CHATGPT FOR HR: LESSON 5
Writing Effective Prompts:
Prompt Engineering
Writing Effective Prompts: Prompt Engineering | CHATGPT FOR HR: LESSON 5
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Welcome to this lesson on how to write effective prompts for give you a response that will better suit your purpose and your
ChatGPT. In this lesson, you’ll learn six does and three don’ts when context. So I tried this myself, both without adding that I’m the
it comes to writing effective prompts to get the most out of ChatGPT. interviewer and with adding that I’m the interviewer, and the
questions that I got in that second attempt were actually more
As you’ve probably realized by now, writing a prompt that gets the
challenging to answer for the candidate. And as a result, would
answer you’re looking for is key to using AI tools effectively. So let’s
allow me to better test their relevant skills.
dive into the dos of prompt engineering.
3. Third, be specific about the format of your answer. Do you want
100 word summary or 1,000 word answer? Should it read like
THE DOS OF PROMPT ENGINEERING a block or like an article in the style of The Economist? Do you
want a written response or a bullet point list? By specifying the
1. First, ask the AI to do, not to think. AI isn’t good at conceptual- format of your answer, you’ll receive a more tailored response.
izing problems, so that is your role. Think of AI like a new col-
4. Fourth, specify things to avoid. Just like you can ask the AI to
league. You’ll have to give them specific instructions to complete
include things, you can also ask it to exclude elements. By giving
a task, otherwise they’ll misunderstand it. So always ask the AI
ChatGPT a list of things not to do, you can get closer to what you
to do something, not think. For example, don’t ask, “How should
do want with a more tailored answer. This also has to do with
I go about writing a job description?” Or, “What would be a good
how AI works. If you specify what you want the tool to do, it
process to manage change?” Instead, give clear instructions
tends to revolve its entire answer around that one thing. If you
like, “Write a job description,” Or, “List the process steps for
tell it to emphasize the purpose of the company and your job
managing change in a complex organization.”
description, there’s a good chance that it’ll overdo it and only
2. Second, be specific in your objective. Tell the AI exactly what talk about that purpose. By using exclusion criteria, you’ll be
you’re looking for, leaving nothing to chance. For example, you able to tell it what not to do without steering it too much into a
can ask ChatGPT, “Give me five questions that are relevant to single direction.
testing active listening skills in an interview. I am the inter-
5. Fifth, avoid anything that is not relevant. This is a simple one.
viewer.” By adding that you are the interviewer, ChatGPT will
Only include relevant information and do away with everything
Writing Effective Prompts: Prompt Engineering | CHATGPT FOR HR: LESSON 5
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else. Reread your prompt. Remove anything that you don’t think entering any confidential information, you need to understand
is relevant, and your prompt will be better. what will happen with your data. Keep in mind that all data you
enter may be seen by others. So keep confidential information
6. Sixth, use iteration. Although you can add a lot of information in
confidential.
your first prompt, AIs allow you to ask follow up questions. By
giving information in multiple messages, the AI will shape the
answer, and your result will often be better because you can see
the impact of the additional information and the AI gets better at CONCLUSION
understanding the broader context as well.
Now you know the dos and the don’ts of prompt engineering. Keep
these tips in mind and watch as your chat prompts become more effec-
tive. I’ll see you in the next lesson.
THE DON’TS OF PROMPT ENGINEERING
Now that you know what you should do when it comes to writing effec-
tive prompts, here are three things you shouldn’t do.
1. First, don’t use it as a Google search. AI needs a clear task. If
you’re looking for ideas, ask Chat GT to give you a list of ideas.
Google Search and ChatGPT are two different tools with differ-
ent purposes.
2. Second, don’t see it as a person, it’s a machine. Although it’s
tempting to be polite and say thank you, ChatGPT doesn’t need
niceties. It is a tool to use, not a person to interact with.
3. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, don’t enter personal or
confidential information. I cannot stress this enough. Before
