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CVs, interviews and job decisions

Career

Adapt a CV to a real vacancy, prepare interview answers, compare a job with your needs and organise examples for your annual review.

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Refreshed 11 October 2026 · Original prompt templates

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Prompts to try

30 examples

01

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Ask a former manager to be a reference without writing their endorsement for them

A consent-first reference request and factual reminder.

I am applying for [role] and would like [relationship, anonymised] to act as a reference. Our actual work together was [facts], last contact [context] and employer instructions [instructions]. Draft a courteous request explaining the role, deadline, consent needed and information I can offer. Do not invent praise, draft a testimonial as if they wrote it or share their contact details before agreement. Make a short factual project reminder they can correct. Ask which past work is genuinely relevant to this vacancy; do not send the request.

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Make it yours: Use the employer's actual reference process, not an assumed requirement.

A useful follow-up

They agree but ask what to mention. Provide facts and role context, leaving their judgement in their own words.

02

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Rehearse an interview follow-up that challenges my strongest project example

An interview rehearsal that tests ownership and evidence.

Here is my real project example [facts], vacancy requirements [text] and what I personally did versus the team's work [distinction]. Act as an interviewer and ask one challenging follow-up about my decision, trade-off or evidence, then wait. Help me answer clearly without inventing metrics, claiming colleagues' work or revealing confidential details. Point out unsupported statements and ask what evidence I can safely discuss. Do not coach deception or provide a memorised perfect story. Ask which part of the example I find hardest to explain honestly.

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Make it yours: Use a redacted fact sheet and say when results were shared team outcomes.

A useful follow-up

Ask the same underlying challenge from a different angle so I can practise understanding rather than reciting.

03

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Prepare my questions for the final minutes of a job interview

Three interview questions tied to my actual decision.

I am interviewing for [vacancy text]. I already know [confirmed information], care most about [working needs] and have [minutes] for questions. Help me select three specific questions about the role's real work, expectations and support, not facts the vacancy already answers. Explain what each answer would help me assess. Do not invent company problems, ask intrusive questions or treat an interviewer's vague reply as a confirmed promise. Ask which practical uncertainty could make the role unsuitable before prioritising the questions.

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Make it yours: Use the interview to clarify work expectations, not to perform generic enthusiasm.

A useful follow-up

They give this answer [notes]. Suggest one respectful follow-up that clarifies it without putting words in their mouth.

04

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Write an interview follow-up that refers to the real conversation

A specific post-interview email grounded in what was actually discussed.

I interviewed for [role] on [date]. Here are my permitted notes [notes], the agreed next step [facts], any promised information I owe [list] and my preferred tone [sample]. Draft a concise follow-up thanking the interviewer, referring to one genuine discussion point and providing only the agreed material. Do not invent enthusiasm, claim an offer, repeat confidential details or pressure them before the stated timeline. Separate unresolved questions from commitments. Ask whether I need to send a missing item or simply acknowledge the conversation; do not send the message.

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Make it yours: Check the interviewer's stated process and timeline before following up.

A useful follow-up

I promised an example I cannot share publicly. Draft a factual explanation and offer an authorised alternative without sending private work.

05

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Ask about a job's salary range without inventing market-rate evidence

A factual salary-range clarification message.

I am discussing [role] at [stage]. The employer's published range and terms are [text or unknown], my questions about hours/benefits [questions] and information I choose to share [limits]. Draft a professional request clarifying the range and what it covers before I state expectations. Do not fabricate competing offers, current market rates or legal entitlements. Separate base pay, variable amounts and unanswered terms using only supplied facts. Ask whether I need clarification or am making a proposal before choosing wording; do not send anything.

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Make it yours: Use verified employer terms and disclose only what you are comfortable sharing.

A useful follow-up

They quote a total package without a base figure. Draft one concise question separating the components without assuming their value.

06

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Ask to reschedule a job interview while keeping my interest clear

A professional interview-rescheduling request with genuine alternatives.

I have an interview invitation for [role and time], but this confirmed commitment clashes [minimal description]. Here are the employer's actual scheduling instructions [text] and two genuine alternative windows [times with time zones]. Draft a concise request thanking them, stating my continued interest and offering those options. Do not invent an emergency, disclose private reasons unnecessarily or assume a new slot is accepted. Ask which alternative I can definitely attend before drafting; do not send or change my calendar.

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Make it yours: Use clear dates and time zones and wait for confirmation before treating a slot as booked.

A useful follow-up

Neither proposed slot works for the employer [reply]. Draft a flexible follow-up using only my newly confirmed availability.

07

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Explain my actual role when my official job title sounds bigger or smaller than the work

CV wording that explains the work without inflating the title.

My official title is [title], employer context [context] and actual responsibilities [facts]. Here is the vacancy [text]. Help me present the official title accurately with a plain explanatory subtitle or bullet where appropriate. Distinguish responsibility, contribution and final authority using my evidence. Do not upgrade my seniority, invent management duties or replace the official title with a misleading one. Return two truthful CV options. Ask which decision I personally owned before using leadership wording.

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Make it yours: A clarifying subtitle should explain the official title, not conceal it.

A useful follow-up

I coordinated the work but did not manage the people. Rewrite that bullet to preserve the distinction.

08

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Prepare for an interview panel when each interviewer will care about different work

A panel-interview rehearsal based on roles, not guessed personalities.

Here are the confirmed panel roles [roles], vacancy [text], interview format [invitation] and my real project examples [notes]. Map likely job-relevant themes to evidence I can discuss, clearly labelling predictions as possibilities. Build a rehearsal that lets me answer one question concisely, then invite a deeper follow-up. Do not invent interviewer personalities or private information. Ask which panel role I least understand before suggesting a question about its connection to the job.

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Make it yours: Use the invitation and public role information, not assumptions about individual people.

A useful follow-up

The panel includes a future teammate rather than a manager. Add questions about everyday collaboration without assuming their priorities.

09

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Withdraw from a hiring process without leaving an interview invitation unanswered

A clear withdrawal message and outstanding-commitment check.

I have decided to withdraw from [role] at [stage]. Here is the invitation, any commitments I made and the explanation I am comfortable sharing [details]. Draft a short courteous withdrawal that clearly cancels my participation, thanks the relevant people and avoids unnecessary private detail. Do not fabricate another offer, criticise the employer or imply future interest I do not have. Include a checklist for any outstanding assessment or scheduled call. Ask whether an interview is already booked before choosing the wording.

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Make it yours: Confirm the cancellation through the agreed channel; a draft is not a sent message.

A useful follow-up

I already accepted an interview time tomorrow. Make the cancellation explicit and remove vague wording about 'pausing'.

10

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Prepare for a working interview without doing unpaid work outside the agreed task

A working-interview scope enquiry and permitted-preparation checklist.

Here is the employer's working-interview brief [text], stated duration, permitted tools, assessment criteria and questions I have [details]. Help me clarify the expected deliverable and boundaries before starting. Draft a polite enquiry about unclear scope, use of real customer data and how the exercise will be assessed. Do not make legal claims, complete the assessment against its rules or assume AI use is allowed. Ask which part of the requested work extends beyond the supplied brief before prioritising questions.

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Make it yours: Use fictional or expressly authorised data and follow the actual assessment rules.

A useful follow-up

The employer adds another deliverable after the agreed time. Draft a clarification of scope and priorities without assuming I must accept it.

11

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Find which vacancy requirements I can support with a real example

Build an evidence map before rewriting a CV or application.

Compare this vacancy with my redacted experience notes [material]. First extract the actual requirements, keeping essential and desirable separate where the employer does. For each, show my supporting example, what I personally did, the source note and what remains unproven. Ask one focused question for each important gap before drafting anything. Do not infer a qualification, years of experience, leadership role or result from a job title alone. Keep transferable experience distinct from direct experience. Return an evidence map I can correct, not a fit percentage, ranking, rewritten CV or claim that I meet every requirement.

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Make it yours: Include real projects and actions, not just your past job titles.

A useful follow-up

I helped with a migration but did not lead it. Correct that ownership throughout the evidence map and ask what contribution I can actually describe.

12

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Turn my own reasons for applying into a cover letter that sounds like me

Draft a specific application from an interview with you rather than a generic enthusiasm template.

Help write a cover letter for this vacancy [text], following the employer's supplied application and AI-use rules [rules]. Before drafting, ask me five short questions about why this work interests me, one relevant real example, my own contribution, what attracts me to this particular role and what I still need to learn. Use my answers and this short sample of my natural writing [text]. Draft within [word limit], with one clear reason for applying and one supported example. Do not invent passion, company knowledge, achievements or qualifications, imitate another applicant or add fake imperfections. Mark missing facts as questions and let me approve the final wording.

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Make it yours: Give the assistant your rough answers first; polished adjectives cannot replace a reason that is yours.

A useful follow-up

The opening could apply to any company. Ask what specifically interests me in this advertised work, then rewrite only the opening using my answer.

13

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Replace vague application phrases with details I can actually explain in an interview

Edit unsupported language without turning the task into detector evasion.

Review my application draft [text] against my approved facts and natural writing sample [material]. Highlight phrases such as broad enthusiasm, unexplained impact or claims without an example. For each, ask what happened, what I did and what evidence I can share, then propose a plainer revision only when my answers support it. Preserve my meaning and appropriate professional tone; do not make up numbers, add deliberate errors or promise to beat AI detectors. Return a before-and-after editing table with reasons and unresolved questions. Follow the employer's disclosure requirements and keep the final text something I can honestly discuss.

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Make it yours: Read the revision aloud: would you use those words and could you answer a follow-up about each claim?

A useful follow-up

I cannot substantiate 'transformed customer satisfaction'. Remove the claim and help me describe the actual change I made without suggesting a measured improvement.

14

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Check that my CV, letter and application form tell the same factual story

Find contradictions before submission without silently choosing a convenient version.

Check these redacted CV, cover letter and application-form drafts against my approved fact sheet [material]. Compare dates, role names, qualification status, project ownership and numerical claims. Return each discrepancy with its source locations and a clarification question. Separate harmless wording differences from conflicting facts. Do not invent a missing month, promote a team result into my personal achievement or treat a course in progress as completed. Preserve confidential details as omitted rather than filling them in. Make a final human-review checklist using the employer's actual submission rules; do not submit, contact references or certify the application as true.

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Make it yours: Check the final versions, including text pasted into online forms, not just the original CV file.

A useful follow-up

The letter says I managed six people but the fact sheet says I coordinated six colleagues without line-management responsibility. Correct the distinction in every affected draft.

15

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Explain a career change using transferable experience without pretending I have done the new job

Connect relevant actions to a new role while naming genuine learning gaps.

I am moving from [current field] toward [target role]. Use this vacancy and my real examples [material] to help explain the transition. Ask what attracts me to the work, what I have tried and which skills are demonstrated rather than merely claimed. Choose two relevant actions and explain their connection to the role without equating different professions or implying an unearned credential. State one honest learning gap and the preparation I have actually started. Return a short application paragraph and conversational interview version for my review. Do not invent training, projects or future competence, and do not conceal a mandatory requirement I lack.

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Make it yours: A transferable skill is supported by an action you took; it does not make distinct jobs equivalent.

A useful follow-up

The vacancy requires a qualification I do not have. Keep that explicit and draft a question about whether alternative experience is considered, without assuming an exception.

16

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Prepare a specific answer to why I want this job rather than praising the company vaguely

Connect your actual motivation to verified information about the role.

Prepare my answer to 'Why this role and organisation?' from the actual vacancy, dated public organisation material and my own reasons [inputs]. Ask what work I want to do and which concrete detail genuinely matters to me. Separate verified organisation facts from marketing claims, my interpretation and unanswered questions. Draft a short spoken answer linking one relevant fact to my real experience or motivation. Do not invent knowledge of internal culture, imply I use a product I have not used or guess future company plans. Include source references for factual statements and a question I can ask to test an assumption at interview.

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Make it yours: Use the employer's current vacancy and public material, not an AI-generated company profile you have not checked.

A useful follow-up

The company page describes a value, but I have no evidence of daily practice. Phrase it as something I want to learn about and prepare a concrete interview question.

17

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Practise answering honestly when an interviewer asks about a skill I am still learning

Rehearse a clear boundary between demonstrated experience and a learning plan.

Help me practise discussing [skill from the vacancy] that I am still learning. My actual experience, practice completed, limits and relevant adjacent skills are [details]. Ask one realistic interview question, wait for my answer, then ask a focused follow-up before giving feedback. Judge whether my answer clearly separates what I can do independently from what needs support. Do not supply a fictional success story, turn a tutorial into professional experience or promise that a short course meets the employer's requirement. Suggest a more precise answer using only my facts and one question about the support expected in the role. This is practice before the interview, not live answer generation.

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Make it yours: A clear limitation is more credible than a claim you cannot defend when asked for detail.

A useful follow-up

My answer makes it sound as though I used this tool at work, but I only completed a personal exercise. Correct it and ask me to describe exactly what the exercise involved.

18

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Check the AI-use rules before I start a recruitment assignment

Clarify permitted preparation, task boundaries and disclosure before doing the work.

Read this recruitment assignment brief and the employer's AI-use instructions [material]. Make a plain-language checklist of the required deliverable, assessment criteria, time limit, permitted tools, disclosure and confidentiality requirements, citing the relevant passages. Ask about missing or contradictory instructions rather than treating silence as permission. Do not solve the assignment, generate assessed answers or suggest concealing assistance. Draft a short clarification enquiry for my review and a preparation plan limited to clearly permitted activities. If tools are prohibited for the task, keep the plan to logistics and independent work, not a workaround.

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Make it yours: Rules may differ between application editing, practice and the actual assessed task.

A useful follow-up

The general careers page allows AI preparation but this task brief says independent work only. Keep the task-specific restriction visible and ask the employer about the apparent conflict before using AI on it.

19

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Review a polished CV without pretending its writing style proves AI use

Separate unsupported claims and follow-up needs from an ungrounded authorship accusation.

I am reviewing this appropriately shared, redacted CV against the published job requirements [material]. Help identify claims that need clarification, such as an unclear personal contribution, undated qualification or unexplained result. Quote each relevant passage and suggest a neutral, job-related follow-up. Do not infer AI authorship from style, punctuation, fluency, generic phrases or a detector score; do not estimate an authorship probability, honesty, personality or protected characteristics. Do not rank, accept or reject the candidate. Return a factual review checklist for the responsible human and note where the material supplies no evidence either way.

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Make it yours: Unclear evidence warrants a question; it is not proof that an applicant used AI or invented experience.

A useful follow-up

A colleague says the polished language proves AI use. Remove that inference and identify which actual job-related claims still need the same clarification you would ask any applicant.

20

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Prepare fair interview follow-ups that check a candidate's actual contribution

Build a consistent evidence-gathering discussion, not automated applicant scoring.

Help prepare follow-up questions for this redacted candidate example [text] using the published role criteria and our approved interview process [material]. Ask what the person personally decided, how they checked the work, what changed and what they would do differently. Use the same core evidence questions for comparable examples and allow the candidate to clarify wording or explain team contributions. Keep questions job-related and respect approved access arrangements. Do not infer deception, AI use, personality or health, request confidential client information, rank applicants or make a hiring decision. Return a question guide and blank evidence notes for human review, not generated candidate answers.

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Make it yours: Assess the relevant work through your approved process, not how closely someone matches a preferred writing style.

A useful follow-up

The candidate cannot share confidential figures. Offer a question about method, constraints and personal contribution without requiring disclosure or treating the limitation as evidence against them.

21

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Explain a gap in my CV without sharing private details

Prepare a truthful, short answer that returns the conversation to your suitability for the role.

Help me explain this gap in my CV for [vacancy]: [dates and facts I am comfortable discussing]. My relevant experience since then is [facts]. Ask what I want to keep private, then suggest a two-sentence CV explanation and a 30-second interview answer. Keep the dates consistent with my CV and focus on what I can substantiate. Do not invent consulting, courses, caring duties or achievements to fill the gap, or pressure me to disclose health or family information. Offer a polite way to redirect an intrusive question without making a claim about employment law.

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Make it yours: You can say a period was personal without uploading private documents.

A useful follow-up

The first draft sounds defensive. Keep the same facts, remove the apology and connect the ending to a real skill required by the vacancy.

22

Files

Turn one real project into a portfolio case I am allowed to share

Show your decisions and contribution without inventing results or exposing a client's confidential work.

Use my project notes and sharing permissions [redacted material] to outline a portfolio case for [target role]. Ask which decisions I personally made, what the team did, which results are evidenced and what must remain confidential. Structure it as problem, constraints, my contribution, evidence and lessons. Label illustrative mockups as illustrative and leave unsupported metrics out. Do not reconstruct protected client screenshots, invent testimonials or claim sole ownership of team work. Give me a list of facts and permissions to verify before publishing.

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Make it yours: Use fictional labels for clients and colleagues and only material you have permission to share.

A useful follow-up

The client will not allow screenshots or revenue figures. Revise the outline around my documented process and decisions without implying those withheld results.

23

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Compare two job offers against the working week I actually want

Make missing role details visible before choosing on a headline salary alone.

Compare these redacted job offers and role descriptions [material] against my priorities [hours, commute, responsibilities, learning, support and compensation facts]. First check that hours, pay periods and supplied benefits are described on comparable terms. Show confirmed terms, unclear terms and questions for each employer separately. Let me weight my priorities and show how a changed priority affects the comparison. Do not infer workplace culture, calculate take-home pay without verified assumptions or interpret contract enforceability. Return a decision worksheet and draft clarification questions, not an acceptance message.

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Make it yours: Remove personal identifiers and ask an appropriate adviser about contract or tax questions.

A useful follow-up

One employer has not confirmed the expected evening availability. Show how that uncertainty affects the comparison without assuming the worst or marking it as agreed.

24

Files

Practise my interview for this project-manager vacancy

Use the attached vacancy and my redacted CV to run a mock interview for this project-manager job. Ask one question at a time and wait. Start with a relevant project example, then ask about budget, delays and stakeholder conflict. Give feedback on clarity, my personal contribution and evidence. Do not invent achievements or metrics. Help me explain gaps honestly and suggest one improved structure before the next question.

Make it yours: Remove contact details and include actual examples you are allowed to discuss.

A useful follow-up

Ask a follow-up about a project that went wrong rather than accepting a polished success story.

25

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Prepare my annual review from my projects and feedback

Help me prepare for my annual review for [role]. Use my project notes, agreed goals and actual feedback [material]. Make sections for results, examples of my contribution, unfinished work, obstacles and questions for my manager. Separate my work from the team's results. Do not invent metrics or turn unfinished work into success. Draft a two-minute opening and a list of evidence I still need.

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Make it yours: Use only work information you are permitted to share.

A useful follow-up

Which achievement sounds stronger than the evidence supports? Rewrite it accurately.

26

Files

Does this job fit the hours, responsibilities and support I need?

Compare this vacancy [text] with what I need from a job: [working hours, responsibilities, location, support and priorities]. Make a table of confirmed fit, possible mismatch and unanswered questions. Do not infer culture, flexibility or overtime from recruitment slogans. Prepare five questions for the recruiter and identify which answer could make the role unsuitable for me.

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Make it yours: Rank your real must-haves rather than only what would impress an interviewer.

A useful follow-up

The recruiter gives these answers [answers]. Update the table without treating vague reassurance as a confirmed term.

27

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Plan four weeks to learn the spreadsheet skills my job needs

I need to learn [spreadsheet tasks] for [job] over four weeks. I can practise [time] each week using [software and current skills]. Make a plan with one useful exercise per session, starting from the tasks I cannot yet do. Use fictional data and give a way to check each result. Keep the total practice time realistic and mark any prerequisite. Do not promise mastery or a qualification.

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Make it yours: Give a real work task you want to complete, such as checking invoices or building a monthly total.

A useful follow-up

I could not finish week one's exercise. Adjust the plan from what went wrong rather than adding more work.

28

Files

Adapt my CV for this customer-success vacancy without inventing experience

A requirement-to-evidence map and an honest, targeted CV draft.

I want to apply for this customer-success vacancy. Use my uploaded redacted CV and the complete vacancy. Make a table of the stated requirements, the matching CV evidence and any gap. Ask about missing examples before rewriting my summary and up to five relevant bullets. Preserve dates, job titles and metrics exactly. If I have handled customer questions but never managed renewals, do not turn that into renewal-management experience. Do not promise an applicant-tracking score or a shortlist place.

Make it yours: Remove contact details, references' personal information and confidential customer names before uploading.

A useful follow-up

Which rewritten bullets sound more senior than the evidence supports? Make them accurate.

29

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What should I ask the hiring manager about this job?

A short, prioritised list of questions grounded in the vacancy and your needs.

Tomorrow I meet the hiring manager for [role]. Here is the vacancy and the recruiter's notes: [text]. My priorities are [ranked priorities], and I still need to understand [concerns]. Draft six respectful questions about the actual responsibilities, success in the first three months, team support and workload. Mark which questions the supplied material already answers. Do not infer the company's culture or working hours from recruitment slogans. End with the three questions to prioritise if I have only five minutes.

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Make it yours: Explain what would make the role unsuitable for you, rather than only how to impress the interviewer.

A useful follow-up

The manager answered [notes]. Which of my concerns is still unanswered, and how can I ask a neutral follow-up?

30

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Explain the project delay I handled in a job interview

I need to answer 'Tell me about a project that went wrong' for [role]. My real example is [what was delayed, my responsibility, decisions, actions and outcome]. Ask what I personally did and which results I can substantiate. Help me make a 90-second answer covering the situation, my decision, the outcome and what I would change. Keep team achievements separate from my contribution. Do not invent a successful ending or measurable improvement when the project still missed its deadline.

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Make it yours: Use an example you are permitted to discuss; replace client and colleague names.

A useful follow-up

Ask me why I did not spot the delay earlier, then help me answer without blaming a colleague or rewriting what happened.

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