/setup Path A Documents Folder Structure for Importing Materials

TLDR: /setup Path A is the documents-folder workflow that scans the documents/ directory to automatically populate your candidate profile and skill files for the AI job search assistant.

The MadsLorentzen/ai-job-search repository provides a structured workflow for managing job applications using Claude Code. When you run the /setup command and select Path A, Claude reads your existing career documents from a specific folder hierarchy defined in documents/README.md to build a comprehensive candidate profile.

What Is /setup Path A?

Path A is the recommended onboarding workflow when you have multiple source documents—such as a master CV, LinkedIn export, diploma PDFs, and reference letters—that you want Claude to ingest in a single operation. Unlike Path B (single CV upload) or Path C (interactive interview), Path A expects a predefined folder structure under the top-level documents/ directory.

According to the repository's SETUP.md guide, this path is the most repeatable: you can add new files at any time and re-run /setup, and Claude will only update the sections that have changed.

The Documents Folder Hierarchy

The folder structure is fixed and documented in documents/README.md. Claude expects the following hierarchy:

documents/
├── cv/                # Your master CV (PDF or .tex)

├── linkedin/          # LinkedIn profile export (PDF)

├── diplomas/          # Degree certificates / transcripts (PDF)

├── references/        # Reference letters (PDF, .md, .txt)

├── applications/      # Past applications, one sub-folder per role

│   └── <company>_<role>/
│       ├── job_posting.md   # Original posting text

│       ├── cover_letter.tex # The cover letter you sent

│       ├── cv_draft.tex     # The CV variant you sent

│       └── outcome.md       # Result + notes

└── README.md          # Documentation for this structure

Each subdirectory serves a specific purpose in the profile generation process. The applications/ folder uses a nested structure where each subfolder represents a specific role, allowing Claude to analyze your application history and outcomes.

How Path A Processes Your Materials

When you invoke /setup and select Path A, the command defined in .claude/commands/setup.md executes a four-stage pipeline:

1. Scanning. Claude recursively scans each sub-folder (cv/, linkedin/, diplomas/, references/, applications/) to identify supported file types.

2. Extraction. Built-in parsers process PDF, LaTeX, and Markdown files to extract structured data including experience, education, skills, contact information, and reference quotes.

3. Merging. The extracted data merges with any existing profile files. Claude prompts only when conflicts arise between new and existing information.

4. Population. The system populates the canonical profile files—including CLAUDE.md, 01-candidate-profile.md, and 02-behavioral-profile.md—that downstream commands like /apply and /interview rely on.

Setting Up the Folder Structure

Create the required hierarchy using command-line tools before running /setup.

Create directories (Bash/Zsh):

mkdir -p documents/{cv,linkedin,diplomas,references,applications}
touch documents/README.md

Create directories (PowerShell):

New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path documents\cv,documents\linkedin,documents\diplomas,documents\references,documents\applications
New-Item -ItemType File -Path documents\README.md

Populate with your materials:

# Add master CV

cp ~/Downloads/my_cv.pdf documents/cv/

# or for LaTeX source

cp ~/Downloads/my_cv.tex documents/cv/

# Add LinkedIn export

cp ~/Downloads/LinkedIn_Profile.pdf documents/linkedin/

# Add a past application

mkdir -p documents/applications/acme_ml_engineer
cat > documents/applications/acme_ml_engineer/job_posting.md <<'EOF'
[Paste the full job description here]
EOF
cp ~/Downloads/acme_cover.tex documents/applications/acme_ml_engineer/cover_letter.tex
cp ~/Downloads/acme_cv.tex documents/applications/acme_ml_engineer/cv_draft.tex

Run the setup:

claude                # Start Claude Code REPL

/setup                # Invoke the onboarding command

# Select Path A when prompted

Claude will summarize the extracted data and ask you to confirm any conflicts before finalizing the profile.

Key Configuration Files

Understanding these files helps you customize the workflow:

• documents/README.md: The definitive specification of the documents folder hierarchy and supported file types.
• SETUP.md: The high-level onboarding guide that explains the three /setup paths and command flow.
• .claude/commands/setup.md: The actual Claude Code command definition that implements the interactive Path A logic.
• CLAUDE.md: The consolidated candidate profile generated by /setup and used by other commands.
• cv/main_example.tex: Example LaTeX CV template that demonstrates the expected format for CV files.

Summary

• /setup Path A requires a specific documents/ folder structure defined in documents/README.md.
• The hierarchy includes dedicated folders for your CV, LinkedIn profile, diplomas, references, and past applications.
• Claude extracts structured data from PDF, LaTeX, and Markdown files to populate CLAUDE.md and skill profiles.
• This path is idempotent—re-running /setup only updates changed sections, making it ideal for evolving career documents.

Frequently Asked Questions

What file formats does Path A support?

Path A supports PDF, LaTeX (.tex), and Markdown (.md) files, with plain text (.txt) accepted for reference letters. The parsers extract text and structure from these formats to populate your profile. Ensure scanned PDFs are text-searchable for optimal extraction.

Can I re-run /setup Path A after adding new documents?

Yes. The Path A workflow is designed to be repeatable and idempotent. When you re-run /setup and select Path A, Claude scans the documents/ folder again and merges new information with your existing profile in CLAUDE.md, prompting only when conflicts arise between old and new data.

What happens if I don't have all the subfolders?

You only need to create the subfolders relevant to your materials. If a directory like diplomas/ or references/ is empty or missing, Claude skips it and proceeds with the available data. However, maintaining the full structure ensures comprehensive profile generation.

Where does Claude store the extracted profile data?

Claude populates several files in the .claude/skills/job-application-assistant/ directory, including CLAUDE.md, 01-candidate-profile.md, and 02-behavioral-profile.md. These files serve as the single source of truth for downstream commands like /apply and /interview.

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