Library › Everyday Life AI › Job seekers

Work out how many months your cash will last

  • For Job seekers
  • You practice Showing an example of what you want
  • Time about 5 minutes

About this exercise

You got a severance payment and want to know how long your money lasts while you job hunt. Get exactly 3 numbered lines in plain text, under 70 words: 1. total cash (savings plus the severance you actually received) with the math; 2. months it covers, with the division; 3. the last month it covers, counting from December. No other advice. Write a prompt that gets you exactly that.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Using the gross amount. The AI sees $12,000 first and adds money that was withheld for taxes. Try: Add: "Use the $9,000 net deposit."
  • No math shown. The AI gives totals with no working, so you can't check them. Try: Show it: "2. Months: $17,000 / $3,400 = 5".
  • Not counting the months. The AI says 5 months without naming when the money runs out. Try: Add: "Line 3: the last month covered, starting from December."
  • Getting job-search tips. The AI adds advice about cutting costs or applying for benefits. Try: Add: "No other advice."
  • Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for "under 70 words" and it often lands well over. Try: Cap each part: "each line under 16 words."

What a strong prompt includes

  • Uses the net amount
  • Shows the division
  • Asks for the last month
  • Sets the number of lines
  • Sets a word limit

Practice this now ↑

Related exercises