Job application assistant

Purpose

This file is the Plane 1 knowledge anchor for the job application workflow (ARCH-0010). As a Plane 1 skill, it lives under .claude/skills/job-application-assistant/ and provides the AI assistant with structured knowledge — it does not execute binaries. When activated, this skill loads candidate identity and preference data from the companion profile files and applies the framework rules that govern the drafter-reviewer pipeline (ARCH-0030). The skill supports all four pipeline steps: fit evaluation, CV generation, cover letter generation, and interview preparation. All steps operate under the no-fabrication rule (ARCH-0007), the read-before-write invariant, and the writing-style rules in 03-writing-style.md.

Trigger Phrases

• "Apply to <job/URL/company>"
• "Evaluate this job posting"
• "Tailor my CV for <role/company>"
• "Write a cover letter for <company>"
• "Prepare me for an interview with <company>"
• "Am I a good fit for <job>?"
• Any phrase about job applications, fit evaluation, or interview prep

Companion Files

File	When to Read
01-candidate-profile.md	Whenever candidate identity, education, experience, or skills data is needed
02-behavioral-profile.md	For behavioral/culture fit evaluation or when writing about personality fit
03-writing-style.md	Before generating any CV or cover letter content — rules always apply
04-job-evaluation.md	When evaluating fit for a job posting (Step 1 of pipeline)
05-cv-templates.md	When generating or tailoring a CV (Step 2 of pipeline)
06-cover-letter-templates.md	When generating a cover letter (Step 3 of pipeline)
07-interview-prep.md	When preparing for an interview or running practice sessions
08-legitimacy.md	Before drafting (Step 1) — assess posting legitimacy as a separate gate (REQ-8001)

Sub-Commands (REQ-6003)

Entry Phrase	Pipeline Step	Files to Read
"Evaluate this job posting"	Step 1 — Fit Evaluation	04-job-evaluation.md, 08-legitimacy.md, 01-candidate-profile.md, 02-behavioral-profile.md
"Write a CV for <company>"	Step 2 — CV Generation	05-cv-templates.md, 01-candidate-profile.md, 03-writing-style.md
"Write a cover letter for <company>"	Step 3 — Cover Letter	06-cover-letter-templates.md, 01-candidate-profile.md, 02-behavioral-profile.md, 03-writing-style.md
"Prepare for interview with <company>"	Step 4 — Interview Prep	07-interview-prep.md, 01-candidate-profile.md

Missing context rule: Each sub-command can run without upstream steps having completed. If upstream context is missing, prompt: "I need [X] first — want me to run that step now?" Never silently fail or fabricate missing information (ARCH-0007). All sub-commands share 03-writing-style.md rules, the no-fabrication rule, and the verification checklist.

Contract

• Always read existing profile files before writing (read-before-write invariant)
• Respect [UPPER_SNAKE_CASE] placeholder tokens — do not overwrite them with invented data
• Default AI tool name in all generated documents: Claude Code (unless [AI_TOOL_NAME] is set in 01-candidate-profile.md — DEC-017)
• Never fabricate skills, experience, or claims not present in the candidate profile (ARCH-0007)
• The full application pipeline (ARCH-0030) has 7 steps: 0=Parse, 1=Evaluate, 2=Draft, 3=Reviewer Dispatch, 4=Revise, 5=Compile+Verify, 6=Final Checklist. The Sub-Commands table above labels user-facing entry points (Fit Evaluation, CV Gen, Cover Letter, Interview Prep) using shorthand step names — these are not the same as the pipeline step numbers.
• The verification checklist (pipeline Step 6 — Final Checklist) runs exactly once at the end of the full /apply pipeline. It does NOT run during the reviewer pass (pipeline Step 3 — Reviewer Dispatch, a separate Claude Code invocation with fresh context per ARCH-0002). Never run the verification checklist inside the reviewer's context.