The job search is the most adversarial transaction most people will ever run, and they run it almost entirely without coaching. You are negotiating against a company that has hiring playbooks, recruiters who run this for a living, and an internal preference for the safe candidate over the best one. You are running this once every few years from cold. The asymmetry is brutal, and the standard advice (network more, tailor your resume, do mock interviews) treats it as a logistics problem rather than what it actually is, which is a structured game where the side with the better preparation wins.
This is where AI changes the equation in your favour. Not as a resume generator (the company is already running yours through a parsing tool). Not as a cover letter writer (the company can spot the AI cadence in three seconds). The real leverage is upstream: deciding which roles to chase, decoding the people on the other side of the table, anticipating the questions you have not prepped for, modelling the negotiation before you walk into it. Those are the moments where preparation compounds, and AI is the only thinking partner available at 11pm on a Wednesday when you have a final round on Friday and your usual mentor is in another timezone.
The HIRED Framework is fifty prompts for the parts of the job search that are too dense, too political, and too time pressured to figure out alone. Five pillars covering the full arc from sourcing to signed offer. Use them before the application, before the interview, after the interview, and before the negotiation. None of them will get you the job. All of them will make you meaningfully sharper than the candidate who is winging it.
This guide is LLM agnostic. The prompts work in ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and any approved enterprise model. Anonymise sensitive information where required. Specificity in your inputs is the difference between generic job search advice and a real plan for your specific situation.
What is the HIRED Framework
A method for using AI as a structured thinking partner across the five categories of work that determine whether you land the right role on the right terms. Each pillar maps to one phase of the job search arc.
- H: Hunt. Find the roles worth your time. Decode the postings. Filter ruthlessly so you spend your energy on the openings where you are credible and the role is real.
- I: Identify. Decode the company, the hiring manager, the interview panel, and the politics of the seat before you ever take a call. Walk in with intel they will assume came from years of experience.
- R: Refine. Sharpen your materials so that the resume, the cover letter, the LinkedIn profile, and the work samples each carry their weight without the AI cadence that signals you outsourced the writing.
- E: Engage. Prep the interview. Mock the difficult questions. Anticipate the curveballs. Send the thank you note that actually moves the needle rather than the one that just checks the politeness box.
- D: Decide. Negotiate the offer. Compare against alternatives. Walk away from offers you should walk away from. Resign from the current role cleanly. Set yourself up for Day 1.
Five pillars. The HIRED Framework is sequential in rough terms (you Hunt before you Identify, Identify before you Refine, and so on) but loops in practice. By the Engage phase you will often be back in Identify mode for an interviewer you did not know about until the calendar invite landed three hours before the call.
How to use this guide
Three principles before you run any of the prompts below.
First, the job search is information asymmetric and the company is not on your side. They are running a process designed to land them the best candidate at the lowest cost with the least risk. Your job is to flip as much of that asymmetry as you can before you walk into the room. AI is the cheapest intelligence service you will ever access. Use it deliberately, not just for drafting words.
Second, the model can only help with what you give it. Paste the actual job description, the actual hiring manager's LinkedIn, the actual recent funding news, the actual feedback your recruiter gave you after the screen. Generic input produces generic preparation. The specificity is the value, and the specificity is also what stops the AI cadence from sneaking into your outputs.
Third, the writing the model produces is a draft, not a deliverable. Anything that goes to the company in your name (cover letter, take home, follow up, thank you note) must be rewritten by you in your own voice. Companies can spot pure AI prose in three seconds and the read is "lazy" not "tech savvy." Where the prompt says [paste context], be specific.
H: Hunt
H1: The Real Role Decoder
Below is a job description I am considering applying for. Decode it.
Tell me what the role is really being hired for (the underlying
business need), what is being de emphasised in the listing that
should worry me, the level it is genuinely at (versus the title), and
whether the listed comp band is credible or aspirational. End with
the verdict: worth my full energy, worth a low effort apply, or skip.
JD: [paste]
H2: The Hidden Role Finder
I am qualified to do [paste your function and level]. Generate the
list of company types and stages where roles like this are most
likely to be open right now but not actively advertised. For each,
tell me the right way to surface those opportunities (warm intros,
specific platforms, hiring patterns to track). End with the three
companies I should target first based on my background. Background:
[paste]
H3: The Reverse Match
Below is my background, my track record, and what I am genuinely good
at. Generate the five role archetypes I would be a strong fit for
that I am probably not searching for because they sit outside my
usual title set. For each, tell me which of my experiences translates
and which has to be reframed. Background: [paste]
H4: The Lateral Industry Mapper
I have spent my career in [paste industry]. I am open to lateral
moves. Map the adjacent industries where my skills transfer at high
value. For each, tell me what about my background reads as
distinctive there, what would read as a gap, and the framing on my
resume that would close the gap before the recruiter screen.
H5: The Career Pivot Reality Check
I am considering pivoting from [current track] to [target track]. Be
ruthless. Pressure test whether this pivot is real or whether I am
rationalising a burnout response. Tell me what would have to be true
in 12 months for the pivot to be a good call, what evidence I have
that it would work, and what evidence I am ignoring. End with the
verdict and the cheapest experiment this quarter to test it.
H6: The "Why Is This Open" Decoder
Below is a role I am considering. Generate the five most likely
reasons this seat is open right now (last person quit, last person
fired, newly created, growth backfill, internal candidate passed).
For each, tell me the question I would ask the recruiter that would
reveal which reason it actually is, and how the real reason changes
whether I should pursue. JD and context: [paste]
H7: The Apply Effort Calibrator
Below are 10 roles I am considering applying to. For each, score on
(a) likelihood of being a real fit, (b) likelihood of the company
actually closing this seat, (c) my probable rank in their candidate
pool, (d) the cost in time of a quality application. Recommend three
to go full effort on, three to apply low effort, and four to skip.
Roles: [paste]
H8: The Comp Range Triangulator
The role is [paste role and level] at [paste company]. Triangulate
the realistic compensation range. Use what you know about the
company's stage, the function, comparable public data, and any
geographic factors. Give me three numbers: opening ask, target, and
walk away. End with what factor in my profile would push me to the
top of the band versus the bottom.
H9: The Geographic Arbitrage Finder
I am open to [remote / hybrid / relocate to paste cities]. For my
function and level, identify the geographies that combine the best
comp, the highest density of relevant roles, and the lowest cost of
living friction. Tell me where the math is genuinely better and
where it just looks better in the listing.
H10: The Application Portfolio Distribution
I have bandwidth for [paste number] active applications. Help me
distribute across stretch (would be a step up), reach (slightly
above my level), match (right at level), and anchor (clearly within
reach) roles. Tell me the recommended split based on my current
employment situation, savings, and risk tolerance. Context: [paste]
I: Identify
I1: The Company Deep Decode
The company is [paste]. Do a strategic decode. Recent funding or
financial performance, leadership stability, public reputation
inside the industry, recent product or strategic shifts, and any
controversy I should know about. End with the three questions worth
asking in the interview that would reveal whether the company knows
its own situation, and the one red flag that would make me decline
to interview.
I2: The Hiring Manager Backgrounder
The hiring manager is [paste name and title]. Their LinkedIn says
[paste relevant detail]. Tell me what I can infer about how they
hire, what they value in direct reports, what they have publicly
said about their function or industry, and what kind of candidate
they have hired before. End with the one thing about me that will
most resonate with them and the one thing I should de emphasise.
I3: The Interview Panel Mapper
The interview panel is [paste names and roles]. For each, tell me
what they are most likely to probe on based on their role, their
public output, and their tenure at the company. Predict the question
each will lead with, the question each is most likely to fall back
on if I do not engage well, and which panel member is most likely
the swing vote on the hire.
I4: The Recent News Audit
Search the recent news, press releases, and earnings or funding
announcements for [paste company] over the last six months. Summarise
what changed, what is being communicated externally that the
employees may or may not believe internally, and what this means for
the role I am interviewing for. Flag any item that would change
whether I want this job.
I5: The Internal Champion Hunter
Below is my LinkedIn network and any other connections I have to
[paste company]. Identify the warm paths I have not yet used:
mutual connections, alumni overlap, former colleagues, second degree
introductions. For the top three, draft the outreach message that
would be most likely to convert into a candid 15 minute conversation
about what it is really like to work there.
I6: The Glassdoor Pattern Reader
Below are the Glassdoor (or comparable) reviews for [paste company].
Separate signal from noise. What complaints come up repeatedly versus
once, what compliments are specific versus generic, what time periods
show shifts in sentiment, and what the company has clearly not fixed
despite knowing about it. End with the three questions I should ask
in interviews that would reveal whether the most recurrent complaint
applies to this specific team. Reviews: [paste]
I7: The Culture Versus Stated Values Gap
The company publicly states its values are [paste]. Based on the
news, reviews, executive interviews, and any other context below,
tell me where the actual culture matches the stated values and
where the gap is widest. End with the question in the interview
that would let me test whether the team I would join lives on the
stated side or the actual side. Context: [paste]
I8: The Predecessor Investigation
The role I am interviewing for [is new / was previously held by
someone who paste outcome]. Based on context below, tell me what the
predecessor's exit story most likely is in the unvarnished version
that no one will tell me in the interview. End with the one specific
thing I should ask in the interview that would let the hiring
manager confirm or deny the unvarnished version without realising
that is what I am doing. Context: [paste]
I9: The Compensation Reality Check
For [paste role, level, company, location], cross reference public
salary data, levels comparable sites, and recent reporting on
compensation at this company. Give me the realistic comp band the
company is actually paying right now (not last year), what equity
typically looks like at this stage, and where the negotiation
leverage tends to be: base, signing, equity, or other.
I10: The Strategic Bet Assessment
The company is making a strategic bet on [paste their core bet].
Audit the bet from an outside view. What has to be true for the bet
to work, who else is making the same bet better, and what is the
realistic probability the company is still independent and pursuing
this bet in 24 months. Tell me whether joining at this stage is
strategically smart, strategically irrelevant, or strategically risky
for my own career trajectory.
R: Refine
R1: The Resume Line Audit
Below is my resume. Go line by line. For each bullet, tell me whether
it is doing real work (specific, quantified, signals capability) or
filler (vague verb, no result, generic). Flag every line that should
be cut, rewritten, or kept. End with the two strongest bullets that
are buried where they should not be, and the placement they deserve.
Resume: [paste]
R2: The Job Specific Resume Tailor
Below is my resume and the JD for the role I am applying to. Tell me
specifically which bullets to reorder, which to rewrite (with the
rewrite), which to delete for this version, and which experience
that I have not yet surfaced should be added. Do not rewrite the
whole resume. Surgical edits only. Resume: [paste]. JD: [paste]
R3: The Cover Letter Opener
I am writing a cover letter for [paste role and company]. Draft
three openers. First is a specific reference to something the
company is doing that I have a credible angle on. Second is a one
sentence positioning of why my background uniquely fits this seat.
Third is a candid statement about why this role is right for where
I am in my career. For each, tell me what the hiring manager will
read into it. Context: [paste]
R4: The LinkedIn Profile Audit
Below is my LinkedIn headline, about section, and recent experience
bullets. Audit for inbound recruiter optimisation. What keywords are
missing for my target role, what reads as generic, what reads as
overdone, and what one sentence change to the headline would most
increase the right kind of inbound messages. LinkedIn: [paste]
R5: The Quantification Pass
Below are my recent role descriptions. For each unquantified
achievement, propose the most defensible specific number based on
context (team size, budget, time period, outcome). Flag where I do
not have the data to be specific so I know what to dig up. End with
the one bullet that is most undersold by the lack of quantification.
Descriptions: [paste]
R6: The AI Cadence Killer
Below is what I have drafted. Identify every sentence that reads as
AI generated rather than human written: rule of three constructions,
generic positive verbs (leveraged, spearheaded, pioneered), overly
balanced sentence rhythm, vague impact claims. Rewrite those sections
in a way a real human would write them, in my voice based on the
sample below. Draft: [paste]. Voice sample: [paste]
R7: The Outsider Audit
Below is my recent role description. Read it as if I have no context
about the industry, the company, or what these acronyms mean. Tell
me what I think the role actually does, what is unclear, what
sounds important but I cannot evaluate, and what is missing that
would help an outsider understand the level and scope. Description:
[paste]
R8: The Why You Should Hire Me Memo
I am applying for [paste role] at [paste company]. Draft a one page
hire memo instead of a cover letter. Structure: the role they are
trying to fill in my words, the three reasons I am the strongest
credible candidate (with evidence), the one concern they might have
about my profile and how I would address it, and what I would
prioritise in the first 90 days. Context: [paste]
R9: The Work Sample Curator
Below is the portfolio of work I could share for [paste role
context]. Curate. Which two or three samples best demonstrate the
specific capabilities this role requires, what to lead with, what
to mention only if asked, and what to leave out entirely because it
distracts from the case. End with the one sample I am undervaluing
that I should put first. Portfolio: [paste]
R10: The Reference Briefing
My references are [paste names and roles]. I am going through final
rounds for [paste role and company]. Draft the briefing I send each
reference: the role, what the company will probably ask, the two or
three themes I want them to reinforce about me, the one thing I am
worried they might inadvertently say, and the framing for that
concern that lets them answer honestly without doing damage.
E: Engage
E1: The Mock Interview Run
You are [paste interviewer role] interviewing me for [paste role].
Open with the question you would most likely lead with. Stay in
role. After I answer, push back on the weakest part of my answer.
After three rounds, break role and tell me which of my answers were
strong, which were generic, and which sentence in my responses
revealed a gap I should prep for before the real interview.
E2: The Behavioural Question Bank
For [paste role and level], generate the 15 most likely behavioural
questions I will face. Group by category: leadership, conflict,
failure, ambiguity, results. For each, tell me what the interviewer
is actually probing for and the two failure modes in candidates'
answers (too rehearsed, too vague, too negative about the prior
employer). End with the three I should prep stories for first.
E3: The STAR Story Generator
Below is my career history. Generate eight STAR (Situation, Task,
Action, Result) stories that cover the range of behavioural
questions I am most likely to face for [paste role and level]. Each
should be 60 to 90 seconds spoken. Flag the one story I should not
tell even though it is impressive, because of how the result lands.
History: [paste]
E4: The Case Interview Prep
For [paste role type, e.g. product management / strategy /
consulting] at [paste company], generate the three most likely case
interview formats I will face. For each, walk me through the
approach the strongest candidates take, the common traps, and the
specific frameworks worth knowing for the company's industry. End
with one practice case I can run before the interview.
E5: The "Tell Me About Yourself" Drafter
I have 60 to 90 seconds to answer "tell me about yourself" for
[paste role]. Draft three versions. First leads with the career arc
narrative. Second leads with the why this role specifically. Third
leads with a sharp positioning statement that frames everything else.
For each, tell me which interviewer style it lands best with. Context:
[paste]
E6: The Curveball Anticipator
Based on the role, company, and what I know about the panel, predict
the three curveball questions I am most likely to face that I have
not prepped for. Things like asking me to weigh in on a hot industry
debate, asking me to critique the company's recent strategy, or
asking me to estimate a market size on the spot. For each, draft a
30 second response approach. Context: [paste]
E7: The Questions to Ask Them
Generate eight questions I should ask the interviewer for [paste
role and panel member]. They should signal that I have done real
research, that I am evaluating fit honestly, and that I am thinking
about how I would actually do the job. Avoid the predictable
"culture" and "growth opportunities" questions. End with the one
question that would be the most memorable. Context: [paste]
E8: The Post Interview Decoder
The interview ended. Below is what happened: questions asked, my
answers as I remember them, the interviewer's tone shifts, the time
spent on each section, and any comments at the end. Tell me what
the interviewer's behaviour most likely indicates about how it went,
what I should follow up on, and whether my read of "this went well"
or "this went badly" is calibrated against the evidence. Notes:
[paste]
E9: The Real Thank You Note
Draft a thank you note to [paste interviewer]. Reference a specific
moment in our conversation that would be hard to fabricate, add one
piece of value (an article, a perspective, a connection) that is
relevant to something they mentioned, and keep it under 120 words.
Two versions: more formal and more conversational. Tell me which
fits this specific interviewer based on context: [paste]
E10: The Compensation Question Deflection
The recruiter or interviewer asked "what are you looking for in
terms of compensation." It is too early to anchor. Draft three
responses that buy me more time without sounding evasive. For each,
tell me what signal it sends about my level and how it shapes the
eventual negotiation. End with which is right for my stage in this
specific process. Context: [paste]
D: Decide
D1: The Offer Decomposition
I received an offer with the following terms: [paste base, bonus,
equity, signing, benefits, other]. Decompose into realistic total
compensation across four years, accounting for vesting, dilution
risk, exercise costs if relevant, and the realistic probability of
each component paying out. Compare to my current package. End with
the dollar gap that is real versus the dollar gap that is illusory.
D2: The Negotiation Opener
The offer is [paste]. My target is [paste]. Draft three opening
counter offers. First is conservative and protects the offer.
Second is moderate and asks for what the data supports. Third is
ambitious and tests where the company's actual ceiling sits. For
each, predict the company's likely response and what the third move
in the negotiation looks like.
D3: The Multi Offer Leverage Play
I have offers from [paste companies] with terms [paste]. I prefer
[paste]. Tell me how to use the alternative offer as leverage
without making the preferred company feel pressured into a yes that
they will resent later. Draft the message to the preferred company.
Predict how each of three likely responses changes my best next move.
D4: The Walk Away Calculator
The offer is [paste]. The role is [paste]. The downsides I am aware
of are [paste]. Run the walk away analysis. Under what specific
conditions should I decline this offer even though it is a good
offer on paper. Be specific about the costs of accepting a role
that is wrong versus the costs of waiting. End with the verdict and
the criteria that would change it.
D5: The Reference Conversation Strategist
The company is about to call my references. The reference is
[paste]. Based on what I know about how this company hires and the
seniority of the role, tell me what they will probe for, the two
themes I want the reference to reinforce, and the one concern they
might raise that I should pre brief the reference on. Draft the
pre call I send the reference.
D6: The Partner or Family Conversation
I have an offer. The decision affects [paste partner / family /
dependents]. Draft the conversation I need to have with them.
Structure: the opportunity, the trade offs I see, the trade offs
they will see that I am not seeing, the questions worth deciding
together, and the timeline. Predict their most likely concern and
the version of the answer that is honest rather than reassuring.
D7: The Resignation Drafter
I am resigning from my current role at [paste company]. Draft the
conversation with my manager. Two versions: warm and grateful, and
short and professional. For each, predict the manager's most likely
first response and the right thing for me to say next. End with
which version fits the relationship I have with this manager based
on context: [paste]
D8: The Counter Offer Trap Audit
My current employer is countering. Their offer is [paste]. Audit
the counter. What is the realistic 12 month outcome of accepting
based on data about counter offer retention rates, how this manager
specifically handles team members who almost left, and what the
counter is actually fixing versus papering over. End with the
verdict and the sentence I use to decline gracefully if the verdict
is decline.
D9: The First Day Setup
My start date is [paste]. Help me set up the day. Logistics (laptop,
access, paperwork), the first conversations to schedule in week
one, the questions I want to walk in already having answered for
myself, and the one thing I should deliberately not do or say in
the first 48 hours even though I will be tempted. Context: [paste]
D10: The "Do I Actually Want This" Self Audit
Before I sign, run a self audit. What attracted me to the role
versus what attracted me to the company versus what attracted me to
the comp. Which of the three is doing the most work. What about the
role have I not actually verified that I am assuming. What would I
need to confirm in the next 48 hours to make this a confident yes
rather than a hopeful one. Be tough. Context: [paste]
The HIRED Framework in one image
H I R E D
Hunt Identify Refine Engage Decide
Five pillars. Sequential in rough terms but the loop is real. By Engage you will be back in Identify mode for the interviewer you did not know about. By Decide you may be back in Hunt mode if the offer reveals the role is not what you thought. The point is not strict order. The point is that when you sit down at 11pm with a recruiter screen on Friday and a knot in your stomach, you can find the pillar that fits and run the right prompt rather than spiralling.
How to combine HIRED with your model of choice
ChatGPT: 4 series models are strong for the generative pillars (Refine, Engage) where the work is drafting and mocking. o series models are stronger for the analytical pillars (Identify, Decide) where the work is decoding, triangulating, and estimating. A workable pattern is to draft with 4 series and pressure test with o series before anything goes out.
Claude: works well across all five pillars, especially when you load the JD, the recruiter notes, your resume, and your LinkedIn into a Project. Claude tends to be honest about your gaps in a way the other models hedge around. Tell it explicitly to give you the version a sharp peer would deliver in private rather than the encouraging version.
Gemini: deep research mode is useful in the Identify pillar when you are triangulating recent news, executive moves, and compensation data on a target company. Watch for context drift on the longest mock interview prompts and switch to a fresh chat if responses start to soften.
The cross model habit that pays compounding dividends is to run the company decode (I1) and the offer decomposition (D1) in two models. Where they agree on the verdict, you can trust it. Where they diverge, the divergence reveals where your inputs were ambiguous and where you should dig before committing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will recruiters know I used AI in my application materials?
Yes, if you submit pure AI output. The cadence of AI prose is recognisable within a few sentences: rule of three sentence structures, generic high impact verbs (leveraged, spearheaded, pioneered), vague balanced phrasing, and conclusions that hedge in characteristic ways. Use the prompts in the Refine pillar (especially R6) to strip the AI cadence and rewrite in your own voice before anything leaves your machine. The right use of AI is upstream (decoding, analysing, anticipating) not downstream (writing the words that go in your name).
How is the HIRED Framework different from the dozens of "AI for job search" articles already online?
Most of those articles are tactical lists of prompt snippets for resume writing and cover letter drafting. HIRED is structured around the actual phases of the search and weighted toward the parts of the search that are harder to outsource: deciding which roles to chase, decoding the people and the politics, anticipating the negotiation. The drafting prompts are included but they are not the centre of the framework. The centre is the thinking you do alone between the visible activities.
Should I use AI in the actual interview?
No. Not on a video call, not on a take home where it is forbidden, not in any context where the company has a reasonable expectation that the output is yours. The risk reward is bad. The interview is partly a test of how you think in real time, and outsourcing that test is a confidence problem the company will notice eventually. Use AI before and after the interview. Not during.
Can I use these prompts with confidential information about my current employer?
Check your model tier's data retention policy first. Enterprise tiers of ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini typically offer the data retention controls that make this acceptable. Consumer tiers usually do not. For sensitive context about current colleagues, projects, or compensation, anonymise names and identifying details. The prompts work without the real names.
What if I am a senior leader and these prompts feel beneath me?
The senior leader version of the search is harder, not easier. The Identify pillar matters more (board dynamics, executive sponsor mapping, succession context). The Decide pillar matters more (equity grants, board obligations, change of control language). The Engage pillar matters less because at executive level the interviews are conversations rather than examinations. Adjust the inputs you paste, not the framework. The pillars hold across levels.
Is there a paid version of these prompts?
Yes. The fifty prompts above are the free version, in compact form. The HIRED Pro Pack includes 150 expanded prompts with example outputs, ready to load Claude Projects and custom GPT configurations for each pillar, and role specific job search sets for software engineers, product managers, sales leaders, marketers, founders moving back to operator roles, and executives running confidential searches. The Pro Pack is on the PromptLeadz Pro Collection at $29.
Where to go next
HIRED sits one step before LAUNCH in the career arc. Use HIRED to land the role. Use the LAUNCH Framework for the first 90 days once you are in. Together they cover the full transition.
Once you are in the role for real, the role specific anchors take over. New product managers pair LAUNCH with the 7P Framework. New founders pair it with the FOUNDER Framework. New operators pair it with OPS7. For the inevitable hard conversations that follow, HARDER takes over. For the moments when AI is agreeing with you too easily and you need it to push back, CRITIC takes over. The Free Vault is built to support the entire arc.
The thing to internalise is that the job search rewards the candidate who treated it as a structured project rather than a series of intimidating one offs. The person who decoded the company, prepped the panel, mocked the curveballs, and modelled the negotiation, beats the person who relied on a strong resume and a hope every time.
PromptLeadz publishes battle tested AI prompt packs for founders, product, sales, marketing, operations, HR, finance, customer success, adversarial thinking, hard conversations, new role launches, and job searches. All prompts are LLM agnostic. Pricing is in USD.
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