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Claude prompts
12 Claude Prompts for Resumes, LinkedIn and Job Search
Tailor your resume, pass ATS checks, write cover letters, fix LinkedIn and prepare for interviews.
Updated October 202612 promptsFree to copy, no signup
These Claude prompts cover the whole job search, from tailoring your resume to a job description to negotiating the offer. Each one asks for your real experience first and tells Claude to ask questions instead of inventing skills or numbers, so everything it writes is something you can defend in an interview.
How to use these prompts
Paste the full job description and your current resume rather than summarising them, because the details are what Claude matches against.
Answer Claude's follow-up questions with real figures, even rough ones, instead of letting it fill gaps.
Start a new chat for each application so details from one role do not leak into another.
Read every line of the output aloud and delete anything you could not explain to an interviewer.
Use it when: Use it when applying to a specific role: you get a truthful, keyword-matched version of your resume plus a clear list of gaps.
Prompt 01
I want to tailor my resume to one specific job. If the job description or my resume is missing below, ask me for them first, along with the seniority level I'm targeting.
<job_description>
[PASTE JOB DESCRIPTION]
</job_description>
<resume>
[PASTE YOUR CURRENT RESUME]
</resume>
Then:
1. Extract the 8 to 12 skills, tools and outcomes this employer cares about most, in their exact wording.
2. Map each one to evidence already in my resume and mark it strong, weak or missing.
3. Rewrite my summary and bullets to lead with the strongest matches, using the employer's terms wherever they honestly describe what I did.
4. Reorder sections and bullets so the most relevant experience sits in the top third of page one.
Keep everything truthful: reword, reorder and emphasise only what I have actually done. Recruiters and interviewers check, and one invented skill can cost me the offer. For each missing requirement, ask me whether I have related experience rather than filling the gap yourself.
Output: the tailored resume, then a table of requirement, match strength and change made, then your questions for me.
Why it works: Mapping each employer requirement to evidence and grading it strong, weak or missing forces Claude to work from the job description instead of polishing your resume in a vacuum. Telling it to ask about gaps rather than fill them keeps the result truthful, so nothing on the page collapses under an interviewer's follow-up question.
Tip: Keep the requirement table: it doubles as your interview prep list for this exact role.
2. ATS friendly resume check prompt
Claude chat
Use it when: Use it before applying through an online portal to catch the formatting, keyword and structure problems that stop an applicant tracking system reading your resume properly.
Prompt 02
Act as an applicant tracking system (ATS) specialist. Check whether my resume will be parsed correctly and rank well for the role below.
<target_role>
[JOB TITLE, OR PASTE THE FULL JOB DESCRIPTION]
</target_role>
<resume>
[PASTE RESUME TEXT]
</resume>
File format I plan to upload: [PDF OR DOCX]
Check these in order:
1. Parsing risks: tables, columns, text boxes, contact details in headers or footers, icons, images, unusual symbols, and inconsistent date formats.
2. Section headings: are they standard names an ATS recognises, such as Experience, Education and Skills?
3. Section order for my experience level.
4. Keywords: the important terms from the role that are missing or appear only once, and where each could honestly go.
5. Job titles and dates: clear and consistently formatted?
Suggest keywords only where they match experience I actually have; if you're unsure, ask me. Explain in one line why each issue matters so I can judge it.
Output a checklist marking each item pass, warning or fail, then the five fixes ranked by impact, then a clean plain-text outline of how the resume should be structured.
Why it works: The prompt checks parsing problems before keywords, because a perfectly worded resume still fails if the system cannot read your contact details or dates. Asking for a pass, warning or fail checklist plus fixes ranked by impact turns a vague review into a short to-do list you can finish in one sitting.
Tip: Copy the text straight out of your PDF and paste it in: if it comes out jumbled for you, an ATS will probably read it jumbled too.
3. Rewrite resume bullet points for impact
Claude chat
Use it when: Use it when your resume reads like a list of duties: you get achievement-focused bullets built on your real numbers.
Prompt 03
Help me rewrite my resume bullets so they show impact instead of duties.
<bullets>
[PASTE YOUR BULLETS, GROUPED UNDER EACH JOB TITLE]
</bullets>
The role I'm applying for: [TARGET ROLE]
For each bullet:
1. Identify the action I took, the scope (team size, budget, users, volume, systems) and the result.
2. Where the scope or result is missing, ask me a specific question to get it, for example "Roughly how many customers did this affect?" Use only numbers I give you, because I need to defend every figure in an interview. If I can't give a number, use a concrete qualitative result instead.
3. Rewrite it as one line: a strong past-tense verb, what I did, how, and the outcome, in under 25 words.
Ask all your questions first as one numbered list and wait for my answers. Then give me each rewritten bullet next to the original so I can compare, ordered by relevance to the target role. Flag any bullet weak enough to cut.
Why it works: Breaking every bullet into action, scope and result shows Claude exactly what is missing, so it asks targeted questions instead of padding. Asking for your real numbers instead of letting Claude invent them keeps every bullet defensible in an interview.
Tip: Dig out old performance reviews, dashboards or launch emails before you start; even rough figures prefixed with "about" beat no figures.
4. Honest resume review as a recruiter
Claude chat
Use it when: Use it to find out what a recruiter actually takes away from a quick skim of your resume, and what to fix first.
Prompt 04
Review my resume the way a busy recruiter hiring for [TARGET ROLE AND LEVEL] would: about 10 seconds on the first skim, then a closer read only if it passes.
<resume>
[PASTE RESUME]
</resume>
Be brutally honest. Polite feedback won't get me interviews. Structure it like this:
1. The 10-second impression: what you noticed first, what level and specialty you think I am, and whether you'd keep reading. Say exactly what drove that decision.
2. What's working: up to three things to keep.
3. Problems ranked by how much they hurt my chances, such as unclear positioning, duty-style bullets, missing results, length, formatting, gaps or buzzwords. Quote the exact line for each.
4. The three changes that would most improve my chance of a callback, each with a rewritten example.
If anything about my target role or situation would change your verdict, ask me before you review.
Why it works: Framing the review around a 10-second skim makes Claude report what actually registers first, which is how real screening works, rather than line-editing every sentence. Requiring a quoted line for each problem and ranking problems by damage stops the feedback from being polite and generic.
Tip: Run the 10-second test again after your edits; that first-impression line is the clearest measure of progress.
5. Cover letter prompt for a specific job
Claude chat
Use it when: Use it to get a short, specific cover letter that connects your real experience to what this employer needs.
Prompt 05
Write a cover letter for this role. Keep it short and specific, because hiring managers skip anything that could have been sent to any company.
<job_description>
[PASTE JOB DESCRIPTION]
</job_description>
<company_notes>
[WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT THE COMPANY: PRODUCT, RECENT NEWS, WHY YOU WANT TO WORK THERE]
</company_notes>
<resume>
[PASTE RESUME OR YOUR KEY EXPERIENCE]
</resume>
Rules for the letter:
- 200 to 280 words in three or four short paragraphs.
- Open with why this role at this company, in a line only I could write. Start with substance rather than "I am writing to apply for".
- Pick the two requirements that matter most to them and give one concrete example from my experience for each, with a result.
- Close with one confident line and a simple call to action.
- Plain, warm, professional tone. Use only my facts; if you need a detail I haven't given, ask me.
Before writing, tell me in two lines which two requirements you chose and why. Then write the letter. After it, list any sentence that still sounds generic so I can swap in something personal.
Why it works: Making Claude name the two requirements it will address before writing exposes its reasoning, so you can redirect it before it drafts. The word limit, one example per requirement and the closing list of generic sentences push the letter toward specifics only you could have written.
Tip: Spend two minutes on the company notes; one genuine, specific reason you want this job does more than any clever phrasing.
6. LinkedIn headline and About section prompt
Claude chat
Use it when: Use it to write a LinkedIn headline and About section that say clearly who you help, how, and why someone should contact you.
Prompt 06
Write my LinkedIn headline and About section. First interview me, one question at a time, waiting for each answer:
1. What should LinkedIn bring me: job offers, clients, partners, speaking invitations?
2. Who reads my profile, and what words do they search for?
3. My two or three strongest results or proof points.
4. What makes my approach different from others with the same title?
5. How I want to sound: formal, warm, direct or playful.
My current headline and About section: [PASTE THEM, OR WRITE NONE]
Then write:
- Five headline options under 220 characters, each combining role, specialty and the outcome or audience, using words my readers actually search for.
- An About section of 150 to 250 words. The first two lines must work on their own before the "see more" cut. Then cover what I do and for whom, proof, how I work, and a clear call to action. Write in first person, in my voice, in short paragraphs, with concrete claims instead of labels like "passionate results-driven leader".
Finish by telling me which headline you'd pick and why.
Why it works: Interviewing you one question at a time gives Claude your audience, proof and voice before it writes, which is what separates a usable About section from a template. Asking for first two lines that stand alone before the "see more" cut targets the only part many visitors read.
Tip: Paste two of your own posts or emails as voice samples so the About section sounds like you, not a template.
7. LinkedIn or Upwork profile optimization review
Claude chat
Use it when: Use it to audit your whole LinkedIn or Upwork freelance profile section by section and get a prioritised list of fixes.
Prompt 07
Audit my [LINKEDIN OR UPWORK] profile against this goal: [GOAL, E.G. ATTRACT RECRUITERS FOR SENIOR DATA ROLES, OR WIN FIXED-PRICE SHOPIFY PROJECTS].
<profile>
[PASTE EVERY SECTION: HEADLINE OR TITLE, ABOUT OR OVERVIEW, EXPERIENCE, SKILLS, FEATURED OR PORTFOLIO ITEMS, AND YOUR RATE IF ON UPWORK]
</profile>
Review it as the person I want to attract would: scrolling search results, deciding in seconds whether to click, then deciding whether to contact me.
For each section give what works, what's missing, and a concrete rewrite or example. Pay particular attention to:
- Search: do the terms my audience types appear in my headline or title, skills and experience?
- Proof: results, client outcomes, portfolio pieces, recommendations or reviews.
- Clarity: can a stranger tell in one line what I do and who it's for?
- On Upwork: does the overview open with the client's problem rather than my biography, and does it end by telling them what to send me?
Use only facts from my profile or my answers, and ask me for anything missing. Finish with the five highest-impact changes in priority order.
Why it works: Reviewing the profile from the point of view of the person you want to attract shifts the feedback from style to whether you get clicked and contacted. Separate checks for search terms, proof and one-line clarity cover the three reasons profiles get skipped, and the Upwork check makes the overview open with the client's problem.
Tip: Search your target title the way a client or recruiter would and compare your profile with the top results before you edit anything.
8. Job search strategy and weekly plan prompt
Claude chat
Use it when: Use it when your job search feels scattered: you get a focused target list, a channel mix and a weekly routine you can track.
Prompt 08
Act as a practical career coach. Build me a job search strategy and a weekly plan.
<about_me>
Target role: [TARGET ROLE]
Experience: [YEARS AND KEY BACKGROUND]
Location and remote preference: [DETAILS]
Hours per week I can give this: [HOURS]
What I've tried so far and the results: [E.G. 40 APPLICATIONS, 2 PHONE SCREENS, 0 OFFERS]
Constraints: [VISA, SALARY FLOOR, NOTICE PERIOD, ANYTHING ELSE]
</about_me>
Give me:
1. A diagnosis: from my results so far, where the funnel is breaking (too few applications, low response rate, failing screens, failing final rounds) and what that suggests.
2. Target definition: role titles to search, company types and sizes, and three to five criteria for filtering postings quickly.
3. Channel mix with a time split across direct applications, referrals, recruiters, networking and communities, and why that split fits me.
4. A weekly plan as a table: day, activity, time, and a measurable output such as 5 tailored applications or 3 outreach messages.
5. Tracking: the four or five numbers to log each week and what to change if each one stalls.
Keep it realistic for my hours. If my inputs are thin, ask me up to five questions first.
Why it works: Starting with a diagnosis of where your funnel breaks means the plan fixes your real bottleneck instead of simply telling you to apply more. Measurable weekly outputs and a few tracked numbers turn the strategy into something you can review and adjust every week.
Tip: Paste your tracking numbers back in every Friday; the plan improves quickly once it can see where you are stuck.
9. Interview prep prompt with STAR answers
Claude chat
Use it when: Use it before an interview to get the likely questions, STAR answers built from your real experience, and sharp questions to ask them.
Prompt 09
Help me prepare for an interview.
<job_description>
[PASTE JOB DESCRIPTION]
</job_description>
<resume>
[PASTE RESUME]
</resume>
<interview_details>
[STAGE AND FORMAT, E.G. 45-MINUTE CALL WITH THE HIRING MANAGER; INTERVIEWER'S ROLE IF KNOWN]
</interview_details>
1. List the 10 questions I'm most likely to be asked for this role and stage, mixing behavioural, role-specific and motivation questions, and say in one line what each is really testing.
2. For the five most important, draft a STAR answer (situation, task, action, result) using only experience from my resume. Where my resume lacks the detail, ask me for the real story, because I need to tell it naturally when they ask follow-up questions.
3. Point out likely weak spots, such as gaps, short tenures or missing skills, and how to address each honestly in one or two sentences.
4. Suggest five thoughtful questions I can ask them that show I understand the role and help me judge whether I want it.
Keep each STAR answer speakable in about 90 seconds. Use clear headings so I can review it on my phone before the interview.
Why it works: Saying what each likely question is really testing helps you answer the underlying concern, not just the words. Building STAR answers only from your resume, and asking for the real story where detail is missing, gives you answers you can tell naturally under follow-up questions.
Tip: Say each STAR answer out loud and time it; anything over two minutes usually needs a shorter situation section.
10. Mock interview prompt with feedback
Claude chat
Use it when: Use it to rehearse a realistic interview where Claude asks one question at a time and scores every answer.
Prompt 10
Run a mock interview with me for [ROLE] at [COMPANY OR TYPE OF COMPANY]. You are the [HIRING MANAGER / RECRUITER / TECHNICAL LEAD / PANEL], and the round is about [NUMBER] questions long.
Context for tailoring the questions:
[PASTE THE JOB DESCRIPTION AND A SHORT SUMMARY OF YOUR BACKGROUND]
How to run it:
1. Ask one question at a time, then stop and wait for my answer. Stay in character as the interviewer.
2. After each answer, step out of character briefly: score it from 1 to 5, say what worked and what was missing (structure, specificity, results, relevance), and give a one-line suggestion. Then ask a realistic follow-up or move to the next question.
3. Adjust the difficulty: when I answer well, probe deeper the way a sharp interviewer would.
4. At the end, summarise my strongest answers, my recurring weaknesses, and the three things to practise before the real interview.
Be honest rather than encouraging; I'd rather hear it from you now than from a rejection email. Start with your first question.
Why it works: Asking one question and then stopping makes the practice feel like a real interview instead of a list you read in advance. Scoring each answer against structure, specificity, results and relevance gives you consistent feedback you can compare across the session.
Tip: If your Claude app has voice mode, answer out loud so you practise delivery as well as content.
11. Salary negotiation script and email prompt
Claude chat
Use it when: Use it after receiving an offer to plan your counter, rehearse the call and draft a polite, firm negotiation email.
Prompt 11
I've received a job offer and want to negotiate. Help me plan it.
<offer>
[BASE PAY, BONUS, EQUITY, BENEFITS, START DATE, ANY DEADLINE]
</offer>
<my_position>
[CURRENT PAY, OTHER OFFERS OR INTERVIEWS IN PROGRESS, YOUR TARGET NUMBER AND YOUR WALK-AWAY NUMBER]
</my_position>
<market_data>
[SALARY RANGES YOU HAVE FOUND AND WHERE THEY CAME FROM, OR NONE YET]
</market_data>
<context>
[ROLE, LOCATION, COMPANY SIZE, HOW KEEN THEY SEEM]
</context>
1. Assess my leverage honestly and suggest a counter number or package, with your reasoning. Base it on the market data I gave you; if that's thin, tell me what to look up and where instead of guessing figures.
2. List the levers beyond base pay worth raising (signing bonus, equity, title, remote days, start date, learning budget) and which suit my situation.
3. Write a short phone script: the opening, the ask, and calm responses to "that's our best offer", "what are you earning now?" and a long silence.
4. Draft a negotiation email under 180 words: appreciative, specific, one clear ask, no ultimatums.
Keep the tone collaborative. I want a better offer and a good relationship with my future manager.
Why it works: Separating your target from your walk-away number and grounding the counter in market data you supply keeps the advice tied to your situation rather than invented salary figures. Scripted replies to common pushback and silence prepare you for the moments where most people concede too early.
Tip: Decide your walk-away number before the call, not during it, and rehearse the script out loud at least once.
12. Career change plan prompt with transferable skills
Claude chat
Use it when: Use it when you are considering a move into a new field and want an honest gap analysis plus a 90-day plan to test and make the switch.
Prompt 12
I'm considering a career change and want an honest, practical plan.
Current role and background: [CURRENT ROLE, YEARS, KEY SKILLS AND ACHIEVEMENTS]
Target role or field: [TARGET, OR "NOT SURE YET, I'M INTERESTED IN X AND Y"]
Constraints: [INCOME FLOOR, HOURS PER WEEK, LOCATION, FAMILY, TRAINING BUDGET]
Why I want to change: [YOUR REASONS]
Work through it in this order:
1. Reality check: what the target role involves day to day, the usual entry routes, and what tends to surprise people who switch into it. Say where you're unsure, so I know what to verify with people in the field.
2. Transferable skills: map my existing skills to the target role's requirements and show how to phrase each on a resume.
3. Gaps: skills, credentials or experience I lack, ranked by how much hiring managers care, with the cheapest credible way to close each.
4. A 90-day plan in three 30-day phases with weekly actions, including at least one small real-world test (a side project, a freelance gig, a shadowing day) before I commit fully.
5. Decision points: what result at day 30 and day 60 would tell me to continue, adjust or stop.
If my reasons or constraints suggest a different move would suit me better, tell me.
Why it works: The reality check and gap ranking come before the plan, so the 90 days are spent closing the gaps hiring managers care about most. Building in a small real-world test and decision points at day 30 and 60 lets you learn whether you like the work before you commit fully.
Tip: Talk to three people already doing the target role before day 30; their answers will sharpen the gap list more than any course catalogue.
Getting more out of every prompt
Keep a master resume
Store one long resume with every role, result and number you can remember. Paste it into the tailoring prompt each time and let Claude select and reorder for the specific job. This is faster and more accurate than editing your last tailored version.
Use a Claude Project for your search
If your plan includes Projects, add your master resume, target roles and writing samples as project knowledge. Every new chat in that project starts with that context, so you stop re-pasting the same material.
Turn prep into practice
After the interview prep prompt, switch to the mock interview prompt and answer out loud. Paste your answers back in for scoring. Reading good answers helps, but saying them under mild pressure is what makes them come out naturally on the day.
Ask for the critique, then the rewrite
Run the honest recruiter review before you rewrite anything. Fixing the top three problems it names usually helps more than polishing every bullet.
Frequently asked questions
Can Claude write my resume?
Claude can draft, restructure and tailor a resume, but it only knows what you tell it. The best results come from pasting your existing resume and the job description, then answering its questions about results and scope. Always check that every claim is accurate before you send it.
Will a resume written with Claude pass an ATS?
Applicant tracking systems read text and structure, not who wrote it. What matters is simple formatting, standard section headings and the employer's key terms where they honestly apply. The ATS check prompt above reviews exactly those points.
Should I tell employers I used AI for my cover letter?
Policies vary by employer, and some ask about it directly, so answer honestly if asked. Using Claude to structure and edit your own ideas is similar to asking a friend for feedback. The letter should still contain your real reasons and experience, which is also what makes it persuasive.
Can Claude help me practise for an interview?
Yes. Ask it to act as the interviewer, ask one question at a time and give feedback after each answer, as the mock interview prompt does. In the Claude apps you can also use voice input to practise speaking your answers.