Frog framework. Uncover your stories, build an evidence bank, prepare for real career decisions, using AI and your own experience. By Kushagra Gupta.
Start here

What this guide does

It helps you turn the things you’ve done into checked notes you can reuse for applications and interviews.

The whole method in four lines

  1. Say where you’re heading. Even “not sure yet” is a start.
  2. List your experiences. Short headings, each with an ID that never changes (E01, E02 and so on).
  3. Let an AI chat interview you, one question at a time, about one experience.
  4. Check every claim against what you actually said, then approve the record.

After that, the same records feed role research, applications and interview practice, so you stop re-remembering your own history every time.

What you walk away with: an evidence bank

A set of notes on your experiences, each checked against what you actually remember.

Career_bank.mdYour direction and an index of every story.
One record per experienceWhat you did, what others did and what you can back up.
Interview cardsQuestions each story can answer, 30 and 60-second answers, likely follow-ups.
Start here

Short on time? Start here.

Nobody reads a guide like this cover to cover. This page is the version for people who won’t, and it tells you exactly where to dip in.

Five minutes

See where this ends up

Read page 2, then Bear’s journey (page 23) and the two interview cards (page 31 and page 32). That’s what the method produces.

One sitting

Do your first story

Work through Stages 1 to 4 with one experience, pages 9 to 15. You finish with one checked record you can reuse.

Interview soon

Go straight to the useful bit

Already have checked records? Go to C and D (page 20 and page 21). If not, run Stages 3 and 4 on your two best stories first.

Jump straight in. Open a new AI chat, attach the prompt pack and paste Prompt 1 from page 9. Have your CV handy if you want to use it.

Prompt pack: leviathan3307.github.io/frog-framework/Frog_framework_prompt_pack.md

Start here

Contents

Everything is clickable. The bar in the top-right corner of every page shows which stage you’re on, and you can jump from it too.

Reading the bar. Numbers 1 to 4 build your records. Letters A to D use them. Black means done, yellow is where you are.

Start here

Meet Bear

Bear is the fictional applicant you’ll follow through every stage. Two of Bear’s experiences get the full treatment, so you can see the method work on very different material.

Bear is a postgraduate with an earlier analyst job and a recent group project at university. Bear is weighing up operations, business analysis and consulting, and opens with this:

“I have some analyst experience and a group project, but I don’t know which things are worth mentioning.”

Most people start here. The experiences exist, but on a CV they shrink to one line each, and those lines don’t tell an interviewer what you actually decided or did.

E01
Work example, carries most of the guide

“Helped automate a monthly reporting process.”

E02
University example, shorter but complete

“Completed a university group project analysing several companies.”

Short Bear notes run through the instructions. The full story, start to finish, is the case study in Part 4 (page 22).

Why keep an evidence bank at all?

An evidence bank is a set of notes on your experiences, each checked against what you actually remember.

Every application asks you to reflect again: a CV bullet, a cover letter, a motivation answer, a competency question. Without a record, you rebuild the story from memory each time and it drifts, usually towards sounding bigger than it was.

A record lets you do the hard remembering once, check it once and reuse it everywhere. It also keeps the honest limits attached, so an estimate stays an estimate when you’re nervous in an interview.

No analyst job? No problem.

Bear’s E02 is a university assignment with no number attached, and it still makes a strong story. Coursework, internships, part-time jobs, volunteering and society roles all work.

You don’t need a performance number. You need a moment where you made a decision.

Bear is fictional

Bear isn’t a real person or test participant. The stories are invented illustrations based on how this method works in practice. Nothing in them is a measured result of using the guide.

Start here

Before you start

Ten minutes of setup saves you rewriting the same story in three different chats.

What to have to hand

  • Your CV, if you want to use it. A few rough headings work just as well.
  • A role or two you might want. “Not sure yet” is a valid answer.
  • Somewhere to keep a few text files: a folder, a notes app or cloud storage. They’re plain text files ending in .md (Markdown), which any notes app or text editor opens.

Decide what stays private

Don’t paste confidential employer or client documents, private customer records, other people’s personal details or anything under a confidentiality agreement. Describe the decision and your part in it in general terms instead. Bear’s E01 uses synthetic (made-up, not real customer data) test cases for exactly this reason. Check your AI tool’s privacy and data settings before you start.

Which AI chat?

Any mainstream chat assistant can run these prompts. Some can create files you can download; many can only show text in the conversation.

Every prompt in this guide covers both cases. If the AI can’t make a real file, it returns the complete text and you save it yourself. If it says it has saved something and you can’t open or download it, treat it as not saved.

Attach the prompt pack to your first message so the AI uses the same file structure. Get it at leviathan3307.github.io/frog-framework/Frog_framework_prompt_pack.md, or paste its text into the chat.

Try talking instead of typing

If your AI has a voice mode, answering aloud often brings back detail that typing doesn’t. Read the transcript before you accept it, because speech-to-text gets names and numbers wrong.

How to read the pages

Prompt. Paste it into your AI chat. Yellow [brackets] are for you to fill in.
Conversation. Bear and the AI, with notes on why each question was asked.
Working file. What gets created or updated at that point.
Finished output. Something Bear actually uses.
Watch out. A trap or a rule.
Skimming?

Read the headline, the grey intro line under it, and the prompt. That’s enough to do each stage.

Start here

How the files work

One index, one record per experience and a few task notes. You keep the files. The AI only borrows them.

Career_bank.md
  • Direction noteConfirmed, possible and open
  • Experience indexEvery story with its ID and status
  • Next actionsWhat to do in the next session
  • Change historyWhat changed, and when
E01_monthly_process.mdWork example
E02_group_analysis.mdUniversity example
E03Heading only, no file yet
Created only when you need themRole_note.mdApplication_note.mdInterview_plan.md

Every record moves through four states

Heading onlyListed in the index, nothing explored yet.
In progressBeing explored in a conversation.
Draft for reviewWritten up, waiting for your check.
ApprovedYou’ve checked every claim and said so.

IDs never change. E02 is always E02, even if you later add something older.

What the AI can see

Same chatNew chat
Files you attached earlierUsually still there, but ask for the current version before relying on it in a long chatGone. Attach them again
What you said earlierAvailableGone. That’s why the records exist
Always attachCareer_bank.md, the prompt pack and the record you’re working on. For A to D, also the relevant note and the job description
The one rule

If you didn’t say it, it doesn’t go in the record. The interview, the check and the approval step all exist to protect that.

Part 1 of 4

Remember more than the CV

A CV lists what you held. This part gets you a direction and a list of experiences worth exploring, before you write a single answer.

A CV line“Helped automate a monthly reporting process.”
E01Monthly process improvement
E02Group company analysis
E03Volunteering and events

Where Bear is now

Two CV lines and a vague sense that operations, business analysis or consulting might fit.

Part 1Stage 1: Pick a direction

Stage 1 of 4

Pick a direction

Say which roles you’re curious about, or admit you aren’t sure. Both give the AI something to work with.

The AI asks up to five questions, one at a time, then writes a short direction note split into what you’ve confirmed, what’s possible and what’s still open.

Prompt 1Pick a directionPaste into your AI chat

I’m using the Frog framework to explore my experiences before making career decisions. The goal is a short, honest direction note, not a career diagnosis. If I attach Career_bank.md or my CV, read them first, and treat the CV as incomplete context rather than proof of what I did. Ask me up to five questions, one at a time, about roles I’m considering, what interests me and any constraints I choose to share. I may be unsure, and that is a valid answer. Do not infer my personality or abilities from my degree, CV or job titles. Create or update Career_bank.md. If I attach the Frog templates, follow them. Otherwise keep these sections in this order: Version and Approval lines, Direction note (Confirmed, Possible, Open), Experience index, Next actions, Change history. Raise the version number each time the file changes. Show me the note and ask me to approve or correct it. If you cannot create or edit files, return the complete Career_bank.md as Markdown for me to save, and do not say it has been saved. Finish by suggesting the next step: listing my experiences.

What Bear said

“I have some analyst experience and a group project, but I don’t know which things are worth mentioning. I’m considering operations, business analysis and consulting.”

The AI doesn’t push Bear to pick one. Uncertainty goes in the note as an open question.

Career_bank.mdv0.1Draft for review
Direction note
Confirmed
Interested in exploring operations, business-analysis and consulting positions.
Possible
Enjoys understanding how a process or an analytical argument works.
Open
Which activities Bear actually owned; which roles match; actual job requirements and eligibility.
Change history
v0.1
First direction note created for Bear’s review.
Part 1Stage 2: Map your experiences

Stage 2 of 4

Map your experiences

List short headings, not impressive stories. Your best example might not be on your CV at all.

Think across coursework, jobs, part-time work, internships, volunteering, society roles, side projects and moments you changed direction. The AI walks back through your timeline, most recent first, then asks about gaps one area at a time. Once the list is complete, each heading gets an ID that never changes (E01, E02 and so on). Nothing detailed is written yet.

Prompt 2Map your experiencesPaste into your AI chat

Read my latest Career_bank.md and, if I have chosen to share it, my CV. Help me list short experience headings across coursework, jobs, part-time work, internships, volunteering, society roles, personal projects and changes of direction. Start by walking backwards through my timeline, most recent first, one period at a time, then ask about gaps one area at a time. Do not invent experiences, and use only headings I confirm. Give each heading a stable ID (E01, E02 and so on) in rough chronological order, and never renumber existing IDs. For each one, add the status Heading only and one useful question to explore later. Do not create detailed experience files yet. Once all the headings are listed, update the Experience index in Career_bank.md, show me the changes for approval and only then ask which experience I want to explore first. If you cannot edit files, return the complete current Career_bank.md as Markdown for me to save.

Headings, not essays

“Volunteering and events” is enough for now. Three to six headings is a good first list.

Career_bank.mdv0.2Draft for review
Experience index
IDHeadingRecordStatus
E01Monthly exception-processing improvement (employment)E01_monthly_process.mdHeading only
E02Comparative company analysis (group assignment)E02_group_analysis.mdHeading only
E03Student volunteering and eventsNone yetHeading only
Useful question to explore laterE01: What did I personally change?E02: How did I make the group work comparable?E03: Which event shows a difficult decision?
Bear chooses E01 first. E02 follows in the same stage. E03 stays a heading, which is fine.
Part 2 of 4

Find the real story

This is where the method earns its keep. An AI chat interviews you about one experience until the real decisions surface, then you check the write-up against what you actually said.

HeadingE01 Monthly process
ConversationOne question at a time
Draft recordDraft for review
CheckedApproved

Where Bear is now

A direction note and three headings. E01 and E02 are listed but not explored.

Part 2Stage 3: Interview one experience

Stage 3 of 4

Interview one experience

Pick one experience and let the AI question you until you can say exactly what you did, what you decided and what you can back up.

This is a conversation, not a form. The AI asks one focused question, waits and follows your answer. When something is vague, it asks for a specific moment. When you give a number, it asks where the number came from. It won’t write polished interview answers yet, because the evidence isn’t checked.

Prompt 3Interview one experiencePaste into your AI chat

I’m using Frog to explore one experience before deciding which career and interview stories it can support. Read the latest Career_bank.md, my CV if supplied and the latest record for [E##], if one exists. The experience I want to explore is [heading].

Start with what actually happened and what I personally did. Ask one focused question at a time, wait for my answer and probe the parts that remain vague. Follow the evidence, not a fixed STAR template. Ask about a particular decision or disagreement, the alternatives I saw, my responsibilities versus other people’s, what changed, what I can substantiate and what I still do not know. If I mention a number, ask what it measures, the period, the source and whether it is observed, reported or estimated. If I have no number, do not invent or require one. Let me say ‘skip’, ‘not sure’ or ‘pause’. If I correct something you said, follow my correction.

Create or update one detailed record named [E##]_short_name.md, marked Draft for review. Start it with Version, Approval and Privacy lines, following the record template if I attach it, and raise the version each time it changes. Keep the chronology, dates if known, my actions separately from others’, evidence strength, open questions and corrections. Update its status in Career_bank.md and show me the material changes. Do not write polished interview answers yet. If you cannot edit files, return the complete current Markdown for both files for me to save.

How to answer well

  • Describe one moment, not your general strengths.
  • Say “I don’t remember” when you don’t. Gaps are allowed.
  • Name who else was involved and what they did.
  • Correct the AI when it overstates your part. Bear has to in the E01 interview.
Part 2Stage 4: Check, approve and save

Stage 4 of 4

Check every claim

The risky moment isn’t the conversation. It’s when a confident summary reads well and you approve it without noticing it says more than you did.

Before you approve a record, ask the AI to check it line by line. It has to find the exact answer behind each claim and put each one in a category. It should flag stretched wording itself, not wait for you to spot it.

Prompt 4Check every claimPaste into your AI chat

Audit the current [E##_short_name.md] line by line before I approve it. Read it alongside our conversation and any documents I supplied. For each ownership claim, outcome, figure, causal claim, tool and motivation, quote the exact answer or document that supports it. Classify each as directly supported, self-reported, estimated, interpretation or unsupported. Flag wording that makes a team result mine alone, turns an estimate into a realised result or widens the scope beyond what I described, even if I have not questioned it. Show the risky wording beside a narrower alternative and ask me to resolve each uncertainty. Do not quietly substitute your interpretation for my memory, and keep anything we cannot resolve visible as an open question. Show the full audit in the chat. In the record, keep only the corrected wording, open questions, a one-line change history entry and a short evidence list: one line per kept claim giving its category and where it came from, such as ‘my answer in this session’ with the date, or a document name and section. Return the updated draft. Mark it Approved, in the record and in Career_bank.md, only when I confirm. If you cannot edit files, return complete current Markdown for both files.

The five categories

Directly supportedBacked by a document you supplied.
Self-reportedYour own account. Fine to use, as yours.
EstimatedA projection. Always say so.
InterpretationA reading of the facts. Use carefully.
UnsupportedNothing you said backs it. Remove it.
Part 2Stage 4: Check, approve and save

Stage 4, final step

Build an interview card

Only now, with an approved record, does the AI write answers. It adds them inside the same file so the evidence and the answer travel together.

The card is a short navigation section at the bottom of the record. It tells you which questions the story can answer, how to start it and where its limits are.

Prompt 5Build an interview cardPaste into your AI chat

First check the record’s Approval line. If it is not Approved, stop and tell me to finish Prompt 4 before building the card. Using my approved [E##_short_name.md], prepare a compact interview-navigation section inside that same record. Include a memory cue, four to six interview questions this evidence can genuinely answer, a natural 30-second summary, a natural 60-second answer, three to five likely follow-up probes and any source limits I must remember. Write the answers in plain spoken English I would actually say, not a polished script. Use only confirmed or explicitly qualified evidence, and do not force the story into a role or question where it does not fit. Show the new wording to me for approval, then update this record and the Career_bank.md index. If files cannot be updated, return complete current Markdown for both.

What goes in a card

  • Memory cue. Five or six words to find the story under pressure.
  • Questions it can answer. Interview questions this evidence honestly covers.
  • 30 and 60-second answers. In words you’d actually say.
  • Follow-ups. What a sharp interviewer will ask next.
  • Source limits. What you must not overstate.
See the finished cards

Bear’s two cards are the last stop in this guide: page 31 and page 32.

Career_bank.mdv0.6Approved
Experience index
IDHeadingRecordStatus
E01Monthly exception-processing improvement (employment)E01_monthly_process.mdApproved
E02Comparative company analysis (group assignment)E02_group_analysis.mdApproved
E03Student volunteering and eventsNone yetHeading only
Change history
v0.5
E01 and E02 checked and approved by Bear.
v0.6
Interview cards added to E01 and E02 (records now v0.3).
Part 2Stage 4: Check, approve and save

Stage 4, any session

Save and pick up again

A new chat remembers nothing from the last one. Your files remember everything, as long as you take them with you.

End every session with a handover, even a short one. It forces the AI to give you the complete current files and to say what’s still unresolved. Start the next session with the resume prompt and the files attached.

Prompt 6End a session with a handoverPaste into your AI chat

We’re ending this session. Create a handover from the latest documents. List every file that changed, its current version and approval status, unresolved questions and the next recommended action. Ask me to check any material factual change before it is finalised. Then return the complete current Career_bank.md and every experience, role, application or interview file touched in this session. If you can create real downloadable files, do so and tell me exactly which ones exist. Otherwise supply complete Markdown under each filename and tell me which files to save. Do not assume the next chat will remember this one.

Prompt 7Resume in a new chatPaste into your AI chat

I’m continuing Frog framework work in a new chat. Read the attached latest Career_bank.md and [E##_short_name.md]. Do not assume you have any file I have not attached, or that you remember earlier chats. Summarise the experience’s current version and approval status, the last approved changes and the most useful next question, then ask it. Ask one question at a time. Keep confirmed facts unless I correct them, and mark new material as Draft for review. When I say ‘save this session’, prepare complete updated versions with changes and approval status. Create files only if your tools genuinely support it; otherwise return complete Markdown for me to save.

Attach to a new chat

  • Career_bank.md, always
  • The record you’re working on, such as E01_monthly_process.md
  • For A to D, the relevant note and the job description
  • Frog_framework_prompt_pack.md, so the AI keeps the same file structure
  • Your CV, only if you choose to
One current version

Replace the old file with the new one each time, rather than keeping both. If you do end up with two, ask the AI to compare them and list the differences, decide which is right and save one.

No file saving?

Copy the complete Markdown the AI returns into a text file named exactly as shown. Once per session is enough.

Part 3 of 4

Make your stories useful

The records are the groundwork. Now put them to work. Pick the use you need today and skip the rest.

Approved recordsE01 and E02
AExplore roles
BImprove an application
CPlan an interview
DPractise aloud
Part 3Make your stories useful

Which use do you need?

You don’t need all four. Pick the one that matches what’s in front of you this week.

One story, several questions

Bear’s two approved records cover different ground. Picking the right story for the question matters as much as the story itself.

Interview question about…E01 work exampleE02 university example
Improving a processMain storyNot a fit
Challenging an assumptionMain storyBackup
Working with someone more seniorMain storyNot a fit
TeamworkBackupMain story
Inconsistent data or evidenceBackupMain story
Receiving feedbackNot a fitMain story
Influencing without authorityBackupMain story
Leading a teamNo story yetNo story yet
A gap is useful information

Neither story shows Bear leading a team. That’s a reason to explore E03 next, not a reason to stretch E01.

Before any of them

Use the employer’s own current job description and pages. Follow their rules on AI use. You write the final words, and the AI never applies for you.

Part 3A: Explore roles

Use A

Explore roles

Put your approved records next to a real job description. The AI separates what you’ve shown from what the role demands, and keeps formal requirements out of the guesswork.

Prompt 8Compare rolesPaste into your AI chat

Help me investigate [role A] and [role B]. Read Career_bank.md, my approved experience records, my CV if I provide it and the current official job descriptions I paste in. For each role, separate confirmed interests, demonstrated evidence (cite the experience ID), transferable examples, hard requirements such as qualifications or eligibility, unknowns and gaps. Do not treat an attractive story as proof that I meet a formal requirement, and do not diagnose my personality or suitability. Ask me up to three questions where my preferences are unclear. Create or update Role_note.md with a short comparison and the questions I should investigate next, and show it to me for approval. If you cannot edit files, return the complete Role_note.md as Markdown.

Role_note.mdv0.1Draft for review

Illustrative role with hypothetical requirements, not a real vacancy.

Junior business analyst
Analyse processes and data to recommend improvements
E01: rule mismatch found and revised routine built. E02: made four companies’ ratios comparable.
Work with stakeholders at different levels
E01: agreed the rule change with a senior colleague.
Database or query skills
Unknown. E01 mentions database extracts, but Bear hasn’t said what Bear wrote. Ask Bear.
Degree and right to work
Hard requirement. Check against the official advert. Not inferred from stories.
Questions to investigate
1
Does Bear prefer improving processes or analysing performance? E01 and E02 suggest both.
Good story, not eligibility

A strong example doesn’t meet a hard requirement like a qualification, a visa condition or a specific skill test. The note lists those separately.

Bear’s takeaway

E01 is the stronger match for a business-analyst role. For a consulting role, E02 shows the structured analysis, but it was a course project, not client work. The note says so.

Part 3B: Improve an application

Use B

Improve an application

Start from the job description, your own draft and your approved records. Everything the AI suggests is material for you to decide on.

Prompt 9Improve an applicationPaste into your AI chat

I want to improve my own [CV bullet, cover letter or application answer] for [role and employer]. Read my draft, the official job description, Career_bank.md and the relevant approved experience records, plus my CV if supplied. Map the vacancy’s actual requirements to evidence IDs. Suggest specific changes and explain each one, and ask me for my genuine motivation and any missing facts rather than inventing them. Do not introduce metrics, tools, tenure, scope or ownership the records do not support, and keep estimates labelled as estimates. I will review, revise and control the final wording. Remind me to follow the employer’s rules on AI use. Create or update Application_note.md with the requirement map and the edits I choose. If you cannot edit files, return the complete Markdown. Do not apply on my behalf.

Motivation is yours

The AI can ask why you want this role, but it can’t know. Bear’s reason, liking to make scattered evidence comparable, came from Bear’s own reflection on E02.

Application_note.mdv0.1Draft for review
Requirement
Process improvement
Evidence
E01 v0.3, Approved
Wording rule
Six hours stays labelled as a team estimate.

Bear’s CV bullets

E01
BeforeHelped automate a monthly reporting process.
After, chosen by BearHelped develop and test an updated monthly exception-checking routine after identifying a rule mismatch; a team planning estimate suggested around six staff hours of monthly work could be reduced.
E02
BeforeCompleted a university group project analysing several companies.
After, chosen by BearBuilt the common analysis workbook and ratio definitions for a four-person comparative assignment, completed one company’s analysis and helped integrate the group’s presentation.
Part 3C: Plan an interview

Use C

Plan an interview

Preparing for the stage you actually have beats rehearsing a generic list. Start from the invitation and the employer’s own pages.

Prompt 10Plan an interviewPaste into your AI chat

Help me prepare for [employer, role, interview stage, date]. Read the invitation, the official role description, my CV if supplied, Career_bank.md and my approved records. Tell me what is known about this stage and what is uncertain. Use current first-party employer information for factual claims and treat candidate forums as unverified practice leads. Create Interview_plan.md covering motivation and CV walkthrough questions, likely behavioural questions with the experience IDs that can answer them, gaps where I have no strong story yet, and case, technical or group tasks only if relevant. Include a short priority list and preparation plan. Do not invent official interview questions or scoring. Show the plan for my approval, and if you cannot edit files, return the complete Markdown.

Stories are only part of it

Motivation, knowledge of the role and your CV walkthrough need their own preparation. So do case, technical or group tasks if the employer uses them.

Different questions, different stories

Bear will use E01 for process and stakeholder questions and E02 for teamwork and feedback. Using the same story for everything is a common way to sound rehearsed.

Interview_plan.mdv0.1Draft for review

Illustrative: a competency interview for an analyst role. No real employer.

Known and uncertain
Known
Format and length, from the invitation.
Uncertain
Whether there’s a case exercise. Forums disagree, so treat them as practice leads only.
Story coverage
Process improvement
E01
Working with someone senior
E01
Teamwork and feedback
E02
Leading a team
Gap. Explore E03 before the interview.
Priority list
1
Write my own “why this role” answer.
2
Practise a CV walkthrough that links E01 and E02.
3
Mock the two main stories with follow-ups.
Part 3D: Practise aloud

Use D

Practise aloud

A record is reference material, not a script. The real test is what you can explain naturally when someone pushes back.

Prompt 11Practise aloudPaste into your AI chat

Act as a practice interviewer for [role and stage]. Read Interview_plan.md, the job description, my CV if supplied and my approved experience records. Ask one realistic question at a time and wait for my spoken or typed reply. After each answer, give specific feedback on clarity, reasoning, my actual ownership, accuracy against the record and whether I answered the question. Tell me if I claimed more than the record supports. Ask one follow-up probe on the weakest point, then let me retry once. Record gaps you observed and any new details I confirm in Interview_plan.md, and change a story record only after I approve a new fact. Never invent official scores. If you cannot edit files, return the complete Markdown at the end.

Why this matters

The inflated version comes back when you’re nervous. Practising with a checker is how the honest version becomes the one you say by default.

Use your voice

Speaking shows awkward pacing and missing steps that typing hides. Check transcripts before treating them as evidence.

A short mock, using E01

AI
Tell me about a time you improved a process.
Bear
In my analyst job I automated a monthly check and we saved six hours a month…
SlipBear slips into the inflated version under pressure.
AI
Feedback: clear opening. Two issues against your record: the six hours was a team planning estimate, not a measured saving, and the build was a shared idea with your lead. Try again, and start with the rule you found.
FeedbackChecks the answer against the approved record, not just delivery.
Bear
When we looked at automating a monthly process, I found the old rules no longer matched an updated category, so I took three synthetic test cases to the senior colleague…
AI
Better. Follow-up: who had final approval?
ProbeOne probe on the weakest point.
Part 4 of 4

Bear’s case study

Want to see the whole thing done properly? Follow Bear from a vague CV line to two interview-ready stories, stage by stage.

BeforeTwo flat CV lines
Stages 1 to 4Interviewed, checked, approved
Uses A to DRoles, CV, interview prep
AfterTwo interview cards
Case studyBear’s journey

Case study overview

Bear’s journey

From two flat CV lines to two stories Bear can use for different questions. Each step left a file behind, and each one links to the page where it happens.

  1. 1
    Pick a direction page 9

    Unsure what’s worth mentioning. Considering operations, business analysis and consulting.

    Career_bank.md v0.1
  2. 2
    Map your experiences page 10

    Three headings: E01 work, E02 university, E03 volunteering.

    Career_bank.md v0.2
  3. 3
    Interview E01 page 24

    “Helped automate” became a rule mismatch, three synthetic test cases, a shared decision and a team estimate.

    E01 v0.1, Draft for review
  4. 3
    Interview E02 page 26

    “Group project” became mismatched definitions, a reference sheet and a team conclusion.

    E02 v0.1, Draft for review
  5. 4
    Check every claim page 28

    “Led”, “company-wide”, “eliminated errors” and “consulting” removed. The estimate stays labelled.

    E01 and E02 v0.2, Approved
  6. 4
    Build cards page 31

    Questions each story can answer, memory cues, 30 and 60-second answers, follow-ups.

    E01 and E02 v0.3; Career_bank.md v0.6
  7. A to D
    Use them page 18

    A role comparison, two CV bullets, an interview plan with a gap to fix, and a mock with feedback.

    Role_note, Application_note, Interview_plan
Where it ends up

Two interview cards (page 31 and page 32). They’re what Bear looks at the night before an interview. The pages in between show every step in detail.

Case studyStage 3: Interview one experience

Stage 3, worked example

Bear’s E01 interview, part one

A work example. Watch the CV line turn into a decision, and watch the AI get something wrong.

Starting point“Helped automate a monthly reporting process.”
AI
When you say ‘helped automate’, what did you personally do, and who agreed the change?
Why it askedOpens with ownership, because “helped” could mean almost anything.
Bear
My lead suggested reducing the manual work with me. I checked the rules, built the new routine and tested it. My lead and a senior colleague agreed the scope.
What it revealedThree people now, with different roles. Bear’s part is checking, building and testing.
AI
So you ran the automation project and the others signed it off?
MisreadThe AI tidies the story into something bigger than Bear said.
Bear
Not quite. My lead and I discussed it together, and the lead supported the scoping and approval. I did the checking, building and testing.
CorrectionBear corrects it. The record follows Bear, not the AI’s summary.
AI
Thanks, I’ll record it as a shared idea with you owning the build. What made copying the existing checks unsafe?
Why it askedAsks for the problem behind the task.
Bear
A category definition had changed. I compared the old spreadsheet checks against the newer procedure and found three test cases where the classifications no longer lined up.
What it revealedThe real story: the old rules were out of date. Automating them as they were would have repeated the problem faster.
Case studyStage 3: Interview one experience

Stage 3, worked example

Bear’s E01 interview, part two

The AI follows the disagreement, the evidence and the number, and leaves gaps as gaps.

AI
How did the senior colleague who owned the old checks react?
Bear
They disagreed at first. I showed the example records and asked how the procedure should handle them. We agreed the rule change before I implemented it.
What it revealedBear raised it with evidence and didn’t decide the rule alone.
AI
Were the cases real private customer records or synthetic tests?
Why it askedChecks privacy and what the evidence actually is.
Bear
Synthetic test cases.
AI
How did you test and hand over the solution?
Bear
I reran the standard cases and boundary cases, added a way to see which exceptions failed and handed the routine to the team. Others reviewed the release.
What it revealedBear built the exception log. Others owned release sign-off.
AI
Roughly when was this, and how long did the build take?
Bear
I honestly don’t remember the month or how many weeks it took.
Gap keptThe AI records “not remembered” instead of guessing.
AI
Is there any figure for the time involved?
Why it askedAsks before assuming there is one.
Bear
The team estimated ten hours of the old monthly process and about four hours for checks under the new approach. We did not independently measure a consistent six-hour saving after release.
Number checkedA team planning estimate, 10 − 4 = 6 staff hours a month. Not a measured saving.
AI
What would you highlight in an interview?
Bear
That I checked whether the existing process was still correct before automating it, and presented evidence without trying to claim the senior colleague’s work was bad.
What it revealedBear’s own reflection, in Bear’s words.
Case studyStage 3: Interview one experience

Stage 3, worked example

Bear’s E02 interview

A university example, and shorter. No job, no client and no number, and it’s still a real story.

Starting point“Completed a university group project analysing several companies.”
AI
You wrote ‘group project’. What was your contribution beyond being one of four people?
Why it askedSeparates Bear from the group straight away.
Bear
Each student researched one company. I made the shared comparison workbook and suggested using the same ratio definitions.
AI
Was this a live client engagement?
Why it askedChecks scope before anyone calls it consulting.
Bear
No, it was a course assignment. The figures came from public company reports.
AI
Can you remember one moment where the workbook mattered?
Bear
One teammate used a different period and another excluded a cost the rest included. Our early chart looked comparable, but it wasn’t.
What it revealedThe real problem: the numbers didn’t mean the same thing.
AI
What did you personally do about it?
Bear
I made a reference sheet showing the definition, source and financial period for each ratio, asked everyone to check theirs and completed the research on my assigned company.
AI
Who decided the recommendation, and did it change?
Bear
It was a team conclusion. My initial closing sentence was too absolute; colleagues pushed back and we changed it.
What it revealedTeam ownership, and a piece of feedback Bear accepted.
AI
What supports the result?
Bear
We completed and presented the assignment. The lecturer suggested putting our central conclusion earlier. I don’t have a measured business outcome.
Gap keptThe AI adds no number. Not every story needs one.
Case studyStage 3: Interview one experience

Stage 3, result

What Bear knows now

Same person, same two experiences. The difference is detail Bear can stand behind.

E01
Before Stage 3

“Helped automate a monthly reporting process.”

After Stage 3
  • Found three synthetic cases where an updated category definition broke the old checks
  • Took them to the senior colleague and agreed the rule change before building
  • Built and tested the routine and added an exception log; others signed off the release
  • Six staff hours a month is a team planning estimate, not a measured saving. Dates not remembered
E02
Before Stage 3

“Completed a university group project analysing several companies.”

After Stage 3
  • Course assignment: four students, four consumer-goods companies, public reports
  • Spotted mismatched periods and definitions; owned the workbook and built a reference sheet
  • Analysed one company; the conclusion was a team decision, and Bear accepted pushback on it
  • Lecturer feedback: state the conclusion earlier. No grade or business outcome recorded
Career_bank.mdv0.4Draft for review
Experience index
IDHeadingRecordStatus
E01Monthly exception-processing improvement (employment)E01_monthly_process.mdDraft for review
E02Comparative company analysis (group assignment)E02_group_analysis.mdDraft for review
E03Student volunteering and eventsNone yetHeading only
Both records were written up by the AI. Even after a careful conversation, the write-up can overstate things. That’s what Stage 4 is for.
Case studyStage 4: Check, approve and save

Stage 4, worked example

Checking E01’s claims

The draft record suggested a CV line. It sounds great, and three of its four claims fail the check.

Draft suggested this

Led a company-wide automation programme, eliminated processing errors and saved six hours every month.

Wording in the draftWhat Bear actually saidCategoryKeep as
Led“My lead suggested reducing the manual work with me … My lead and a senior colleague agreed the scope.”UnsupportedHelped develop and test
a company-wide automation programmeBear described one monthly process in one team.Unsupportedan updated monthly exception-checking routine
eliminated processing errorsNothing. Error rates are listed as unknown in the record.UnsupportedRemove
saved six hours every month“The team estimated ten hours … about four hours … We did not independently measure a consistent six-hour saving.”Estimateda team planning estimate suggested around six staff hours
after identifying a rule mismatch (added)“I … found three test cases where the classifications no longer lined up.”Self-reportedKeep
What Bear approved

Helped develop and test an updated monthly exception-checking routine after identifying a rule mismatch; a team planning estimate suggested around six staff hours of monthly work could be reduced.

What the AI asked Bear during the check

“The record lists error rates as unknown. Do you have anything that shows errors went down? If not, I’ll remove ‘eliminated processing errors’.” Bear had nothing, so it went.

In a spoken answer, Bear explains the collaboration and calls the figure an estimate when asked about it.

Case studyStage 4: Check, approve and save

Stage 4, worked example

Checking E02’s claims

A university project gets inflated too. Here the AI turned a course assignment into consulting, and added a personality reading for good measure.

Draft suggested this

Led a four-person strategy consulting team to transform four companies’ investment plans.

Wording in the draftWhat Bear actually saidCategoryKeep as
Led a four-person … team“Each student researched one company. I made the shared comparison workbook …”UnsupportedBuilt the common analysis workbook and ratio definitions
strategy consulting“No, it was a course assignment.”Unsupporteda four-person comparative assignment
to transform four companies’ investment plans“I don’t have a measured business outcome.”UnsupportedRemove
completed one company’s analysis (added)“… completed the research on my assigned company.”Self-reportedKeep
Reflection: “Bear is a natural leader.”Nothing. Bear never described leading the group.InterpretationRemove. Use Bear’s own reflection instead
What Bear approved

Built the common analysis workbook and ratio definitions for a four-person comparative assignment, completed one company’s analysis and helped integrate the group’s presentation.

Watch for the flattering extras

Personality labels, invented scope and “transformed” outcomes slip into drafts because they sound like CV language. Prompt 4 tells the AI to flag them before you’re asked to approve.

Case studyStage 4: Check, approve and save

Stage 4, worked example

The record before and after

Here’s E01 itself, not just the CV line. The changes are small, and they’re what make the story safe to tell.

E01_monthly_process.mdv0.1Draft for review
Outcome
Saved six staff hours every month.
Ownership
Bear led the automation.
Suggested CV line
Led a company-wide automation programme, eliminated processing errors and saved six hours every month.
Dates
Not recorded
Change history
v0.1: Drafted from the Stage 3 conversation.
E01_monthly_process.mdv0.2Approved
Outcome
Team planning estimate: about 10 staff hours a month before, about 4 after, so about 6 a month. Estimated, not measured after release. No audited baseline.
Ownership
Shared idea with the lead. Bear compared the rules, prepared three synthetic test cases, built and tested the routine and added an exception log. Lead supported scoping and approval; senior colleague agreed the revised rule; others owned quality assurance and release sign-off.
Suggested CV line
Helped develop and test an updated monthly exception-checking routine after identifying a rule mismatch; a team planning estimate suggested around six staff hours of monthly work could be reduced.
Dates
Month and build time not remembered
Evidence
Six hours a month: Estimated. Bear’s answer in the E01 session (team planning estimate).
Open questions
Actual realised hours; error rates; variation by month; how much came from the rule change versus the scripting.
Change history
v0.1: Drafted from the Stage 3 conversation. v0.2: Removed “led”, company-wide scope and error elimination; labelled the six hours as a team estimate. Approved by Bear.

Struck through removed in the check. Marked added or narrowed.

What “Approved” means

It means Bear checked every line against what Bear remembers and said so. It doesn’t mean anyone else has verified it. E02 went through the same check and is also at v0.2, Approved.

Case studyStage 4: Check, approve and save
E01
Interview card

Monthly exception-processing improvement

Memory cue“Check the rules before making them faster”

Situation and decision

Each month a team worked through recurring exceptions with spreadsheet checks and database extracts. Before automating, Bear questioned whether the inherited rules still matched an updated category definition.

What Bear did

Compared the current procedure with the old logic; prepared three synthetic boundary cases; took them to the senior colleague; built and tested the revised routine; added an exception log for reviewers.

Others: Lead supported scoping and approval. The senior colleague agreed the revised rule. Others owned quality assurance and release sign-off.

Results and limits

Handed over for monthly use after testing. Team planning estimate: about 10 staff hours a month before, about 4 after, so around 6 a month. Estimated, not measured after release. No audited baseline.

About 30 seconds

“At a previous analyst job, I worked on a monthly process that involved a lot of repeat checking. When we considered automating it, I noticed that some of the old rules no longer matched an updated procedure. I brought a few test cases to the senior colleague who owned the original checks, and we agreed the revised logic. I built and tested the routine and added exception logging. What I learnt was to check whether a process still makes sense before making it faster.”

About 60 seconds

“In an analyst role, our team spent time every month working through recurring exceptions using spreadsheets and database extracts. My lead and I discussed automating the repetitive checks. As I compared the existing logic with the current procedure, I found a category change that the original checks did not fully cover. I made three synthetic test cases to show the difference and went through them with the senior colleague who maintained the old process. We agreed the correct handling before I wrote the revised routine. I tested the normal and boundary cases, added exception logging for the reviewers and handed it over for the team’s release checks. Our planning estimate suggested a reduction of around six staff hours per month, although we hadn’t measured consistent post-release savings. The useful lesson for me was that automation starts with understanding the process, not copying it.”

Questions it can answer

  • Improving a process
  • Challenging an assumption
  • Working with a more experienced stakeholder
  • Verifying an analytical conclusion
  • Balancing speed with traceability
  • Learning from an existing system

Likely follow-ups

  • How did you estimate the hours?
  • Who had final approval?
  • How did you test it?
  • What did you personally build?
  • What if the colleague still disagreed?

Still unresolved

  • Actual realised hours and error rates
  • Variation by month
  • Rule change versus scripting effect
  • Month and build time

For a pure teamwork question, E02 is the better choice.

Case studyStage 4: Check, approve and save
E02
Interview card

Comparative company analysis

Memory cue“Agree what the numbers mean first”

Situation and decision

Four students compared four consumer-goods companies from public reports for a management module. Early ratios used different definitions and periods, so the first chart looked comparable but wasn’t.

What Bear did

Owned the shared comparison workbook; built a reference sheet with each ratio’s definition, source and financial period; asked teammates to check their inputs; analysed one assigned company.

Others: Each teammate analysed one company. The conclusion and presentation were developed jointly, and the team changed Bear’s over-absolute closing line.

Results and limits

Assignment completed and presented. Lecturer feedback: state the central conclusion earlier. No grade, client or business outcome recorded.

About 30 seconds

“In a four-person university project, we compared four consumer-goods companies. I built the common workbook and realised our initial ratios weren’t comparable because we had used different definitions and reporting periods. I made a reference sheet, checked the inputs with the others and completed my assigned company analysis. We then developed the conclusion together. It showed me how much the quality of a recommendation depends on agreeing what the numbers actually mean.”

About 60 seconds

“For a management assignment, my group of four had to compare the performance of several consumer-goods companies. We divided the initial research, but when we brought it together I spotted that our ratios used different reporting periods and definitions. I owned the common workbook, so I built a reference sheet recording each ratio’s formula and source, and worked with the others to make the comparisons consistent. I also completed the analysis for my assigned company. During the presentation preparation, the team challenged a conclusion I’d suggested because it sounded too absolute, so we changed the wording without losing the evidence. We delivered the presentation, and the lecturer’s main feedback was that we should have stated the conclusion earlier. I learnt to check comparability before drawing a conclusion, and to explain it in language the audience can use.”

Questions it can answer

  • Teamwork
  • Dealing with inconsistent evidence
  • Analytical problem-solving
  • Receiving feedback
  • Integrating parallel workstreams
  • Influencing without formal authority

Likely follow-ups

  • What was in the common workbook?
  • Which formulas differed?
  • Who proposed the conclusion?
  • What changed after feedback?
  • Was this a live client engagement? (No.)

Still unresolved

  • Which exact ratios differed
  • The mark, which is deliberately not included

For a question about working with someone senior, E01 fits better.

ReferenceFixes and templates

When it goes wrong

The usual snags, and what to do about each one.

It made me sound more impressive than I was.
Run Prompt 4. It has to quote what you said behind each claim. That’s how Bear’s “led a company-wide programme” disappeared (page 28).
I can’t remember the details.
Say so. Bear couldn’t remember the month or the build time, and the record says “not remembered”. A gap is better than a guess.
It asks five questions at once.
Reply: “One question at a time, please, and wait for my answer.”
I have a number but I’m not sure it’s real.
Ask where it came from. If it’s a projection, label it as one, the way Bear’s six hours is a team estimate.
My story has no number at all.
That’s fine. E02 has none and it’s still a strong story. Don’t let the AI invent one.
The new chat has forgotten everything.
Normal. Attach Career_bank.md and your record, then use Prompt 7 (page 15).
It says it saved a file, but I can’t find it.
Only trust files you can open or download. Ask for the complete Markdown in the chat and save it yourself.
I’ve got two versions of the same record.
Attach both, ask the AI to list every difference, decide which is right and keep one current file.
My story doesn’t fit the question.
Pick a different story. The coverage table on page 17 shows how Bear chooses.
ReferenceFixes and templates

Templates to copy

Paste these into your first chat if your AI doesn’t create the files itself. The same text is in the Markdown prompt pack.

Career_bank.md

# Career bank
Version: v0.1
Approval: Draft for review
Privacy: Private by default

## Direction note
Confirmed:
Possible:
Open:

## Experience index
| ID | Heading | Record | Status | Useful question |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| E01 | | E01_short_name.md | Heading only | |

## Next actions
-

## Change history
- v0.1:

Statuses: Heading only, In progress, Draft for review, Approved.

E##_short_name.md

# E01: [Exact title]
Version: v0.1
Approval: Draft for review
Privacy: Private by default
Dates: [if known]

## Context and timeline
Confirmed:
Not remembered:

## My actions and decisions
What I did:
What others did:
Key decision or disagreement:
Alternatives considered:

## Outcomes and evidence
Observed or reported:
Estimated (how and by whom):
Unknown:

## Evidence list (one line per kept claim)
- [claim] | [category] | [source]

## Reflection
What I learnt, in my words:

## Open questions
-

## Privacy boundaries
Keep private:
Never include: real client names, private records,
confidential documents

## Interview navigation (added after approval)
Memory cue:
Questions it can answer:
30-second answer:
60-second answer:
Likely follow-ups:
Source limits to remember:

## Change history
- v0.1:

About this guide

One honest story is enough to start.

Frog comes from how I prepared for my own career applications. I used an extended form of this process to go back through my experiences, build a detailed story bank and prepare for several different types of interview. The questioning turned up decisions and examples my CV had flattened into one line.

This public guide is a portable version for you to try and adapt. It’s a method, not a promise. It hasn’t been independently tested, and it doesn’t guarantee interviews or offers.

Bear and both of Bear’s stories are fictional. The organisations are unnamed and the figures are invented for illustration.

Keep your latest approved files somewhere safe, and bring them to every new chat.

Kushagra Gupta