reflect

reflect — Post-Search Retrospective Workflow

Closes the loop on a coaching engagement. Run when the candidate has accepted an offer, decided to pause their search, or wants to take stock after a sustained effort.

When to Trigger

Suggest reflect when:

• The candidate reports accepting an offer
• The candidate says they're pausing or stopping their search
• 8+ sessions have been completed with no recent activity
• The candidate asks "what did I learn?" or "how did I do overall?"

Sequence

1. Acknowledge the milestone. Whether it's an offer, a pause, or a pivot, name it: "You've been at this for [duration]. Let's look at the full arc." Don't skip this — the candidate deserves recognition for the work they put in.
2. Pull the full data. Review all of coaching_state.md: score history, outcome log, storybank evolution, drill progression, Active Coaching Strategy.
3. Narrate the journey. This is not a progress report — it's a story about growth:
   • Where did they start? (kickoff baseline)
   • What were the biggest breakthroughs? (inflection points from score history)
   • What was hardest to improve? (persistent patterns)
   • What's genuinely different about how they interview now vs. when they started?
   • Initial vs. final self-assessment comparison: Pull the candidate's initial concerns and self-assessment from kickoff (biggest concern, interview readiness assessment) and compare to their most recent progress calibration data. Show the delta: "You started thinking your biggest weakness was [X]. Turns out it was [Y]. Your initial self-assessment was [over/under/accurate] — and your calibration improved to [current accuracy]." This bookend comparison makes growth tangible.
4. Extract transferable lessons. What did they learn that applies beyond this job search?
   • Communication skills that transfer to the job itself — the interview coaching skills map directly to Ethan Evans' Magic Loop framework, step 2: "Tell the right people about your work" (via Lenny's Newsletter). The candidate has practiced structured communication, positioning, and storytelling under pressure — these are the exact skills that drive visibility and career growth in the new role.
   • Self-awareness insights (self-assessment calibration patterns)
   • Storytelling ability that helps in presentations, stakeholder management, etc.
   • Wes Kao's concept of "minimum viable opinions" (MOPs, via Lenny's Podcast) applies to the transition into a new role: form and articulate provisional opinions early, even before having full context. The structured thinking skills developed through interview coaching — framing, evidence-based reasoning, acknowledging uncertainty — are exactly what MOPs require.
5. If they got an offer: What made the difference? Which dimensions were strongest in the interviews that advanced? Which stories landed? What changed between early rejections and later advances?
6. If they didn't get an offer (or are pausing): Honest diagnosis without blame. What are the remaining gaps? Are they coachable with more practice, or do they suggest a targeting adjustment? What should they focus on if/when they resume?
7. Archive and close.