{"id":"res-job-salary-sources-dated","audience":"job-seekers","category":"research","technique":"grounding","title":"Compare three salary sources before you name a number","free":false,"task":"You're applying for a Marketing Coordinator job in Denver and saved 3 salary sources. You want exactly 3 numbered lines, one per source, each with its range, year and location, then one final line starting \"Best fit:\" that names the most relevant source and why in under 20 words. Use only the numbers in your notes, and don't give negotiation advice. Plain text.","materialLabel":"Your saved salary notes (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"Salary research - Marketing Coordinator, Denver (applying to Fernway Outdoor)\n\nSource A: \"Marketing Salary Guide\" by Hollis Staffing (published 2021)\nNational data, all US metros. Marketing Coordinator: $42,000 - $55,000. Based on 3,100 placements.\n\nSource B: Peakview Jobs board salary tool (pulled Oct 2026)\nDenver metro. Marketing Coordinator: $52,000 - $64,000. Based on 418 posted job ads with listed pay.\n\nSource C: Colorado Marketing Association member survey (2026)\nColorado statewide, all industries. Marketing Coordinator median $58,500; middle range $51,000 - $66,000. 212 responses.\n\nFernway's posting: \"competitive salary, DOE.\" No range listed.\nFriend at a Denver agency says coordinators there make \"like 70k\" but she's not sure.\nRecruiter screen is Thursday at 2 p.m.","rules":[{"type":"numberedItems","count":3},{"type":"plainText"}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Asking what to ask for","why":"The AI jumps to a negotiation pep talk and a number, mixing in its own salary guesses.","fix":"Say: \"Compare only my 3 sources. No negotiation advice.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Ignoring dates and location","why":"The AI treats every source as equal, so a 2021 national guide counts as much as current Denver data.","fix":"Add: \"Give each source's year and location, and pick the best fit on those.\"","checks":["r0","r1"]},{"title":"Letting hearsay in","why":"Your friend's \"like 70k\" is in your notes, and the AI may treat it as a fourth source.","fix":"Say: \"Use only the 3 named sources.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"Not saying how many","why":"The AI decides the length itself and usually returns more lines, one per source than you can use.","fix":"Be exact: \"exactly 3 numbered lines, one per source.\"","checks":["numberedItems"]},{"title":"Getting markdown back","why":"AI defaults to bold labels and headings, which show up as stray symbols in your interview prep doc.","fix":"Ask for \"plain text, no bold, no headings.\"","checks":["plainText"]}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Asks for year and location","patterns":["year","date","location","denver","current"]},{"label":"Fixes the line shape","patterns":["one (line )?per source","best fit","range"]},{"label":"Rules out advice","patterns":["no (negotiation|advice)","(don't|do not) (advise|give advice)","only compare"]},{"label":"Says exactly how many","patterns":["\\b(3|three)\\b.{0,25}(line|source)","exactly \\d+"]},{"label":"Says to use only your sources","patterns":["only.{0,40}(sources|notes|three|3)","no outside","(don't|do not) (add|invent|guess|use (your|outside))","nothing (that's |that is )?not in"]}],"hint":"Salary numbers only mean something with a date and a place. Ask the AI to show both for each source, then choose based on them, and nothing more.","rubricLabels":["Lists each source's range with its year and location correctly (A: $42,000-$55,000, 2021, national; B: $52,000-$64,000, 2026, Denver metro; C: $51,000-$66,000 with $58,500 median, 2026, Colorado statewide)","The Best fit line names Source B and gives a reason based on it being current and Denver-specific (not Source A, and not the friend's '70k' guess)","Outputs only the 3 numbered lines plus the Best fit line: no intro, no negotiation scripts or advice on what to ask for"]}