8 ways to use AI to write your resume  

Path your way to professional perfection by creating an AI-generated resume, powered by Copilot in Microsoft Word. No matter what industry or job title you’re applying for, Copilot helps you create, edit, and elevate any resume to be recognized by ATS and stand out from your competitors.   

With 94% of recruiters agreeing ATS has a positive impact on their hiring process, and 70% of resumes not matching the ATS criteria, don’t let your resume fall through the hiring database. Optimize your resume with Copilot to land your dream job faster.   

If you’re ready to create a resume tailored to impress and designed to succeed, read on to learn how to use Copilot AI to write your resume in Word. Explore the top Copilot tips and find the best prompt examples to ask Copilot.   

How to use AI to write your resume in Word

Whether you’re creating a new document, working on an existing one, or using a resume template, Copilot uses advanced AI technology to provide fast writing and editing answers for users in seconds. All you have to do is ask Copilot a prompt, for example, “create a resume outline for a nurse with mid-career experience” and Copilot AI will generate a high-quality response.  If you have a Microsoft 365 Copilot (work) or Copilot Pro (home) license, open Microsoft Word and ensure you have the latest version downloaded. You will be able to find Copilot in the home tab in the top header. If Copilot needs enabling, go to the help or tools menu, then select Copilot to activate.  

8 ways AI can help you create your resume 

1. Create an AI-generated resume outline for any industry

The easiest way to create a professional looking resume in Word is asking Copilot to AI-generate a resume draft for you, tailored to an industry or job title. Speed up your resume creation using the Copilot resume outline as a template ready for you to change with details.  

 Copilot resume outline prompt example: 

“Create a resume outline for a teacher with 4 years of work experience and a bachelor's degree in teaching. Please provide examples.”  

Once you have entered your prompt, Copilot will automatically generate a professional response with suggestion headings and descriptions for you to edit with your credentials and tone of voice.   

Note: If the AI resume draft isn’t exactly what you’re looking for, try changing the prompt by adding specific details, such as “…with no previous industry experience” or “make it professional.”  

2. Personalize a CV or resume template 

If you’re looking to create a resume more efficiently, Copilot also lets you customize a professional-looking resume template instead of starting a document from scratch.

Easily discover a range of different resume templates in many popular industries, styles, color palettes, fonts, and layouts that are ready-to-use for your convenience.

All you have to do is select a resume template, highlight the example text that you would like to rewrite, then click on the write a prompt button to ask Copilot to generate new copy. Copilot will append the suggested copy changes at the end of your template with your own personal details.  

Copilot resume template prompt example:  

“Rewrite the resume template skills section to showcase a customer service worker with entry-level experience including relevant industry examples.”  

3. Rewrite old and existing resumes with AI 

Easily rewrite an outdated resume with Copilot’s resume improvement suggestions without creating a new document or starting with a Word resume template. You can optimize your resume, highlight new skills, enhance readability, add new ATS keywords, and polish your language in just a few minutes. Just open your existing resume in Word, then ask Copilot to analyze your resume.   Copilot resume rewrite prompt examples:  Command: “Rewrite my job description to highlight my achievements and higher experiences.” Result: “Led a team of    15 sale representatives, achieving 30% increase in quarterly sales.”   

4. Suggest ATS friendly keywords for your resume

88% of employers find they lose highly qualified candidates if their resumes don’t include ATS-friendly keywords. Optimize your resume to stand out in applicant tracking systems (ATS) by adding ATS compliant keywords. The fastest way to find the best ATS keywords for your industry or job title is to ask Copilot with a specific prompt. Try to include the suggested ATS keywords in your resume within the summary section, your skills section, and any relevant achievements or work experience sections.   Copilot industry specific ATS keyword prompt example:  “What are some ATS friendly keywords to include in senior project manager resume.”  

Copilot example answer:  

• Product Lifecycle Management 

• Cross-functional Collaboration 

• Data-driven Decision Making 

• Market Analysis 

• User Experience Design 

• Agile Methodology 

• Strategic Planning 

• Product Roadmap 

• Innovation 

• Leadership 

5. Provide action verbs and phrases to make your resume impactful  

Write engaging and appealing resume copy with standout industry related verbs and phrases suggested by Copilot. Prompt Copilot to suggest some compelling verbs and phrases that relate to your industry or job title, then sprinkle them through your resume copy. Adding impactful verbs and phrases is a simple yet effective way to make your resume look more professional and make experiences and accomplishments more impactful. Don’t forget to tailor your resume to highlight your skills that are relevant to your specific industry and job title.   Copilot verbs and phrases prompt example:  “Suggest verbs and phrases that can make the job descriptions more compelling.”   

Copilot example answer:  

• Leadership and management: Spearheaded, orchestrated, pioneered, transformed, and championed.  

• Innovative and problem solving: Engineered, innovated, formulated, devised, and tailored.  

• Teamwork and collaboration: Collaborated, partnered, united, coalesced, and merged.  

• Growth and development: Cultivated, fostered, advanced, expanded, and escalated.  

• Customer and client relations: Nurtured, secured, captured, won, and earned.  

6. Recommend role specific skills to showcase in your resume copy

Copilot can find, tailor, and highlight the most relevant job specific skills you might want to include in your resume to help you stand out to both ATS and human recruiters. Copilot scans the job descriptions to find relevant skills and qualifications recruiters are looking for, then suggests how to phrase them and incorporate them into your resume.    

7. Get beneficial feedback on your resume

Asking Copilot to give you feedback on your resume can help you show areas where your resume is lacking clarity, as well as receive grammar, punctuation, style, readability, and formatting feedback. Have Copilot review your resume or CV to ensure its error-free and professionally written, giving you the chance to make final adjustments.   

8. Generate a cover letter based on your AI written resume 

Efficiently creating a cover letter for your resume written in Word is made easy with Copilot. Once your resume is finished, ask Copilot to write a cover letter. This can be performed in a new blank document by prompting Copilot with your attached resume file or extended onto the existing resume.  Copilot will summaries your resume into a professional, well-written cover letter ready for you to send to your recruiter.   Copilot cover letter prompt example:  “Write a cover letter using the information provided in my resume for a teaching position.”   

Tips for using Copilot to write your resume effectively

To ensure you’re using Copilot in Word the most efficient and effective way possible, look at these tips.  

• Be specific when asking prompts: When you’re entering a prompt into Copilot, it’s best to be as specific as possible so Copilot can tailor the answer exactly to your needs. Try to give any context or relevant details about what your desired outcome is and state who your target audience is.  

• Ask Copilot to adjust, edit, or add information: Your first prompt asking Copilot to perform a task is just a starting point. If you would like to edit down, add missing information or adjust some text, simply ask Copilot again to generate another answer. Copilot is here to co-create your resume, answer questions, solve problems quickly, and learn new information.  

• Add your own examples: To generate accurate and relevant Copilot suggestions, we recommend entering any examples of your industry or job title related achievements and responsibilities. This will prompt Copilot with your experience and skills to generate accurate suggestions.  

• Refine and edit your resume outline: Copilot is here to help you write the best resume or CV, but it’s important to use Copilots outline suggestions as a starting point. Make sure to personalize your resume examples to suit your own style and experiences. Aim to write in a clear, concise language throughout your resume following the lead of Copilot’s examples. 

Copilot resume example prompts

Look at some common prompts to use when writing a resume with AI in Word.  

• Professional resume summary: “Write a summary for a marketing professional with 5 years’ experience in social media management.”  

• Work experience: “Elaborate on my role at [company name] as a sales manager, focusing on team leadership and growth revenue.”  

• Education: “Write educational details for a bachelor’s degree in finance from [name university or college], graduating in [year].”  

• Skills: “Talk about my skills in project management and data analysis.”  

• Achievements: “Quantify my top achievements with numbers and data in my product manager role.”  

• Cover letter: “Write a cover letter for a truck driver position with 2 years' experience using the information in my resume [import resume file].”  

Learn more about resume best practices checking out how to write a resume and exploring 6 good resume examples with customizable templates.