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I want to keep this post brief and share the key insights without wasting anyone’s time with a story that isn’t necessary. I’ll just say that the tip I’m sharing is a prompt I created by feeding perplexity.ai some questions related to my CV, future career steps, closing learning gaps based on market trends, and my current skills.

At the moment, I have a stable position where I work mainly in German and French. I love languages, and especially German has been quite a barrier to get past for a long time, so it’s pretty dope that I get paid to keep speaking German and improving my skill daily! Also, after spending almost the whole of 2024 unemployed, I can only be grateful for my current professional situation.

Of course, I have ambitious plans for my future. As someone with insatiable curiosity who is always learning, I’m constantly considering my next steps. That’s why I asked Perplexity to analyze my CV and give me some tips on career advancement, learning new skills, and planning a shift in my professional life. I also believe this prompt could be useful to those aiming at getting back to work after a period of unemployment.

Anyway, enough introduction! I wrote much more than intended. Here are some of the most effective prompts for supporting career development when someone provides their CV, along with examples for planning next steps, recommending relevant courses, suggesting career transitions, and outlining practical steps:

    1. Assessment & Goal Clarification

    “Based on my CV, what aspects of my current role do I enjoy or excel at the most, and which ones might I want to change or avoid?”

    2. Gap Analysis & Skill Mapping

    “Given my experience in areas like XYZ, what technical or soft skills am I missing that are commonly required in my target industry or desired roles?”

    3. Targeted Course Recommendations

    “Considering my background and the positions I’m aiming for, which specific skills or certifications would most boost my chances of landing interviews in those roles?”

    4. Career Shift Possibilities

    “Do any cross-functional projects or side responsibilities from my current or past jobs suggest possible new career directions, such as project management, training, or translation management?”

    5. Actionable Career Planning

    “Can you outline a 90-day career action plan that includes résumé updates, networking objectives (for example, reaching out to professionals in my target industry), and a list of relevant courses to complete?”

    6. Industry and Role Exploration

    “With the current job market trends, which roles related to my experience show strong growth prospects, and what are the entry requirements for those roles?”

    7. Reflection and Motivation

    “What motivates me most in my work—problem-solving, helping others, working with technology—and how could this shape my ideal career direction?”

Best Practices for Using These Prompts:

- Combine objective CV review with subjective goal setting.
- Prioritize actionable, short-term steps with measurable outcomes.
- Regularly revisit goals as skills and external factors evolve.

These prompts create a structure that helps you assess your present position, recognize growth areas, and build a plan that includes upskilling and networking, ultimately increasing the likelihood of successful career transitions.

I would suggest printing your results and going with the flow, seeing how it works for you, and eventually make adjustments to align with your goals and current circumstances.