Exploring AI for Career Development

AI is changing how people learn, search for jobs, and work. Knowing how to use AI can be valuable, but being prepared for an AI-enabled workplace requires more than knowing how to prompt a chatbot. AI literacy means many different things; to us it means understanding enough about AI to decide when it is useful, work with it effectively, criticially evaluate what it produces, and take personal responsibility for the final product.

AI Literacy for the Workplace

AI can make soem tasks faster, but faster is not always better. Part of AI literacy is recognizing when a tool will support your work and when it will instead get in the way of learning, or realationship-building, or creativiey, or judgement. Consider:

Should I use AI for this task? If so, what tool should I use?

  • What am I trying to accomplish?
  • Is AI actually useful in this case?
  • Are their privacy, confidentiality, ethical, copyright, policy concerns?
  • Does my employer/organization or professor have rules about AI use?
  • Is this a task I need to understand, practice, or experience myself?

Can I work with AI effectively for this task?

  • Give the tool the audience, purpose, context, and constraints
  • Askfollow-up questions and refining your instructions
  • Compare multiple approaches instead of accepting the first answer
  • Provide examples of what good work looks like
  • Use AI as one part of a larger workflow rather than handing over the entire task

Can I evaluate and own the result?

  • Check facts, sources, calculations, formulas, and other claims
  • Identify weak reasoning, bias, or missing perspectives
  • Recognize when you lack expertise to evaluate an answer
  • Apply your knowledge of the audience, organization, discipline, or situation
  • Explain your decisions and stand behind the final product

Your Liberal Arts Skills Are AI Skills

AI can help you work differently and sometimes effeciently, but it does not replace the judgment required to know whether the work is good. That knowledge comes from experience, and developing your skills at K through your liberal arts education. These are skills like asking good questions, evaluating evidence, understanding context, communicating clearly, recognizing assumptions/bias, considering ethical implications, and applying previous knowlege to new problems. In an AI-enabed workplace, these skills are even more important, according to employers. For example, an LLM may be able to draft an email, summarize a report, or generate code. You still need enough knowledge and context to determine whether the output is accurate or useful.

When is “doing the work” part of the point?

Scholars studying AI have raised the idea of a “meaningfulness gap” that can occur when tech takes over activities that were themselves the source of learning, growth, connection, confidence, or even purpose. Something valuable may be lost when we use AI, even if the final out put is good. It raises the question: What is worth doing ourselves because the “doing” matters? Examples could be wrestling with an idea, solving problems with other humans, or practicing work to build expertise. That matters for career readiness, and also matters for buliding a meaningful life. We hope at K that you will learn what you could or might delegate to AI, but also what you may not want to delegate.

What Employers Mean by “AI Fluency”

AI fluency isn’t on every employer’s checklist, though a growing number of them are asking for it. Veris Insights describes it as the ability to work with AI effectively, efficiently, ethically, and safely, and the employers who assess for it usually look at four competencies, known as the 4D framework: delegation, description, discernment, and diligence.

Veris adds domain knowledge as a fifth element underneath all four. Without real familiarity with the field, a candidate has a hard time delegating well or catching an error in what the AI returns. This is why AI fluency is about more than knowing how to use a tool. You also need enough knowledge and experience to recognize when AI is useful, evaluate the quality of what it produces, and know when your own judgment is more important.

As AI changes how work is done across fields, employers may increasingly value people who can combine these tools with strong professional skills and subject knowledge.

4D Framework (Source – Veris Insights)

  • Delegation: Deciding when and how to bring AI into a task. Strong candidates can explain why they used AI at a particular point and how they divided the work between themselves and the tool.
  • Description: Giving AI the context, constraints, audience, and format it needs to produce something useful. Veris suggests a candidate’s prompt history works much like a portfolio.
  • Discernment: Reviewing AI output critically. This means treating each result as a first draft and checking it for factual gaps, tone mismatches, and inconsistencies before using it.
  • Diligence: Taking responsibility for what you do with AI, including disclosing its use, watching for bias, protecting privacy, and speaking up when a tool introduces risk.

What could this look like at work?

Your supervisor asks you to analyze survey comments. AI could help you identify themes quickly. You still need to determine whether those themes accurately represent the responses. You need to know what potential outliers are or are not meaningful. You need to be able to determine what conclusions are supported by the data.

You need to draft an email to a colleague or a client. AI might help you get started, or it may be helpful in suggesting changes for tone. You need to understand the relationship, provide accurate information, and be aware of the biases an AI tool could suggest (i.e., what does an appropriate “tone” of an email mean?”

You need an Excel formula you do not know. AI could help you write one. You still need to know how to test it and understand what it is doing to your data so that you can stand by your results.

You are researching an unfamiliar topic. AI can help you identify terminology or starting points. You still need to consult reliable sources and use your rapidly-growing information literacy skills to verify where the tool is getting its information.

You are asked to create something in an area where you have little experience. AI can help you produce a draft quickly of a project, event, campaign, etc. You have to decide whether you alone know enough yet to tell if it is good.

A Few Things to Keep in Mind

When using AI tools for your career development, please keep the following in mind (this is not an exhaustive list, and is ever-changing):

  • Data Privacy: Be cautious about sharing personal information, especially sensitive details like your full name, address, or other identifiable data. AI platforms may store data you provide, and this information could be accessed by others. Review how the tool stores and uses data.
  • AI Hallucinations: AI-generated responses are not always accurate. Sometimes, AI systems can provide incorrect or irrelevant information (known as “hallucinations”). Always cross-check any advice or information you receive from AI with trusted sources.
  • Bias, Copyright, and Attribution: AI can reflect biases in its training data and may reproduce or closely resemble existing work. Consider whose perspectives may be missing, verify sources, and follow expectations for citation, copyright, and intellectual property.
  • Use AI to Strengthen Your Work, Not Replace Your Judgment: AI can support brainstorming, organization, research, and revision, but it should not substitute for the knowledge, experience, relationships, or judgment you need to develop yourself. Generic AI-generated resumes, cover letters, and personal statements are rarely persuasive.
  • Environmental and Ethical Impact: Generative AI requires substantial computing resources and raises broader questions about energy use, labor, fairness, accountability, and social impact. These concerns may matter when deciding whether and how to use a tool.

Choosing a Tool: We do not endorse one specific AI tool for career development (outside of BigResume, within our BigInterview platform). Many at the College prefer Microsoft Copilot as it is a part of our ecosystem. Technology develops quickly and it is important for students to choose tools that best fit their needs and use cases. The prompts we recommend can be used with most LLMs.

Employers are also changing how they assess these skills. Some ask candidates to work through a realistic scenario with AI during the interview, and others have them review flawed AI output, so interviewers can watch a candidate’s process as it happens.

Prompts for Career Development

Below are some examples of ways you might use AI as a starting point in your career development. Adapt the prompts to fit your own situation, and remember to review AI-generated information critically rather than accepting it at face value.

Career Exploration
  • I have a degree in [major or field], and some of my favorite classes, skills, and interests are [insert here]. What career paths might be worth exploring?
  • Generate 10 job titles that could be a good fit based on my interests in [insert interests], skills in [insert skills], and academic background in [insert major].
  • I am a [major], but I am not sure what career paths interest me. Ask me questions one at a time to help me identify possibilities I might want to explore.
  • What should I think about regarding my values, priorities, and preferred work environment before choosing a career path?
  • Compare these career paths based on the values that matter most to me: [list values].
  • What does a typical day look like for someone working as a [job title]? What skills are most important, and what kinds of people tend to enjoy this work?
  • How could I gain experience in [skill, industry, or career field] while I am still in college?
  • How is AI changing the work of people in [career field]?
Employer Research & Job Search
  • What nonprofit consulting [insert your industry or field] organizations on the East Coast [insert your desired location] hire recent college graduates?
  • Find 20 nonprofits in Texas [insert location] that focus on homelessness or housing insecurity [insert your issue/area of interest].
  • Identify employers similar to these organizations: [list employers]. Explain what they have in common and suggest 20 others I could research.
  • What job titles should I search for if I am interested in [type of work or field]?
  • Where should I look for internships or entry-level jobs in [field], beyond the largest general job boards?
  • What professional associations, industry-specific job boards, or other resources are commonly used in [field]?
  • I am considering applying to [employer]. What should I research about the organization before I decide whether it is a good fit?
  • Analyze this job description and identify the five skills or qualifications the employer appears to value most. [Paste job description.]
Resumes

You can also use BigResume for AI-powered feedback on your resume, including writing, readability, credibility, ATS fit, and alignment with a job description.

  • Compare my resume with this job description. Which qualifications are already well represented, and where are there gaps? [Paste resume and job description.]
  • What are the most important skills and keywords in this job description? Where could I more clearly demonstrate those skills in my resume? [Paste resume and job description.]
  • Give me feedback on how to make these resume bullets clearer, more specific, and more focused on my contributions and results. Do not invent information or metrics. [Paste bullets.]
  • Help me turn this description of my experience into a concise resume bullet using a strong action verb: [describe what you did].
  • Acting as a hiring manager for this position, identify the strongest parts of my resume and the areas I should improve before applying. [Paste resume and job description.]
  • Suggest ways I could tailor my resume for this position while keeping all information accurate and in my own voice. [Paste resume and job description.]
Cover Letters
  • Based on my resume and this job description, what are the two or three strongest qualifications I should emphasize in my cover letter? [Paste resume and job description.]
  • What does this job description suggest the employer cares most about? Which of my experiences could I use as evidence? [Paste resume and job description.]
  • Give me feedback on this cover letter for clarity, specificity, organization, and alignment with the position. Do not rewrite it for me. [Paste cover letter and job description.]
  • Suggest three ways I could make this paragraph more specific to the employer and position. [Paste paragraph and job description.]
  • Review this draft for grammar and spelling while preserving my meaning and voice. [Paste draft.]
  • My opening currently says [insert opening]. Suggest several stronger approaches that sound natural rather than generic.
  • Does this cover letter provide enough evidence for the claims I make about my skills? Identify places where I could add a more specific example.
Networking and Professional Development
  • What are some effective ways to begin building professional connections in [field or industry]?
  • What professional organizations, conferences, or networking opportunities should someone interested in [field] know about?
  • What are five thoughtful questions I could ask an [occupation] during an informational interview?
  • Help me draft a short LinkedIn connection request to an alum who works in [field]. We share [connection or interest]. Keep it under 300 characters and focus on requesting a conversation rather than asking for a job.
  • Review this networking message and suggest ways to make it warmer, clearer, and more concise. [Paste message.]
  • Based on this person’s professional background, suggest 8–10 questions I could ask in an informational interview. [Paste relevant profile information like their LinkedIn profile, rather than personal contact information.]
  • Help me develop a 30-second introduction for a career fair or networking event based on these experiences and interests: [insert information].
  • What questions should I ask a professional in this field to better understand how they use AI, what skills still require human judgment, and what new skills are becoming important?
Interviewing
  • You can also use Big Interview to practice interview questions and receive feedback.
  • I am interviewing for a [job title]. Based on this job description, what questions am I likely to be asked? Include a mix of general, behavioral, and role-specific questions. [Paste job description.]
  • Act as the interviewer for this position. Ask me one question at a time and wait for my response before continuing. Do not provide sample answers unless I ask for them. [Paste job description.]
  • What are the five most important skills in this job description? For each skill, suggest two behavioral interview questions an employer might use to assess it. [Paste job description.]
  • Here is my answer to the interview question [question]. Give me feedback on clarity, specificity, and whether I provide enough evidence. [Paste response.]
  • Help me identify experiences from my background that I could use to answer behavioral questions about teamwork, problem-solving, leadership, conflict, or adaptability. [Paste resume or describe experiences.]
  • What are five questions I could ask during this interview to better understand the role, team, workplace culture, and opportunities for growth?
  • Based on my background, what should I make sure to communicate when answering “Tell me about yourself”? [Paste resume or relevant background.]
  • Review this thank-you email after an interview and suggest ways to make it concise, specific, and professional. [Paste draft.]
Evaluating and Negotiating a Job Offer
  • What factors should I consider when evaluating a job offer besides salary?
  • What is the approximate cost of living in [location] for a recent graduate living [alone/with roommates]? What expenses should I make sure to research independently?
  • Based on this job description and my experience, what strengths could I point to when discussing compensation? [Paste job description and resume.]
  • What parts of a job offer may be negotiable besides base salary?
  • Help me prepare questions to ask before accepting this offer so I better understand benefits, work expectations, professional development, and other important details.
  • I have received an offer for [position] in [location]. What reliable sources should I use to research an appropriate salary range before negotiating? 
Use AI as a Career Thinking Partner

AI can also help you organize your thinking, as long as you remain the decision-maker. Reminder: Do NOT input personal or sensitive information into an AI platform!

  • Ask me questions one at a time to help me clarify what I want from my next internship or job. Focus on the work I enjoy, skills I want to use, environment I prefer, and priorities that matter to me.
  • I am deciding between [option A] and [option B]. Help me create a list of factors I should consider, then ask me questions that will help me weigh them.
  • I want to build experience in [skill or field] over the next six months. Help me brainstorm realistic ways I could practice that skill through coursework, campus involvement, projects, internships, volunteering, or other experiences.
  • I am feeling stuck in my career exploration. Ask me five questions that could help me identify a useful next step rather than trying to choose a long-term career immediately.  

Reminder

This page provides only a starting point for incorporating AI into your career journey, and these tools are evolving rapidly. While these tools can be incredibly helpful in many occupations, remember to verify their output, keep your information safe, and rely on your own voice and expertise to guide your professional development. Consider the underlying questions: Should I use it? Can I work with it effectively? Can I evaluate and own the result?