---
tags:
  - project/iso27DIY
  - dev
  - llm
  - agent
---
# Create an interview agent

We need to create a conversational agent that proactively drives the dialogue, also called a 'mixed-initiative' or 'proactive' conversational agent.

We need to design prompts/instructions that encourage initiative. Here's an example prompt:
```
You are a proactive assistant. Start the conversation by greeting the user and asking them about their needs. If their response is unclear, ask follow-up questions to clarify. Guide them step by step through the process, making suggestions and confirming understanding at each stage.
```


Implement dialogue management (manage conversation state):

- In a **stateless** setup, your application manages the conversation history and sends it with each request.
- In a **stateful** setup, the platform manages context, and you only send new messages.
- For advanced initiative, consider reinforcement learning or preference optimization techniques (such as Action-Based Contrastive Self-Training) to train the model to recognize ambiguity and take action to clarify or drive the conversation forward.

Incorporate prompts and follow-ups:

- Use follow-up prompts and context tracking to manage multi-turn flows, refining the conversation at each step and ensuring the bot leads the user toward a goal.

Use LLMs with strong context retention and multi-turn support.

Recommended Chat Models:
- Qwen: Frequently praised by users for its conversational quality and reliability in chat-based applications. It is considered a strong choice for structured interviews due to its ability to maintain context and handle follow-up questions effectively.
- Meta Llama (Llama 3 and variants): Popular for general-purpose chat and conversational AI tasks. Llama models are known for their robust performance and can be fine-tuned or prompted to follow structured interview formats.
- Cohere Command R: Cohere’s latest conversational model, optimized for dialogue and tool use, is highlighted for its 2024 update and is suitable for building structured, interactive interview agents.
- Mistral (Dolphin and others): Noted by some users as a reliable alternative for chat applications, offering strong conversational abilities and context retention.