Using AI in Your Career Journey

Introduction

AI tools can be helpful as you explore careers, fine-tune resumes and cover letters, and prepare for interviews, but they should assist you, not replace you. Use AI responsibly, think critically, and make sure your content reflects your own style, preferences, strengths, knowledge, experience, goals, and voice. 

Using AI Responsibly

  • Use AI as a tool, not a substitute. It can help you get started, but don’t let it take over your thinking. Use it alongside campus resources like The Career Center or your academic advisor and let them know how you're using AI so they can help you make the most of it. 

  • Protect your privacy—and others’. Don’t include sensitive or personal information in your prompts. Once it’s entered, you can’t control how it may be used. 

  • Always make it your own; avoid plagiarism. What you present should reflect your own thinking, experiences, and voice, whatever you include, you must be able to back up and demonstrate. 

  • Be mindful of generic outputs. AI produces the most likely response, not always the best or most accurate one. Your unique perspective adds depth. 

  • Watch for inaccuracies (called hallucinations). AI tools may provide incorrect or outdated information—always proofread, fact-check, and verify sources. 

  • Stay current. AI may not reflect recent information, depending on the cutoff of their data. This is especially important in more cutting-edge industries. Use it alongside up-to-date resources. 

Crafting a Strong Prompt

How you ask matters—a specific, detailed prompt helps AI generate responses that are more relevant, thoughtful, and useful. 

  • Be specific. Ask detailed questions tied to your major, skills, or goals. For example, instead of “Help me explore careers,” try “What are some career options for a psychology major who enjoys research and working with people.” 

  • Add context. Include your audience, objective, or where the content will be used. For example, “This is for my LinkedIn summary.” 

  • Refine as you go. Ask follow-ups, rephrase if needed, and remember that answers may vary. Use your judgment to decide what’s most relevant. 

  • Protect your privacy. As already mentioned, don’t include personal or sensitive information when prompting. 

Tips for Using AI

Career Exploration

  • Identify career paths based on your current skills and experience. Ask what roles or industries may be a good fit for you based on your abilities and interests. 

  • Bridge the gap. Use AI to spot missing skills or experiences and determine where to focus your growth efforts in terms of skills, experiences, or credentials. 

  • Identify intersections and explore less traditional options. Ask how to pivot from one field to another. For example, “I’m getting a degree in X major, but I want to work in Y field.” 

  • Generate networking messages. Get help writing introductions or outreach messages on LinkedIn. 

Job and Internship Search

  • Explore options based on your background and interests. 

  • Identify skill gaps. Ask what qualifications are common for roles you’re interested in to help identify where to focus your growth efforts. 

  • Summarize job descriptions. Save time by having AI highlight key duties and requirements for a position you are interested in to help you decide if you want to apply. 

  • Identify key words for job board searches, such as field/industry or job functions. 

  • Be aware that hallucinations can be more common in highly targeted job searches. For advanced roles, AI models may have been trained on a smaller pool of relevant data, leading to potential inaccuracies. Keep in mind that the reviewer may have specialized knowledge and could spot these mistakes, even if you don't. 

  • Be aware of employer perspectives on AI use. While many employers aren't opposed to AI, they are cautious about misrepresentation and skill gaps, especially if AI is overused or misused. 

  • Understand the use of AI in the workplace. Some employers embrace the use of AI in positions, while others restrict it. Don’t assume you’ll always have access to it. 

Resumes

  • Use your own content rather than generating it from scratch. Ask AI to give feedback or suggest edits—not to write it for you. 

  • Customize your draft to a specific job opportunity. AI can help tailor your language to match a specific industry or position based off the job description but remember to personalize it. 

  • Editing for clarity, sense, grammar, and conciseness. Ask for help simplifying or shortening content, avoiding repetitive language, suggesting better words, or transitioning from a CV to a resume format. 

  • Make it ATS-friendly (Applicant Tracking System). Use standard formats, spell out acronyms, and mirror keywords from the job posting. 

Cover Letters

  • Use your own content rather than generating it from scratch. Ask AI to give feedback or suggest edits—not to write it for you. 

  • Customize your draft to a specific job opportunity. AI can help tailor your language to match a specific industry or position based off the job description but remember to personalize it. 

  • Include why you want to work for the company in your prompt. Remember, a cover letter is different from a resume and is more narrative in nature. One of AI’s weaknesses is in complex, personal storytelling. 

  • Editing for clarity, sense, grammar, and conciseness. Ask for help simplifying or shortening content, avoiding repetitive language, and suggesting better words. 

  • Make it ATS-friendly (Applicant Tracking System). Use standard formats, spell out acronyms, and mirror keywords from the job posting. 

Interview Prep

AI can be a helpful companion for interview preparation. It can generate questions, help you craft responses, and even simulate practice scenarios. But remember—other candidates may be using it too, so don’t let it become a crutch. 

  • Practice common or behavioral questions. Ask for questions based on your field or the specific job description. 

  • Roleplay responses. Use AI to simulate mock interviews or difficult scenarios. 

  • Draft questions to ask the employer. Prepare thoughtful questions for the end of the interview. 

  • Get feedback. Ask AI to review or refine your practice responses. 

  • Prepare authentically and thoroughly. Don’t memorize responses word-for-word, avoid skipping real-life practice, and refrain from relying solely on AI for researching the company or role. 

Personal Statements

  • Avoid using AI in writing your personal statement. Many institutions and programs use the same prompt for all applicants, so there's a risk your statement may sound generic or similar to others.

0