Act as a careful career counselor. Help me assess my next move using my actual record and constraints, not assumptions about what I “should” want. My background: [CAREER HISTORY] What I want more and less of: [GOALS AND PREFERENCES] My practical constraints: [CONSTRAINTS] Options I am considering: [CURRENT OPTIONS] Evidence about my strengths, gaps, and feedback: [EVIDENCE] Start by separating facts from interpretations. Summarize my career pattern in 120 words or fewer: transferable strengths, recurring energizers, recurring drains, and the evidence for each. Then assess 3–5 plausible paths, including at least one option I have not named if it follows from my evidence. For each path, provide: - why it fits and what makes it a stretch; - the core skills, credibility signals, and work conditions it requires; - gaps I can close in 30–90 days versus gaps that require a longer commitment; - likely trade-offs in compensation, risk, location, schedule, or seniority based only on the information supplied; - a low-cost test, such as an informational interview, work sample, internal project, or targeted application. Finish with a 30-day decision plan: three actions, the person or artifact each action should produce, and a decision criterion that would change my ranking of the options. Include 5 tailored questions I can ask people already doing the work. Do not diagnose my personality, promise employment outcomes, or invent salary ranges, market demand, credentials, or accomplishments. Before answering, flag assumptions that need validation and identify any option where my stated goals conflict with my constraints. Ask up to 3 clarifying questions only if a required input is missing.
Fill in
| Placeholder | What to enter | Example |
|---|---|---|
| [CAREER HISTORY] | List your roles, responsibilities, accomplishments, education, and relevant career changes. | Six years in customer success at a payroll SaaS firm; promoted from CSM to team lead; built onboarding playbooks; BA in economics. |
| [GOALS AND PREFERENCES] | Describe the work, environment, impact, and lifestyle you want more or less of. | More problem-solving and writing, less quota pressure and evening client calls; want a stable team and visible work. |
| [CONSTRAINTS] | State limits such as location, income needs, caregiving, visa status, timing, or training budget. | Must remain in Chicago, need at least $95,000 within 12 months, can spend 5 hours a week on retraining. |
| [CURRENT OPTIONS] | List the roles, industries, or paths you are currently considering. | Customer education manager, product operations associate, implementation consultant. |
| [EVIDENCE] | Paste performance feedback, work samples, skills assessments, or observations that support your self-assessment. | Manager praised my documentation and cross-functional project leadership; I enjoy training sessions but have limited SQL experience. |
How to use
- Write a factual timeline of your work, including what you did and what changed because of it.
- Include constraints early; they determine whether a path is practical, not merely interesting.
- Compare the suggested paths against your actual energy, income, and timeline limits.
- Follow up with: “Turn the top two paths into a decision matrix using only the evidence I gave you.”
Variations
Career change plan
Use this when you are moving into a new field and need credible first steps.
I want to move from [CURRENT FIELD] to [TARGET FIELD] within [TIMEFRAME]. My relevant experience is [TRANSFERABLE EXPERIENCE], my constraints are [CONSTRAINTS], and my existing network is [NETWORK]. Build a transition plan with target roles, proof-of-skill projects, people to contact, and application materials to create. Separate essential qualifications from preferences in job postings. Do not assume I can take unpaid work or accept a pay cut. Flag credentials that genuinely require formal training versus those I can demonstrate through work samples.
Promotion strategy
Use this to decide if and how to pursue a larger role at your current employer.
Assess my readiness for [TARGET ROLE] at [COMPANY TYPE]. My current responsibilities are [CURRENT SCOPE], evidence of impact is [RESULTS], the role expectations are [ROLE EXPECTATIONS], and political or timing constraints are [CONTEXT]. Identify the 3 strongest promotion signals I already have, the 2–4 gaps, and a 90-day plan to close them through visible work. Draft questions for my manager that clarify standards and timing without making promises for them. Flag claims I need to document.
Interview direction
Use this before interviews to clarify which roles are worth pursuing.
Help me choose which interviews to pursue. My non-negotiables are [NONNEGOTIABLES], preferences are [PREFERENCES], experience is [BACKGROUND], and these roles are available: [ROLE LIST]. Score each role for fit, credible candidacy, learning value, and downside risk, explaining the evidence. Then draft screening questions for recruiters about scope, decision rights, compensation range, manager expectations, and working hours. Do not infer culture from brand reputation alone. Ask up to 3 questions if a non-negotiable is unclear.
Tips
- Treat a career option as a hypothesis to test, not an identity to declare; one conversation or work sample can reveal more than another personality quiz.
- Ask people in target roles about the work they stopped doing after moving into it, because job descriptions usually emphasize only attractive responsibilities.
- For a career change, collect proof that maps to the target role’s output: a portfolio, analysis, plan, or case study is more persuasive than a course completion alone.
- Do not let a title substitute for scope; compare decision rights, problems owned, manager quality, and working conditions.
FAQ
Can ChatGPT replace a career counselor?
It can organize your thinking and help prepare questions, but it cannot verify hiring conditions or understand your situation beyond the evidence you provide. A qualified counselor can be useful for complex transitions or persistent barriers.
What should I include in my career history?
Include scope, decisions you owned, outcomes, skills used, and what you enjoyed or avoided. Titles alone are poor evidence of fit.
How many career paths should I compare?
Three to five is usually enough. More options can hide the differences that matter to your constraints.