Prep an application

Inputs: a role (an ID from careers/ROLES.md, a link or pasted text), plus careers/CV.md and careers/BRIEF.md. If careers/TRACKER.md exists, roles and applications live in that tracker (Obsidian role notes or a spreadsheet) instead of ROLES.md / APPLICATIONS.md, so read and update the role there (see TRACKER.md). With Obsidian notes, link the prep files from the role note's Prep heading.

1. Folder and job description

Create careers/roles/<id>/. Save the full job description as job.md (title, employer, link, date saved, then the text). Pages often disappear after the closing date, so save everything, including the eligibility and process sections.

2. Fit map (fit.md)

A table mapping each requirement from the description to evidence in CV.md (quote it), and a rating: Strong / Partial / Gap. Under the table:

• Top 3 selling points for this role.
• Gaps and how to handle them: reframe real experience, mention relevant modules or projects from projects/, or accept the gap. Never suggest claiming something that isn't true.
• Employer research: 3–5 facts worth knowing (what they do, recent news, values they emphasise), each with a source link.

3. Drafts (drafts.md)

• CV tweaks: reordered or reworded bullets from CV.md that foreground what this role wants. Rewording only; no new claims.
• Cover letter (if asked for or useful): under 350 words, specific to this employer and role, in the student's voice (UK English). Mark it clearly as a draft for them to rewrite.
• Application questions: if the form has them ("Why us?", "Describe a time…"), draft STAR-structured answers using only real experience from CV.md. Leave [add detail] where only the student can fill in.

4. Process prep (prep.md)

List the stages from the job description. For each: what it involves, how to practise (e.g. HackerRank easy/medium problems in their language, numerical reasoning practice, the employer's own practice tests), and 5–8 likely interview questions (technical and behavioural) for this role.

5. Track it

• Set the role's status in ROLES.md to shortlisted.
• Add a row to careers/APPLICATIONS.md: stage To apply, the closing date (or "rolling, aim for <date one week from today>"), and the folder.
• With a tracker (TRACKER.md), do the equivalent on the role's note or row instead (TRACKER.md says which columns: e.g. priority Now, stage Not applied, next step + date), adding the row first if the role came from a link.
• Say what the student needs to do next, and by when.

Rules

• The student submits. Never fill in or submit application forms.
• If the brief or module files say GenAI use is restricted for something, respect it. Many employers also ask that applications be the candidate's own work, so frame drafts as starting points and remind them once.