Give AI a clear job

A familiar frustration

You have probably typed something like:

Write me a Facebook post about my special this weekend.

and received a paragraph that could belong to almost any business in any city. It may sound cheerful. It may even sound “professional.” It often does not sound like you, and it may invent details you never said — a price, a closing time, a customer promise, a prize you do not offer.

That is not proof that you are bad at this. The tool does not know your business, your customers, your voice, or what “good” means unless you say so. If you ask as if you were shouting a wish into a search box, you will usually get a wish-shaped answer: generic, polished, and not quite usable.

A better habit is simpler. Brief the tool the way you would brief a helpful new assistant on their first day. You would not say “make something nice.” You would say who you are, who will read it, what must stay true, and what you want back.

The shift: from wish to job

A wish sounds like:

• “Make this better.”
• “Write something viral.”
• “Give me content for the week.”
• “Act as an expert and handle this.”

A job sounds like:

• “I run a small bakery. I need a short post that tells neighborhood customers Saturday’s almond croissant is back, without inventing a price or a discount.”

The second one is not fancier. It is kinder to your future self, because the answer is easier to check.

The Job Brief (five parts)

Use these five headings every time, even if a heading only gets one sentence.

1. Context

Who is speaking, and who will read or use the result? Include only facts that are true.

2. Goal

What is this piece of work for? Be specific. “Get people to come Saturday morning” is a goal. “Make it good” is not.

3. Constraints

The rules. Include at least one fact that must stay true and one thing to avoid. Length, language, tone, and “do not invent prices / hours / testimonials” belong here.

4. Example or style note

A sentence you already like, a phrase you often say, or a clear note such as “plain and warm, no slang, no exclamation-mark piles.” If you do not have a sample, a style note is enough.

5. Output

The exact shape you want back: “four to six sentences,” “three subject-line options,” “a checklist with five boxes,” “English first, then a natural Spanish version,” and so on.

You do not need a long prompt. You need a complete one.

Hypothetical practice story: Maya’s bakery

Maya runs a small neighborhood bakery. On Thursday afternoon she wants a short Facebook post. The true facts she is willing to stand behind are:

A vague request:

Write a Facebook post about almond croissants.

A Job Brief:

Notice what the brief does not do. It does not ask the tool to become a famous marketer. It does not ask for virality. It does not outsource the facts. Maya stays in charge of what is true.

What a usable draft looks like

A stronger answer to Maya’s brief might sound like this (still hypothetical writing for a hypothetical bakery):

That draft is usable because:

• It stays inside the facts Maya supplied
• It sounds like a person
• It gives the reader one clear reason to come sooner rather than later
• It does not invent a price, a contest, or a glowing review

A weaker answer might say the croissants are “award-winning,” cost $4, come with free coffee before 9 a.m., or are “the city’s favorite.” Those details may sound convincing. They are still inventions unless Maya said they were true. Convincing and true are not the same thing.

If an answer adds facts you did not provide, do not polish those facts. Remove them, or start again with a tighter constraint: “Use only the facts in my brief. If a detail is missing, ask me instead of filling it in.”

A one-minute check before you use any answer

If you cannot say yes to the facts question, the draft is not ready, no matter how smooth it sounds.

Common traps

Asking for magic

“Make it viral” and “write a week of content” hide the real job. Pick one task.

Writing a novel-length prompt

Extra background can help; a wandering monologue usually does not. If a sentence does not change the job, leave it out.

Pasting private information

Customer names, phone numbers, order details, medical notes, school records, and login screens do not belong in a chat box. You can describe a situation without identifying a person. Lesson 5 stays with this longer. The short version is already a rule: leave other people’s information out.

Accepting invented specifics because they sound convenient

A tidy opening hour is not helpful if it is wrong.

Handing over your judgment

The tool can draft. You decide whether the draft is true, kind, and fit to send.

Recap

A useful AI request is a job, not a wish. The Job Brief gives the tool context, a goal, constraints, a style note, and a clear output shape. You keep the facts. You check the answer. That is the whole skill this lesson is trying to build.