Job Research Guard
Job Research Guard
The Problem
You ask your AI agent to research companies for your job search. It returns a confident list — headcounts, funding rounds, hiring signals.
You check one. The funding round was 2022. The job posting expired. The "subsidiary" is the same company as the one three rows up.
The agent didn't lie. It just never verified anything.
How It Works
This skill installs a five-step evidence protocol into every company research session.
| Without this skill | With this skill |
|---|---|
| Companies included based on memory or assumption | Every company backed by a Tier 1 source |
| Stale data presented as current | Recency verified: activity within 24 months |
| Subsidiaries listed as independent companies | Deduplication and name normalization enforced |
| Full lists of weak candidates | Fewer companies, stronger evidence |
Evidence Tiers
Every source is classified before any claim is used:
| Tier | Examples | Can prove |
|---|---|---|
| 1 — Final | Official site, IR, legal registry, securities filing | Existence, official claims |
| 2 — Context | Major media with date and author | Business events, funding, market context |
| 3 — Lead only | Review sites, SNS, anonymous sources | Investigation signal only |
A Tier 3 source alone cannot justify recommending a company. A source that proves existence does not prove growth, hiring intent, or fit.
Before / After
Before:
Agent: "Here are 10 companies that match your profile."
Human: [checks] — Company 3's funding was 2021. Companies 6 and 8 are the same parent company. Company 10 has no open roles.
After:
Company: ExampleCorp
Existence: Official registration — [URL]
Recency: Series B announced March 2025 — [URL]
Hiring signal: Active posting for Sales Engineer, posted May 2025 — [URL]
Red flags: None detected
Hard Rules
- Every company requires at least one Tier 1 source confirming existence.
- Every included company must have at least one activity signal within the past 24 months.
- Previously researched companies are excluded unless the user explicitly requests revisit.
- No unsourced headcount, revenue, funding, or hiring claims.
- Red flags are reported — not removed — so the user decides.
- Fill no quotas. Output fewer companies with strong evidence.
Compatible With
Claude Code · Codex · Antigravity · Cursor · GitHub Copilot · OpenCode · Windsurf · Kiro · Any SKILL.md-compatible agent
