How to Use AI in your Professional Development 

Using Artificial Intelligence for your Professional Development may seem like a scary thought but it is a great resource to add to your toolkit. The key is learning how to use it in a way that maximizes your success as an early career professional. AI is becoming increasingly woven into our world and it’s imperative to understand how to use it effectively, efficiently, and most importantly, in a responsible manner. If you are curious about how to incorporate AI into your professional development journey, keep reading to gain some helpful tips as you navigate the process. The first tip concerns the decision of whether to opt-in to AI resume scanning and the last few tips mainly focus on generative AI opportunities. 

🧐 Do your research about AI scan opt-ins

More recently, companies are using AI to scan resumes during the initial review process. There are several pros and cons to this, and you should be aware of them before making your final decision. Perhaps the biggest pro is that you can use keywords that AI will recognize through the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and likely pass through the initial review process. Opting-in also has the potential of removing biases during resume review. A drawback, however, is that a human may not even read your resume if it gets rejected by the AI initial scan. The big takeaway here is to do your research! There are many helpful articles on Google that can aid in your decision making. This Weekday Article highlights some of the most relevant info related to this topic. Additionally, the Career Center is offering AI resume scans via the ResumeAI tool on Big Interview! This is a great tool to use to familiarize yourself with how AI reads and processes resumes. 

📜 Using generative AI for resumes 

You can absolutely use large-language models, like ChatGPT, for resume support. No, you should not use it to write your entire resume. But, yes, you can use it in many productive ways. For example, you can ask it to generate a list of action verbs that better describe your highlighted roles. You can submit a job description into the chat box and ask for a generation of keywords to include on your resume based on the job description. You can also use it for spelling/grammar checks but always make sure to re-read its suggestions. Always be sure to refrain from giving ChatGPT any information that you don’t want to be fed into its algorithm, like original research ideas and personal identifying information (name/contact info). The truth is: ChatGPT can technically use anything you give it in its algorithm, potentially spitting it out to someone else. The bottom line is that using AI for resumes is totally fine, as long as you do it right!  

💭 Using generative AI for interview prep 

One of my favorite ways of using ChatGPT for professional development is for interview preparation! You can paste the job description and company mission/values in the chat box and ask it to generate a list of potential interview questions so that you can begin to brainstorm and practice how you might answer those questions. Of course, you should always rely on Big Interview, but adding this resource into your repertoire will help to expand your toolbox. 

📈 Using generative AI for career success planning 

Did you know that you can ask ChatGPT to create a skill building design template that is tailored to the career(s) you are interested in? For example, you can say, “Create a 10-week skill-building program that can make me an optimal candidate for X position.” You can include that you have access to LinkedIn Learning and Big Interview (you have FREE access as a Villanova student!) so that it knows to include any modules you might find helpful on those platforms. You can even ask it to generate a progress tracker so you can visualize how you are sharpening your skills!  

Always be sure to follow the Villanova guidelines for utilizing AI. When in doubt about how you are using AI, always ask! The OUS Professional Development team is here for you and ready to answer your questions. Additionally, if you are interested in learning more about AI, you can always contact us.

Unlocking Your Professional Potential: How Ai Is Revolutionizing Career Growth
By Madison Battinelli
Madison Battinelli