A free guide by Mariah Brunner ↗ INSTAGRAM ↗ TIKTOK
Career

The 30-Day Plan
to Find Your
Next Job

Just got laid off? Three free AI certs in 48 hours. A LinkedIn rewritten for keyword search. A portfolio project that pulls inbound recruiters. An application factory that ships 5 tailored apps a day.

First, take a breath. Don't tell your network you got laid off in the first week. The instinct is to post the "open to work" announcement on day one, but that puts you on the market as a candidate looking for help. Spend week 1 quietly. Getting the certs, rewriting your profile, shipping the portfolio. Week 2, when you start outreach, you're not "looking for a job." You're a fluent AI builder who's open to roles. The framing changes everything.

Second, the AI shift is the leverage. Jobs that explicitly require AI skills pay more, and recruiters now search LinkedIn by skills filters and keyword clusters. Not by hashtags. The whole plan below is built around that: get the credentials recruiters recognize, optimize the surfaces recruiters actually search, and ship visible work that proves AI fluency in your previous role's domain.

Four phases. Thirty days. Every prompt below is real and copy-paste ready.

Days 1-2 Phase 1 · Stack 3 free AI certifications

Pick 3 from the list below and finish them in 48 hours. All free. All with a real certificate you can add under "Licenses & Certifications" on LinkedIn. Recruiters scan that section. The Anthropic + Microsoft pair is the strongest combo for most roles.

Anthropic Academy (best for AI fluency):

Microsoft + LinkedIn (most recruiter recognition):

Other strong picks. Pick one if you have extra time:

Speed tip

The Salesforce Trailhead badge (20 minutes) and AWS Generative AI for Executives self-paced version (just 13 minutes) are the fastest credentials on the list. They're real, free, and add a recognized name to your profile in under an hour combined. If you're staring at this guide on a Sunday night with a Monday interview, do these two first while you finish a longer course in the background.

Days 3-5 Phase 2 · Rewrite LinkedIn for keyword search

Most laid-off profiles read like a job description. Recruiters search by keyword clusters and filter by the Skills section. Not by hashtag, and not by your About paragraph. The rewrite below moves your headline, About, Skills, and Experience bullets into the surfaces recruiters actually scan.

01The LinkedIn rewrite prompt

Copy this prompt into Claude. Paste your current profile, 3 dream job descriptions, and your top 3 roles with measurable outcomes. Claude returns headline, About, Skills (all 100 slots), and Experience bullets. Each step at a time, so you can review and edit.

You are my LinkedIn rewriter. I just got laid off. My job is to look hireable for recruiters searching for AI-skilled candidates in my field within 14 days. INPUTS (I'll paste these in order): 1. My current LinkedIn profile (headline + About + Experience + Skills) as plain text 2. Three job descriptions for roles I'd take in a heartbeat 3. The 3 most senior roles I've held with actual measurable outcomes (numbers, not duties) Run this exact protocol: STEP 1. KEYWORD MAPPING. Pull every recurring word and phrase from the 3 JDs that appears in 2+ of them. Group into: must-have skills, nice-to-have skills, soft skills, AI-specific terms. Show me the keyword cluster before you rewrite anything. STEP 2. HEADLINE REWRITE. Write 3 versions of my LinkedIn headline using the keyword cluster. Each version must: - Be under 220 characters - Start with my actual role + outcome, not a label - Use the 3-4 keywords recruiters are most likely to search - Avoid corporate words ("results-driven," "passionate about," "innovative") - Read like a real person wrote it STEP 3. ABOUT REWRITE. Write the About section so the first 3 lines (above the "see more" fold) do all the work: - Line 1: who I am + the outcome I create - Line 2: the proof (a specific metric or accomplishment) - Line 3: what I'm looking for next Then elaborate. Total under 1,500 characters. Use my voice from the writing samples. STEP 4. SKILLS SECTION. LinkedIn lets you list 100 skills. Most people list 10. Generate the full 100, ranked by recruiter-search frequency for my field. Pull from the keyword cluster + broader AI/role vocabulary. Recruiters filter by Skills more than they search by hashtag. This is the most important section. STEP 5. EXPERIENCE BULLETS. Rewrite my top 3 roles using (Action + Outcome + Metric). Strip every "responsible for" and "duties included." Lead with verbs. Lead with results. Cap each role at 5 bullets. OUTPUT FORMAT: Show me each step in order. Don't compile the full profile at the end. I want to review and edit each section as we go. Constraints: - Don't invent metrics I didn't give you. - Don't add skills I don't have. - Don't use words from my cringe list. - If a JD requires a skill I clearly don't have, flag it. Don't fake it.

The Skills section is the real lever

LinkedIn data shows recruiters now use the Skills filter more than 50% more often than hashtag-based discovery. The fastest single move you can make today: open your profile, click Edit Skills, and add every AI-specific term that fits your background (Claude, ChatGPT, Generative AI, Prompt Engineering, AI workflows, Cowork, Anthropic, LangChain, RAG, AI agents, etc.). Maxing out the 100 slots takes 15 minutes and changes how many recruiter searches you appear in.

Days 5-10 Phase 3 · Ship one visible AI portfolio project

Recruiters who land on your profile should see proof of AI fluency, not just claims. The fastest way: pick the painful problem from your last job. The one you'd have built a tool for if you'd had time. And build it now. Then post it.

02The portfolio strategist prompt

Copy this prompt into Claude. Paste your previous role, the painful recurring problem, and the 3 roles you're targeting. Claude picks the format (Skill / Artifact / scheduled task), builds the spec, generates the actual build prompt, and drafts the LinkedIn post you'll publish.

You are my AI portfolio strategist. I just got laid off and I need to ship one visible, tagged, LinkedIn-postable AI project in the next 5 days. The goal: recruiters who land on my profile see proof of AI fluency, not just claims. Here's my situation: - My previous role: [PASTE TITLE + 2-LINE DESCRIPTION] - The painful problem from that job I'd build a tool to solve: [PASTE. Be specific. "The Monday report that took me 4 hours every week" or "the inbox triage I'd kill for"] - The 3 roles I'm targeting: [PASTE OR LIST] Run this protocol: STEP 1. PICK THE FORMAT. Based on my role and target roles, recommend ONE: - A Custom Claude Skill (best for ops, EA, marketing, analyst, PM, CS). - A working Claude Artifact. Dashboard, calculator, tracker, generator (best for finance, data, product, consulting, founder roles). - A scheduled automation that runs a workflow in the background (best for senior IC, eng lead, director). Pick one. Tell me why. Don't list all three and let me decide. STEP 2. BUILD SPEC. For the format you picked, give me: - The exact problem in 1 sentence - The user (who would use this) - The 3-5 inputs the project needs - The 3-5 outputs the project produces - The mechanic (which Claude features it uses) - The "would a real person use this?" test. Answer honestly STEP 3. BUILD IT WITH ME. Generate the actual Claude Skill prompt, Artifact prompt, or scheduled task setup. Make it production-quality. I should be able to copy your output, paste it into Claude, and get a working tool in under 30 minutes. STEP 4. THE POST. Draft the LinkedIn post I'll publish when I share it: - Hook: 1 line about the problem - Body: 3-5 lines about what I built and what it does (specific, with numbers if possible) - Visual: tell me what to screenshot (a real output, not a stock graphic) - Hashtags: #AIProjects #GenerativeAI #BuildInPublic + one role-specific tag - CTA: invite people to DM if they want the build - Length: under 1,300 characters (LinkedIn fold limit) Constraints: - The project must solve a real problem from my last job. Not a generic demo. - Imperfect public beats perfect private. - If I list a problem you can't solve with Claude alone, say so and adjust scope.

The hashtag fix

Don't post with #AIPortfolio. It has minimal traction. The dominant hashtags for AI portfolio discovery in 2026 are #AIProjects, #GenerativeAI, #BuildInPublic, and one role-specific tag (#AIforMarketers, #AIforProductManagers, etc.). And again: the Skills filter outperforms any hashtag for recruiter discovery, so the post is a bonus. The Skills section is the work.

Days 10-30 Phase 4 · Apply with the application factory

The bottleneck on applications is time, not effort. Most people write one generic cover letter and recycle it. The reply rate is 1-2%. The version below tailors a resume + cover letter to each JD in 10 minutes per application. Aim for 5 applications a day. Over 20 days that's 100 tailored applications.

03The application factory prompt

Copy this prompt into a new Claude Project (so the setup persists). Paste your master resume, base cover letter, about-me.md, and non-negotiables once. After that, every application is just pasting the JD and getting back a fit score, tailored resume, tailored cover letter, and an application note.

You are my application factory. I'm applying to 5+ jobs a day and each one needs a tailored resume + cover letter. The bottleneck is time, not effort. Your job: cut each application from 60 minutes to 10. ONE-TIME SETUP. I'll paste once: - My master resume (the long version with every role and every bullet) - My base cover letter template (the 200-word version with my pitch) - My about-me.md file (so you know my voice) - My non-negotiables (salary minimum, remote vs. Hybrid, locations, role types I won't take) After that, every application starts with me pasting the JD. Run this protocol: STEP 1. JOB FIT SCORE. Read the JD and tell me, in one paragraph: - The 3 keywords this role is searching for - My fit score (1-10) based on my master resume - The 2-3 things I'm genuinely strong on for this role - The 1-2 places I'm a stretch - Whether I should apply or skip. If skip, why. If skip, stop here. STEP 2. TAILORED RESUME. Take my master resume and: - Reorder so the most relevant role is on top - Rewrite 2-3 bullets per role to match the JD's vocabulary (don't invent. Remap what's there) - Trim everything not earning its place - Hit the JD's keywords in the Skills section - Output a 1-page version STEP 3. TAILORED COVER LETTER. Rewrite my base template: - Open with a specific reference to the company or the role (not "I'm excited to apply") - Address the 2-3 strengths from Step 1 - Briefly handle the stretch (don't dwell) - Close with a clear next step - Length: 200-300 words - Voice: match my about-me.md exactly. No "I'd be happy to" or "results-driven." STEP 4. APPLICATION NOTE. Generate a 1-line note I can paste into any "anything else?" box. Specific. Memorable. Not a re-pitch. STEP 5. OUTPUT FORMAT. Give me all three pieces in one response: fit score + verdict, resume in plain text, cover letter in plain text, application note. Ready to paste into the form. Constraints: - Don't fabricate experience. - Don't use words from my cringe list. - If the JD is impossible to read or vague, flag it. - If the company has a known controversy I should know about, mention briefly.
Before Every Interview Run the interview prep

Don't go into an interview cold. The protocol below generates 30 likely questions specific to the role + the interviewer's LinkedIn, then mock-interviews you by voice the night before. You'll walk in already familiar with every question and your strongest answer to each.

04The interview prep prompt

Copy this prompt into Claude the night before any interview. Paste the JD, your tailored resume, the interviewer's LinkedIn profile, and the 3 hardest things you might be asked about (gaps, transitions, layoff). Switch to voice mode for the mock.

You are my interview prep coach. I have an interview for [ROLE] at [COMPANY] on [DATE]. Your job: generate the 30 most likely questions, the strongest answer for each based on my real experience, then mock-interview me by voice. I'll paste: - The job description - My tailored resume (the one we built for this role) - The LinkedIn profile of the interviewer (or interviewers. If there's a panel) - The 3 hardest things I might be asked about my background (gaps, transitions, layoff, career change) Run this protocol: STEP 1. 30 QUESTIONS. Generate 30 likely interview questions, ranked by probability: - 10 behavioral (STAR method territory) - 10 role-specific (technical or domain) - 5 about my background (the gaps + the layoff) - 5 culture / motivation ("why us, why now, why this role") STEP 2. MY STRONGEST ANSWER. For each, write the answer I should give in 90 seconds or less, using STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) where it fits. Use my actual experience from the resume. Don't make up stories. If I don't have a real example for a question, say so and suggest how to handle the gap honestly. STEP 3. THE LAYOFF QUESTION. Specifically, write me 3 versions of the answer to "Why did you leave your last role?". Short, direct, no apology, no oversharing. I'll pick the one that fits. STEP 4. THE WILDCARD. Tell me the one question this interviewer is statistically most likely to ask based on their LinkedIn (their background, their team, their recent posts). Prep me specifically. STEP 5. VOICE MOCK. Once we've gone through the questions, switch to voice mode. Ask me 10 random questions from the list, one at a time. After each answer, give me one specific note. Not "great answer," real feedback. ("You hedged in the middle. Cut the 'I think.'" "You ran 2 minutes. Cut to 90 seconds.") Constraints: - Make the questions sound like real interviewers. - Don't let me get away with vague answers. Push for specifics. - Don't pep-talk me. Coach me.

30 days from now

3 AI certifications on your profile · A LinkedIn recruiters can actually find via Skills filter · An AI portfolio earning inbound DMs · 100 tailored applications sent · Every interview prepped with the protocol above. Build pace beats panic every time.

Cross-link

For more on the 3 free Microsoft + LinkedIn paths in depth, see 3 Free AI Certifications From Microsoft + LinkedIn. For the full LinkedIn rewrite framework, see LinkedIn Magnet. For interview prep deep dive, see the Interview Coach guide.

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