Transforming EFL Resume Writing with ChatGPT: A Course for Korean University Students

Introduction

Resume writing with ChatGPT is essential in today’s competitive job market, especially for Korean EFL university students aiming for internships in the US.

The stark differences between Korean and Western resumes present significant challenges.

Korean resumes adhere to a strict format, often including personal details such as photos and family background, whereas US resumes focus on showcasing skills and experiences creatively.

Additionally, many students lack the creative writing skills necessary to effectively present their qualifications.

To address these challenges, I’ve developed a short, intensive resume writing course that leverages the power of ChatGPT.

Over the past year, I’ve successfully integrated ChatGPT into my lesson planning and classroom activities, helping students use specific prompts to enhance their speaking assignments. 

This experience has demonstrated the potential of ChatGPT as a personal writing assistant, providing instant feedback and encouraging students to ask even the simplest questions without fear.

This course, tailored for both art and business students, spans six hours over two days. It aims to assist students in creating tailored resumes and cover letters for US internships. 

To ensure the course meets the specific needs of my students, I built a custom GPT model for planning the curriculum, incorporating insights from various resume writing courses on Coursera and YouTube. 

During the course, students will use ChatGPT 3.5, guided on how to effectively prompt and utilize the AI for their resume writing tasks.

Join me on this journey to empower Korean EFL students with the skills and confidence needed to create impactful resumes that stand out in the US job market.

Goal

The primary goal of this course is to equip Korean EFL university students with the skills necessary to use AI, specifically ChatGPT, to craft tailored resumes and cover letters for the US job market. 

By the end of the course, students will be proficient in analyzing job descriptions, identifying relevant keywords, and using AI to create customized resumes for various positions and companies.

Measuring Success

Success will be measured through a series of practical projects. Students will be required to:

• Analyze job descriptions to identify key skills and requirements.
• Use ChatGPT to generate tailored resumes and cover letters that align with specific job postings.
• Demonstrate their ability to adapt their resumes for different companies and roles, showcasing their understanding and application of the skills learned.

Importance of Tailored Resumes

Tailored resumes are crucial for recent graduates seeking internships for several reasons:

• Standing Out in a Crowd: The applicant pool for internships is highly competitive. A generic resume is unlikely to capture attention. By tailoring their resumes, students can highlight the skills and experiences most relevant to the specific position, making them stand out to recruiters and Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) used by many companies.
• Demonstrating Understanding: A generic resume suggests mass application submission, whereas a tailored resume shows that the applicant has researched the company and understands its needs. This not only demonstrates initiative but also indicates a genuine interest in the opportunity, making a stronger impression on potential employers.

Differentiating Courses for Art and Business Students

While the core structure of the courses will be similar, differentiation will occur through:

• Specific Questions: Tailoring the questions students use to discover and articulate their skills and experiences based on their field—art or business.
• Job Descriptions and Sample Resumes: Providing examples of job descriptions and sample resumes that are relevant to each group, ensuring that students can see how the concepts apply directly to their career aspirations.

This approach ensures that both art and business students receive the relevant, customized guidance they need to succeed in their respective fields.

Utilizing ChatGPT in the Classroom

Key Features of ChatGPT:

• Beat Writer’s Block: Starting a resume or cover letter from scratch can be daunting. ChatGPT helps students overcome writer’s block by generating drafts based on their information and desired roles. This jumpstarts the process and provides a foundation to build upon.
• Tailoring Made Easy: Tailoring resumes and cover letters is essential for recent graduates. ChatGPT can analyze job descriptions and student-provided details to suggest relevant skills and experiences to showcase. This ensures that application materials directly target the specific internship or job.
• Creative Exploration: While a strong resume and cover letter should be professional, a touch of creativity can help students stand out. ChatGPT assists in brainstorming unique ways to phrase accomplishments and experiences, adding a touch of personality without compromising professionalism.
• Language Polish: ChatGPT identifies areas where the writing can be improved, suggesting stronger verbs or more concise phrasing. This ensures a polished and professional final product that makes a great impression.

Demonstrating the Use of ChatGPT

During the class, I will use ChatGPT to demonstrate how to craft each part of a resume and cover letter. 

Students will learn how to use and craft specific prompts for each section. 

For example, to create a strong professional summary, students can prompt ChatGPT with, “Generate a professional summary for a business student applying for a marketing internship, highlighting relevant skills and experiences.”

Benefits of ChatGPT Over Traditional Methods:

• Speed: ChatGPT accelerates the resume writing process, allowing students to quickly generate drafts and make edits.
• Confidence: With instant feedback and suggestions, students feel more confident in their writing.
• Personalized Assistant: ChatGPT acts as a personal writing assistant, offering tailored advice and examples.
• Personalized Feedback: Students receive specific feedback on their writing, helping them refine and improve their resumes and cover letters.

Guiding Students in Using ChatGPT 3.5

Given that we will be using the free version of ChatGPT, I will teach students how to set up ChatGPT before they input their prompts. 

For example, students will paste a job description into ChatGPT and ask, “Can you help me extract the top 5 to 10 key skills from this position?”  This initial setup ensures that ChatGPT provides relevant and targeted suggestions.

Through the utilization of ChatGPT’s capabilities, students will gain the knowledge and skills necessary to craft customized resumes and cover letters efficiently. 

These enhanced documents can significantly increase their chances of securing internships within the competitive United States job market.

Creating the Course with ChatGPT

Integrating Insights from Coursera and YouTube Courses: Before planning my resume course, I took several courses on Coursera and YouTube. 

Two courses stood out: the “Writing Winning Resumes and Cover Letters” course from the University of Maryland and several videos by Professor Heather Austin. 

Although the University of Maryland course was a bit dated, it provided a wealth of information on crafting resumes from start to finish. 

Professor Austin’s videos offered specific insights into using ChatGPT for resume writing. 

I took detailed notes from each course, highlighting the most beneficial aspects for my EFL students, and added these notes to my custom GPT.

Custom GPT Model Features

The most beneficial feature of the custom GPT model is its comprehensive knowledge base. 

In addition to my insights from the resume writing courses, I included PDF guides on university course creation. 

This ensures that the custom GPT model is not only knowledgeable about resume writing but also adept at providing structured and effective lesson plans for the course.

Addressing the Unique Needs of Korean EFL Students

In my notes, I specifically addressed the unique needs of my Korean EFL students. 

This includes understanding the differences between Korean and Western resumes, overcoming language barriers, and building confidence in their writing skills. 

By tailoring the custom GPT model to these needs, I ensured that it would provide relevant and practical advice to my students.

Challenges and Overcoming Them

Creating the custom GPT model was straightforward, thanks to ChatGPT’s user-friendly interface. 

The primary challenge was selecting the right files to include in the knowledge base to benefit the course. 

To create a custom GPT model that would serve as a valuable tool for course planning and delivery, I meticulously selected the most relevant and beneficial resources available.

Utilizing a customized GPT model, I crafted a holistic and personalized resume writing course that caters to the unique requirements of my Korean EFL students. 

This model serves as a robust foundation for teaching students how to craft effective resumes and cover letters, preparing them for success in the US job market.

Course Content and Activities

Key Elements of a US-Style Resume

The course will focus on the essential elements of a US-style resume, including:

• Tailoring the Resume: Emphasizing the importance of tailoring the resume to fit the job description. Students will learn how to identify key words and competencies in job listings and incorporate them into their resumes.
• Professional Summary: Crafting a concise and impactful professional summary that highlights their strengths and career goals.
• Skills and Competencies: Listing relevant skills and competencies that align with the job requirements.
• Experience and Achievements: Detailing work experience and achievements in a way that demonstrates their value to potential employers.
• Education: Clearly presenting their educational background and relevant coursework.
• Formatting: Using a clean and professional format that is easy to read and ATS-friendly.

Common Pitfalls for Non-Native English Speakers

Non-native English speakers often encounter several challenges in resume writing, such as:

• Over-Reliance on Translators: EFL students might use translators to craft generic resumes. ChatGPT will assist them in writing more creative and specific sections, ensuring their resumes and cover letters stand out.
• Language and Grammar Issues: ChatGPT will help students refine their language, suggest stronger verbs, and ensure concise phrasing, resulting in polished and professional documents.
• Cultural Differences: Understanding the cultural differences in resume expectations and learning how to present their qualifications in a way that aligns with US standards.

Interactive Activities

The course will include various interactive activities to help students practice resume and cover letter writing:

• Prompt-Based Exercises: Providing students with specific prompts to generate content for different sections of their resumes and cover letters.
• Job Description Analysis: Students will analyze job descriptions to identify key skills and competencies, and use ChatGPT to tailor their resumes accordingly.
• Research Assignments: Students will conduct their own research into internships that align with their career goals, using this information to create targeted resumes and cover letters.
• Peer Review and Feedback: Structured peer review sessions where students will exchange their drafts and provide constructive feedback. They will use ChatGPT to assist in evaluating their completed resumes and cover letters, ensuring they meet the standards discussed in the course.

Structure of Peer Review and Feedback Sessions

Peer review and feedback sessions will be structured to ensure constructive and helpful feedback:

• Guided Review: Providing students with a checklist and specific criteria to evaluate their peers’ resumes and cover letters.
• Feedback Templates: Using templates to structure their feedback, focusing on strengths, areas for improvement, and specific suggestions.
• ChatGPT Assistance: Students will use ChatGPT to refine their feedback, ensuring it is clear and actionable. They can prompt ChatGPT with questions like, “What are some constructive ways to suggest improvements in a resume?”

Through active participation in these activities, students will deepen their comprehension of the crucial elements of a US-style resume, simultaneously gaining hands-on experience in crafting tailored and impactful application materials.

Benefits for Students

How the Course Will Help Students: This course is designed to provide Korean EFL university students with the tools and knowledge they need to create effective and competitive resumes and cover letters for the US job market. By leveraging the capabilities of ChatGPT, students will gain several key benefits:

Enhanced Understanding of US Resume Expectations

• Cultural Insights: Students will learn the key differences between Korean and US resumes, understanding what American employers look for in application materials.
• Tailoring Techniques: They will acquire skills to tailor their resumes to specific job descriptions, ensuring they include relevant keywords and competencies that align with the job requirements.
• Professional Formatting: Instruction on professional resume formatting will ensure their documents are clean, easy to read, and ATS-friendly.

Improved Resume and Cover Letter Writing Skills:

• Effective Writing: Using ChatGPT, students will improve their ability to write clearly and concisely, with stronger verbs and more impactful phrasing.
• Creative Expression: ChatGPT will help students brainstorm unique ways to present their skills and experiences, adding a touch of creativity while maintaining professionalism.
• Practical Exercises: Through prompt-based exercises and real-world job description analysis, students will gain hands-on experience in crafting tailored resumes and cover letters.

Increased Confidence in Applying for Internships

• Overcoming Writer’s Block: ChatGPT helps students overcome the initial hurdle of starting their resumes and cover letters, providing drafts that they can build upon and refine.
• Instant Feedback: With immediate feedback from ChatGPT, students can make continuous improvements to their documents, boosting their confidence in the quality of their applications.
• Peer Support: Structured peer review sessions will provide additional feedback and insights, helping students to further polish their resumes and cover letters.

Throughout the course, students will gain a deep understanding of US resume expectations, which will not only benefit them in their immediate job search but also prepare them with lifelong skills for their professional careers. 

Additionally, they will develop enhanced writing skills and increased confidence, empowering them to effectively apply for internships and pursue their career goals.

Conclusion

In today’s competitive job market, creating a well-crafted resume and cover letter is essential, especially for Korean EFL university students aiming for US internships.

This course, designed for art and business students, leverages resume writing with ChatGPT to provide tailored guidance and support throughout the process.

By focusing on US-style resumes, addressing common pitfalls for non-native English speakers, and incorporating interactive activities, this course equips students with the skills and confidence needed to succeed.

They will understand US resume expectations, improve their writing abilities, and increase their confidence in applying for internships.

The benefits are clear: students will tailor their application materials effectively, receive personalized feedback, and utilize ChatGPT’s innovative features to create standout resumes and cover letters.

This course prepares them for immediate job opportunities and provides valuable skills for their future careers.

Stay tuned for a follow-up blog post where I will share the results and insights from teaching this course at the end of July.

Join me in empowering Korean EFL students with the tools and confidence needed to excel in the US job market through resume writing with ChatGPT.