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Using ChatGPT for your CV in the Netherlands: tested prompts, pitfalls and a free check

You can use ChatGPT for a CV for jobs in the Netherlands: in a Dutch study, 79% of employers are fine with it as long as everything is true. We had OpenAI's newest model write 24 English CVs for international job seekers, using the prompts popular guides recommend. It did not claim requirements people didn't have, but none of the results was ready to send: every one contained formatting symbols, most had placeholders, and 2 of 8 tailored CVs switched to Dutch without being asked. With the prompts on this page, the leftovers went from 24 of 24 to 0 of 16.

By the WerkCV editorial team ·

Go to the promptsCheck your ChatGPT CV

In short

  • Give ChatGPT your own facts and rules; don't ask for 'a CV for a [job]', which returns invented names, employers and dates.
  • Ask for plain text without placeholders, and for questions after the CV instead of advice inside it.
  • Keep your CV in the language of the job ad, and don't let ChatGPT write a Dutch CV that suggests a higher level of Dutch than you have.
  • Don't paste your BSN, address or phone number, and turn off training on your chats.

Can you use ChatGPT for your CV in the Netherlands?

With most employers, yes. In a study by Tilburg University and publisher Rendement, 79% of Dutch organisations let applicants decide whether and how to use a language model, as long as the information in the letter or CV is true. 11% say applicants may not use one. Employers estimate that 25% of CVs and 29% of cover letters are written with a language model.

What employers worry about:

  • knowledge and skills become harder to judge (62%);
  • applicants are less themselves (49%);
  • applicants unintentionally give wrong information (28%);
  • privacy of application data (15%).

Source: Tilburg University and Rendement, 19 November 2024 (Dutch).

What went wrong when ChatGPT wrote 24 CVs

On 27 September 2026 we had OpenAI's current model (gpt-5.5, via the API, default settings) write English CVs for 8 fictional international job seekers in the Netherlands, from a warehouse operative to a nurse whose BIG registration is still in progress. We used the three prompts popular guides recommend: 'write a CV for a [job] in the Netherlands', 'create a CV from these details' and 'tailor my CV to this job'. Every job ad asked for two things the person didn't have, plus good Dutch. We then did the same with the prompts on this page.

What we sawPopular promptsPrompts on this page
Formatting symbols such as ** and ## that end up as asterisks in your CV24 of 240 of 16
Placeholders such as [phone number]17 of 24 (8 of 8 for 'write a CV for a [job]')0 of 16
Advice or alternatives inside the CV text ("If you have…, add this")8 of 8 tailored CVs0 of 8
Personality traits that weren't in the notes (reliable, detail-oriented)6 of 80 of 8
Date of birth, nationality or marital status added3 of 8 for 'write a CV for a [job]'0 of 16
Tailored CV switched to Dutch without being asked2 of 80 of 8
A missing requirement claimed as experience0 of 80 of 8

What went well: the model didn't claim missing requirements. For the nurse it wrote that BIG registration is in progress, and for the teacher it suggested checking whether a UK teaching qualification is recognised in the Netherlands. Twice it stretched a little ('familiar with Kotlin', 'familiar with IPM principles').

What went wrong: the answer is not a finished CV. Advice, alternative bullets and placeholders sit between the CV lines, so copying everything sends them along. When the job ad asked for good Dutch, 2 of 8 tailored CVs came back in Dutch for people with Dutch at A2 or B1, which suggests a level they don't have. The 'write a CV for a [job]' prompt returned invented people, sometimes with a date of birth, nationality, marital status or 'references available on request'.

With the prompts below there were no leftovers, no added traits and no personal details, all CVs stayed in English, and 15 of 16 listed languages as native or with a CEFR level.

Limits: 8 fictional people and one model on one day. The ChatGPT app may use a different model or settings, and results vary between runs.

Step by step: creating a CV with ChatGPT

  1. Step 1. Protect your details

    Leave out your BSN, address, phone number and email; add them yourself later. In ChatGPT, turn off training on your chats (Settings → Data controls → 'Improve the model for everyone') or use a temporary chat. Temporary chats are not used for training and are kept for up to 30 days.

    Source: OpenAI Help Center, Data controls in ChatGPT

  2. Step 2. Write down your own facts

    For each job: employer, years, 3 to 5 tasks and what they achieved if you know. Add your education (with the country), your languages with a level, including Dutch, and the software you use. The more specific your input, the less ChatGPT fills in.

  3. Step 3. Use a prompt with rules

    Take prompt 1 or 2 below. The rules keep the CV in plain text without placeholders, limited to your facts, with standard headings and language levels, and put questions after the CV instead of advice inside it.

  4. Step 4. Answer the questions and check what was added

    Read the CV line by line. Is there a trait, tool or number you didn't give? Remove it or replace it with a true example. Answer the questions below the CV and let ChatGPT add the answers.

  5. Step 5. Put it in a clean layout and check it

    Copy only the CV text, without the questions. Put it in a single-column CV template so application systems read it correctly, and paste the text into the check below. A template is free in the WerkCV editor; the PDF costs €7.95 once.

Prompts to copy

Replace everything in [brackets] with your own text. Prompts 1 and 2 are the tested versions from the table above.

1. A CV from your own details

You don't have a CV yet, or your old one is out of date.

Create a CV in English from my details for jobs in the Netherlands.
Rules:
- Use only facts from my details. Do not add personality traits, skills, software, numbers or results that are not in them.
- Write plain text: no formatting symbols such as ** or #, and no placeholders such as [phone number]. Leave unknown details out.
- Use the headings Profile, Work experience, Education, Skills and Languages, most recent job first.
- Give every language as native or with a CEFR level (A1 to C2).
- Do not put explanations, tips or alternatives in the CV. Start directly with the CV.
- After the CV, add a line ---END OF CV--- and below it at most 3 questions about missing information.

My details:
[paste your jobs with years, tasks, education, languages and software]

2. Tailoring your CV to a job ad

You have a CV and want to match it to one job.

Tailor my CV to the job below. Emphasise what I already have that the job asks for.
Rules:
- Use only facts from my details. Do not add personality traits, skills, software, numbers or results that are not in them.
- Write plain text: no formatting symbols such as ** or #, and no placeholders such as [phone number]. Leave unknown details out.
- Use the headings Profile, Work experience, Education, Skills and Languages, most recent job first.
- Give every language as native or with a CEFR level (A1 to C2).
- Do not put explanations, tips or alternatives in the CV. Start directly with the CV.
- After the CV, add a line ---END OF CV--- and below it at most 3 questions about missing information.
- Do not add anything from the job ad as experience if it is not in my CV. Mention missing requirements only in the questions after the CV.

My CV:
[paste your CV]

Job ad:
[paste the full job ad]

3. Only a profile

Your CV is fine, but the profile is vague or too long.

Write a CV profile of 3 to 4 sentences for the role of [job title]. Use only facts from my details: role, years of experience, main tasks and one result if it is there. No traits such as 'results-driven' or 'team player' unless I back them with an example. Plain text, no explanation.

My details:
[paste your work experience]

4. Turning tasks into strong experience bullets

Your experience is a list of tasks without results.

Turn these tasks into 3 to 5 short CV bullets per job. Start each bullet with a past-tense verb. Keep numbers, software and names exactly as I give them and do not invent results. If a result is missing, ask for it after the list. Plain text, no formatting symbols.

My tasks:
[paste your tasks per job]

5. Letting ChatGPT review your CV

You want a second opinion before you apply.

Review my CV as a recruiter in the Netherlands would. List at most 5 improvements, most important first, each with the quote from my CV it refers to. Do not rewrite anything and do not add facts.

My CV:
[paste your CV]

Check what ChatGPT wrote

Paste the CV text or upload your CV. The check finds leftovers such as placeholders, formatting symbols and chatbot text, and looks at readability for application systems, content and Dutch conventions such as language levels. With a job ad you see, per requirement, whether your CV shows it. Free, no account, and your CV is not stored.

🔒 Your CV is only used for this check and is not stored.

Checklist before you apply

  • No asterisks, hashes or dashes left from the formatting.
  • No placeholders such as [phone number] or XX%.
  • No chatbot sentences such as 'Below is your CV' or 'If you have…, add'.
  • Every job, date, qualification and number is true and you can explain it in an interview.
  • No traits you can't back with an example.
  • Languages listed as native or with a level (A1–C2), including an honest level for Dutch.
  • Your contact details are in the body at the top, not only in a header or footer.
  • Your CV is in the language of the job ad and fits on 1 to 2 pages.
Put your text in a CV templateSee the templates

Frequently asked questions about a ChatGPT CV

Can I use ChatGPT for my CV when applying in the Netherlands?

With most employers, yes. In a 2024 study by Tilburg University and Rendement, 79% of Dutch organisations let applicants decide whether to use a language model, as long as the CV or letter is true; 11% say applicants may not use one. If the job ad says something about AI, follow that.

Will Dutch employers notice my CV was written with AI?

Sometimes, mostly from leftovers such as formatting symbols, placeholders and generic traits without examples. Employers estimate that a quarter of CVs are written with a language model. Their main worry is that skills become harder to judge (62%), so a CV with specific, verifiable facts stands out less than one full of generic words.

Should I let ChatGPT translate my CV into Dutch?

Only if you can work at the level your Dutch CV suggests. A fluent Dutch CV with 'Dutch A2' under languages sends mixed signals, and an interview may switch to Dutch. Use the language of the job ad; for English-language roles an English CV is normal. In our test, 2 of 8 tailored CVs switched to Dutch on their own when the ad asked for good Dutch, so check the language of what you get.

Is it safe to paste my CV into ChatGPT?

Don't paste your BSN, passport or bank details, and leave out your address, phone number and email; add those yourself later. By default OpenAI can use conversations to train its models. Turn that off under Settings → Data controls → 'Improve the model for everyone'. A temporary chat is not used for training and is kept for up to 30 days.

Should my Dutch CV have a photo, date of birth or nationality?

They are optional in the Netherlands, and many employers don't expect them. In our test, the 'write a CV for a [job]' prompt added a date of birth, nationality or marital status in 3 of 8 CVs. Leave them out unless the job ad asks for them; the CV check mentions them for information only and never lowers your grade for them.

Can ChatGPT also create the layout and a PDF?

ChatGPT mainly gives you text. For a clean layout that application systems read correctly, put the text into a CV template. That is free in the WerkCV editor; the PDF costs €7.95 once, with no subscription.

Next steps for your CV

Free CV checkReadability, content and Dutch conventions in one report.Compare your CV with a job adSee per requirement whether your CV shows it.ATS resumes in the NetherlandsWhat Dutch application systems read and skip.Dutch CV templateA clean single-column layout for Dutch applications.