AI for a job search

The problem, in your words

I keep sending applications, but my CV still reads like a list of duties.

Using AI for a job search starts with describing the part you are actually trying to draft. You do not need a clever instruction or a complete life story. You need enough detail for the answer to refer to your situation instead of an imagined average person. Start with one piece of work, then read it before asking for anything else.

For this guide, the useful input is target role, two real responsibilities, the job advertisement and the time available. You can leave out anything you do not want to share. An unknown detail should remain unknown: ask the AI to name the gap, not fill it with a convincing guess.

What to tell an AI

Give the request a clear boundary. Say what you want to make, what information it can use and what you will check yourself. For a job search, that means a draft you can read and change, not an instruction to achieve a result on your behalf.

Here is a fictional starting situation: “I roster 25 people and train new starters. I want to apply for an HR coordinator role this month.” Add the time you can actually spend and when you want the first draft. A two-hour weekly budget should not become a daily two-hour schedule. If the answer uses a detail you never supplied, remove it or ask where it came from.

Three example prompts

These prompts are fictional drafts to adapt, not claims about what will happen. Use them one at a time. Read the first answer, correct any mistaken detail, then move to the next request. The facts and the limits matter more than polished wording.

1. I roster 25 people and train new starters. I want to apply for an HR coordinator role this month. Rewrite one CV section for the advertised role without adding experience I do not have.
2. I roster 25 people and train new starters. I want to apply for an HR coordinator role this month. List interview questions based on this advertisement and ask me for a real example before drafting an answer.
3. I roster 25 people and train new starters. I want to apply for an HR coordinator role this month. Turn my own examples into a short profile paragraph; keep the tone direct and leave out unsupported numbers.

Read the draft before using it

A job advertisement can help you choose what to include, but it is not permission to invent qualifications. Keep a copy of the original CV beside the draft. Compare every changed sentence with something you actually did. If a line sounds impressive but you cannot explain it in an interview, replace it.

Check whether the draft for a job search contains a visible next action. You should be able to tell what you would open, write, compare or ask first. If it only says to “make a plan”, request the first small piece of that plan. Give a real time limit and ask it to leave later work for another session.

Where people get stuck

Common sticking points here are: sending the same broad request for every role; asking for a whole cv before giving examples; accepting invented figures. Each changes the usefulness of the draft before you even start using it. Narrowing the request is usually a better next move than asking for a longer answer.

For a job search, return to the actual task when the conversation becomes broad. Ask for the relevant section, checklist or wording, and stop once you have enough to read. You can skip a question, pause or keep a private note instead of sharing more.

Start with your own answers

Axiomative has standard plans across every area, free and without a card. You choose the topic and answer what you want to answer. The standard draft uses those answers; you can skip anything and choose Plain English. Voice options depend on the browser you are using.

The fictional example below is rendered with the same deterministic template builder used for standard plans. It shows the structure, not a person’s result. Your own wording and constraints change the draft. Start with one topic rather than adding detail simply to complete every box.

Fictional example · standard template

Made-up goal: Prepare a CV draft for an HR coordinator application. Obstacle: My retail CV does not explain my onboarding experience. Time: 1–2 hours a week. Timing: Within a month. This is not a real person’s result.

CV rewritten for the target role

CV rewritten for the target role
Goal: [one sentence — e.g. Prepare a CV draft for an HR coordinator application]
Why it matters now: [your reason]
What gets in the way: [my retail CV does not explain my onboarding experience]
First step (20 min): [action]
Who or what can help: [person, tool or resource]
Check-in date: [date]