You can use generative AI chatbots (ChatGPT, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Perplexity, Claude, etc.) to provide you with valuable information in respect to your job search. Often times generative AI chatbots can help immensely wiht collecting labour market information (LMI) and/or providing you with information to help you begin to filter potential fields of work (industries), geographic locations of work, kinds of work (job functions), and organizations of interest (given the work you want to do). You can ask a generative AI chatbot to:

"Suggest industries/sectors that hire graduates from [insert your program of study, Bachelor of Arts in Creative Arts and Production]."
"What industries/sectors hire [insert positions or job titles of interest, for example Instructional designers]?"
"Share entry-level jobs and job titles in [insert field or industry of interest, for example Civil Engineering].".

We highly recommend that you have a draft resume ready before you use a generative AI Chatbot (ChatGPT, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Perplexity, Claude, etc.) to enhance its' effectiveness. Please review our Resume Assessment Checklist and the resume samples (both Undergraduate and Graduate) found within our Resumes, CVs & Cover Letters Resource page. We also encourage you to attend one of our in person workshops on creating a strategic, branded resume. Alternatively, you can watch a prerecorded version of the workshop through OWL Sakai.

Scenario 1: Looking for Skills (hard/technical, soft/non-technical, and transferable skills) required for a particular job.

Step 1 – Copy and paste the job description in the chat box of your preferred generative AI chatbot (ChatGPT, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Perplexity, Claude, etc.)

Step 2 – After entering the job description, enter the prompt - “Help me identify the soft, hard and transferable skills based on the job description above”.

Generative AI will distil all three kinds of skills (hard/technical, soft/non-technical, transferable) needed to highlight on your profile based on the job description in its response.

Step 3 – Compare and see if you have been able to incorporate all relevant top skills in your resume. Remember, most jobs require a mix of all three types of skills (hard/technical, soft/non-technical, transferable).

Step 4 – If you find there are important skills which AI has noted which you have not spoken to/demonstrated in your resume, look to develop additional impact statements within your experiences (paid, unpaid, internships, co-op, volunteer, workstudy, etc.) to highlight that you possess such skills.

Scenario 2: Generating Accomplishment/Impact Statements.

Step 1 - Type or copy and paste your work experience from your existing resume.

Step 2 - Enter a prompt “Generate Accomplishment statements as bullet points for my resume” based on the formula ABC – Describe the Action + what was the Background + what were the Consequences in the end.

Step 3 - Consider the relevant responses and try to quantify your accomplishment statements as appropriate before adding them on your resume.

*Pro tip – If you wish to know more about Accomplishment Statements, we recommend you attend our resume workshop available through Western Connect or watch a recording of the workshop on our "Career Workshops" site on OWL Sakai.

Scenario 3: Tailoring existing resume & writing professional summary/professional profile section.

Step 1 – Copy and paste job description within your preferred generative AI chatbot (ChatGPT, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Perplexity, Claude, etc.)

Step 2 – Enter a prompt “Suggest ways to tailor my resume based on the job description."

Step 3 – Review the responses and incorporate whatever is relevant in your voice.

Step 4 – You can also write an addition prompt – “Generate a three bullet points to be added as a summary at the top of your resume”.

Step 5 – Review the response and customize your own summary.

Scenario 4: Tailoring existing resume & writing professional summary/professional profile section.

Step 1 – Copy and paste your entire or part of your resume within your preferred generative AI chatbot (ChatGPT, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Perplexity, Claude, etc.).

Step 2 – Enter prompt - “please check and correct for any spelling and grammar errors”.

Step 3 – Incorporate these changes wherever relevant.

When looking to develop, refine & further improve your a curriculum vitae (CV), one can follow the similar guidelines as those highlighted in the previous resume scenarios. Review our CV sample before getting started. Some more-CV specific scenarios could include:

Scenario 1: Structure prompts

"Should I include a personal statement or objective at the top of my CV?"

"How do I structure sections for education, research experience, and publications?"

"Should I include non-academic work experience?"

Scenario 2: Professional and Academic Experience prompts

"How should I format teaching experience, assistantships, or internships?"

"What is the best way to list academic positions like TA, RA, or tutor?"

Scenario 3: Tailoring to a particular type of programs prompts

"Which sections should I emphasize for a research-focused vs. teaching-focused role?"

We encourage you to write an initial draft of your cover letter using this recommended template before utilizing a generative AI chatbot to further refine & strengthen your document. Click here to review a sample cover letter. We highly recommend that you attend one of our in person workshops on crafting compelling cover letters. Alternatively, you can watch a prerecorded versions of the workshop through our Career Workshops site in OWL Sakai. In an effort to ensure you are keeping best practices in mind, we encourage you to review our Cover Letter Assessment Checklist.

Scenario 1: Comparing AI generated cover letter with your own cover letter.

Step 1 – Copy and paste the available job description in your preferred generative AI chatbot (ChatGPT, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Perplexity, Claude, etc.)..

Step 2 – Type a prompt “Generate a professional cover letter based on the job description shared above highlighting transferable skills”.

Step 3 – Compare and evaluate the results from the above with your own cover letter. Look for transferable skills that you can potentially incorporate into your own cover letter. Please do not use the AI Chatbot generated version as it will not convey your authentic voice.

Step 4 – If you see that some of the skills that you would like to add in your cover letter but has been missed out by the AI Chatbot, enter the prompt “please incorporate my skill in ABC and XYZ and generate another version.

Pro Tip – Sometimes the AI Chatbot could end up generating a cover letter which is longer than desired. You can give it another prompt to “shorten it to 200 words” as an example.

Scenario 2: When there is no job description available, or you are writing a generic cover letter. (NOTE: writing a generic cover letter - ie. writing to an organization without indicating a specific position you are interested in applying to is not recommended).

In the absence of the kind of details found in a typical job description/position outline is is important to attempt to enter as much information as possible into your preferred generative AI chatbot (ChatGPT, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Perplexity, Claude, etc.).

Step 1 – Enter a prompt to generate a cover letter based on all the details you have. For example, “Draft a 150-word cover letter for the role of a Sales Engineer at ABC Corps Ltd.".

Step 2 – Add details from the company website, for example, research their sales portfolio on their as you will be applying to a sales role. Try to look and add relevant information into the AI Chatbot. You may also refer to the latest news and appropriate LinkedIn posts of the company.

Step 3 – You can also add your own information. This could be your accomplishment statements from your resume and your education. You could also add your transferrable skills, relevant experience, and membership of relevant professional associations (Ontario Nurses’ Association).

Two valuable ways you can utilize generative AI in respect to networking involve devleoping a communication to request an informational discussion or "coffee chat" as well as preparing sample questions you can ask representatives during a networking events (career fairs, organizational information sessions, industry networking nights, etc).

Remember authentic (and effective) networking is relational NOT transactional. It begins with identifying specific contacts who have backgrounds, experiences and interests that align with your own. Unfortunately identifying such people is not something that generative AI chatbots can do for you, given privacy and ethical guidelines underpinning such models. Fear not however as our team can help you with the important aspects of networking that AI cannot. You can meet 1-on-1 with members of our career coaching team to discuss you networking goals and brainstorm ways to identify contacts to reach out to. You can also attend one of our in-person Networking workshops or watch a recorded version of our networking workshop on our "Career Workshops" site in OWL Sakai.

Scenario 1: Writing an invitation for an information discussion/"coffee chat".

Step 1 – Once you have made a shortlist of people that you want to reach out, start with finding their profiles on LinkedIn or on their current employer page. Make a note of their “About” section on LinkedIn and their current role or their biography and prepare a brief note on why you think they will be asset in your network.

Step 2 – Write a prompt “Draft a 200-word invitation for a virtual coffee chat with [Contact First Name] who is a (copy paste contact's current role) and are interested in/has a background in (copy paste contact's LinkedIn “About” section).

Step 3 - You can also add why you are interested to connecting with the individual you are contacting.

Step 4 – Customize and edit your AI generated draft communication by adding your own voice.

Scenario 2: Generating prospective questions to ask during the networking events.

Step 1 – Repeat Step 1 from the Scenario 1

Step 2 – Add a prompt “Share a few prospective questions that I should ask the person I am meeting based on their profile and your intent.

Step 3 – Customize AI chatbot generated questions and remember to contextualize them based on the flow of conversation during the networking event you are attending (career fair, info session, networking night, coffee chat, etc.).

Generative AI chatbots (ChatGPT, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Perplexity, Claude, etc.) can be fantastic tools to use in preparing for interviews. However, it will be useful for you to check our Interview Preparation Resource page and attend one of our in-person workshops on interviewing. Alternatively, you can watch a recorded version of our interview workshop on our "Career Workshops" site in OWL Sakai.

You can also book a mock interview practice appointment and utilize the Interview Prep application to practice.

Scenario 1: Preparing for Behavioural, Situational and Technical Questions asked in an interview.

Step 1- If a job description is available, you can start with copy pasting the job description in the generative AI chatbot and then enter a prompt “Share some Behavioural, Situational and Technical Questions based on the job description”.

Step 2 – The generative AI chatbot will share sample questions that you can anticipate during your interview.

Step 3 – Practice your responses by making use of STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method for behavioural questions.

Step 4 – If you would like to practice further, just enter the prompt “Generate more questions”.

Scenario 2: Practice your responses to anticipated question. Now that you have generated sample questions, next steps could be taken to evaluate your responses.

Step 1 – You can transcribe your answers to questions and use the generative AI chatbot to assess your responses and gain feedback.

Step 2 – Alternatively, you can use MS Word’s dictation feature to convert your responses from speech to text in real time. Then, you can repeat the above step.

Step 3 – Another AI-powered resource that is useful to practice interviews is interviewsby.ai

There can be multiple ways in which you can use Generative AI chatbots to research, gather information, and refine and hone documentation related to completing further education. Consider the following prompts related to various elements of considering further education and applying to academic programs of interest:

Research for Programs prompts

"Help me to prepare a plan for attending MBA in top ten Business Schools in Canada"
"I have not studied psychology for my undergraduate, but I want to do a masters in psychotherapy. What are some options available in Canada?"
"What is the difference between an EdD and a PhD in Education?"
"How do I apply for Teacher education program in Ontario?"
"What are the graduate outcomes of a professional vs. research-based masters programs?"

 

Scholarship prompts

"Are there scholarships available for Chinese international students studying in a graduate program in mechanical engineering in Ontario?"
"Are there scholarships for women in STEM fields in British Colombia?"
"Are there scholarships for non-traditional or mature students in Canada?"

 

Reference-oriented prompts

"How should I approach a professor for a reference?"
"What information should I give my referee to help them write a strong reference letter?"
"What should I do if I do not have a close relationship with any professors and I need to provide an academic letter of reference?"

 

Personal Statements 

Most schools will have a personal statement or statement of interest as a part of their application process. A generative AI chatbot (ChatGPT, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Perplexity, Claude, etc.) can be an effective tool to seek instant feedback on your writing. However, if you are new to writing a personal statement. This handy document will help you get started.

Now let us say you want to derive a feedback and ask for tips to improve your writing.

Step 1 – Copy and paste the paragraph that you have already written.

Example - My initial interest in psychology stemmed from the need to understand my mother's depression. Through my undergraduate studies, though, I quickly learned that psychology encompasses so much more than clinical therapy. While I remain interested in therapy and clinical outreach programs, I am fascinated by the more empirical power of psychology. My undergraduate research experience focused on eating disorders, and in addition at the University hospital, I currently assist in research about obesity as well the behavioral and cognitive effects of sleep apnea in children. This background has fueled a desire to continue research with eating disorders and is why I am applying to the Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program. I hope to work with Prof Khan studying body image and eating disorders.

Step 2 - Enter prompt "please share constructive feedback on the paragraph above and tips to improve it."

Step 3 – Incorporate changes that you wish to include. Remember you are the author - you do not need to include everything that the generative AI chatbot suggests, only consider those changes where you feel there is compelling evidence.