Ironically, prompt engineering is such a new occupation that ChatGPT could only “make an educated guess” about its existence following the AI chatbot’s last knowledge update in 2021. The phenomenal number of opportunities in this novel tech niche is now seeing job seekers from diverse backgrounds needing to create a prompt engineer resume.
To help with that, we’ve created this step-by-step writing guide, corresponding to an adaptable prompt engineer resume example. Topics discussed:
- What does a prompt engineer do?
- How to write a prompt engineer resume — the structure, format, and other basics
- Prompting the right response in each resume section — header, summary, employment history, skills, and education
- Resume layout and design tips
There’s more where this came from! Take a browse through Resume.io ‘s growing collection of 350+ occupation-specific resume examples and writing
What does a prompt engineer do?
Prompt engineers are professionals who specialize in designing, developing, and optimizing effective prompts for text-based AI tasks. They fine-tune interactions between users and AI models such as ChatGPT to generate output that’s accurate, relevant and coherent.
There’s more than one reason for the internet being abuzz with proclamations that prompt engineering is 2023’s hottest tech occupation. In almost every media post, the astonishingly high income potential steals the spotlight away from the novel job requirements and newness on the scene. Prompt engineers can earn $280,000–$375,000 a year, with the average being $327,000. Freelance rates average $83–$108 per hour, or $736 daily.
Job outlook
Although long-term employment growth data has yet to emerge, current demand for prompt engineers is explosive, alongside the uptrend in AI adoption across all industries. Sources concur that the job role is likely to evolve as AI models become more self-sufficient in prompt generation and require less manual intervention. This will be offset by the proliferation of new, more complex AI tools.
How to write a prompt engineer resume
While your prompt engineer resume is groundbreaking in terms of the job market being tapped into, there’s nothing unconventional about the writing approach. This structure of essential resume sections, confined to one page, is a given:
- Header
- Summary
- Employment history
- Skills
- Education
These universal resume ground rules also apply:
- Customize your resume for the specific role you're seeking. Highlight skills, work experience, and achievements that directly relate to what the posted job requirements call for.
- Optimize your resume with keywords as a safeguard against rejection by applicant tracking systems (ATS) software.
Choosing the best resume format for a prompt engineer
Some prompt engineers have broken the mold of following linear career paths through a series of directly relevant employee roles. This could make the choice of resume format less straightforward for those with more varied professional backgrounds. If you’re seeking freelance work, for instance, by emphasizing skills or projects instead of past employers, then a functional or hybrid (combination) resume format might be suitable.
Otherwise, the traditional chronological format gives recruiters the clearest picture of your progressive work experience over time. Listing previous job duties and accomplishments under employer headings, in order from most recent to earliest dates, puts your most relevant and advanced level of work experience ahead of the rest.
For ideas and inspiration, check out these other IT resume examples and writing guides:
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Resume header
This is your personal signature of the prompt engineer they should hire. A distinctive resume header design gets your identifying details noticed and remembered. Along with your name, job title, email, phone number and city, add URLs for your LinkedIn profile, professional website, blog, or GitHub portfolio of project samples.
Resume summary example
Start strong with a concisely compelling summary — sometimes called profile or personal statement — proclaiming your interest in prompt engineering and what you have to offer this employer. Intrigue the reader by zeroing in on your most highly sought talents and achievements in this field. Portray them as being uniquely beneficial to the hiring organization you are targeting, whose success story is the one you want to be part of. Be explicit about why this is your opportunity of choice.
Below is a prompt engineer resume summary example you can modify.
Pioneering, ahead-of-the-curve prompt engineering / AI professional dedicated to consistently breaking technological boundaries through innovative generative AI. Well-versed in various next-generation machine learning applications. Adapt rapidly to new technologies.
Employment history sample
Whether your work experience has been confined to IT roles or crosses over from seemingly unrelated disciplines, this resume section is where excellence culminates in a prompt engineering job match that’s mutually ideal.
Pinpoint as many directly relevant abilities as possible, framing your accomplishments as skills in action. Make each descriptive bullet point a success story unto itself, highlighting challenges you overcame and the positive outcomes. Quantify these results if you can with metrics such as performance improvement percentages. Recruiters are especially interested in your problem-solving abilities from both a creative and analytical stance, and instances where you collaborated with others.
Here is the employment history section from our prompt engineer resume sample.
Prompt Engineer, SpotLab, Ellenboro, NC
June 2017 - Present
- Employ neural networks and automatic image processing tools to design and develop solutions for medical image analysis.
- Organize and clean data in preparing working environment
- Conduct evaluations of various algorithms and pipelines.
- Interface with medical specialists and product managers to gather requirements and assess technical feasibility.
Generative AI Engineer, Forhyre, Charlotte, NC
February 2014 - June 2017
- Crafted effective and engaging prompts to enhance performance and capabilities of AI systems.
- Worked closely with AI researchers and developers in gathering project requirements and determining objectives.
- Designed a wide range of prompts tailored to specific AI tasks and applications to improve model performance.
AI Prompt Engineer Internship, Gannett, McLean, VA
August 2013 - December 2013
- Worked closely with data scientists, software engineers and product managers to define and refine AI prompt requirements.
- Developed and optimized AI prompt models utilizing Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Text-to-Speech (TTS) technologies.
- Conducted research and contributed to experiments towards improving AI prompt generation.
CV skills example
Of all the technical skills you possess as a prompt engineer, which ones belong on your CV skills list? That depends on the job application. Take another look at the posted ad and make sure everything stipulated there appears here. Take extra measures to include a solid combination of soft skills and hard skills, because they both matter.
Check out our prompt engineer resume sample for the skills section below.
- AI Prompt Generation
- Machine Learning
- Language Processing
- Cognitive Computing
- Data Research
- Model Performance Improvement
- Algorithm Development & Analysis
Prompt engineer resume education example
If you have any degrees, list them here in reverse chronological order from highest to lowest level. Otherwise, your resume’s education section should include any types of relevant courses and training you’ve completed, on the job or on your own, in person or online. Also mention certifications, professional association memberships and workshop or conference participation.
Below is the education section from our prompt engineer resume example.
Master of Science in Data Analytics Engineering, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
May 2011 - May 2013
Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, AI Concentration, NC State University, Raleigh, NC
September 2007 - May 2011
Resume layout and design
Every word of your prompt engineer resume sounds just right. But how does it look? Considering how mind-numbing it must be for recruiters skimming through dozens of resumes in as many hours, strive to make yours a sight for sore eyes.
Legibility and looking great go hand in hand. These should be your reader-friendly priorities for a professionally polished appearance:
- An orderly, uncluttered resume layout features clearly labeled sections connected logically together.
- Allow ample white space in the margins and everywhere else that the black text needs to breathe
- Choose no more than two complementary font styles — one for body text and the other for headings.
- Graphic elements and pops of color should only enhance, never detract.
Document design not your forte? Or do you only have time to focus on writing impressive resume content? Leave the looking-good details up to Resume.io! Our ready-made resume templates save you tons of time and trouble attaining top-quality results.
Key takeaways for a prompt engineer resume
- The rise of AI and natural language processing technology is heightening the profile of prompt engineering as today’s “it” profession.
- Showcasing a unique combination of IT and communication talents, your prompt engineer resume should target the employer’s needs to strategically benefit from AI innovations.
- An appealing visual impact is assured when you use a field-tested resume template.
