Career prompts for Grok
Prompts for each step of a job search, from reading a job ad properly to negotiating the offer, plus a few for the job you already have.
A job search is mostly writing and rehearsal, and both improve with a frank second opinion. These twenty prompts follow the process in order: reading a job ad for what it really asks, matching your CV to it, rewriting bullet points so they show results, drafting a cover letter that does not start with "I am writing to apply", preparing for an interview with mock questions and feedback, planning a salary conversation, and following up afterwards. A few cover the job you already have, such as asking for a raise, preparing a performance review or resigning without burning bridges.
Grok's direct style suits career work. Ask it to be blunt about a weak CV line and it will be, which beats polite silence from friends. Most prompts run well on Grok 4.20, the fast default. Interview practice and offer comparisons suggest Grok 4.3 Thinking, which reasons before answering and weighs trade-offs more carefully. One prompt uses image understanding: attach a screenshot of a job posting and Grok pulls out the requirements.
Use judgement with the output. Grok does not know salary levels in your city today, because it cannot browse the internet and its knowledge has a cut-off; check pay data on current job boards or official statistics. Never let it invent experience, degrees or numbers you cannot back up in an interview. And leave out your ID number, home address and references' phone numbers.
For longer help, read the guide to using AI in a job search, or draft letters in the Email Writer.
How to adapt these prompts
- Paste the full job ad, not just the title.
- Add numbers you can prove: team size, budget, time saved, customers served.
- Say your industry and seniority, so the tone fits.
- Read every line aloud and cut anything you would not say in person.
- Practise out loud after a mock interview; typed answers always sound smoother than spoken ones.
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01
Read between the lines of a job ad
I've attached a screenshot of a job posting for [role]. List the must-have requirements, the nice-to-haves, and what the ad hints at without saying directly, such as the pace of work or problems in the team. Then suggest three questions I should ask in the interview.
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02
Match my CV to a job, honestly
Compare my CV with this job ad and be honest. Job ad: [paste ad]. CV: [paste CV]. Show which requirements I clearly meet, which I meet but don't show well, and which I lack. Suggest specific edits for the second group only, without inventing experience.
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03
CV bullets that show results
Rewrite these CV bullet points so each starts with a strong verb and shows a result: [paste bullets]. Where a result needs a figure I haven't given, write NUMBER in capitals so I can fill it in honestly, and never make one up.
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04
Cover letter without the clichés
Write a cover letter for [role] at [company]. Open with something specific about why this role, not 'I am writing to apply'. Connect two of my experiences, [experience 1] and [experience 2], to what they need, keep it under 250 words, and end with a simple, confident close.
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05
Mock interview with scores
Run a practice interview for [role] at a [type of company], playing a polite but probing interviewer. Pose your questions one by one, mixing behavioural and technical ones. After each reply, score it from 1 to 5, name what was missing, and show how to rebuild it as situation, task, action and result. Finish after six questions.
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06
Answer the questions you dread
Give me honest, non-cheesy ways to answer the hardest interview questions in my situation: [situation, e.g. a year-long gap, being let go, changing fields]. For each, give a short answer I could adapt and one thing I should never say.
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07
Questions to ask the interviewer
I'm interviewing for [role] at [company type]. Suggest eight smart questions I could ask at the end, grouped by what they reveal: the real workload, the manager, the team, and how success is measured. Mark the two best ones in case I only get time for two.
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08
Prepare a salary conversation
Help me negotiate an offer of [offer] for [role] in [city]. My target is [target] because [reasons]. Write an opening line, replies to 'that's our maximum' and 'what are you earning now?', and non-salary items I could ask for instead.
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09
Compare two job offers
Compare these two job offers: [offer A details] and [offer B details]. Build a table covering pay, benefits, commute, growth, stability and fit with my priorities, which are [priorities]. Then tell me which one you'd take, and what I should ask each employer before deciding.
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10
Thank-you note after an interview
Write a short thank-you email to [interviewer] after my interview for [role] on [day]. Mention one specific thing we discussed, [topic], add one sentence that strengthens a point I made weakly, and keep it under 120 words.
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11
LinkedIn headline and About section
Write three options for a LinkedIn headline and one About section of about 200 words for me. I'm a [role] with [years] years in [field], known for [strengths], and looking for [goal]. First person, specific, and free of buzzwords like 'results-driven'.
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12
Make the case for a raise
Help me ask my manager for a raise. My role: [role]. What I've achieved since my last review: [achievements]. What I'm asking for: [amount or change]. Write short talking points for the meeting and a version of the request as an email I could send beforehand.
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13
Write an honest self-review
Draft my self-assessment for a performance review. My goals were [goals]. What happened: [results, including what went badly]. Be honest about the misses, show what I learned, and propose three specific, measurable goals for the next period.
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14
Resign without burning bridges
Write a resignation letter to [manager] for my job as [role], with my last day on [date]. Keep it gracious and brief, offer to help hand over [key responsibilities], and give no reason beyond a simple mention of a new opportunity.
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15
Test a career switch before you jump
I'm a [current role] thinking about switching to [target field]. Before I commit, ask me five questions about money, time and motivation. Then list which of my skills carry over, what I would have to learn and roughly how long that takes, and the cheapest experiment for trying the new field before quitting.
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16
Explain a gap on my CV
I have a gap on my CV from [dates] because [reason]. Write a one-line CV entry and a two-sentence spoken explanation that are honest and confident, and that shift the focus to what I did or learned during that time.
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17
Reconnect with an old contact
Write a message to reconnect with [person], whom I worked with at [place] some years ago and haven't spoken to since. Mention something real we shared, [memory], update them in two sentences on what I do now, and ask about their work before making any request. No hard sell.
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18
Thirty-second introduction
Write a 30-second introduction I can say aloud at [event or situation]. I'm a [role] who [what you do], and I'm looking for [goal]. Make it sound natural when spoken, avoid jargon, and add a 10-second version for very short conversations.
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19
Roast my CV, then fix it
Roast my CV: honestly, with a bit of humour, but usefully. Point out the clichés, the vague lines, the formatting crimes and anything a recruiter would skim past, then give me the five fixes that matter most: [paste CV]
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20
My first 90 days in a new job
I'm starting as [role] at [type of organisation] next month. Make a 90-day plan in three phases: learn, contribute, lead. For each, list goals, people to meet and realistic early wins for a newcomer, and warn me about common first-month mistakes.
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