Practical prompts you can adapt

• I don't know where to start. What should I even be looking for?

  You do not need to know the right job title before you start looking.

  Many people know what they have done, but not what those experiences are called in other industries, where their skills could transfer, or what opportunities exist outside the careers they already know.

  Use this prompt to start exploring before you start applying.

  Prompt:

  I'm starting a job search and I'm not sure what jobs I should be looking for. Act as a practical career coach and help me explore before recommending a direction.

  About me:

  • My current or most recent job: [title/type of work]

  • How long I've done it: [time]

  • Things I actually do at work: [list anything you can think of]

  • Things I'm good at or enjoy: [examples]

  • Things I don't want in my next job: [examples]

  • What matters to me: [remote/hybrid, schedule, pay, growth, stability, etc.]

  Help me identify:

  1. Transferable skills I may not realize I have.

  2. Career fields and job titles I may not know exist.

  3. Realistic entry points based on my experience today.

  4. Skills or qualifications I would need to develop.

  5. A few directions worth exploring first.

  Explain unfamiliar careers in plain English and tell me why you suggested them. Don't exaggerate my qualifications or assume I have experience I haven't described.

  Start small. Ask me questions when you need more information rather than overwhelming me with possibilities.

• I wear multiple hats. How do I explain everything I actually do?

  Most careers eventually outgrow the original job description. We step in when something needs to get done, learn as we go, solve problems outside our lane, and sometimes become highly skilled at work we were never formally trained or titled to do.

  Those extra hats count. AI can help uncover the skills, functions, and even career paths hiding inside work you may have dismissed as “just part of my job.”

  Try this prompt:

  Context: My official job title is [title], but I wear multiple hats that were never formally defined. I’ll describe my day-to-day work, projects, problems I solve, responsibilities I picked up, and anything else I can remember.

  Help me:

  • Identify skills and areas of expertise demonstrated by this work, including ones I may not know how to name.

  • Separate my formal role from responsibilities I grew into or learned on the job.

  • Translate informal, internal, or company-specific work into widely understood professional language.

  • Surface transferable skills, leadership, judgment, ownership, or technical knowledge I may be overlooking.

  • Identify roles or career fields where these skills could transfer.

  • Ask follow-up questions when something I mention may reveal experience I have not fully explored.

  Do not inflate my seniority, expertise, or responsibilities. Help me recognize what is already there, put language around it, and understand why it matters.

• I’m transitioning out of the military. How do I translate everything I actually did?

  Military experience rarely fits neatly into a civilian job title. Your MOS, AFSC, rating, or official position may only tell part of the story. Additional duties, mission requirements, leadership, technical work, training, equipment, and responsibilities picked up along the way can represent valuable experience you may not know how to name in the civilian world.

  AI can help you unpack that experience before trying to translate it.

  Try this prompt:

  Context: I am transitioning from military service. My branch is [branch], my MOS/AFSC/rating is [specialty], and I served as [roles, ranks, or positions]. I will describe my duties, missions, additional responsibilities, training, systems or equipment, leadership experience, and anything else I remember.

  Help me:

  • Translate military terminology into clear civilian language without minimizing the responsibility, complexity, or scale of the work.

  • Identify transferable skills, technical capabilities, leadership, decision making, and areas of expertise demonstrated by my experience.

  • Look beyond my official specialty and identify valuable experience hidden in additional duties, mission needs, or responsibilities I learned informally.

  • Identify civilian job titles, career fields, and industries where this experience could realistically transfer, including options I may not know exist.

  • Separate skills I can reasonably claim today from areas where I would need additional training, education, licensing, or credentials.

  • Ask follow-up questions when something I mention may represent experience or a career path I have not recognized.

  • Help me describe my experience for civilian recruiters and hiring systems while preserving the military context where it adds meaning.

  Do not inflate my qualifications, translate rank directly into civilian seniority, or assume experience I have not described. Help me understand what I already bring with me and where it could take me next.

  To those who have served: We recognize the sacrifices that come with service and believe gratitude should show up in action, not just words. Your experience deserves to be understood, and we are committed to building better resources to help with what comes next.

• I’m returning to the workforce. How do I figure out where I fit now?

  Returning to work can feel like entering a completely different job market. Roles change, technology changes, and sometimes even the language used to describe work has changed.

  Time away does not erase the experience you already built, and you do not have to disclose personal details to explain it. AI can help you take inventory of what you bring with you, understand what has changed, and identify realistic ways back in.

  Try this prompt:

  Context: I am returning to the workforce after [time away]. Before my break, I worked in [role/field] and have experience with [briefly describe your work]. I am interested in [what you know so far, or “I’m not sure yet”].

  Help me:

  • Identify the skills and experience from my previous work that are still valuable and transferable today.

  • Suggest current job titles, career paths, or industries where my background could realistically fit, including options I may not know exist.

  • Explain what may have changed in my field since I left, including terminology, technology, qualifications, or hiring expectations I should learn about.

  • Identify any skills I may have developed during my time away that are professionally relevant, without forcing personal experiences into resume language.

  • Show me which gaps actually matter and which ones I may be worrying about unnecessarily.

  • Suggest a realistic first step for refreshing my skills or qualifications without overwhelming me.

  • Help me explain my time away professionally and simply if I choose to address it.

  Do not treat my career break as a weakness or invent a story to justify it. Ask questions when you need more context, and help me focus on where I can go from here.

• I found a job I’m interested in. How do I know if I’m actually a good fit?

  Job descriptions can make great candidates talk themselves out of applying. Some requirements are essential. Others describe an ideal candidate. And sometimes your experience matches the work even if your title, industry, or background looks completely different.

  AI can help you evaluate the opportunity more objectively, without convincing you that every job is a perfect fit.

  Try this prompt:

  Context: I’m interested in this position. I’ll provide the job description and my resume or describe my experience.

  Help me:

  • Separate the true requirements from preferred qualifications and nice-to-haves.

  • Compare my actual experience to the role and show where I am a strong match, partial match, or have a meaningful gap.

  • Identify transferable skills or relevant experience I may be overlooking because I use different terminology or come from another role or industry.

  • Point out where my experience may be stronger than my job title suggests.

  • Identify requirements I should not try to work around, such as required credentials, clearance, licensing, location, or specific technical experience.

  • Tell me what questions you would ask me before deciding I lack a qualification.

  • Give me a realistic assessment of whether this opportunity is worth pursuing and explain why.

  • If the role is a stretch, identify what would make me a stronger candidate now or in the future.

  Do not invent experience or tell me what you think I want to hear. Challenge my assumptions when appropriate, but do not discourage me simply because my background is unconventional. Help me make an informed decision about whether to apply.

• Why does applying through USAJobs feel like learning another language?

  Federal applications have their own rules, language, eligibility requirements, and evaluation process. A strong candidate can still struggle if they do not understand what the announcement is actually asking them to demonstrate.

  You should not need to be a federal hiring expert to apply for a federal job. AI can help you slow the announcement down, understand what matters, and prepare an accurate application without guessing or stuffing your resume with keywords.

  Try this prompt:

  Context: I am considering this USAJobs position. I will provide the full job announcement and my resume or a summary of my experience.

  Help me:

  • Explain the announcement in plain English, including who is eligible to apply, required qualifications, specialized experience, education or credentials, and how candidates will be evaluated.

  • Compare the required specialized experience to my actual background and show where I clearly align, partially align, or do not currently demonstrate the requirement.

  • Identify important skills, terminology, tools, and experience from the announcement that I genuinely have but may describe differently on my resume.

  • Flag anything the announcement requires that is missing or unclear in my resume. Do not assume experience I have not stated.

  • Review my experience for specific examples, outcomes, scope, or details that could better demonstrate my qualifications within the current federal resume requirements.

  • If there is an occupational questionnaire or assessment preview, explain what it is evaluating so I can answer accurately and ensure my resume supports my responses.

  • Tell me what I should verify myself before submitting the application.

  Do not invent experience, credentials, eligibility, keywords, or accomplishments. If you cannot determine whether I meet a requirement, tell me what information is missing and ask me before making an assumption.

• Is this job real? What should I check before applying?

  Job scams are getting harder to spot. A professional-looking website, recruiter profile, or job posting is not proof that an opportunity is legitimate.

  Before you apply, AI can help you research the opportunity, spot warning signs, and identify what still needs to be verified.

  Try this prompt:

  Context: I am considering applying for this opportunity. I will share the job posting, company name, recruiter message, email, or application link below.

  Please help me:

  • Verify whether the company, job, recruiter, email domain, and application link appear legitimate using reliable sources when possible.

  • Identify red flags such as unusual pay, vague responsibilities, pressure to act quickly, requests for money or sensitive information, suspicious links, unusual interview methods, or inconsistencies.

  • Identify credible signs that support legitimacy.

  • Separate what you can verify from what you cannot verify. Do not guess or reassure me when evidence is missing.

  • Rate the opportunity as Low Risk, Some Concerns, High Risk, or Not Enough Information.

  • Explain your reasoning in plain English and tell me the safest next step before I apply or share information.

  Privacy: Warn me if I share personal information that is not needed for this review, and do not repeat it back to me.

  Never share your Social Security number, birthdate, driver's license, banking information, passwords, account credentials, or other sensitive information for a job legitimacy check.