job-apply

Job Application Assistant

A Claude Code skill for filling job applications on LinkedIn Easy Apply, Greenhouse, Ashby, Lever, Rippling, and Workday using browser automation.

Initial Prompt

When this skill is invoked, first check if a profile exists at ~/.claude-job-profile.json.

If NO profile exists, say:

Welcome to the Job Application Assistant! I'll help you fill out job applications on LinkedIn, Greenhouse, and Workday.

First, I need to set up your profile. This is a one-time process — your information will be saved for future applications.

Please provide the path to your resume file (PDF, DOCX, or TXT).

For example: ~/Documents/resume.pdf or /Users/you/Desktop/MyResume.pdf

Then wait for the user to provide the path before proceeding with profile extraction.

If a profile DOES exist, say:

Welcome back! Your profile is loaded from ~/.claude-job-profile.json.

Provide a job URL and I'll help you apply. For example:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/123456789
• Greenhouse: https://boards.greenhouse.io/company/jobs/123
• Workday: https://company.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/jobs/job/123

Or say "reset profile" if you want to update your information from a new resume.

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Required Input

• Resume file path: Path to your resume (PDF, DOCX, or TXT format)
• Job URL: LinkedIn job posting or direct application link

Profile Storage

Your extracted profile is stored at ~/.claude-job-profile.json for reuse across sessions. Run with --reset-profile to re-extract from resume.

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Dual-Tool Architecture

This skill uses two browser automation tools together because each has capabilities the other lacks:

Capability	Chrome MCP	Playwright MCP
Authenticated sessions (LinkedIn)	Yes	No — runs a separate browser with no login
File uploads	No — opens OS file picker that can't be controlled	Yes — setInputFiles and browser_file_upload
Iframe interaction	Limited — can't reliably reach iframe content	Yes — snapshots include iframe elements transparently
JavaScript injection	Yes — javascript_tool	Yes — browser_evaluate and browser_run_code
Dropdown/combobox interaction	Limited	Yes — browser_fill_form and browser_click

Tool Routing Rules

Use Chrome MCP (mcp__claude-in-chrome__*) for:

• LinkedIn navigation (requires logged-in session)
• Any site requiring authentication
• JavaScript injection to capture external URLs
• Reading LinkedIn job details

Use Playwright MCP (mcp__plugin_playwright_playwright__*) for:

• External application portals (Greenhouse, Ashby, Lever, Rippling, Workday)
• File uploads (resume, cover letter)
• Forms embedded in iframes
• Dropdown and combobox interaction
• Any form filling on non-authenticated pages

The Handoff Pattern

1. Chrome MCP navigates to the LinkedIn job listing (authenticated)
2. Chrome MCP clicks Apply — if it's an external application, captures the external URL via JavaScript interception
3. Playwright MCP opens the captured URL and fills the form, uploads files, and submits

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LinkedIn → External URL Extraction

When a LinkedIn job uses an external application portal, the Apply button opens a new tab. Use JavaScript interception to capture that URL.

Pattern A: Button with window.open (most common)

// Step 1: Set up interceptor in Chrome MCP
var originalOpen = window.open;
window.open = function(url, target, features) {
  document.title = 'CAPTURED:' + url;
  var w = originalOpen.call(window, url, target, features);
  return w;
};

// Step 2: Click the Apply button
document.querySelector('button.jobs-apply-button').click();

// Step 3: Read document.title — it will start with "CAPTURED:" followed by the URL

Pattern B: Link with target="_blank" (fallback)

// Remove target="_blank" so it navigates in the same tab
var link = document.querySelector('a.jobs-apply-button');
link.removeAttribute('target');
link.click();
// Read the URL from the Chrome tab after navigation

After capturing the URL, pass it to Playwright MCP via browser_navigate.

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Workflow

Phase 1: Profile Setup

If no profile exists at ~/.claude-job-profile.json, or if the user requests a reset:

1. Read the resume file using the Read tool
2. Extract structured data into these categories:
   • firstName, lastName
   • email, phone
   • location (city, state, country, zip)
   • linkedInUrl, portfolioUrl, githubUrl (if present)
   • workHistory[]: array of { company, title, startDate, endDate, current, description }
   • education[]: array of { school, degree, field, startDate, endDate, gpa }
   • skills[]: array of skill strings
   • resumePath: absolute path to the resume file on disk
3. Present extracted data to user for review and correction
4. Save confirmed profile to ~/.claude-job-profile.json

Phase 2: Application Filling

1. Load profile from ~/.claude-job-profile.json
2. Determine starting point:
   • If URL is LinkedIn (linkedin.com) → use Chrome MCP to navigate (authenticated)
   • If URL is a direct external portal → skip to step 5 with Playwright MCP
3. Chrome MCP: Navigate to LinkedIn job listing, click Apply
4. Chrome MCP: If external portal, capture URL using JS interception pattern (see above)
5. Playwright MCP: Navigate to external URL with browser_navigate
6. Playwright MCP: Detect platform, read form structure with browser_snapshot
7. Playwright MCP: Fill fields with browser_fill_form, handle dropdowns with browser_click
8. Playwright MCP: Upload resume with browser_file_upload or browser_run_code using setInputFiles
9. Playwright MCP: Take snapshot to verify all fields are filled correctly
10. Present summary to user showing all filled values, wait for explicit confirmation
11. Playwright MCP: Click Submit

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Platform-Specific Guidance

LinkedIn Easy Apply

Characteristics:

• Modal-based multi-step wizard
• Usually 2-5 steps: Contact Info → Resume → Additional Questions → Review
• Has progress indicator at top

Approach:

1. Click "Easy Apply" button to open modal
2. Use read_page on each step to identify fields
3. Common fields:
   • Phone number (often pre-filled from LinkedIn)
   • Resume upload (use upload_image tool with resume path)
   • Work authorization questions (dropdowns)
   • Custom screening questions (varies by employer)
4. Click "Next" to advance, "Review" on final step
5. Screenshot the review page before "Submit application"

Field patterns to look for:

• input[name*="phone"] - Phone number
• input[type="file"] - Resume upload
• select, [role="listbox"] - Dropdown questions
• [role="radio"], [role="checkbox"] - Multiple choice

Greenhouse

Characteristics:

• Single long-form page with sections
• Clear field labels
• Often has "Add another" for work history/education
• Frequently embedded in iframes on company career sites — Playwright handles this transparently

Approach (use Playwright MCP):

1. Navigate to URL with browser_navigate
2. Use browser_snapshot to read full form — iframe content appears with f54eXX refs
3. Fill from top to bottom using browser_fill_form
4. Phone country code: Click the country code toggle → select "United States: +1" from the listbox → the phone field auto-formats with +1 prefix
5. For work history sections:
   • Fill most recent position
   • Click "Add another" if form allows and user has more history
6. Education section similar pattern
7. Handle custom questions at bottom
8. Upload resume via browser_file_upload or browser_run_code with setInputFiles
9. Single "Submit Application" button at end

Field patterns:

• Standard <input> and <select> elements
• #first_name, #last_name, #email, #phone common IDs
• .field-container or .field wrapping each question

Ashby

Characteristics:

• Simple single-page form
• Fields: name, phone, email, location (combobox), LinkedIn URL, resume upload
• Has both a resume upload field and a separate autofill file input — use the resume field, not the autofill one

Approach (use Playwright MCP):

1. Navigate to URL with browser_navigate
2. Use browser_snapshot to read form structure
3. Fill text fields with browser_fill_form (name, phone, email, LinkedIn URL)
4. Location combobox: Type the location to trigger suggestions, then click the matching option
5. Resume upload: Use browser_run_code with page.locator('#_systemfield_resume').setInputFiles('/path/to/resume.pdf') — target #_systemfield_resume specifically, not the autofill input
6. Verify with browser_snapshot
7. Submit

Lever

Characteristics:

• Often hosted on the company's own domain (e.g., company.com/careers/...?lever-source=LinkedIn)
• Form typically at the bottom of a long job description page
• Text fields for name, email, phone, LinkedIn, etc.
• Radio buttons for screening questions — often use custom overlays that intercept clicks

Approach (use Playwright MCP):

1. Navigate to URL with browser_navigate
2. Scroll down to find the application form (usually below job description)
3. Use browser_snapshot to read form structure
4. Fill text fields with browser_fill_form
5. Radio buttons: If browser_click doesn't work (overlay intercepts), use browser_evaluate with:

   element.click();
   element.dispatchEvent(new Event('change', {bubbles: true}));
   

6. Resume upload: Use browser_run_code to find the hidden file input and call setInputFiles:

   async (page) => {
     await page.locator('input[type="file"][name="resume"]').setInputFiles('/path/to/resume.pdf');
   }
   

7. Verify with browser_snapshot, then submit

Rippling

Characteristics:

• Auto-parses uploaded resume to pre-fill fields
• Upload resume first, then verify/correct auto-filled data
• Location uses a typeahead combobox

Approach (use Playwright MCP):

1. Navigate to URL with browser_navigate
2. Upload resume first — Rippling will auto-parse and fill fields
3. Use browser_snapshot to see what was auto-filled
4. Correct any mis-parsed fields with browser_fill_form
5. Location combobox: Clear existing value, type the correct location, wait for dropdown, click match
6. Fill any remaining required fields
7. Verify with browser_snapshot, then submit

Workday

Characteristics:

• Multi-page wizard with heavy JavaScript
• Non-standard UI components (custom dropdowns, date pickers)
• Often requires account creation (STOP and inform user - do not create accounts)

Approach (use Playwright MCP):

1. If login/account creation required, STOP and inform user they must handle this
2. Navigate through "My Information" → "My Experience" → "Application Questions"
3. Use browser_snapshot to read form structure on each page
4. For dropdowns: browser_click to open, then browser_snapshot to read options, then browser_click option
5. For date fields: May need to click calendar icon, then select date
6. Watch for "Save and Continue" vs "Submit" buttons
7. Upload resume via browser_file_upload or browser_run_code

Special handling:

• Workday dropdowns: Click field → wait → read options with browser_snapshot → click option
• Date pickers: Often format-sensitive, try MM/DD/YYYY
• Required fields marked with asterisk or red border after validation

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Field Mapping Reference

Profile Field	Common Form Labels
firstName	First Name, Given Name, First
lastName	Last Name, Family Name, Surname, Last
email	Email, Email Address, E-mail
phone	Phone, Phone Number, Mobile, Cell
location.city	City
location.state	State, Province, State/Province
location.zip	Zip, Postal Code, ZIP Code
location.country	Country
linkedInUrl	LinkedIn, LinkedIn URL, LinkedIn Profile
workHistory[0].company	Current Company, Most Recent Employer, Company
workHistory[0].title	Current Title, Job Title, Position, Title
education[0].school	School, University, College, Institution
education[0].degree	Degree, Degree Type
education[0].field	Major, Field of Study, Concentration

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Chrome MCP Tool Usage

Reading Forms

Use read_page with filter: "interactive" to see all form fields
Use find with natural language: "email input field", "submit button"

Filling Fields

Use form_input for standard inputs and selects:
  - ref: element reference from read_page
  - value: the value to set

Use computer with action: "left_click" for custom dropdowns:
  1. Click to open dropdown
  2. read_page to see options
  3. Click the correct option

File Upload (Resume)

Use find to locate file input: "resume upload field"
Use form_input or computer to trigger file picker
Note: May need to use upload_image tool for some implementations

Multi-Page Navigation

After filling current page:
1. find "next button" or "continue button"
2. Take screenshot for record
3. Click next
4. read_page on new step
5. Repeat until review/submit page

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Playwright MCP Tool Usage

Reading Forms

Use browser_snapshot to get the full accessibility tree, including iframe content.
Iframe elements appear with refs like "f54eXX" — these refs work with all Playwright tools.

Filling Fields

Use browser_fill_form with ref/value pairs from the snapshot:
  - fields: [{ name: "First Name", type: "textbox", ref: "ref123", value: "John" }]

For multiple fields at once, pass an array of field objects.

Dropdowns and Comboboxes

1. browser_click on the dropdown toggle/button to open it
2. browser_snapshot to read the available options
3. browser_click on the correct option

For comboboxes (typeahead): type into the field first, then click the matching suggestion.

File Upload

Two patterns depending on the form:

Pattern A: Direct setInputFiles (preferred)

Use browser_run_code:
  async (page) => {
    await page.locator('#resume-input').setInputFiles('/path/to/resume.pdf');
  }
Replace '#resume-input' with the actual selector for the file input.

Pattern B: File chooser interception

Use browser_run_code:
  async (page) => {
    const [fileChooser] = await Promise.all([
      page.waitForEvent('filechooser'),
      page.locator('button:has-text("Upload")').click()
    ]);
    await fileChooser.setFiles('/path/to/resume.pdf');
  }

If a modal appears after upload, use browser_file_upload to complete it.

Iframe Interaction

Playwright handles iframes transparently.
browser_snapshot shows iframe content with refs (e.g., "f54eXX").
These refs work directly with browser_fill_form, browser_click, etc.
No special handling needed — just use the refs from the snapshot.

Custom Radio Buttons

If browser_click is intercepted by overlays, use browser_evaluate:
  element.click();
  element.dispatchEvent(new Event('change', {bubbles: true}));
Pass the ref of the radio input element.

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Safety Rules

1. Never enter passwords - If login required, stop and instruct user
2. Never create accounts - Stop and inform user they must create accounts themselves
3. Never click Submit without confirmation - Always take a snapshot and get explicit "yes"
4. Never enter payment information - Some applications have optional premium features
5. Handle sensitive questions carefully - Salary expectations, visa status, disability disclosure should be confirmed with user before filling
6. Always use Chrome MCP for LinkedIn - Playwright cannot access authenticated sessions
7. Never store or pass login credentials between tools - Each tool uses its own browser context

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Example Invocation

User: Help me apply to this job: https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/123456789