Before you start
- The Job Search skill is coming soon. This guide lets you prepare Python and Node in advance.
- Claude Code must already be installed. This page does not install it. Follow Anthropic’s official setup guide first.
- You need an account with Claude Code access, such as a paid Claude subscription (Pro or higher) or a Console account with API billing. The free Claude plan does not include Claude Code.
- The two downloads on this page are free. No account or payment needed.
Last reviewed October 19, 2026. Official sources: python.org · nodejs.org · Claude Code docs
What you are installing
The Job Search skill uses two pieces of free, open software alongside Claude Code. Think of them the way a document needs a program that can open it. Your computer may not have either one yet, because most everyday tasks do not require them.
You install them once. Now and then they may ask to update, which is normal.
Python
Runs the parts of the skill that read your resume and check job postings.
Node
Runs the parts of the skill that write your tailored documents.
Part 1 — Install Python
This guide uses the Microsoft Store version because it installs in one click with no options to choose. The official installer from python.org also works if you prefer it.
Open the Microsoft Store
Click the Start button, type Microsoft Store, and press Enter. It is already on your computer.
Search for Python
In the Store's search box at the top, type Python and press Enter.
Pick a version that starts with 3, published by the Python Software Foundation. That is the official one. If you see a different publisher name, it is not the right listing.
The skill works with any recent Python 3 version. The picture shows 3.13 as an example; a newer number is fine.
Click Get
It downloads and installs on its own. It is free and there is no account or payment step. When the button changes to Open, it is done.
You do not need to open it. Just close the Store.
Part 2 — Install Node
Do not get Node from the Microsoft Store
There are listings in the Store with Node in the name. None of them are official and some are repackaged by strangers. For this guide, download Node directly from nodejs.org.
Go to nodejs.org
Open your browser and go to nodejs.org/en/download. Type it in yourself rather than clicking a search result, so you know you landed on the real site.
Download the Windows Installer
Scroll to the line that starts Or get a prebuilt Node.js. You can ignore the commands above it. Check its three choices:
- Version: the one marked (LTS). That stands for long term support, the stable version most people should use. Do not pick one marked Current.
- Operating system: Windows.
- Architecture: x64 for most computers. Pick ARM64 only if your PC has an ARM processor, such as a Snapdragon laptop. To check, open Settings, then System, then About, and look at System type.
Then click Windows Installer (.msi). The file saves to your Downloads folder.
Run the installer
Open the .msi file you just downloaded. It is a normal Windows installer. Click Next through every screen and accept the license when it asks.
Two things worth knowing:
- Leave every checkbox exactly as you found it. The defaults are correct.
- Windows will ask if you want to allow the app to make changes. Click Yes. That prompt is normal for any installer.
When it finishes, click Finish.
Part 3 — Confirm it worked
This part looks the most intimidating and is the easiest. You are typing two short lines to make the computer tell you what it has installed.
Open PowerShell
Click Start, type PowerShell, press Enter. A window with a dark background opens. This is just a place to type instructions instead of clicking them.
Type these two lines
Type (or copy and paste) the first line, press Enter, and read what comes back. Then do the second.
Type this
python --versionnode --versionYou should see something like this
Python 3.13.1 v22.11.0
Your numbers will be slightly different and that is fine. What matters is that each line answers with a version instead of an error.
Python and Node are ready
If both lines answered with a version, Python and Node are installed and running. You can close PowerShell.
Next, install the Job Search skill. The skill has not been released yet, so there is no install link here. When it launches, the link will appear here and on the Resources page.
If something did not work
The Microsoft Store opened when I typed python
Windows ships a placeholder that sends you to the Store when Python is not installed yet. It means step 3 did not finish. Go back, install it from the Store, then close and reopen PowerShell before trying again.
It says "node is not recognized"
Almost always this just means PowerShell was already open when you installed Node. Close the window completely and open a fresh one. If it still says that, restart your computer and check again.
I am on a work computer and it blocked the install
Some employers lock down installs. That is a real wall and not something to work around. Use a personal computer for this, or ask your IT group to install Python and Node for you.
I am on a Mac, not Windows
Different steps, same two pieces. Go to python.org and nodejs.org, download the macOS installer from each, and run them. Then open the Terminal app and run the same two version checks from step 8.
A note on the pictures
The images above are illustrations drawn to match what Windows shows you, not photographs of a real screen. Small details like version numbers and window edges will differ slightly on your computer. The labels and buttons are what matter, and those are accurate.