ChatGPT and Resume Website Services, Which Is Better?

I’ll share my experience, then leave you to decide.

Two weeks after my board exams, I decided it was time to start job hunting again. Employment advisors tell you it’s a numbers game…the more you apply, the more your chances of getting an interview.

So I called a friend who was always abreast of things. “Do you know any free software I can use to generate multiple resume templates?” “No, I don’t. Try ChatGPT.” I had heard of the AI but I had never used it. I didn’t take her advice that day.

A quick search on Google took me to a website; Resume Genius https://resumegenius.com/. For a 2 week access, I paid less than 3 Canadian dollars. I could create unlimited resumes and cover letters for any job.

The best part was I didn’t need a job posting. It had data for any job title for every section of a resume or cover letter. It would ask you for specifics; name, address, work history, school, and certificate details. You choose any other data you need for other parts of the resume. There were many options.

For a week, I was having a ball on the resume website. In 30 minutes, I would create a resume. In less time, I would create a cover letter. All I had to do was review the information and run it through an applicant tracking software (ATS). I began looking forward to my sessions.

One day, I called a friend and checked up on her. We were talking about hiring, firing, and the job market. ChatGPT came up again, and I remembered what my other friend had told me.

When I hung up, I created a ChatGPT account and asked it to create a resume from a job posting. It asked for specific info and, with its database, created a resume in less than 2 minutes. I then requested it create a cover letter tailored to the job posting and resume. Here is an excerpt from the cover letter:

Cedarhurst Senior Living Brock, Ontario, Canada

Dear Hiring Manager,

I am writing to express my keen interest in the Resident Care Manager position at Cedarhurst of Woodstock, as advertised. With a wealth of experience in healthcare management and a strong commitment to delivering exceptional resident-centered care, I am eager to contribute to the well-being and quality of life of residents at Cedarhurst.

Having reviewed the job description, I am inspired by Cedarhurst’s dedication to providing compassionate, personalized care to older adults. My background in managing and coordinating patient care services, coupled with my passion for fostering collaborative environments, makes me well-equipped to excel in this role. I am particularly drawn to the opportunity to work with the Director of Wellness to ensure excellence in resident care and programming, as outlined in the job posting.

In my previous role as a manager at Wycliffe Baird Family Practice, I collaborated with various stakeholders to align practice standards with clinic objectives and spearheaded initiatives to enhance patient care and service delivery. Additionally, my experience at Philip Aziz Center for Hospice Care equipped me with valuable skills in providing psychosocial support to individuals facing life-limiting illnesses, palliative/end-of-life care, and elder care. These experiences have honed my ability to provide compassionate, holistic care to residents while fostering interprofessional collaboration.

Furthermore, my educational background in Public Health (M.S.) and Medicine (M.D.) has provided me with a solid foundation for understanding healthcare systems and implementing evidence-based practices to optimize patient outcomes. I am also proficient in computer applications and hold certifications such as the Bridge to Registration &Employment in Mental Health.

I am excited about the opportunity to join Cedarhurst of Woodstock and contribute to its mission of being a true friend and advocate for older adults. I am confident that my skills, experience, and passion for resident care make me a valuable asset to your team. Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to the possibility of discussing how my background and skills align with the needs of Cedarhurst.

Warm regards, Nkeonye Judith Izuka

After a grammar check, I was so thrilled I was going to submit both ASAP. I changed my mind and ran the resume through the ATS. There was hardly any match between the posting and the resume. To get the resume to an 80% match rate with all the recommendations made by the ATS, I spent over 3 hours.

Realizations and a different approach.

I became slightly disillusioned with ChatGPT. I had incorporated its services for speed’s sake. It had its limitations. In the days when we worked without AI, I spent 2 hours on average tailoring my resumes. I even secured a few interviews afterward.

In the next application, I adopted a different approach. First, I used Resume Genius’s template. As I filled various sections, I tailored them on the go. I then ran the final draft through ATS. I had over 50% match.

The ATS report provided suggestions for a standout resume. I used ChatGPT to handle the inadequacies. It performed better when I gave it one task at a time. When I gave it too many tasks, there were many oversights.

For the next application, it took me 90 minutes to generate the resume, run it through the ATS, and make changes using ChatGPT.

What am I doing going forward?

This stint has been going on for 2 weeks. It all feels like a new adventure. So, I’ll keep using Resume Genius. I like its ability to generate templates for many job titles across multiple industries. It makes sense to be involved in each step.

Using ChatGPT is different. You aren’t directly involved in the how, but the what. You tell it what to do. It hands you a product. Sometimes, it is what you want. Other times, it’s not. This iteration continues until you get what you want, and that takes time.

For the sake of job applications, both are complementary. With time, I’ll likely find a more efficient way to create resumes that scale through the ATS and land interviews.

Who knows? I might go back to doing things manually cos in my experience, you cannot take away the human component in perfecting the process. In the meantime, let me tackle this next application…