions of a short profile for the top of my CV. I'm a [what you are] with [years] experience in [areas]. I'm proudest of [one or two true achievements]. I'm looking for [type of role]. Each under 50 words, no clichés like "hard-working team player", and it should sound like a person.
Explain a gap or a change
You've had time out, been made redundant, or switched direction.
I have [a gap / a career change / a short job] on my CV: [what happened, honestly]. Help me explain it in one or two positive, truthful sentences for my CV, and a slightly longer version to say in an interview. Don't make excuses, and don't over-explain.
Applications
Write a cover letter that isn't generic
The application asks for one. A good one still stands out.
Write a cover letter for this job: [paste the advert]. About me: [your relevant experience, in a few lines]. Why I want this job in particular: [your real reason]. Under 250 words. Open with something specific about the employer, match my experience to their top three needs with a real example for each, and end confidently. Plain English, no flattery.
Tip: Replace the first sentence with your own. It's the one that proves a person wrote it.
Answer an application question
The form asks "Tell us about a time when…"
Help me answer this application question: [paste the question]. The real example I want to use is: [what happened, roughly]. Structure it as situation, task, action, result. Keep it under [word limit] words and in the first person. Ask me questions first if the result or my part in it isn't clear.
Interviews
Predict the questions
You've got the interview. Now what will they ask?
I have an interview for [job title] at [type of organisation]. Here's the advert: [paste]. List the 12 questions I'm most likely to be asked, including two tough ones about [your weak spot]. For each, tell me what the interviewer is really trying to find out.
Practise out loud, with feedback
The evening before. Use the voice mode on your phone if your AI tool has one.
Be the interviewer for a [job title] role. Ask me one question at a time and wait for my answer. After each answer, give me short, honest feedback: what worked, what was vague, and a stronger way to say it. Start with "Tell me about yourself".
Prepare your own questions
"Do you have any questions for us?" Always have three.
Suggest ten thoughtful questions I could ask at the end of an interview for [job title] at [type of organisation]. Avoid ones I could answer from their website. Include questions about the team, how success is measured in the first six months, and why the role is open.
The offer
Ask for more, politely
You've had an offer and it's lower than you hoped.
I've been offered [job title] at [salary]. I was hoping for [figure] because [your reasons: experience, market rate, current pay]. Write a short, friendly email asking whether there's flexibility, and a few lines I could say on the phone. Also list what else I could ask for if the salary can't move, such as holiday, flexible hours or training.
Tip: Check salary figures on job sites yourself. AI's numbers can be out of date.
Keep going
- Never used AI before? Start with your first hour with AI.
- Keep the one-page cheat sheet open while you apply.