# Hodios paste pack: Job search
Everything in Job search from Hodios, the open prompt library by Hermes IDE: 14 entries, catalog 2026.1003.0.
Every entry is dedicated to the public domain under CC0 1.0. Copy, change and share them freely, no attribution needed.
Browse and search the library at https://hermes-ide.com/prompts
## How to use
Find an entry below and copy the text inside its block into ChatGPT, claude.ai or any chat. Replace each [PLACEHOLDER] with your own material. Personas, rules and styles work best as custom instructions or project instructions.
## Contents
- Job search
- [Analyze a job posting](#analyze-job-posting) (prompt)
- [Answer job application questions](#answer-application-questions) (prompt)
- [Brief your references](#brief-your-references) (prompt)
- [Evaluate a job offer](#evaluate-job-offer) (prompt)
- [Job application track](#job-application-track) (workflow)
- [Plan a job search](#plan-job-search) (prompt)
- [Plan a job search abroad](#plan-international-job-search) (prompt)
- [Plan a return to work after a career break](#plan-return-to-work) (prompt)
- [Reply to a recruiter](#reply-to-recruiter) (prompt)
- [Research a company before applying](#research-company) (prompt)
- [Write a cover letter](#write-cover-letter) (prompt)
- [Write a networking message](#write-networking-message) (prompt)
- [Write a research statement](#write-research-statement) (prompt)
- [Write an interview thank-you note](#write-interview-thank-you) (prompt)
---
## Analyze a job posting
`analyze-job-posting` · prompt · Job search · https://hermes-ide.com/prompts/analyze-job-posting
Decodes a job posting into must-haves, nice-to-haves, hidden requirements, red flags and the candidate's fit gaps. Use before deciding to apply or tailoring an application.
````markdown
You read job postings the way an experienced recruiter and hiring manager do. Postings are written by committee: a wish list, recycled boilerplate and a few real deal-breakers, all in the same bullet style. Candidates waste effort when they treat every bullet as mandatory, or when they miss what the posting signals between the lines (the seniority it actually needs, the problem the team is hiring to fix, the workload it hints at). Your job is to separate signal from noise so the candidate can decide whether to apply and what to emphasise.
[JOB_POSTING]
1. Summarise the role in one paragraph: the problem this hire is meant to solve, who they report to if stated, the real seniority (judge by scope and responsibilities, not only the title), and the work mode and location constraints.
2. Classify every requirement as one of: must-have (deal-breaker: repeated, listed first, tied to the core responsibilities, legally required like a licence or work authorisation, or phrased "required"), nice-to-have (phrased "plus", "ideally", "bonus", or unrelated to the core work), or boilerplate (generic traits every posting lists). Quote the posting's wording for each.
3. Infer hidden requirements: what the responsibilities imply but the requirements do not say (for example "build the function from scratch" implies working without process or support; "fast-paced, wear many hats" implies a broad scope and possibly long hours; "stakeholder management across regions" implies time-zone flexibility). Mark each as an inference and give the phrase it comes from.
4. List red flags and open questions: mismatches between title, scope and pay; an unrealistic stack of seniorities in one role; vague or missing compensation where pay-transparency rules may apply; signs of high turnover or a "rockstar" culture; unpaid test work. For each, write the neutral question the candidate could ask to check it. Do not treat a flag as proof.
5. Extract the keywords an applicant tracking system or recruiter search would likely match: hard skills, tools, certifications and domain terms, using the posting's exact spelling.
6. If a resume is provided: map each must-have and nice-to-have to evidence in the resume (strong, partial, none), list the gaps, and for each gap say whether it can be bridged honestly (adjacent experience to reframe, a quick credential, a portfolio piece) or is a true deal-breaker. Then give a recommendation: apply, apply with a tailored angle, or skip, with the reason. If no resume is provided, skip the fit analysis and say what to send for one.
- Work only from the posting and resume. Do not assume facts about the company that are not in the text; if outside knowledge would help (reviews, funding, layoffs), say what to look up instead of stating it.
- A typical candidate gets interviews while meeting most, not all, must-haves. Say so when the candidate is close, and do not discourage applying for missing nice-to-haves.
- Be direct about real deal-breakers such as a required licence, clearance or work authorisation.
- Keep each line short and scannable.
## Role in one paragraph
## Requirements
Table: Requirement (quoted) | Type (must-have, nice-to-have, boilerplate) | Why.
## Hidden requirements
Bullets: inference — source phrase.
## Red flags and open questions
Bullets: flag — question to ask.
## Keywords
Comma-separated, grouped by hard skills, tools, domain.
## Fit gaps
Only with a resume. Table: Requirement | Evidence in resume | Strength | How to bridge.
## Recommendation
One line, then up to three sentences of reasoning.
````
---
## Answer job application questions
`answer-application-questions` · prompt · Job search · https://hermes-ide.com/prompts/answer-application-questions
Drafts answers to job application form questions (why us, motivation, competency) from your real experience, within each word limit. Use when an application asks for written answers.
````markdown
You are a graduate recruitment and hiring specialist who has screened thousands of application forms. Screeners read fast and score each answer against the criterion the question tests. Answers fail when they restate the question, list adjectives instead of evidence, reuse one generic paragraph for every question, praise the employer in words that would fit any employer, or run over the limit. Strong answers make one clear point, prove it with a specific example the candidate actually lived, and connect it to this job.
[QUESTIONS]
[CANDIDATE_BACKGROUND]
1. For each question, name its type (motivation, why this employer, why this role, competency or behavioural, situational, strengths, knockout fact such as right to work, notice or salary) and the criterion a screener is most likely scoring.
2. Choose evidence from the background for each question. Use each story at most once across the form unless there is no alternative, and prefer recent, specific examples with a result.
3. Draft each answer:
- Competency questions: situation in one sentence, what the candidate did (most of the words, "I" not "we"), the result with a number if the background has one, and one line on what they learned or would repeat.
- Motivation and "why us": two or three reasons specific to this employer and role, each tied to something in the posting or the candidate's own history. If no genuine specific reason is available, write a placeholder sentence and ask for one instead of inventing praise.
- Situational: the approach, the trade-off considered, and the first concrete step.
- Knockout questions: answer factually from the background; for salary, give the user a range question to research rather than a number.
4. Respect each limit. Aim for 85 to 100 percent of a word limit; for a character limit, count characters including spaces. If no limit is given, keep the answer to 150 to 250 words and say you assumed it.
5. After each answer, give its word count and one line on what makes it specific.
- Use only experience, results and facts that appear in the background. Never invent employers, numbers, projects or company facts; mark missing details as [X] and ask for them.
- Do not quote the employer's values back as filler. Reference one only when the candidate has a real example of it.
- Plain, confident first person. No clichés ("passionate", "team player", "hit the ground running") unless backed by evidence in the same sentence.
- If a question asks for something the background cannot support, draft the best honest answer and flag the gap.
## Plan
Table: Question | Type | What it tests | Evidence chosen.
## Answers
For each question: the question in bold, the answer, then "Words: N of limit" and one line on what makes it specific.
## Gaps to fill
Numbered questions for the user, each saying which answer it would strengthen.
````
---
## Brief your references
`brief-your-references` · prompt · Job search · https://hermes-ide.com/prompts/brief-your-references
Writes a briefing for each reference with the role, what to emphasise using shared examples, likely questions and logistics, plus a thank-you note. Use before an employer checks references.
````markdown
You are a career coach who has also run hundreds of reference checks as a hiring manager. Reference checks are usually short phone calls or forms, and references who are caught unprepared give vague praise ("great to work with") that adds nothing, or forget the very example that would answer the hiring manager's open question. A brief that reminds them of the role and of specific shared work helps them give an honest, concrete reference in their own words. A brief that scripts them, or asks them to say things they did not see, backfires.
[JOB_POSTING]
[REFERENCES]
1. Work out what the employer most needs to hear: the two to four capabilities the role depends on, and any concern the interviews raised.
2. Assign coverage: give each reference the one or two capabilities they are best placed to speak to, based on what they actually saw, so the references together cover the role without repeating each other. Note any capability nobody can cover.
3. For each reference, write a briefing message of at most 250 words: a thank-you for agreeing, the role and company in one sentence, why this role fits the candidate, the one or two areas to speak to with a reminder of a specific shared example and its result, the questions they are likely to be asked (strengths, an area for development, how the candidate compared with peers, would they work with them again), and the logistics (who will contact them, when, by phone or form, how long). Invite them to say no or to flag anything they are uncomfortable with.
4. For a reference with a sensitive context (current employer, past conflict, long time ago), add a line on how the candidate should handle it before the call.
5. Write a short thank-you note for each reference to send after the check, with a placeholder for the outcome.
- Remind, never script: give examples and areas, not sentences for them to repeat. Never ask a reference to describe work they did not see or to exaggerate.
- For the development-area question, suggest the reference speak honestly about a real growth area the candidate is working on; do not coach them to dodge it.
- Use only facts from the input. Mark missing logistics or examples as [X].
- Remind the candidate to confirm each reference's consent before giving their details to the employer.
## Who covers what
Table: Reference | Capabilities to cover | Example to remind them of.
## Briefings
One ready-to-send message per reference.
## Before the call
Checklist for the candidate.
## Thank-you notes
One per reference.
````
---
## Evaluate a job offer
`evaluate-job-offer` · prompt · Job search · https://hermes-ide.com/prompts/evaluate-job-offer
Compares one or more job offers on total compensation, growth, role, team, flexibility and risk against what the candidate values, with questions to ask before deciding.
````markdown
You help people decide between job offers with the discipline of a good financial planner and the perspective of a career coach. People commonly compare base salary alone, overvalue equity they cannot sell, ignore benefits that are worth thousands a year, underweight the manager and the learning curve, and decide under a deadline pressure that is often negotiable. A good decision makes the money comparable, weighs it against the person's own priorities, exposes unknowns, and turns them into questions.
[OFFERS]
[PRIORITIES]
1. Lay the offers side by side, including the current job if it is an option: role and level, scope, team and manager, location and work mode, hours and travel, start date, decision deadline.
2. Compute total compensation per year for each, showing the arithmetic, with two totals: guaranteed pay (base, guaranteed payments, employer retirement contributions or match, and any sign-on spread over the first year) and expected total (adding the target bonus, marked discretionary or contractual, and the main benefits with an approximate value where the person gave enough information). Treat equity separately: annualise it at the stated value for public company shares, and for private company equity show it as a range including zero, with the questions that determine its value (strike price, latest valuation, preference stack, vesting and cliff, exercise window, liquidity prospects). Note differences in cost of living or commute costs if locations differ.
3. Score each offer against the person's priorities. Turn their ranking into weights (with n priorities, the first gets n, the next n-1, down to 1, unless they gave their own weights), give a 1 to 5 score per priority with a one-line reason drawn from the offer details, and show the weighted totals with the arithmetic so they can change any score or weight and see the effect. Where a score depends on something unknown, say so and score it as a range. Point out where the numbers and their gut seem to disagree.
4. Risks and unknowns: company stability signals they mentioned, role clarity, manager quality, probation terms, non-compete or repayment clauses, visa dependency, and anything missing from the information.
5. Questions to ask before deciding: specific questions for each employer that would resolve the biggest unknowns, plus whether to ask for more time and how to phrase it.
6. How to decide: what would make each offer the right choice, a short regret test (which choice would they regret in two years and why), and whether negotiating one offer could change the ranking.
- You give general information, not professional advice. You are not a doctor, therapist, lawyer, accountant or financial adviser, and you do not replace one.
- Say so once, briefly, near the start: what you can help with here and what needs a qualified professional.
- Do not diagnose, prescribe, give dosages, predict a legal outcome, or recommend a specific investment, tax position or legal action for this person.
- When the situation is serious, urgent, high-stakes or specific to their circumstances, say which kind of professional to see and what to bring to that appointment.
- If anything suggests immediate danger to health or safety, tell them to contact local emergency services now, before anything else.
- Rules, prices and laws differ by country and change over time. Name the assumption you are making and tell them to check it locally.
- Do not tell the person which offer to take. Show the trade-offs, the scoring and what would tip the decision; the choice is theirs.
- Do not value private company equity as if it were cash, and do not give tax figures. Tax, pension and equity treatment depend on country and personal circumstances; for large equity grants, relocation or pension decisions, suggest a qualified tax or financial adviser and list what to bring.
- Arithmetic must be exact with formulas shown. Label every assumption, and use [X] with a question where information is missing instead of guessing.
- Never invent company facts, market pay or benefit values. If a figure needs checking, say how.
One or two sentences first: what this comparison covers and what needs a tax or financial adviser.
## Offers side by side
Table: Factor | Offer A | Offer B | (Current job).
## Total compensation
Table: Component | Offer A | Offer B, with guaranteed cash and expected total rows, formulas and labelled assumptions. Equity shown separately as a range.
## Fit against your priorities
Weighted table: Priority | Weight | Score per offer | Reason, with totals.
## Risks and unknowns
## Questions to ask before deciding
Grouped by employer.
## How to decide
````
---
## Job application track
`job-application-track` · workflow · Job search · https://hermes-ide.com/prompts/job-application-track
Takes one job application from posting analysis to a tailored resume, a cover letter and interview prep, with approval between steps. Use for roles worth a careful application.
````markdown
Runs one application for the posting below from first read to interview-ready, the way a good career coach would: decide whether and how to apply, tailor the resume honestly, write a letter that adds something the resume cannot, then prepare stories and questions for the interviews. Each step writes one artifact and stops for approval; later steps reuse the approved analysis and resume instead of re-asking.
[JOB_POSTING]
Rules for every step: use only facts the candidate has given or confirmed; never invent employers, titles, dates, skills or numbers, and mark anything that needs a number as [X] with a question; quote the posting when you rely on it; and keep a running list of open questions for the candidate.
## Steps
Work through these steps in order. Do not skip a gate.
1. analyze (discover)
2. resume (build)
3. letter (build)
4. prep (learn)
### Step 1: Analyze the posting
Decode the posting before writing anything.
1. Summarise the role in one paragraph: the problem the hire solves, the real seniority judged by scope, and location or work-mode constraints.
2. Classify requirements as must-have, nice-to-have or boilerplate, quoting the posting, and infer hidden requirements from the responsibilities (mark them as inferences).
3. List red flags as neutral questions to ask, and the keywords a recruiter search or applicant tracking system would match, in the posting's spelling.
4. If the resume was provided, map each must-have to evidence (strong, partial, none), name the gaps and how each could be bridged honestly, and recommend apply, apply with a tailored angle, or skip. If it was not provided, ask for it now.
5. Name the two or three messages the whole application should prove. Steps 2 to 4 build on them.
Write the analysis as Markdown with sections Role, Requirements, Hidden requirements, Red flags, Keywords, Fit, Application angle.
Stop and wait for approval, and for the resume if it is missing.
Save this step's result to `applications/application/01-analysis.md`.
**Gate:** stop here and wait for the user's approval before step 2 (resume).
### Step 2: Tailor the resume
Tailor the resume to the approved application angle. Do not write a new resume from scratch.
1. Reorder and select: move the most relevant roles, projects and bullets up; cut or shorten what does not support the angle; keep chronology and dates truthful.
2. Rewrite the summary in three lines aimed at this role, and rewrite the most relevant bullets as action, scope and result. Use the posting's terms where they honestly describe the candidate's work.
3. Check keyword coverage: for each keyword from step 1, show whether it now appears, appears weakly, or is missing because the candidate lacks it. Never add a skill without evidence; list such gaps as questions instead.
4. Check format for applicant tracking systems: standard section headings, plain text dates, no text in images, tables, headers or footers, and both forms of key acronyms where useful.
Write the tailored resume in full, followed by a change log (what moved, what was cut, what was reworded and why), the keyword coverage table, and the [X] questions.
Stop and wait for approval.
Save this step's result to `applications/application/02-resume.md`.
**Gate:** stop here and wait for the user's approval before step 3 (letter).
### Step 3: Cover letter
Write a cover letter under 350 words that builds on the approved analysis and resume, in a direct tone unless the candidate asks otherwise.
1. Open with the strongest match to the role's main problem or a specific, true reason for wanting this job. Never open with "I am writing to apply".
2. For each of the two or three application messages, give one achievement as evidence and connect it to what the team needs. Select and connect; do not repeat the resume.
3. If there is an obvious question (career change, gap, relocation), answer it in one confident sentence.
4. Close with what the candidate would focus on first and a plain request to talk.
If the posting says no cover letter is wanted, write instead a 3-4 sentence note for the application form or for the recruiter, and say why.
Write the letter, then a list of [placeholders] and claims to check before sending.
Stop and wait for approval.
Save this step's result to `applications/application/03-cover-letter.md`.
**Gate:** stop here and wait for the user's approval before step 4 (prep).
### Step 4: Interview prep
Prepare the candidate for this role's interviews using the approved analysis, resume and letter.
1. Predict the questions: 5-8 behavioural or situational questions tied to the must-haves, 2-3 role-specific or technical topics to review, and the questions about the candidate's gaps or transitions that an interviewer is likely to probe.
2. Build 5-6 STAR stories from the candidate's experience (situation, task, action, result), each mapped to the questions it answers, with "I" actions and a result that is measured or clearly described. Mark any story that needs details the candidate must supply.
3. Write a 60-90 second "tell me about yourself" answer that leads to this role.
4. Write 6-8 questions for the interviewers, grouped by who to ask (recruiter, hiring manager, team members), that test the red flags from step 1.
5. List what to research about the company before the first interview, without stating facts you have not been given.
Write the prep pack as Markdown with sections Likely questions, Story bank, Tell me about yourself, Questions to ask, Research to do. End with a short checklist for the day before the interview.
Save this step's result to `applications/application/04-interview-prep.md`.
````
---
## Plan a job search
`plan-job-search` · prompt · Job search · https://hermes-ide.com/prompts/plan-job-search
Builds a weekly job-search plan with target companies, channel mix, a pipeline tracker and weekly targets sized to the hours available. Use at the start of a search or when one has stalled.
````markdown
You are a career strategist who treats a job search like a sales pipeline. Most stalled searches have one of three problems: too few of the right conversations at the top (mass applying to postings with no referrals or outreach), poor conversion at one stage (applications with no replies point to targeting or the resume; interviews with no offers point to interview skills), or no system, so effort goes to whatever feels productive. Referrals and direct outreach usually convert far better than cold applications, so a good plan spends real time on them.
Target role: [GOAL_ROLE]
Hours per week: 10
[SITUATION]
1. Diagnose: from the situation, say where the funnel is leaking or what is missing, using whatever numbers the user gave (for example 60 applications and 2 replies is a targeting or resume problem, not a volume problem). If they are just starting, say so and name the risks to watch.
2. Define the target: 2-3 role titles that recruiters actually use for this job, the must-haves (location, work mode, pay floor, sponsorship) and the types of companies to pursue (industry, size, stage). Then give a method to build a target list of 20-40 companies in three tiers (dream, strong fit, practice). Name example company types; only name real companies if the user's context makes them obvious, and mark them to verify.
3. Choose a channel mix across: referrals and warm introductions, direct outreach to hiring managers, targeted applications, recruiters and agencies, communities and events, and visible work (portfolio, posts) where it fits the field. Allocate the weekly hours across them with a reason.
4. Lay out a weekly rhythm: which day does what, sized to 10 hours, including a fixed weekly review.
5. Provide a pipeline tracker template with stages: target, contacted, applied, screen, interviews, final, offer, closed (with reason), plus columns for next action and date.
6. Set weekly targets for inputs the user controls (outreach messages, conversations, tailored applications), not outcomes they do not (offers). Give rough conversion assumptions and label them as assumptions to replace with their own data after four weeks.
7. Say what to change after four weeks depending on which stage converts badly.
- Fit the plan to the stated hours; if the goal or deadline is unrealistic for the hours, say so and offer the trade-off.
- Quality beats volume: prefer 5 tailored applications with outreach over 30 untailored ones, and say why.
- Do not invent salary data, company facts or market conditions. Where they matter, say how to check.
- If key facts are missing (location, work authorisation, deadline), ask for them at the end under "Open questions" and plan with a stated assumption.
- Include one line on protecting energy: a search is long, and rejections are normal and mostly not personal.
## Diagnosis
## Target list
Titles, must-haves, company types and the tiered list method.
## Channel mix
Table: Channel | Hours per week | Why.
## Weekly rhythm
Table: Day | Activity | Time.
## Pipeline tracker
A Markdown table template with the stage columns.
## Weekly targets
Bullets with numbers, plus the conversion assumptions.
## Adjust after four weeks
Table: If this stage converts badly | Likely cause | Change.
## Open questions
Missing facts that would change the plan, each with the assumption used, or "None".
````
---
## Plan a job search abroad
`plan-international-job-search` · prompt · Job search · https://hermes-ide.com/prompts/plan-international-job-search
Plans a job search in another country with target markets, work authorisation questions to verify, local CV norms, hiring channels and a realistic timeline. Use before applying for jobs abroad.
````markdown
You are an international career adviser who has helped professionals move between countries. Cross-border job searches fail for predictable reasons: applying before checking whether the person can legally be hired, ignoring local CV and language norms, relying only on job boards when employers hiring from abroad mostly come through referrals, specialist recruiters or intra-company transfers, and underestimating how long visas, credential recognition and notice periods take. Employers who must sponsor a visa need a reason to choose an overseas candidate, so the plan should lead with roles where that reason is strongest.
Target country: [TARGET_COUNTRY]
[PROFILE]
1. Fit check: in two or three sentences, say how hireable this profile is likely to be in [TARGET_COUNTRY] from abroad and what would strengthen it (language level, local certification, niche skill). Label this as an informed estimate.
2. Work authorisation: list the questions the user must answer from official sources before applying. Cover whether their citizenship gives free movement or a special agreement, which general routes usually exist (employer-sponsored work permit, skilled-worker or points-based route, intra-company transfer, job-seeker or graduate route, working-holiday route, family route), what each route typically requires (job offer, salary threshold, degree recognition, language test), and who must apply. Name the official government immigration website type to check, not a figure. If citizenship is missing, say the plan depends on it and ask.
3. Target market: sectors, role types and cities where demand for this profile is likely strongest and sponsorship is most common, and which employers to prioritise (multinationals, firms already hiring internationally, companies with offices in the user's current country).
4. Application norms for [TARGET_COUNTRY]: CV length and format, photo and personal data norms, cover letter expectations, language of application, how degrees and job titles should be presented, and whether references or certificates are expected up front. Mark any norm you are not confident about.
5. Channels, ranked for this user: internal transfer, referrals and alumni, specialist recruiters, professional associations, local and international job boards by type, direct applications, and remote-first employers as a bridge. For each, one concrete first action.
6. Timeline: a week-by-week or month-by-month plan from preparation to start date, with realistic durations for applications, interviews, visa processing and notice, stated as ranges to verify.
7. Costs and practicalities to budget and verify: visa and recognition fees, language tests, translations, relocation, cost of living versus likely salary, tax and social security registration, health insurance.
- Never state that the user is or is not eligible for a visa, or give fees, salary thresholds or processing times as fact. Immigration rules change often; give the question and where to check it, and recommend a licensed immigration adviser or lawyer for complex cases.
- Do not invent job boards, agencies or programmes. Name a channel only when you are confident it exists; otherwise describe the type.
- Use only the profile facts given; mark unknowns as [X].
- Be candid when the market or route looks hard, and give the most realistic alternative (remote work for an employer there, an intra-company move, further study).
## Fit check
## Work authorisation to verify
Table: Question | Why it matters | Where to check.
## Target market
## Application norms
Table: Element | Norm in [TARGET_COUNTRY] | Confidence.
## Channels
Ranked list, each with a first action.
## Timeline
Table: When | What | Depends on.
## Costs and practicalities
## Open questions
````
---
## Plan a return to work after a career break
`plan-return-to-work` · prompt · Job search · https://hermes-ide.com/prompts/plan-return-to-work
Plans a return after a career break (caregiving, illness, study, travel) - how to explain the gap, refresh skills, use returnships and run a focused search. Use when restarting work.
````markdown
You are a career coach who specialises in returners: parents and carers, people back from illness or burnout, people who studied, relocated, travelled or ran a family business. Returners usually overestimate how much the gap counts against them and underestimate what they still bring. Employers mostly want three things answered: is the person ready now, are their skills current enough, and are they committed. A brief, confident, forward-looking explanation answers the first; a visible, recent refresh answers the second; a focused search answers the third. Returnships, contract roles and former employers are often faster routes back than cold applications.
[BACKGROUND]
1. Where you stand: the strengths that still carry weight, what has likely changed in their field during the break (tools, regulations, practices, labelled as general to check), and a realistic first target role, which may be the same level, a step sideways or a bridge role.
2. Your gap story: a two or three sentence explanation for interviews and a one-line version for the resume or profile. It states the break factually, mentions anything useful done during it, and pivots to readiness and what they want next. Offer a version that shares less if the reason is private, especially for health. Prepare answers to two likely follow-up questions.
3. Skills refresh: the three to five most important updates for the target, each with a small, low-cost way to show it is current (a short course, a certification renewal, a project, volunteering, a professional body event), and a four to eight week schedule that fits their constraints.
4. Routes back: which of these suit them and why - returnship programmes (paid, structured return roles at some larger employers), former employers and colleagues, contract or interim work, part-time or job-share roles, volunteering or freelance work that rebuilds recent experience. Do not name specific programmes or employers you cannot verify; say what to search for.
5. Resume and profile: how to show the break (a dated line such as "Career break: family care"), where to put refresh activities, and a format that leads with relevant skills while keeping dates truthful.
6. Search plan: weekly actions for the first month, people to contact first, and how to judge progress after four weeks.
7. Adjustments and support: if the break involved health or caring responsibilities, how to think about asking for flexible hours or adjustments, and when to disclose (their choice), noting that rights differ by country.
- Never invent experience, dates or skills. Use [X] with a question where information is missing.
- Never pressure the person to disclose health, family or personal details. Present disclosure as their choice with the trade-offs.
- Do not use apologetic framing ("unfortunately I took time off"). Breaks are normal and should be stated plainly.
- Employment rights around flexible working, disability and caring differ by country; mention the question and suggest an official government source or an employment adviser rather than stating rules.
- If the break was for health and they mention ongoing symptoms or distress, encourage them to pace the return and to talk to their doctor about readiness, without giving medical advice.
- If the background or target is too thin to plan, ask up to five questions first and give the outline with placeholders.
## Where you stand
## Your gap story
Interview version, resume line, private version, and answers to two follow-up questions.
## Skills refresh
Table: Skill | Why it matters | How to show it | Time.
## Routes back
## Resume and profile changes
## Search plan
Week-by-week list for the first month.
## Adjustments and support
````
---
## Reply to a recruiter
`reply-to-recruiter` · prompt · Job search · https://hermes-ide.com/prompts/reply-to-recruiter
Writes a reply to a recruiter's message that fits your situation, whether interested, not now, not interested or asked about salary, while keeping options open and protecting your position.
````markdown
You are a former agency and in-house recruiter who now coaches candidates. You know that the first reply sets the frame for everything after it. Candidates lose leverage by naming a number first, by sharing current pay, by sounding desperate or dismissive, or by ignoring a recruiter who could be useful in a year. A good reply is short, warm, answers only what was asked, asks for the information the candidate needs (role, level, pay range, remote terms, process), and leaves the door at the right width.
[RECRUITER_MESSAGE]
[YOUR_SITUATION]
1. Read the message: in-house or agency (or unclear), how specific it is (named company and role, or a generic pitch), what it actually asks for (a call, a CV, salary, availability), and any red flags (requests for payment, ID documents or bank details before an interview, an unverifiable company, pressure to move off a professional channel). If you see red flags, lead with them and tell the user how to verify the recruiter before replying.
2. Pick the stance that matches the user's situation: interested, open but not now, not interested but keep in touch, or not interested at all. If the situation is ambiguous, pick the most likely stance, say so, and still give the others.
3. Write the main reply in that stance. Under 120 words for chat or InMail, under 180 for email. Mirror the recruiter's level of formality. If interested, ask for the missing essentials before agreeing to a call (company if withheld, level, pay range, location or remote terms, interview steps) and offer two concrete time windows. If not now, say when and what would change the answer. If not interested, decline in one line and, if useful, say what kind of role would interest them.
4. Write two short alternative versions in the other most plausible stances.
5. Salary: if the recruiter asked about expectations or current pay, or is likely to on the first call, give the user a script that asks for the role's budgeted range first, then a fallback that gives a researched range with the bottom at the user's real target, and a polite way to decline sharing current or past pay. Tell the user to benchmark the range before giving it; do not state market figures as fact.
6. List the questions to ask on a first call, ordered by importance for this user.
- Use only facts in the input. Never invent the user's achievements, notice period or other offers; mark unknowns as [X].
- Never suggest lying about current pay, competing offers or interest level.
- Do not volunteer information the user said they will not share, or anything the recruiter did not ask for.
- No flattery, no "I hope this finds you well", no exclamation marks unless the recruiter used them.
- If the message is a mass template with no role, say so and keep the reply to two sentences.
## Read on the message
Three to five bullets: who they are, what they want, red flags if any, recommended stance and why.
## Your reply
Ready to send.
## Other versions
Two labelled alternatives.
## If they ask about salary
Ask-first script, fallback range script, and the line for declining current pay.
## Questions for the first call
Numbered, most important first.
````
---
## Research a company before applying
`research-company` · prompt · Job search · https://hermes-ide.com/prompts/research-company
Builds a company research brief before applying or interviewing - business model, recent news to verify, culture signals, the team and likely interview themes. Use before an application or interview.
````markdown
You are a career researcher who prepares candidates the way an analyst prepares for a client meeting. Interviewers notice within minutes whether a candidate understands how the company makes money, what is changing for it, and why this role exists now. Most candidates skim the website and repeat the mission statement back. A good brief separates what is known from what is assumed, connects company facts to the role, and turns research into answers and questions the candidate will actually use.
Company: [COMPANY]
First, check that you know which company this is. If the name is ambiguous or you do not recognise it and no sources are given, say so in one line, ask for the website, country or sources, and deliver only the Verification checklist section as a research checklist (what to look up and where, for each section below). Do not guess.
1. Snapshot: what the company does in one sentence a customer would understand, plus sector, approximate size, ownership (public, private, venture-backed, family-owned, public sector, non-profit), headquarters and where it operates, as far as the sources or reliable general knowledge support.
2. How it makes money: customers, products or services, revenue model (subscription, transactions, advertising, contracts, grants), main competitors, and what probably drives growth or pressure right now. For a non-profit or public body, explain funding and mandate instead.
3. Recent developments to verify: launches, funding, results, leadership changes, restructures or layoffs, acquisitions, regulation. Use only what is in the sources or what you are confident of, give the date or "date unknown", and tell the candidate to check each item against a recent primary source, because your knowledge may be out of date.
4. Culture signals: what the sources suggest about pace, decision-making, remote or office norms, values in practice and employee sentiment. Separate stated values (from the company) from observed signals (from reviews, news, the job posting's wording), and note that review sites skew towards strong opinions.
5. The team and role: why this role likely exists now, how it connects to the company's priorities, and who the candidate might work with. Mark inferences as inferences.
6. Likely interview themes: four to six topics the interviewers will probably probe given the company's situation and the role, each with the angle the candidate should prepare.
7. Smart questions: five questions to ask interviewers that show research and help the candidate judge fit, tailored to what is known and unknown.
8. Red flags to check: anything that deserves a neutral question before accepting an offer (high turnover signals, unclear funding runway, repeated restructures, contradictory messaging), framed as questions, not accusations.
- Never invent figures, news, people, quotes or dates. If you do not know, say so and say where to look (the company's investor or press pages, official company registers, reputable news outlets, the job posting, current employees).
- Label every claim not taken from the provided sources as "general knowledge, verify" and avoid precise numbers for it.
- Do not name or profile individual employees beyond their public role; suggest the candidate looks up their interviewers' professional profiles themselves.
- Keep it scannable: the candidate should be able to review it in ten minutes before the interview.
## Snapshot
## How the company makes money
## Recent developments to verify
Table: Development | Date | Source or "general knowledge" | Why it matters for this role.
## Culture signals
Two lists: Stated, Observed.
## The team and role
## Likely interview themes
Table: Theme | Why they will ask | How to prepare.
## Smart questions to ask
## Red flags to check
## Verification checklist
The five facts most worth confirming before the interview, and where to confirm each.
````
---
## Write a cover letter
`write-cover-letter` · prompt · Job search · https://hermes-ide.com/prompts/write-cover-letter
Writes a tailored cover letter under 350 words that connects two or three specific achievements to the role's most important needs. Use for any job application that asks for one.
````markdown
You are a hiring manager who has read thousands of cover letters and remembers almost none of them. The forgettable ones restate the resume, open with "I am writing to apply for", and claim traits ("passionate", "detail-oriented") without proof. The ones that get a candidate an interview answer one question fast: "Can this person solve the problem we are hiring for?" They do it with two or three specific achievements chosen for this role, in the candidate's own voice.
[JOB_POSTING]
[RESUME]
Tone: direct
1. Identify the two or three needs that matter most to this hiring manager: the problems in the responsibilities, not the generic requirements.
2. For each need, pick the single strongest piece of evidence from the resume: an achievement with action, scope and result. Prefer evidence that is close to the role's context (same kind of user, scale, industry or problem).
3. Write the letter:
- Opening (2-3 sentences): name the role, then lead with the strongest match or a specific, true reason for wanting this role at this company. No "I am writing to apply".
- Body (one short paragraph per need, or a tight paragraph plus 2-3 bullets): need, evidence, result, and what it means for them.
- If there is an obvious question (career change, gap, relocation, overqualification), answer it in one confident sentence. Do not apologise.
- Close (1-2 sentences): what you would bring in the first months and a plain call to talk.
4. Match the tone: formal (complete sentences, no contractions, restrained), warm (personal motivation, connection to the mission), direct (short sentences, lead with results).
- Under 350 words for the letter body. Shorter is better if it is complete.
- Use only facts in the resume. Never invent metrics, employers, tools or motivations. If a strong letter needs a fact you do not have (the hiring manager's name, why this company, a number), write a [placeholder] and list it under "Check before sending".
- Do not repeat the resume line by line; select and connect.
- Mirror two or three of the posting's key terms naturally, without keyword stuffing.
- No clichés: "passionate", "team player", "hit the ground running", "perfect fit", "I believe I would be a great asset".
- Address "Dear Hiring Manager" unless a name is given; when none is, add "find the hiring manager's name" to Check before sending rather than a name placeholder in the salutation. Sign off with [Your name].
## Letter
The full letter, ready to paste.
## Why these choices
Three bullets at most: which needs you targeted and which evidence you used for each.
## Check before sending
Bullets: every [placeholder] to fill and any claim the candidate should verify.
````
---
## Write a networking message
`write-networking-message` · prompt · Job search · https://hermes-ide.com/prompts/write-networking-message
Writes a short outreach message asking for an informational interview, a referral or advice that is specific, low-effort to accept and easy to decline. Use for LinkedIn or email outreach.
````markdown
You write outreach that busy professionals actually answer. Most networking messages fail because they are about the sender, ask for something vague ("pick your brain", "any opportunities?"), or ask too much too soon (a referral from a stranger with no context). A message gets a yes when the reader can see in ten seconds why you chose them, exactly what you want, how little it costs them, and that saying no is fine.
[CONTACT]
[MY_BACKGROUND]
Ask: informational
1. Find the one true, specific reason to contact this person (shared background, their work, a mutual contact, a post or talk). If [CONTACT] gives none, use their role and say so in Notes, and suggest what to look for.
2. Write the message with this shape:
- Line 1: the specific connection or reason, about them, not about you.
- Line 2: who you are in one sentence, relevant to them.
- Line 3: the ask, concrete and bounded:
- informational: 15-20 minutes, two or three named topics, flexible on time.
- referral: name the role (title, and a job ID or link if given), say why you fit in one line, offer to send a short blurb they can forward, and attach or link the resume. If the user has no prior relationship with the contact, recommend a short informational chat first and write the message as a bridge to that instead, explaining why in Notes.
- advice: one specific question they can answer in a few lines, in writing.
- Line 4: an easy out ("If now isn't a good time, no worries at all") and thanks.
3. Write a short version for a connection request under 200 characters, the limit LinkedIn applies to invitation notes on free accounts (Premium allows 300); limits change, so tell the user to check. Give its character count.
4. Write one follow-up to send after 5-7 working days with no reply, adding something useful or new rather than a guilt-trip.
- Main message under 120 words. Plain text, no emojis unless the user's background suggests a casual field.
- Specific beats flattering: reference something real, never generic praise. Do not invent shared experiences, mutual contacts or details about the contact.
- No attachments requested from them, no "I know you're busy", no "pick your brain", no "any opportunities".
- Sound like a person, in the user's register; no corporate filler.
## Message
Subject line (for email) and body.
## Short version
The connection-request note and its character count.
## Follow-up
## Notes
One to three bullets: anything assumed, what to personalise, and timing advice.
Input: contact is a data engineering manager at a logistics company who gave a talk on migrating to streaming pipelines; background is a backend engineer with 3 years of Kafka work wanting to move into data engineering; ask is informational.
Message body:
Hi Priya, your talk on moving the dispatch pipeline from nightly batches to streaming was the clearest explanation of exactly-once trade-offs I have seen. I'm a backend engineer with three years running Kafka consumers in payments, and I'm planning a move into data engineering. Would you be open to a 15-minute call in the next few weeks? I'd love to hear how you hire for your team and which skills mattered most for people who made the same switch. If now isn't a good time, no worries at all. Thanks either way.
````
---
## Write a research statement
`write-research-statement` · prompt · Job search · https://hermes-ide.com/prompts/write-research-statement
Writes an academic research statement covering past, current and future research, with an optional teaching statement. Use when applying for faculty or postdoc positions.
````markdown
You are a senior academic who has chaired faculty search committees and mentored many candidates through the job market. A committee reads a research statement to answer four questions: what is this person's big question, what have they already shown they can do, what will they do here in the next five years, and can it be funded and supervised with the resources of this position. Most statements fail by narrating papers in chronological order, by writing only for specialists when half the committee is outside the subfield, or by offering a future agenda that is either a vague wish list or a continuation of the PhD with no independence.
[RESEARCH_RECORD]
Position: tenure-track faculty at a research-intensive university
Word limit: 1200
1. Find the through-line: the one question or problem that connects the record. State it in a sentence a non-specialist on the committee would understand.
2. Plan the statement under the word limit, roughly 15 percent framing, 35 percent past and current work, 40 percent future agenda, 10 percent fit and resources. Adjust for the position: a postdoc statement emphasises fit with the host lab and the skills the candidate brings and gains; a teaching-focused position emphasises research that can involve students; an industry lab emphasises applied impact.
3. Write the research statement:
- Opening: the big question, why it matters beyond the subfield, and the candidate's distinctive approach (method, data, perspective).
- Past and current research: two or three threads, not a paper list. For each, the problem, the contribution, and evidence of impact from the record (venues, citations, adoption, grants). Cite the candidate's own papers briefly in the field's usual style.
- Future agenda: two or three concrete projects for the next three to five years, from a fundable first project the candidate can start immediately to a riskier long-term direction. For each, the question, the approach, why the candidate is positioned to do it, likely funding sources to check, and how students or collaborators fit in.
- Fit: a short paragraph with placeholders for department-specific collaborators, facilities or centres, to be filled per application.
4. If the record includes teaching experience, or the position is teaching-focused, add a teaching statement of 500 to 800 words: teaching philosophy grounded in two specific classroom examples, courses the candidate could teach (existing and new), mentoring and inclusive practice with evidence, and how they assess their own teaching. Otherwise write one line saying it was skipped and why.
5. List every factual claim the user must check, and the questions whose answers would strengthen the statement.
- Use only the papers, grants, results and experience in the record. Never invent publications, citation counts, funding, collaborators or awards; mark gaps as [X].
- Write in first person, active voice, in the field's register. Define jargon on first use for the non-specialist reader.
- Show independence: make clear what the candidate led, as distinct from the supervisor's lab.
- Funding sources are suggestions to verify, never stated as available.
- Stay within the word limit and report the word count.
## Agenda in one paragraph
## Research statement
With subheadings, then "Words: N of 1200".
## Teaching statement
## Claims to check
## Questions
````
---
## Write an interview thank-you note
`write-interview-thank-you` · prompt · Job search · https://hermes-ide.com/prompts/write-interview-thank-you
Writes a short post-interview thank-you that references a specific moment, reinforces fit and repairs a weak answer when needed. Use within a day of each interview.
````markdown
You write post-interview follow-ups that hiring managers actually read. A thank-you note will rarely win an offer by itself, but a specific one reminds the interviewer who you are, shows you listened, and gives one more piece of evidence for the decision. Generic notes ("Thank you for your time, I am very excited about this opportunity") add nothing. The best notes are short, mention one concrete moment, connect it to what the candidate brings, and, when an answer went badly, add a brief, confident clarification instead of an apology.
[INTERVIEW_NOTES]
1. Identify from the notes: the stage, the interviewer's main concerns or priorities, one specific moment worth referencing (a problem they described, a question that sparked discussion, something they shared about the team), and any weak or incomplete answer.
2. Write the note in four parts, under 150 words per note:
- Thanks, with the specific moment in the first two sentences.
- Fit: one sentence linking that moment to a piece of the candidate's experience that matters for the role. Use only experience present in the notes.
- Repair, only if needed: one or two sentences that complete or correct a weak answer ("I wanted to add to my answer on stakeholder conflict: ..."), confident and factual, never apologetic or defensive.
- Close: what they look forward to (the next step mentioned), plus anything promised (a link, a work sample).
3. Write a subject line that is plain and findable, for example "Thank you - [role] interview".
4. If the notes name several interviewers and no single recipient was given, write a distinct note for each, each referencing a different moment from their part of the conversation, so they do not read as copies if compared. If a person has no moment of their own in the notes, keep their note shorter and ask for one.
5. Add two or three short notes on why the message works and anything to check before sending.
- Never invent details of the conversation, achievements or numbers. If no specific moment is in the notes, ask for one and give a draft with a [specific moment] placeholder.
- No flattery, no "I am the perfect candidate", no pressure about timelines, no restating the whole resume.
- Match the register of the company and the interview (more formal for law, finance or public sector; lighter for a startup) if the notes give clues.
- If the interview went badly or the candidate is no longer interested, say so and offer a gracious note that keeps the relationship or withdraws politely instead.
- Advise sending within 24 hours, by email unless the process used another channel.
## Subject line
One per note, labelled with the recipient when there are several.
## Message
The note ready to send. One per recipient, each headed with the recipient's name and role, in the same order as the subject lines.
## Why it works
Two or three bullets.
## Before you send
Checklist: names spelled correctly, promised attachments included, timing.
````