Career Development

Prompting Guide

Prompt: the input provided to a generative AI model to elicit a specific response; can take the form of questions or instructions.

Prompt Engineering: skill of designing and writing clear instructions to guide AI results and outputs.

Well-constructed prompts lead to more relevant outputs. Prompting Generative AI platforms effectively requires strong verbal communication and critical thinking skills to clearly articulate the appropriate or desired outcome.

Recommendations for Effective Prompting:

  • Provide tailored context: background information, goals and objectives, and output format preferences.
  • Include exclusions or limitations you do not want included in the output (still need to instruct what you do want included).
  • Treat as a conversation and input more prompts based on results generated. Continue prompting to: personalize, revise, rephrase, provide further detail, approach with different focus, reformat, etc.

AI Utilization

Limitations and Considerations
  • Keyword optimization for ATS
  • Tailoring action statements to job descriptions
  • Incorporating industry-specific language
  • Action verb inspiration
  • Improving word choice, grammar, punctuation, statement structure
  • Does not replace your voice
  • ATS software that can detect AI use on application materials
  • Generic output

 

Action Statement Review

  • Review action statements- offer suggestions for clarity and professional tone: [paste action statements]
  • How can the following action statements be strengthened to include metrics and data? : [paste action statements]
  • Revise the following action statements to be tailored to a (specific type of profession/ role/ title): [paste action statements]

Job Description Tailoring

  • Identify keywords from job description: [paste job description]

Professional Summary Construction

  • Create a 3-statement professional summary based on my top skills, accomplishments, and expertise areas based on my resume: [paste resume]
  • Write a professional summary, under 500 characters, based on my resume and the job description: [paste resume], [paste job description]

Improvements & Proofreading

  • Review the following resume for word choice, grammar, punctuation, and spelling: [paste resume]

 

Career Development Office Resume Resources: 

AI Utilization

Limitations and Considerations
  • Generating introductions
  • Highlighting relevant skills and experiences based on job description
  • Structuring content to be compelling narrative
  • Editing writing to ensure flow, clarity, and impact
  • Lack of authenticity if not personalized/ tailored to company
  • Inconsistencies
  • AI with limited contextual understanding

 

Cover Letter Structure & Tailoring

  • Provide a cover letter outline.
  • How can I tailor my existing cover letter based on the following job description? : [paste cover letter], [paste job description]

Resume & Cover Letter Alignment

  • Review (opening, body, closing) paragraph. How can it be more compelling and engaging based on my resume? : [paste (opening, body, closing) paragraph], [paste resume]
  • Review resume and cover letter. Identify any inconsistencies or missed opportunities to cross-reference achievements, skills, or experiences between documents: [paste resume], [paste cover letter]

Company & Industry-Specifics

  • Identify keywords from the company’s description, mission, and values that could be included in cover letter for the job/internship role: [paste company description, mission, and values], [paste job description]

 

Career Development Office Cover Letter Resources: 

AI Utilization

Limitations and Considerations
  • Industry search, company search
  • Career opportunities based on major
  • Career transition brainstorming
  • Role duties, responsibilities, and titles
  • Not all data is up to date
  • Lack of diversity in content
  • Platforms only know what is inputted, cannot connect on a human level

 

Major-Specific Career Information

  • Career opportunities for (specific name of major) majors.
  • What are typical career paths for a (specific name of major) major?

Industry & Profession Information

  • Types of roles/ functions in the (specific type of industry) industry.
  • What are 10 words I need to know in the (industry)? And how can I learn more about them?

Role/ Profession Specifics

  • Responsibilities of (name of specific title/ role/ or type of profession) profession.
  • I am interested in pursuing a career in (type of profession). What is the typical (same type of profession) career path?

Resume-Based Job Suggestions

  • Suggest 20 job titles and types of roles I would be qualified for based on my resume.

 

Career Development Office Major & Career Exploration Resources: 

AI Utilization

Limitations and Considerations
  • Role research: responsibilities, tasks, skills
  • Alternate role titles
  • Industry-specific job/internship search strategies and suggestions
  • Salary negotiation tactics
  • Preparation for job search
  • Conducting job search
  • Not all data is up to date
  • Lack of diversity in content
  • Bias and hallucinations
  • Limited contextual understanding

 

Job Search Strategy & Planning

  • Outline job search strategy based on the following factors: (location), (role), (industry).
  • Sample job search strategies for (major) majors.
  • What is the typical hiring cycle timeline and structure for (industry) industry?

Indentifying Job Titles & Roles

  • I am conducting an entry-level job/ internship search. I am a (major) major and am interested in (type of) roles. What are some sample job titles I can use when conducting my search? Include keywords and titles.
  • Sample roles and positions in (type of industry) industry.

Company & Industry Targeting

  • Provide list of top 10 industries in (city).
  • I am searching for (types of positions/ roles) roles in the (type of industry or industries) industries in (location). Provide a list of companies I can target/ prioritize in my search.

 

Career Development Office Job & Internship Search Resources: 

AI Utilization

Limitations and Considerations
  • Generating sample interview questions based on job descriptions
  • Sample answers
  • Questions to ask interviewers
  • Lack of human interaction
  • Potential for generic responses

 

Interview Question Preparation (Based on Role/ Industry/ Job Description)

  • What are 10 questions I could be asked based off the following job description? Provide examples and categories: [paste job description]
  • What are the 10 most common interview questions I should be prepared to answer?

Answering Interview Questions (Resume-Based & Strategic)

  • Based on my resume, how could I answer the (specific type of interview question) question? : [paste resume]
  • Assist me with crafting a STAR response for a (specific type of behavioral or situational interview question) question based on the following experience from my resume: [paste specific resume entry]

Highlighting Strengths & Addressing Weaknesses (Resume & Job Description

  • Based on my resume, what are my top 3 strengths that align with the following job description? : [paste resume], [paste job description]
  • Based on my resume, what might be weaknesses or areas I need to improve on based on the job description? : [paste resume], [paste job description]

Questions to Ask the Interviewer

  • What questions could I ask the interviewer for this role? : [paste job description]
  • What are some thoughtful and meaningful questions I could ask an employer at the end of an interview?

 

Career Development Office Interview Preparation Resources:

AI Utilization

Limitations and Considerations
  • Drafting emails
  • Crafting an elevator pitch
  • Creating LinkedIn messages or posts
  • Improving writing style and clarity
  • Generating informational interview questions
  • Connection requests
  • Messaging on LinkedIn
  • Headline and About section for LinkedIn
  • Requires personalization for direct communication
  • Need to show alignment between written and spoken communication
  • Proofreading is essential

 

LinkedIn Profile Optimization

  • I need a 3–6-word headline for my LinkedIn profile. I am currently a (first year, sophomore, junior, senior, or graduate) student and (name of major) major at Xavier University. Based on the following resume, what are some sample headlines I could use? : [paste resume]
  • What details from my resume should I include in a LinkedIn About section? : [paste resume]

Networking Outreach

  • Generate 10 informational interview questions for a (role) in the (specific type of) industry.
  • Review the following message. I want to send it to (title) with (company). How can the message be condensed/ made to sound more professional? : [paste drafted message]

Job Application & Interview Follow-Up

  • I interviewed for a (title) role at (company) and want to send a thank you email. Please provide a basic template/ outline for a post-interview thank you email.

 

Career Development Office Professional Communication & Networking Resources:

AI Utilization

Limitations and Considerations
  • Outlining goals
  • Intended careers, skill development, education
  • Recommending action steps and suggesting resources to assist in achieving goals
  • Generating questions to assist in identifying goals and inspirations
  • Lack of personal understanding and emotional intelligence
  • Bias and data limitations
  • Generic output
  • Lack of proactive support

 

Setting & Tracking Goals

  • Provide a goal-setting and tracking template that will assist me in organizing my goals.

Career Transition

  • I'm considering a career shift into the (specific type of industry) industry as a (title). What are the essential technical and soft skills required for this role, and what educational paths or certifications are highly valued by employers in this field?

Skill Development

  • I want to deepen my expertise in (specific skillset). What are the top 3 online courses, platforms, or certifications you recommend for someone with (level of experience) experience, and why?
  • Suggest 3 daily habits and 3 weekly habits to assist me in improving my (specific type of skill) skills.

 

Career Development Office Goal-Setting Resources:

AI Utilization

Limitations and Considerations
  • Salary research
  • Negotiation strategies
  • Lack of emotional intelligence and nuance
  • Risk of bias and hallucinations
  • AI with limited contextual understanding
  • Potential for out date information

 

Salary Research & Benchmarking

  • What is the average salary range for a (type of role) in (city/ location) with (X# of years of experience?

Salary Negotiation Strategy

  • I was offered (salary) and I want to negotiate. I am interested in making closer to (desired salary). How can I structure my counter offer?
  • What should I say when presenting a counteroffer for a job paying (salary) when I want (desired salary)?

Negotiating Beyond Base Salary

  • I am in a negotiation for a job offer. The salary cannot be negotiated. What are some other components of a job offer I can negotiate other than salary?

 

Career Development Office Salary Negotiation Resources: