• Open a new chat at ChatGPT. You will use web search in Step 2.
• Choose one target job title and two related titles.
• Set your preferred location, work arrangement, pay range, and experience level.
• Paste the prompt and replace every bracketed field.
• Answer useful follow-up questions and check that the brief reflects your real limits. For practice, try Operations Coordinator in New York City, full-time, with salary marked "not sure."

Copy this job-search brief:

Help me plan a job search.

Target title: [one job title]
Related titles: [up to two related titles]
Location: [city/state, region, or remote]
Work arrangement: [onsite, hybrid, remote, or flexible]
Employment type: [full-time, part-time, contract, or other]
Minimum salary: [amount, currency, and pay period, or "not sure"]
Experience level: [entry, mid, senior, or other]
Industries I will consider: [list or "open"]
Industries I want to avoid: [list or "none"]
Must-have requirements: [list]
Deal breakers: [list]

First, restate my search criteria in a short checklist. Ask only about missing details that would change the search. Do not invent my experience, qualifications, salary needs, or location.

A clear target helps you avoid a list of jobs that sound interesting but do not fit your needs. If you are unsure about salary, leave it open and compare the ranges you find.

• The brief is too broad: Choose one target title and one location before asking for openings.
• The assistant assumes a qualification: Correct it and ask it to mark unknown education, tools, and experience as unknown.

• In the same chat, choose View all tools → Search, or type / and select Search. ChatGPT may also search automatically. Ask it to find five current openings that match your brief.
• Request the employer, title, location, salary, date posted, requirements, and direct application link.
• Independently open the employer's official website, find its Careers page, and confirm the role and application link. A hiring platform such as Greenhouse can be legitimate when linked from that employer's site.
• Remove expired, duplicate, or poorly matched listings.
• Keep only jobs with a working application route and clear requirements. Record when you checked; a working form does not guarantee the employer is still reviewing applicants.

Copy this job-search prompt:

Using the job-search criteria we agreed on, find five current job openings.

Prioritize employer career pages and direct application links. For each opening, provide:
- Job title and employer
- Location and work arrangement
- Salary range, or "not listed"
- Date posted, if shown
- Three important requirements
- Required years of experience, if stated
- Direct application URL
- The source page where you verified the details

Do not invent openings, salaries, dates, or requirements. Do not treat an aggregator listing as proof that the job is still open. Mark any detail you cannot verify as "Unverified."

After listing the roles, rank them by fit with my stated criteria. Explain the reason for each ranking and flag any requirement I do not appear to meet. Do not apply for me or contact anyone.

This result was captured on November 4, 2026. We checked the employer-hosted posting, which showed the role, pay range, requirements, and an application form. The example illustrates verification, not a promise that the vacancy is still open. Run your own search and confirm the current details.

Search results can lag behind an employer's hiring page. Confirm the job title, location, and application link before you spend time tailoring an application. The FTC's job-scam guidance explains common fake recruiter and fake offer tactics.

• The search returns old jobs: Ask for a new search and require a working employer application page. Do not rely on a copied listing date.
• The salary is missing: Keep it marked "not listed." Do not ask AI to guess the employer's pay band.
• Search is unavailable: Check your usage limit or managed-workspace settings. Search employer websites yourself, then paste one verified posting into Step 3.

• Choose one verified job and save its full description. For practice, use the two fictional source blocks below; do not treat Northstar as a live vacancy.
• Before pasting a real resume, remove personal contact details, references' details, and confidential information. Check your ChatGPT data controls and your employer's rules first.
• Paste the job description and resume into the prompt below.
• Check every proposed skill and achievement against your actual experience.
• Fix missing or unsupported details before drafting a new resume. Check the table rows yourself, including any totals or rankings in the summary.

Fictional practice job posting:

FICTIONAL PRACTICE POSTING
Operations Coordinator | Northstar Community Services
Location: Hybrid, fictional city
Employment: Full-time

Role summary:
Support a small operations team by coordinating schedules, maintaining project records, tracking supply requests, and preparing weekly status updates.

Core responsibilities:
- Maintain calendars and coordinate meetings.
- Keep project and supplier records up to date.
- Track requests and follow up on overdue items.
- Prepare basic spreadsheet summaries.
- Communicate status changes to internal teams.

Requirements:
- Two years of administrative, operations, or customer-facing experience.
- Strong organization and clear written communication.
- Comfort with spreadsheets and shared documents.
- Ability to manage several deadlines.

Preferred:
- Experience coordinating schedules across a small team.
- Experience with inventory, purchasing, or supplier records.

This posting is fictional. Do not apply to it or present it as a real vacancy.

Fictional practice resume:

ALEX MORGAN
Fictional practice resume | Replace with your own facts before use

SUMMARY
Operations support professional with experience coordinating schedules, maintaining records, tracking supplies, and supporting customer communication.

EXPERIENCE
Shift Lead | Harbor Market | 2023–2025
- Coordinated daily shift assignments for a team of six.
- Trained four new team members on opening and closing procedures.
- Updated inventory and handoff records at the end of each shift.
- Helped resolve customer issues and escalated complex cases to the manager.

Administrative Assistant | Pine Street Clinic | 2021–2023
- Scheduled appointments and maintained digital records.
- Prepared weekly supply lists and tracked deliveries.
- Answered phone and email requests and routed them to the right staff member.

VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE
Event Volunteer | City Food Pantry | 2022–Present
- Helped schedule volunteer shifts for monthly distribution days.
- Checked supply lists and directed visitors to pickup stations.

SKILLS
Scheduling, record keeping, customer communication, Microsoft Excel basics, inventory tracking, team coordination.

EDUCATION
High school diploma | Replace with your actual education.

Copy this resume-match prompt:

Compare my resume with the job description below.

JOB DESCRIPTION:
[Paste the complete verified job description]

MY RESUME:
[Paste my redacted resume]

Create a table with:
1. Job requirement
2. Evidence already present in my resume
3. Strength of the match: strong, partial, or missing
4. A truthful way to make the evidence clearer
5. A question I should answer if the evidence is incomplete

Do not invent employers, job titles, dates, qualifications, tools, metrics, responsibilities, or results. Do not turn exposure into expertise. If the resume does not support a claim, mark it missing.

Finish with the five most important changes to make before I apply. Do not rewrite the resume yet.

The practice result separates appointment and shift scheduling from meeting coordination. A similar-sounding responsibility is not evidence that you performed the exact task.

A resume match is an evidence check. A job description may ask for a tool you have never used or a task you have only supported. Keep those gaps visible. You can still apply when you meet many of the core requirements, but do not claim experience you do not have.

• A match claims a tool you have not used: Remove the claim and mark that requirement missing or partial.
• The summary disagrees with the table: Check the individual rows. In our test, the assistant miscounted match categories even though the evidence rows were useful.

• Continue in the Step 3 chat so the assistant has the source resume and posting. Answer follow-up questions using facts you can verify; for practice, leave unknown answers unknown.
• Ask ChatGPT to rewrite only the relevant summary, skills, and experience bullets.
• Compare every new bullet with your original resume and remove unsupported claims.
• After correcting the resume, send the cover-letter prompt in the same chat using those verified facts.
• Save the tailored resume and letter as separate files.

Copy this resume-tailoring prompt:

Create a tailored version of my resume for this job using only facts supported by my original resume and my answers.

Keep my actual employers, job titles, dates, education, and qualifications unchanged. Do not invent numbers, tools, awards, duties, or results. Do not copy long phrases from the job posting. Preserve qualifiers such as "helped," "supported," "assisted," and "basic" unless I provide evidence for a stronger claim.

Prioritize the requirements that match my experience. Use clear action verbs and concise bullet points. Keep the resume easy for a person to scan and compatible with applicant tracking systems. Do not add tables, graphics, skill ratings, or hidden keywords.

After the draft, provide a change log. For every changed bullet, show the original fact it came from. Mark any line that needs my confirmation. Do not submit the application.

Copy this cover-letter prompt:

Write a concise cover letter for this role using my tailored resume and the verified job description.

Use a direct, natural tone. Explain why my actual experience fits the work. Include one specific example supported by my resume. Do not flatter the company with generic claims, invent a personal connection, or claim skills I do not have.

Keep it under 250 words. Use placeholders for the hiring manager's name if it is not known. Do not invent contact details or submit the letter.

In the test run, the change log exposed an overstatement. We restored "Helped resolve" before interview practice. A prompt reduces mistakes; your review still matters.

Use the same job title and terms the employer uses when they accurately describe your experience. Applicant tracking systems vary, so no prompt can guarantee a particular ranking or interview. Read the final resume as if you were asked to explain every line.

• A bullet sounds stronger than the source: Restore the original level of responsibility. Our test changed "Helped resolve" to "Resolved"; the change log exposed the difference.
• The assistant asks for materials again: Paste the same source resume and posting into the current chat. Do not rely on an earlier, separate conversation.

• Paste the same verified job description and corrected resume into a new chat. For practice, keep using the fictional Northstar posting and Alex resume.
• Paste the prompt below to start an eight-question session. The assistant should ask one question and wait for your answer.
• Answer one question at a time using your own experience.
• Ask ChatGPT to identify vague claims and suggest a clearer structure.
• Practice the revised answer aloud and check that every detail is true.

Copy this interview-practice prompt:

Act as an interviewer for this role.

JOB DESCRIPTION:
[Paste the verified job description]

MY TAILORED RESUME:
[Paste my final resume]

Ask me one question at a time. Include a mix of role-specific, behavioral, and problem-solving questions. Wait for my answer before asking the next question.

After each answer:
- Tell me what was clear and convincing.
- Identify any claim that lacks a concrete example.
- Suggest one way to make the answer more specific.
- Do not write a fictional achievement for me.

Use my actual experience. If I have not done something, help me explain a related skill honestly. After eight questions, summarize the three areas I should practice again.

This captured exchange uses only Alex's fictional resume facts. The feedback asks for more detail without inventing a scheduling method or result.

For experience-based questions, use a simple structure: explain the situation, the task, what you did, and the result. Use a real example. If you cannot share a work detail, describe it without naming the client or revealing confidential information.

• The assistant asks all questions at once: Say "Ask only the first question and wait for my answer."
• You do not have a specific example: Say so. Practice explaining a related responsibility without inventing an outcome.

• Open AI_Job_Search_Tracker.xlsx from Resources (included with Pro) or the practice kit in Excel, Google Sheets, or another compatible spreadsheet app. Alternatively, create a sheet with the columns below.
• Replace the yellow fictional example row with each verified job before you apply. Leave application dates and contacts blank until they are real.
• Record the resume version, application date, contact, and next action.
• After a real application, ask ChatGPT to draft a follow-up based on the recorded facts. If the employer gives a timeline, follow it; do not invent a contact or previous conversation.
• Check the recipient and wording yourself before sending.

Application tracker columns:

Company
Job title
Official job URL
Location
Salary range
Date verified
Application date
Resume version
Cover letter sent
Contact name
Current status
Next action
Follow-up date
Interview notes

Copy this follow-up prompt:

Draft a brief, polite follow-up for this application.

Company: [company]
Role: [job title]
Application date: [date]
Contact: [name, or "Hiring team"]
Known status: [status]
Last contact: [date and summary]

Ask for an update without assuming the employer has reviewed my application. Do not invent a prior conversation, offer, deadline, or personal relationship. Keep it under 100 words. Return a draft only. Do not send it.

The workbook includes filters and status choices. Its sample row records no real application, contact, or interview.

Keep the resume-to-job comparison with your application notes, too. It records which claims have evidence and which still need your review.

Update the tracker after each real action. Keep the official job URL and a copy of the job description because employers may remove postings after they close.

• The example looks like a real application: Keep it labeled "Practice only" or replace it. Do not enter an application date until you submit.
• A follow-up invents a conversation: Delete that sentence and regenerate from the actual tracker facts.