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How to Use AI to Write and Edit Your CV or Résumé

A résumé has about six seconds to make a first impression — and most people write theirs in a way that buries the most impressive things they've done under vague, generic language. AI is exceptionally good at fixing this. People use it to translate job duties into achievement-focused bullet points, tailor a résumé to a specific job description, write a professional summary that actually says something, and identify the skills and keywords a résumé is missing. The single most impactful use is asking AI to take your bullet points and rewrite them with stronger action verbs and quantified outcomes — the difference between 'responsible for managing social media' and 'grew Instagram following from 2K to 28K in eight months by launching a weekly video series' is the difference between forgettable and memorable.

5 Best Prompts for Writing Your CV or Résumé to Ask Claude or ChatGPT

Copy any prompt below and paste it directly into your AI of choice.

  1. Prompt 01 · Rewrite bullets as achievements

    "Here are my current job description bullet points for [role]: [paste]. Can you rewrite each one to focus on achievements rather than duties — using strong action verbs, adding quantified outcomes where possible, and cutting anything generic that doesn't differentiate me?"

    Best for: the single highest-impact CV improvement — turning job descriptions into proof of impact.

  2. Prompt 02 · Tailor to a job description

    "Here is my current résumé: [paste]. Here is the job description I'm applying for: [paste]. Can you identify the gaps between my résumé and what they're looking for, suggest which of my experiences to emphasize or reframe, and highlight keywords from the JD that I should incorporate?"

    Best for: making a generic résumé competitive for a specific role.

  3. Prompt 03 · Write a professional summary

    "Here is my background: [brief description of experience, skills, industry]. I'm applying for [type of role]. Can you write 3 versions of a professional summary (3-4 sentences each) that I could use at the top of my résumé — each with a slightly different emphasis?"

    Best for: the summary section that most people either leave blank or fill with meaningless buzzwords.

  4. Prompt 04 · Identify missing keywords

    "Here is a job description: [paste]. Here is my résumé: [paste]. What important keywords, skills, or phrases appear in the job description that are missing from my résumé, and how could I authentically incorporate them based on my actual experience?"

    Best for: making sure your résumé passes ATS screening and speaks the hiring manager's language.

  5. Prompt 05 · Improve overall structure and design

    "Here is my current résumé: [paste]. Can you give me honest feedback on: the overall structure and what should come first, which sections to cut or expand, whether my most impressive experience is visible within the first third of the page, and any other structural improvements?"

    Best for: a full résumé audit that goes beyond tweaking to a genuine structural rethink.