Update Experience
Add or update career experience in the XML files under /experience. All activities must follow STAR format.
Workflow
1. PARSE INPUT └─ Determine: Add new or update existing? What type (position, activity, credential)? 2. IDENTIFY TARGET └─ Find existing element to update, or determine where new element belongs 3. VALIDATE STAR └─ Check if input has all STAR components; identify gaps 4. CLARIFY (if needed) └─ Ask questions to complete missing STAR elements 5. GENERATE XML └─ Create properly formatted XML with tags 6. UPDATE FILE └─ Edit the appropriate experience/*.xml file(s)
Update Types
| Type | Description | Target File |
|---|---|---|
| New Position | Add a new job/role | career-profile.xml |
| New Activity | Add achievement to existing position | career-profile.xml |
| Update Activity | Modify existing STAR content | career-profile.xml |
| New Initiative | Add project grouping under position | career-profile.xml |
| Credentials | Education, certifications, speaking | career-profile.xml |
| Expertise | Skills, technologies, domains | career-profile.xml |
| Key Metrics | Headline numbers | career-profile.xml |
STAR Format Requirements
Every activity MUST have all four STAR elements:
<activity id="{position-id}-{year}-{topic}" type="{strategic|technical|leadership}">
<situation>Context that created the need (business problem, gap, opportunity)</situation>
<task>Specific responsibility assigned (what you were asked to do)</task>
<action>What was done (power verbs, specific steps taken)</action>
<result>Quantified outcome with inline metrics ($, %, numbers)</result>
<tags>
<domain ref="{domain-id}">
<skill>Specific skill demonstrated</skill>
<technology>Tool or technology used</technology>
</domain>
</tags>
</activity>
Clarifying Questions
When input lacks STAR components, ask targeted questions:
Missing Situation:
- •"What was the business context or problem that created this need?"
- •"What was happening in the organization that led to this work?"
Missing Task:
- •"What was your specific responsibility or assignment?"
- •"What were you asked to accomplish?"
Missing Action:
- •"What specific steps did you take?"
- •"What methods, tools, or approaches did you use?"
Missing Result:
- •"What was the measurable outcome?"
- •"Can you quantify the impact (revenue, time saved, users, scale)?"
Missing Tags:
- •"Which skills from your expertise does this demonstrate?"
- •"What technologies or tools were involved?"
Processing Unstructured Input
When user provides blob text:
- •Extract identifiable STAR elements from the text
- •Identify the position it relates to (by company, date, or context)
- •Map to existing initiatives if applicable
- •List what's missing and ask specific questions
- •Propose the XML structure for user confirmation before updating
Example:
User: "At Google I built a training program that got 500 people certified" Missing: - Situation: Why was training needed? - Task: What was your specific role? - Action: What did you actually do to build it? - Result: Has number but needs context (what certifications? timeframe?) - Tags: Which domains/skills? Questions: 1. "What prompted the need for this training program?" 2. "What was your specific responsibility - did you design it, run it, or both?" 3. "What's the timeframe for the 500 certifications?"
Activity Types
| Type | Indicators | Examples |
|---|---|---|
strategic | Enterprise-wide impact, long-term planning, C-level visibility | Architecture design, strategy development |
technical | Hands-on implementation, technical decisions | Building agents, coding, system design |
leadership | Team management, program coordination, training | Program management, mentoring, training |
Tag Domains
Reference domains from the <expertise> section using the ref attribute:
Tier 1 (10+ years): enterprise-architecture, cloud-platforms, technology-evangelism, program-management
Tier 2 (5-10 years): ai-ml, value-engineering, sales-enablement, business-development
Tier 3 (2-5 years): six-sigma, martech-loyalty, software-development
XML Schema Reference
See references/xml-schema.md for complete element hierarchy and attribute documentation.
File Update Process
- •Read current file - Load the target XML file
- •Locate insertion point - Find the right position/initiative
- •Generate activity ID - Format:
{position-id}-{year}-{topic-slug} - •Insert new element - Maintain proper indentation (2 spaces)
- •Validate XML - Ensure well-formed after edit
- •Update career-summary.xml - If adding new position or major achievement, update condensed version
Example: Adding New Activity
Input: "I just presented the AI strategy to the board last week"
Process:
- •
Identify: New activity for current position (mcd-2024)
- •
Check STAR:
- •Situation: ❌ Missing - why board presentation?
- •Task: ❌ Missing - what was the goal?
- •Action: ⚠️ Partial - "presented"
- •Result: ❌ Missing - what was outcome?
- •
Ask:
- •"What was the purpose of presenting to the board?"
- •"What specific content or recommendations did you present?"
- •"What was the outcome - approvals, feedback, next steps?"
- •
After answers, generate:
<activity id="mcd-2024-board-ai" type="strategic">
<situation>Board required visibility into enterprise AI strategy...</situation>
<task>Present comprehensive AI roadmap and investment recommendations...</task>
<action>Delivered executive presentation covering 10-layer architecture...</action>
<result>Secured board approval for AI investment roadmap...</result>
<tags>
<domain ref="ai-ml">
<skill>AI governance</skill>
</domain>
<domain ref="technology-evangelism">
<skill>Executive presentations</skill>
</domain>
</tags>
</activity>