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I asked ChatGPT to tell me why people like working with me

About to leave my job and struggling to find the words to update my resume, I decided to read through all of the 360 degree employee reviews I received over the last half-decade. Re-reading from the perspective of the end, I found new value in these old reviews.

I was reminded of tons of big wins, to add to my list of accomplishments, including many I forgot about while distracted by all the work remaining to be done. But what really struck me was the consistent confidence and appreciation in how both management and peers described me. It wasn’t just the results of projects, my colleagues were describing how they felt about working with me - day after day, year after year.

I realized this was a resource filled with great examples of how other people have described me and my work. And, I needed a way to evaluate this data free from the filter of my own feelings.

Building on this, I began experimenting with a nifty little AI hack.

  1. I started with a list of quotes from my positive reviews.

  2. I (minimally) cleaned up anything that required context/wouldn’t make sense on its own. For example, clarifying words like “development” which may have many different meanings in my work.

  3. I went to ChatGPT and provided the prompt: “In the following message, I will send you several quotes that are all about a person named Phil. After I send them, can you please tell me what you know about Phil?”

  4. I provided a list of quotes, and ChatGPT gave me a summary. It also output a list of attributes and qualities it learned about me - with citations for the knowledge, for example: “Innovative Thinking: Phil is known for challenging the team to think beyond visual aesthetics, encouraging consideration of how products will work and be used by all users. He also contributes ideas about new tactics and technologies, with a strong focus on accessibility and usability.”

Now, I have some great examples of points I want to highlight about myself in application materials and interviews, especially with regard to soft skills - and I have a clearer sense of the language others might use or be looking for when describing my work.

What did my reviews have to say about me, according to ChatGPT?

In summary, Phil appears to be a well-rounded team member with expertise in accessibility, a strong focus on user needs, a passion for digital activism, excellent development skills, and a supportive and collaborative approach to working with the team. There is also a recognition of his analytical thinking and contribution to project improvement.

Attributes identified by ChatGPT

  1. Expertise in Accessibility
  2. User-Centric Approach
  3. Digital Activism and Campaigning
  4. Innovative Thinking
  5. Development Skills
  6. Transparency and Collaboration
  7. Technical Knowledge
  8. Supportive and Inclusive
  9. Analytical Thinking
  10. Effective Facilitator
  11. Adaptability
  12. Collaborative and Fun to Work With
  13. Contribution to Learning