Brief an assistant to draft job posts within a posting budget

About this exercise

You want an AI assistant to post a new opening on job boards. Write its brief: use free boards first, then the cheapest paid boards, keeping the total under $600; every post must include the salary range $78,000-$92,000 (your state requires it); it drafts posts but never publishes or pays; and it ends by asking you to approve. Output exactly 5 numbered plain-text lines: draft_post lines in board-list order, ASK_HUMAN, then DONE with the total cost as math.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

• Not showing the log format. Left alone, the AI writes a friendly report with headings instead of a checkable action log. Try: Show it literally: "Format every line like 1. ACTION: tool(args), then ASK_HUMAN: and DONE: lines. Plain text."
• No budget rule. The AI follows the hiring manager's favorite, the most expensive board. Try: Add: "Free boards first, then cheapest paid, total under $600."
• Leaving out the pay range. Job posts often skip salary, and your state requires it. Try: Add: "Every post includes $78,000-$92,000."
• Letting it publish or pay. Given publish and pay actions, the AI goes live and spends the budget. Try: Add: "Draft only. Never publish or pay. Show the total as math."

What a strong prompt includes

• Sets the budget
• Requires the pay range
• Forbids publishing or paying
• Asks for the math
• Shows the action-log format

Practice this now ↑

Related exercises

• Add dark mode by overriding your existing CSS variables (Coding AI · Software developers)
• Add input checks to your number guessing game (Coding AI · High school students)
• Add labels to a signup form without rewriting the page (Coding AI · High school students)
• Announce a territory change without promising comp outcomes (Sales AI · Revenue operations)
• Announce the employee assistance program in three steps (Writing AI · HR and recruiting)