Step 6 of 8

Turn on AI, choose a model and edit the prompt

Switching AI on is free. It only unlocks the Generate resume with AI button. Here you choose which OpenAI model does the work, see exactly what each one costs, and shape the prompt it follows.

9 min read Updated October 2026 Job Tracker

In short

Open Job settings, then AI, and switch AI on. It needs the OpenAI integration from step 5.

Pick a model on the AI Models tab (GPT-5 Mini is the default). The Resume Prompt tab holds the instructions the AI follows.

Switch it on

Switch AI on

1
Open Job settings
Go to Jobs, then Job Listings, and press the settings gear.
2
Choose AI
It is the last item in the list on the left. The panel opens with a Timelydo AI header.
3
Turn the switch on
The heading changes from Turn on AI to AI is on.
If OpenAI is not connected the panel shows three steps instead: turn on the OpenAI integration, paste and validate your key, then come back here. See Connect OpenAI.
Turning AI on spends nothing. The panel says it too: no tokens are used, input or output, until you ask for a resume. Resumes are never made automatically, and these settings cost nothing.
Models and price

Choose a model

The AI Models tab shows five OpenAI models as cards. The model is the AI that writes your resume. The one with the tick is selected, and your choice is saved at once. You can also move between the cards with the arrow keys.

ModelBest for
GPT-5The most capable. Best quality, highest price.
GPT-5 Mini DefaultFast and affordable. A good balance of quality, speed and cost.
GPT-5 NanoFastest and cheapest. Good for simple jobs and for keeping costs minimal.
GPT-4.1Precise and reliable.
GPT-4o MiniLight and quick.

Only models your OpenAI key can use are listed. If TimelyDo cannot reach OpenAI it lists all five and says so; open the section again to retry. A model can only be changed while AI is on.

What each model costs

Every card shows the price per 1 million tokens, for example $0.25 in, $2.00 out. Tokens are small pieces of text: about four characters, or three quarters of a word. In is what is sent to the model, out is what it writes. A thin bar on each card shows what a typical resume costs next to the most expensive model.

Below the cards a panel shows the chosen model in full:

PriceMeaning
InputWhat is sent: the prompt, your default resume and the job.
Cached inputThe start of a prompt OpenAI has seen a moment ago is charged at this lower price. TimelyDo keeps the start of every request the same on purpose so this applies.
OutputWhat the model writes, including the thinking it does first.

It also says a typical resume costs about a dollar amount, measured on a real run of about 3,400 tokens in and 3,400 out, and names the cheapest model. Press Compare all models for a table with input, cached, output and cost per resume for all five.

ModelInputOutputA typical resume
GPT-5$1.25$10.00about $0.038
GPT-5 Mini$0.25$2.00about $0.0076
GPT-5 Nano$0.05$0.40about $0.0015
GPT-4.1$2.00$8.00about $0.034
GPT-4o Mini$0.15$0.60about $0.0026
Prices are per million tokens, as OpenAI listed them on the date the panel shows, and can change. A resume cost is an estimate. Your OpenAI invoice has the exact amount, and every generated resume shows what its own run cost.

Which model should I pick?

  • Start with GPT-5 Mini. It is the default for a reason.
  • Choose GPT-5 Nano if you generate many resumes and cost matters more than polish.
  • Choose GPT-5 or GPT-4.1 for roles where the wording matters most, and you accept a higher price per resume.
  • If a run says the answer was cut off or the resume and job together are too long, try a larger model.
The prompt

The resume prompt

The Resume Prompt tab shows the instructions the AI follows, in a text box headed Resume prompt sent to the AI. The default is written by TimelyDo. In short, it tells the AI to:

  • decide whether the job was posted by the company itself or by a recruiter, and use the company details only in the first case;
  • tailor the headline, summary, experience and skills to the job, without inventing employers, dates, education or achievements;
  • keep wording natural, concise and free of buzzwords;
  • score how well your original resume matched the job and how well the new one does, from 0 to 100;
  • return the new resume in exactly the same structure as yours.

You can edit it, up to 20,000 characters. A counter under the box shows the length.

  • Save prompt saves your version. It applies to the next resume you generate.
  • Reset to default appears once you have your own version, and brings the default back.

TimelyDo adds your default resume, the job and the company details after the prompt automatically, so you do not need placeholders in it.

If you change the prompt, keep the instruction to return the same structure and the two match scores. If the answer is not in the expected shape the run fails with a message.

What is and is not sent

Only when you press Generate resume with AI are these sent to OpenAI with your key: the prompt, your default resume without its look settings (colours, fonts, spacing), and the details of that one job and its company. Nothing else about you is sent.

Help

Frequently asked questions

Q

Does turning AI on cost money?

No. Nothing is sent to OpenAI until you press Generate resume with AI under a job.

Q

Which model is cheapest?

GPT-5 Nano, at $0.05 per million input tokens and $0.40 per million output tokens, about $0.0015 for a typical resume. See the comparison table in the AI settings.

Q

Which model gives the best resumes?

GPT-5 is the most capable and GPT-4.1 is precise. GPT-5 Mini is the default and works well for most jobs at about a fifth of the price of GPT-5.

Q

What is a token and what is a million tokens?

A token is a small piece of text, roughly four characters. Prices are quoted per million tokens. A resume uses a few thousand, so it costs a small fraction of the per million price.

Q

What is cached input?

When the start of a request is identical to one OpenAI saw a moment ago, that part is charged at a lower price. TimelyDo keeps the start of the request the same for every job, so later resumes can cost a little less.

Q

Can I change the prompt?

Yes, on the Resume Prompt tab. Save it, and use Reset to default to go back to the original.

Q

I cannot switch AI on

AI needs the OpenAI integration with a key OpenAI accepts. Connect it first, then come back to the AI section.

Q

My model is missing from the list

Only the five offered models your OpenAI key can use are listed. If your key cannot use one, it is not shown. If OpenAI could not be reached, all five show with a note.

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