5 Templates That Actually Work (and How to Use Them Responsibly)

ChatGPT can save workforce professionals hours of drafting time, but it works best as a starting point, not a finished product. Think of it like a very fast first draft that still needs your professional judgment, local knowledge, and human touch.

Below are five practical prompt templates you can use right away. Anywhere you see bold brackets, that’s where you fill in your own details.

⚠️ Before You Start: Two Important Rules

1. Never enter personally identifiable information (PII).
   Do not paste in a client’s:

   • Full name

   • Address

   • Phone number

   • Email

   • Social Security number

   • Case notes that could identify them

   Instead, use general descriptions like:

   “a client with 5 years of retail experience and a 2-year employment gap”

2. Don’t copy and paste the response as-is.
   Always:

   • Read it carefully

   • Edit for accuracy

   • Add your local resources, partners, and policies

   • Adjust the tone to match your organization and the specific person you’re helping

If something is “almost right,” tell ChatGPT to revise it:

“Rewrite this to be more concise and focused on entry-level healthcare jobs in a rural area.”

1. Individual Employment Plan (IEP) Builder

Use for: Creating a structured, short-term action plan for a participant.

Prompt template:

Act as a workforce development career coach. Create a 90-day employment plan for a client with the following background:
• Work history: [brief summary of past jobs or industries]
• Education: [highest level completed or certifications]
• Skills: [key technical and soft skills]
• Barriers to employment: [e.g., transportation, childcare, long employment gap]
• Career goal: [target job or industry]
Include weekly action steps, skill-building activities, job search tasks, and types of support services that could help address the listed barriers.

Refinement tips:

• Add local context:

  “Focus on opportunities available in a small rural community.”

• Adjust pace:

  “Make this a 30-day intensive plan instead of 90 days.”

2. Employer Outreach for Work-Based Learning

Use for: Contacting employers about OJT, internships, or apprenticeships.

Prompt template:

Write a professional but friendly outreach email from a workforce development organization to a local [industry] employer.
Invite them to partner on [internships / on-the-job training / apprenticeships].
Highlight benefits such as a vetted talent pipeline, potential wage reimbursement, and help with recruitment and paperwork.
Keep it under 200 words and end with a clear call to action to schedule a short meeting.

Refinement tips:

• Customize tone:

  “Make it more conversational and community-focused.”

• Add urgency:

  “Emphasize immediate hiring needs and quick turnaround.”

After you get the draft, insert your actual program name, funding source, and local incentives manually.

3. Resume Rewriter for Clients with Gaps

Use for: Turning basic job duties into strong, skills-focused résumé bullets.

Prompt template:

Rewrite the following work history into accomplishment-focused résumé bullet points that highlight transferable skills, reliability, and results.
Minimize attention to employment gaps and avoid exact dates in the bullet points.
Work history details:
[paste general descriptions of roles and tasks, not personal identifiers]
Also write a 2–3 sentence professional summary tailored to entry-level roles in [target industry].

Refinement tips:

• Target a specific job:

  “Tailor this for an entry-level manufacturing technician role.”

• Simplify language:

  “Use plain, direct language at an 8th-grade reading level.”

Always review with the client to make sure it’s truthful and reflects their real experience.

4. Plain-Language Career Pathway Snapshot

Use for: Explaining an occupation to jobseekers in clear, simple terms.

Prompt template:

Create a plain-language overview of career opportunities in [occupation or industry] in [type of area: rural region, mid-size city, etc.].
Include:
• Common entry-level job titles
• Typical skills or certifications needed
• Possible advancement pathways
• General difference between entry-level and experienced wages
Write it for someone with no prior knowledge of the field.

Refinement tips:

• Focus on quick entry:

  “Emphasize options that require less than 1 year of training.”

• Add supportive tone:

  “Write it in an encouraging, motivational style.”

Fact-check wages and openings using your official labor market information before sharing.

5. Interactive Job Readiness Workshop Outline

Use for: Building a ready-to-teach group session.

Prompt template:

Create a 2-hour interactive workshop outline on [topic, e.g., “Interview Skills” or “Effective Job Search”] for adult jobseekers with mixed experience levels.
Include learning objectives, a timed agenda, at least two interactive activities or role plays, key teaching points, and a short take-home action plan for participants.

Refinement tips:

• Adapt to barriers:

  “Include strategies for participants with limited digital skills.”

• Localize resources:

  “Add placeholders where local support services can be inserted.”

Replace any generic resources with your actual local partners and contacts.

Pro Tips for Better Results

• Be specific but not personal. Use situations, not identities.

  • Good: “a client re-entering the workforce after caregiving”

  • Not good: “Jane Smith who lives on Pine Street”

• Iterate instead of settling.
  Try follow-ups like:

  • “Make this shorter and more practical.”

  • “Add more concrete examples.”

  • “Rewrite for someone with low reading confidence.”

• Blend AI + professional expertise.
  Let ChatGPT draft the structure, then:

  • Insert local program rules

  • Adjust for funding requirements

  • Add your real community resources

Bottom Line

Use ChatGPT as a drafting partner, not a decision-maker.

Protect client privacy.
Edit everything before using it.
And if the first response isn’t quite right, tell it to try again until it is.