Narrative Reframing in AI Career Coaching

Narrative reframing is a technique where language models restructure how a person describes their past experiences, shifting the framing from deficit-based to strength-based without distorting facts. It draws on computational linguistics and cognitive framing theory to select word choices, sentence structures, and story arcs that emphasize growth and reliability.

For people with criminal records, this technique is critical because hiring managers respond to how a story is told, not just what happened. AI tools that apply narrative reframing can help formerly incarcerated individuals present work history gaps, conviction disclosures, and character references in ways that reduce bias and build employer confidence.