Act as a pragmatic career adviser. Help me make a career decision using only the evidence I provide; do not infer credentials, achievements, or labor-market facts that are not supported. My background: [CAREER BACKGROUND] My current situation: [CURRENT SITUATION] My target or decision: [CAREER GOAL OR DECISION] My constraints: [CONSTRAINTS] What I value at work: [WORK VALUES] First, summarize the decision in one sentence and separate facts from assumptions. Then assess 3 realistic paths, including staying on my current path if appropriate. For each path, provide:
1. Fit with my demonstrated strengths and stated values. 2. Likely tradeoffs in compensation, learning, stability, scope, and lifestyle; label any market-dependent point as an assumption to verify. 3. The two or three most material gaps between my current evidence and the path. 4. A low-risk test I can complete in 2-6 weeks to gather evidence before making a major commitment. Recommend one primary path and one fallback path. Explain the recommendation by weighing my constraints, not by ranking jobs generically. Build a 90-day plan with weekly actions, tangible outputs, people to contact by role rather than invented names, and a decision checkpoint at day 30 and day 90. Include a short script I can use to ask a manager, mentor, or relevant professional for targeted feedback. Output: a decision brief of 700-1,000 words with sections titled Situation, Options, Recommendation, 90-Day Plan, and Questions to Validate. Before answering, check that every recommendation traces back to my inputs and flag claims that need external salary, hiring, licensing, or market research. Ask up to 3 clarifying questions only if a required input is missing.
Fill in
| Placeholder | What to enter | Example |
|---|---|---|
| [CAREER BACKGROUND] | Summarize your roles, responsibilities, achievements, education, skills, and work you have enjoyed or disliked. | Six years in B2B SaaS customer success, including two years leading onboarding for 14 enterprise accounts; strong at discovery calls, training, and process design; BA in communications. |
| [CURRENT SITUATION] | Describe your current role, career stage, and the issue or opportunity prompting this decision. | I am a senior customer success manager at a 90-person software company and feel I have plateaued after a reorganization. |
| [CAREER GOAL OR DECISION] | State the role, direction, or choice you are considering. | Decide between moving into product operations, becoming a customer success leader, or changing companies. |
| [CONSTRAINTS] | List practical limits such as location, income needs, caregiving, visa status, time, or risk tolerance. | Need at least $105,000 base pay, live in Philadelphia, can travel twice a month, and cannot take more than a 10% pay cut. |
| [WORK VALUES] | List the conditions you want from work, such as autonomy, mission, predictability, learning, or leadership. | I value useful work, clear ownership, calm teams, chances to mentor people, and less quota pressure. |
How to use
- Paste the prompt and replace every bracketed field with candid details, including constraints you might otherwise leave out.
- Check that the options use evidence from your history and that market claims are labeled as assumptions.
- Choose one 2-6 week test before treating the recommendation as a final decision.
- Follow up with: “Turn the 90-day plan into a calendar for the next four weeks, with each action limited to 90 minutes.”
Variations
Career pivot
Use this when moving to a field where you have limited direct experience.
Help me plan a credible transition from [CURRENT FIELD] to [TARGET FIELD]. My transferable evidence is [TRANSFERABLE EXPERIENCE], and my constraints are [CONSTRAINTS]. Identify the target roles most reachable within [TIMEFRAME], the proof employers will expect, and the smallest portfolio, project, credential, or volunteer work that would demonstrate it. Produce a 12-week transition plan and flag any requirement that needs verification. Do not invent hiring trends or claim my experience is equivalent to work I have not done. Ask up to 3 questions only if required information is missing.
Promotion case
Use this when deciding whether you are ready to seek a larger role.
Assess whether I should pursue promotion to [TARGET ROLE] based on my current scope: [CURRENT RESPONSIBILITIES]. My documented results are [RESULTS], and the promotion expectations I know are [ROLE EXPECTATIONS]. Create a gap analysis that separates demonstrated evidence from claims I still need to prove. Then draft a 60-day evidence plan and a manager conversation agenda. Do not write accomplishments I cannot substantiate. Ask up to 3 clarifying questions only when a required input is missing.
Offer decision
Use this when comparing a new offer against your current job.
Help me compare my current job and an offer using my priorities, not a generic scorecard. Current role: [CURRENT ROLE]. Offer: [OFFER DETAILS]. My financial and personal constraints: [CONSTRAINTS]. My priorities in order: [PRIORITIES]. Produce a weighted comparison, the assumptions that could change the result, questions to ask the prospective employer, and a recommendation with a walk-away condition. Flag compensation, benefits, and legal details that I should confirm with the employer or an adviser. Ask up to 3 questions if needed.
Tips
- Treat a career plan as a set of testable hypotheses; an informational interview or small project is usually more useful than another round of abstract reflection.
- Include compensation floors, geography, caregiving, and risk tolerance early, because they can eliminate otherwise attractive paths.
- Ask for evidence of scope, outcomes, and working style when assessing fit; job titles alone are weak signals.
- For a pivot, build one artifact that resembles the target role’s work instead of collecting unrelated certificates.
FAQ
Can AI tell me which career is right for me?
It can organize your evidence and expose tradeoffs, but it cannot know your preferences or validate changing hiring conditions. Use its recommendation as a decision aid, then test it with real work and conversations.
What information makes career guidance more useful?
Concrete examples of work you did well, what drained you, your income floor, time horizon, and non-negotiable constraints matter more than a polished biography.
Should I share my resume?
Yes, but add context your resume omits: why you are considering change, what you want to avoid, and the limits on your next move.