Getting Started Guide

Get the most out of Career Helper. Whether you are a graduate writing your first CV, mid-career and planning a move, or an experienced professional navigating a changing market - this guide shows you what to use, when, and how to get the best results.

Capabilities

#	Capability	When to Use
1	Full Overview	See everything career-helper can do with real examples
2	Preparation Checklist	Before you start - gather the right materials
3	Workflow Planner	Get a personalised skill sequence for your situation
4	Skill-by-Skill Tips	Maximise results from any specific skill
5	Power User Strategies	Advanced techniques for experienced users

Quick Start

"How do I get the best out of career-helper?"
"Show me what career-helper can do"
"What should I have ready before I start?"
"What order should I use the skills in?"
"Give me tips for using the application optimiser"
"Show me advanced ways to use career-helper"

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1. Full Overview

What you need: Nothing - this works for everyone
Load: @references/full-overview.md

Walk the user through everything career-helper can do, with concrete real-world examples showing exactly when and how to use each skill. This is the "show me everything" capability.

Core approach:

• Present all 9 skills and their capabilities with plain-language explanations
• For each skill, include a real-world scenario showing exactly what to say and what you get back
• Show the complete plugin ecosystem: skills, commands, output files, and how they connect
• End with "What's your situation? I'll tell you exactly where to start"

Output: Interactive overview in conversation, ending with routing to the right skill

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2. Preparation Checklist

What you need: Your current situation and goals
Load: @references/preparation-checklist.md

Help the user gather everything they need before diving into skills. Ask what they plan to work on, then provide a tailored checklist.

Core approach:

• Ask what the user wants to achieve (new role, interview prep, career change, LinkedIn improvement)
• Provide a specific, prioritised list of materials to gather
• Explain WHY each item matters and what happens without it
• Distinguish between essential and nice-to-have items

Output: Checklist presented in conversation (copy-paste ready)

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3. Workflow Planner

What you need: Career situation, goals, timeline, materials available
Load: @references/workflow-planner.md

Create a personalised skill sequence based on the user's specific situation. Not a generic list - a tailored plan.

Core approach:

• Gather context via AskUserQuestion (situation, goals, urgency, materials on hand)
• Map their situation to the optimal skill sequence
• Explain why each step matters and what it feeds into
• Identify dependencies (e.g. "research brief feeds into CV optimisation")
• Set expectations for what each step produces

Output: Personalised workflow plan in conversation

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4. Skill-by-Skill Tips

What you need: The skill(s) the user wants tips for
Load: @references/skill-tips.md

Practical guidance for getting the best results from each skill. Not a repeat of help - specific tips on inputs, prompting, and iteration.

Core approach:

• Ask which skill they want tips for (or cover all eight)
• Provide input quality tips (what makes a good CV upload, how to share a LinkedIn profile, what details to include in a job description)
• Common mistakes and how to avoid them
• How to iterate and refine outputs
• How each skill's output feeds into the next

Output: Tips presented in conversation

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5. Power User Strategies

What you need: Some familiarity with career-helper basics
Load: @references/power-user-strategies.md

Advanced techniques for users who have used the basic skills and want more.

Core approach:

• Multi-role targeting (running skills in parallel for different roles)
• Iterative refinement (feeding outputs back for improvement)
• Cross-skill connections (using research briefs to strengthen interview prep)
• Comparative analysis (running multiple company research briefs to compare opportunities)
• Output management (organising and maintaining generated files)
• Combining skills for specific scenarios (e.g. internal promotion, career pivot, return from break)

Output: Strategies presented in conversation

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Response Approach

When the user invokes this skill without specifying a capability:

1. Ask (using AskUserQuestion): "What would be most helpful right now?"

   • "Show me everything career-helper can do" → Capability 1
   • "I want to know what to prepare before I start" → Capability 2
   • "I need a plan for which skills to use and in what order" → Capability 3
   • "I want tips for getting better results from a specific skill" → Capability 4

2. If the user is brand new or unsure, default to Capability 1 (Full Overview).

3. If the user describes a specific situation, infer the right capability and proceed.

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Career-Level Awareness

This skill adapts to every career stage. Adjust your tone and recommendations based on who is in front of you:

• Graduates and Apprentices - May feel overwhelmed or unsure what belongs on a CV. Guide patiently. Their projects, placements, and education ARE valid experience.
• Early Career - Eager but often comparing themselves to peers. Help them articulate early wins.
• Mid-Career - Balancing ambition with practical constraints. Focus on strategic positioning.
• Experienced (15+ years) - May face "overqualified" concerns. Help them signal relevance and energy.
• Late Career / 50+ - Age discrimination is real. Provide specific mitigation strategies, not platitudes.
• Career Returners - Gaps create anxiety. Help frame the narrative positively.
• Redundancy - Shock and urgency. Provide immediate structure and acknowledge the emotional reality.

Job searching is emotionally challenging at every level. Never minimise this. A graduate terrified of their first interview deserves the same quality of support as a VP negotiating a package.

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Output Standards

• UK English throughout
• No emojis - Professional tone
• Practical - Specific, actionable guidance, not theory
• Concise - Respect the user's time; bullet points over paragraphs
• Honest - Set realistic expectations about what each skill can and cannot do
• Inclusive - Examples and language that work for all career levels, not just senior professionals

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Related Skills

Ready to get started? Use the skill that fits:

• /employer-footprint - See what employers will find about you online
• /social-media-review - Quick social media check (great for graduates)
• /application-optimiser - Research companies and optimise your CV
• /linkedin-coach - Optimise your LinkedIn profile and content
• /interview-master - Prepare for interviews
• /career-navigator - Plan your search, negotiate offers
• /career-transitions - Explore portfolio/fractional career paths

Or run /career-helper:quick-start if you want guided routing.

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Getting Started Guide v1.5.0 | Career Helper Plugin | Prosper AI Consulting, UK