Last updated: January 2026

Using ChatGPT well is not “cheating”, it is structured thinking on demand.

The fastest way to improve your UK graduate job results is to use AI for the parts you usually rush: role selection, evidence mapping, company research, networking, CV alignment, and interview practice.

This article gives you 10 practical prompts, organised by the real stages of a UK graduate job search, with guardrails so you do not produce bland, copy-paste applications.

What are the best ChatGPT prompts for UK graduate jobs, and when should you use each one?

The best prompts mirror the real hiring workflow: targeting → evidence → company research → networking → applications/CV → interview practice.

Most students use AI like a vending machine, then wonder why the output is generic.

Your results improve when you feed the AI the right inputs and force it to ask you clarifying questions before it answers.

If your prompt does not constrain the problem, your output will be vague.

The point is not “more AI”, it is fewer mistakes per application. 

You can download all 10 prompts (PDF) here: https://www.ukeycoach.co.uk/pl/2148740709

How do you use ChatGPT to stop applying for roles you were never competitive for?

You waste time when your job search is powered by vibes.

A good job search starts with narrowing your target so your applications become repeatable and credible.

Applying widely feels productive, but it is usually avoidance dressed as effort.

Copy-paste prompt: Find best-fit UK graduate roles

You are a UK career advisor specialising in helping university students. See my CV attached.

I want to understand which graduate jobs and industries best fit my background and priorities: [location / pay / relevant to my degree]. First, ask me up to 5 short questions that would help you narrow this down properly.

Then, based on my CV, priorities and responses, provide me with:

• a shortlist of the best-fit graduate roles and industries;
• a list of UK companies that hire graduates into these roles.

Base your recommendations on current UK hiring patterns and how employers recruit graduates, not just job titles.

If you ask for “a well-paid job in London”, you get vague outputs.

Forced clarifying questions surface constraints like work style, strengths, deal-breakers, and realistic evidence you can build.

Sanity-check rules:

• Remove any role you cannot explain clearly in one sentence.
• Remove any role where your CV has zero relevant evidence.
• Keep roles where you can build evidence within 8–12 weeks through societies, projects, volunteering, or part-time work.

How do you research a UK employer properly using annual reports and investor documents?

Company research is where students lose jobs without realising it.

Most candidates stop at the “About Us” page and a couple of headlines, then wonder why interview answers sound the same as everyone else.

The depth of your company research shows up directly in application specificity.

Baseline company primer (what to ask for):

• What the company sells and who buys it
• Key products/services and business units
• High-level financial performance and strategy themes
• Competitors and market context
• SWOT analysis

Definition: SWOT is a framework summarising strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

Annual report approach:

• Search “Company name annual report” or go to Investor Relations.
• Download the full PDF.
• Ask AI to extract insights with page references.
• Verify key points in the company’s own words.

Copy-paste prompt for annual report deep dives:

Copy-paste prompt: Deep company research using annual reports

You are a UK equity and business analyst who understands graduate recruitment.

I am a university student applying for a [job title] graduate role at this company. I have attached the company’s latest annual report.

I want to understand this business well enough to give specific, commercially aware answers in applications and interviews.

Using the annual report and other relevant public information, explain:

• how the company really makes money (core products, customers, revenue drivers);
• its strategic priorities for the next 2–3 years;
• the main risks and challenges leadership is concerned about;
• the 3–5 most important commercial or industry issues the company is exposed to;
• the biggest growth opportunities it is betting on;
• how it is positioned relative to key competitors;
• a menu of 5–8 talking points for “Why this company?”;
• a menu of 5–8 talking points for “Why this role in this company?”.

For every point, cite the page number or section title so I can verify it directly in the annual report.

Page references are not a “nice to have”, they are your hallucination insurance.

How do you use ChatGPT for LinkedIn networking without sounding generic or fake?

Networking works because it produces real details that are hard to invent.

Recruiters trust candidates who have done human-level due diligence, not just browser-level research.

A message that could be sent to anyone will be ignored by everyone.

What a strong outreach note includes:

• Why you chose them specifically
• What you share (same university, degree, society, background, location)
• A clear and polite ask (15 minutes, 2–3 questions)
• A low-pressure close

Generic test: If you can swap the name and company and the message still works, it is too generic.

Better coffee chat question categories:

• Day-to-day reality of the role
• What surprised them about the culture
• What actually differentiates strong applicants internally
• What they wish they did earlier as a student

Weak: “Any advice for me?”

Stronger: “When you review grad CVs, what detail signals someone can do the job, not just study it?”

How do you tailor UK graduate job applications and CVs for ATS without sounding robotic?

Your CV is a scan-friendly proof document that competes against hundreds of near-identical candidates.

A strong candidate with a poorly aligned CV still loses to a weaker candidate with clearer evidence.

What your application strategy prompt should do:

• Summarise what the employer is actually hiring for
• Identify what you should emphasise from your CV
• Identify gaps and recommend how to handle each one

As of 2026, many UK employers still treat sponsorship as a cost and admin burden, even when they sponsor some roles.

You generally do not need to “announce” sponsorship unless asked, or unless the application explicitly requires it.

Definition: ATS (Applicant Tracking System) is software employers use to store, search, and filter applications.

ATS keyword alignment should do three things:

• Extract top keywords from the job description
• Identify missing terms in your CV
• Suggest edits that keep your language natural

Overstuffed keywords make your CV read like a robot auditioning for a robot job.

Bullet tightening rule: If a bullet cannot fit within two lines, it is probably doing too many things.

Most CVs fail because they are long and vague, not because students have no ability.

How do you use ChatGPT to prepare for UK graduate job interviews in a way that actually works?

Interview prep is rehearsing answers out loud until you stop rambling.

Fluency in your head is irrelevant if you freeze when you speak.

Ask for questions across:

• Motivation
• Competency
• Strengths and weaknesses
• Scenario judgement
• Role knowledge and commercial awareness

Practical practice rules:

• Write bullet talking points, not scripts.
• Answer out loud.
• Record yourself once, then fix the worst parts.
• Use a friend for realism and follow-up questions.

AI can give you volume and pressure.

Humans give you realism and tone feedback.

FAQ: ChatGPT prompts for UK graduate jobs

1) What are the best ChatGPT prompts for UK graduate jobs if I’m in first year?

Start with role targeting and competitiveness mapping, then build evidence early through societies, projects, and part-time work.

2) Can ChatGPT write my whole UK graduate job application for me?

It can generate structure and improve clarity, but generic AI-written applications are easy to spot and usually underperform.

3) How do I stop ChatGPT from giving me vague job ideas?

Force it to ask clarifying questions first, and give it constraints like preferred work style, skills, and deal-breakers.

4) How do I use AI for company research without getting hallucinations?

Use annual report prompts that require page references, then verify key points in the PDF yourself.

5) What’s the best way to use ChatGPT for LinkedIn networking?

Use it for message structure and question ideas, but you must supply the real shared connection and the real reason for reaching out.

6) Does ATS keyword optimisation matter for UK graduate jobs?

Many employers use systems that search and filter applications, so basic keyword alignment helps, but overdoing it can harm readability.

7) What’s the fastest way to use ChatGPT for interview prep?

Generate a question bank based on the role and your CV, then practise answers out loud and pressure-test with follow-up questions.