Before You Start: What to Have Ready
Before writing your persona, answer these 5 questions. Your answers become the building blocks.
Persona Planning Worksheet
What job title or role should the AI play? What organization does it represent?
Example: "UFT Membership Coordinator with 10 years of experience"
What does it need to know? List key topics, policies, documents, or terminology.
Example: "UFT benefits, dues, Taylor Law, welfare fund, COPE"
Who is it talking to? What do they need? What is their background or reading level?
Example: "Active UFT members — teachers, paras, SRPs — asking about benefits"
How should it sound? Formal or conversational? What language or values should it reflect?
Example: "Warm, clear, empowering. Pro-worker. Plain language. Affirm union solidarity."
What should it accomplish? What is the purpose of the output?
Example: "Help members understand and use their UFT benefits"
What should it NOT do or say? Any topics to avoid or redirect?
Example: "Never speak negatively about the union. If unsure, direct to 212-331-6300."
Ready-to-Use: UFT Membership Coordinator Persona
Copy the text below and paste it as your very first message when you open a new AI chat session.
📋 UFT Membership Coordinator Persona
You are an expert UFT Membership Coordinator with 10+ years of experience supporting educators in New York City public schools. Your expertise includes: UFT membership benefits, dues structures, the difference between in-service and retiree membership, welfare fund benefits (dental, optical, prescription, legal services), COPE (Committee on Political Education), member rights under the Taylor Law, the UFT contract, how to file a grievance, and how to contact the appropriate UFT department for member support. Your audience is active UFT members — primarily teachers, paraprofessionals, and school-related professionals — who may have questions ranging from basic dues questions to understanding grievance procedures. They are busy professionals who need clear, practical answers. Communication style: Warm, clear, and empowering. Use plain language. Avoid jargon unless you define it. Always affirm the value and importance of union membership. Write in an accessible style appropriate for a range of reading levels. Keep responses concise unless detail is requested. Your goal: Help members understand and maximize their UFT benefits and rights. Always support and uplift the union. Never speak negatively about the UFT or suggest that membership is not worth it. If you are unsure of a specific policy detail or it may have changed, say so transparently and recommend the member contact the UFT Member Services helpline at 212-331-6300 or visit uft.org.
Tip: Save this in a Google Doc or Notes app so you can copy-paste it at the start of every AI session.
How to Use Your Persona in ChatGPT (GPT-4)
There are two ways to use personas in ChatGPT: a quick session method and a permanent "Custom Instructions" method.
ChatGPT / GPT-4
chat.openai.com | Requires a free or Plus account
Method A: Quick Session Persona (works in every chat)
Open a new chat
Go to chat.openai.com and click "New chat" in the left sidebar. Always start a new chat for a new work session.
Paste your persona as your first message
Copy your full persona text and paste it into the message box. Click send. This is your setup message — you are not asking a question yet, you are establishing who the AI is.
Now ask your real question
In the next message, ask what you actually need. The AI will now answer from the perspective of your established persona.
Example: "Draft a welcome email for a new paraprofessional joining the UFT for the first time."Keep the conversation going — do not close the tab
Your persona stays active as long as you are in the same chat thread. If you open a new chat, you will need to paste the persona again.
Method B: Custom Instructions (saves your persona permanently)
Click your profile icon (top right)
In ChatGPT, click your profile photo or initials in the top-right corner to open your account menu.
Select "Customize ChatGPT"
From the dropdown menu, click "Customize ChatGPT" (sometimes listed under "Settings").
Fill in "Custom Instructions"
You will see two text fields:
Field 1 — "What would you like ChatGPT to know about you?"
Paste your Role, Knowledge Base, and Audience sections here.
Field 2 — "How would you like ChatGPT to respond?"
Paste your Tone, Voice, Goals, and Guardrails here.
Click "Save"
Your custom instructions are now saved. Every new chat you open will automatically use this persona — no copy-pasting required.
Create a GPT (Advanced — GPT-4 Plus users)
If you have ChatGPT Plus, you can create a dedicated "custom GPT" with your persona baked in. Go to chat.openai.com/gpts → "Create" → paste your persona into the instructions. Name it "UFT Membership Assistant" and access it from your sidebar any time.
How to Use Your Persona in Claude
Claude (by Anthropic) handles personas slightly differently — here is how to set one up effectively.
Claude (Anthropic)
claude.ai | Free tier available • Claude 3.5 Sonnet recommended
Method A: Quick Session Persona (works in every chat)
Go to claude.ai and start a new conversation
Click "New conversation" in the left sidebar. Like ChatGPT, each conversation is independent.
Paste your persona as your first message
Copy your full persona text and paste it as your opening message. Claude responds particularly well to structured, detailed personas and will confirm it understands the role.
Ask your question
Now ask what you need. Claude will respond in the context of your persona. Claude is excellent at maintaining a consistent voice across a long conversation.
Use the same conversation for related tasks
Claude is especially strong at remembering context within a conversation. If you are working on multiple related outputs (e.g., a welcome letter, a FAQ sheet, a renewal notice), do them all in one chat.
Method B: Claude Projects (saves persona & context permanently)
Click "Projects" in the left sidebar
Claude Projects is available on the free plan. Click "Projects" in the left sidebar of claude.ai.
Click "Create project"
Name it something clear, like "UFT Membership Work" or "UFT Communications".
Add your persona to "Project Instructions"
Inside the project, click "Edit project instructions" (the gear/settings icon). Paste your full persona text here. Click Save.
Start a new conversation inside the project
Click "New chat" within your project. Every conversation inside this project automatically loads your persona — you never have to paste it again.
Create multiple projects for different roles
You can create separate Claude Projects for different work areas — "UFT Membership", "UFT Communications", "Grievance Support" — each with their own persona and uploaded documents.
GPT-4 vs. Claude — Persona Feature Comparison
At a glance, here is how each platform handles personas:
| Feature | ChatGPT / GPT-4 | Claude |
|---|---|---|
| Paste persona at start of chat | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Saved persona (no re-pasting) | ✓ Custom Instructions | ✓ Projects |
| Upload documents alongside persona | Partial (per chat) | ✓ Project Knowledge |
| Multiple saved personas | ✓ Custom GPTs (Plus) | ✓ Multiple Projects |
| Memory of past sessions | ✓ With Memory feature on | Within project chats |
| Free tier available | ✓ Free tier (GPT-3.5) | ✓ Free tier (Claude 3) |
| Best for | Tasks, drafts, structured output | Long documents, nuanced writing |
Pro Tips for Better Personas
Iterate Your Persona
Your first persona will not be perfect — and that is fine. After a few sessions, add what is missing. "Also, always include a call-to-action at the end of member communications."
Keep a Persona Library
Save all your personas in a shared Google Doc. Label each one clearly. Share with your team so everyone uses consistent, on-brand personas across your department.
Test with a Known Task
After setting a persona, test it with a task you already know well. If the answer feels "off", refine your persona. The test-and-refine loop is how you get to a great persona fast.
Keep It Focused
Longer is not always better. A focused persona of 150–300 words outperforms a vague 600-word one. Be specific about role, audience, tone, and guardrails — skip everything else.
Set Clear Guardrails
Always tell the AI what NOT to do. "If you are unsure, say so and recommend the member call 212-331-6300" prevents hallucinated policy details — crucial for union work.
Share What Works
If you build a persona that produces great results, share it with your colleagues. A team that uses shared, consistent personas will produce far more consistent output than one that improvises each time.
Your Fill-in-the-Blank Persona Template
Copy the template below, fill in the brackets, and you have a working persona ready to paste into any AI.
📝 Universal UFT Persona Template
You are an expert [JOB TITLE / ROLE] at the United Federation of Teachers with [X] years of experience supporting [WHO YOU SUPPORT].
Your expertise includes: [LIST 4-6 KEY TOPICS, POLICIES, OR SYSTEMS YOU WORK WITH].
Your audience is [DESCRIBE WHO WILL READ THE OUTPUT — their role, what they need, their experience level].
Communication style: [DESCRIBE TONE — e.g., warm and supportive / professional and concise / plain language for general audiences]. Always [SOMETHING THAT REFLECTS UFT VALUES — e.g., "affirm the value of union membership" / "center the needs of educators" / "use a pro-worker frame"].
Your goal: [WHAT SHOULD THE OUTPUT ACHIEVE?]. If you are unsure of a specific detail, say so transparently and direct the person to [APPROPRIATE UFT RESOURCE OR CONTACT].