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Turn scattered job application notes into a clean status list
Practice: Asking for a format you can use. About 5 minutes.
About this exercise
Your application notes are scattered. Write one numbered line per company (there are 5), alphabetical, as Company - Role - Status, where status is exactly one of Applied, Interview, Rejected or Offer, using the latest news. Brightwell called you today to say no (not in your notes yet). No dates, plain text, under 60 words, nothing else.
Common mistakes when you ask AI for this
- Not telling the AI the latest news. It shows Brightwell as Interview because today's call isn't in your notes. Try: Add: "Brightwell rejected me today."
- Not saying to merge. The AI lists Northgate and Cedar & Pike twice. Try: Add: "One line per company, at its latest status."
- Leaving the format open. The AI makes a table with dates and your to-dos. Try: Show it: "1. Brightwell - Data Coordinator - Rejected. Alphabetical, no dates."
- Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for a total word limit and it often lands over it. Try: Cap each line: "each line under 9 words."
- Forgetting where it goes. AI loves markdown tables and bold, which show up as clutter in your job tracker. Try: Add: "Plain text, no bold, headings or tables."
What a strong prompt includes
- Gives today's news
- Asks to merge companies
- Limits the status words
- Asks for alphabetical order
- Asks for plain text
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