# patterns

Source: https://career-ops.org/docs/reference/modes/patterns (canonical HTML, identical content)

> Reads your rejected and discarded applications and surfaces patterns — JD shapes that score high but never convert, archetype mismatches, comp-band issues. The output is a calibration signal for your targeting filter.



## What it does [#what-it-does]

The `patterns` mode reads every report in the rejected and discarded stages, looks for common features (industry, company size, seniority level, specific keywords), and produces a structured analysis of what is and is not working in your targeting.

## When to use it [#when-to-use-it]

Run patterns after every 20–30 rejections to recalibrate. The mode surfaces blind spots in your profile and helps you avoid sending applications into the same dead patterns.

## What a run looks like [#what-a-run-looks-like]

You run the mode after a batch of outcomes and it returns a dated pattern-analysis report plus a short summary of the three findings that matter most. Under the hood it runs `analyze-patterns.mjs` over your tracker and reports, then reads back a conversion funnel, a score-versus-outcome table, top blockers, and a recommended score floor.

```bash title="Terminal"
/career-ops patterns
```

```txt title="Pattern Analysis summary"
Pattern Analysis Complete (24 applications, Apr 7 - May 18)

Key findings:
- Geo-restricted roles: 0% conversion (7 of 24) — stop evaluating US-only postings
- Regional/global remote roles convert at 57-67% — your sweet spot
- No positive outcomes below 4.2/5 — treat that as your score floor

Full report: reports/pattern-analysis-2026-05-18.md
```

After presenting the summary, the mode offers to act on the findings — updating `portals.yml` filters, setting a score threshold, or reweighting which archetypes you target.

## When to reach for it [#when-to-reach-for-it]

Reach for patterns once enough applications have moved past evaluation that outcomes carry signal. The hard gate is five entries with a status beyond "Evaluated" — Applied, Responded, Interview, Offer, Rejected, or Discarded; below that the mode exits and asks you to come back with more data. More outcomes mean sharper patterns, so it earns its keep after a month of steady applying.

* If you keep interview transcripts in `interview-prep/sessions/`, the mode adds a targeting signal: where your most fluent, specific answers cluster, which catches when your strongest role-type differs from the one you keep applying to.
* The report never names a real interviewer or company from those sessions — it summarizes competency clusters only, so anything committed stays private.

## Related [#related]

* [tracker](https://career-ops.org/docs/reference/modes/tracker.md)
* [followup](https://career-ops.org/docs/reference/modes/followup.md)