12/01/2023

Applications of Artificial Intelligence and Career Development Work

By Debra Osborn & Melissa Venable

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not a new technology, but in late 2022 it became something anyone with a computer, smartphone, or tablet could not only experience first-hand, but also use in their work, thanks to the release of ChatGPT (Anyoha, 2017; Heaven, 2023). When prompted to define itself, ChatGPT generated this definition: “a cutting-edge language model that facilitates natural language interaction, offering a versatile tool for tasks ranging from content creation to customer support” (OpenAI, 2023). Among career development professionals (CPs), AI has been met with curiosity, skepticism, disparagement, and/or cautious optimism or unbridled excitement.

Since the launch of ChatGPT, AI applications continue to emerge. At least one source declares that as of March 2023, almost 15,000 artificial intelligence startups existed in the United States alone (McGill, n.d.). Applications such as ChatGPT and other AI-enhanced tools like Grammarly can quickly assist with some everyday tasks like writing and communicating as well as other work, like creating images, recruiting, note-taking, managing projects, creating videos, and conducting research (Rebelo, 2023). As AI tools evolve and become easier to access and use, their adoption and integration will likely continue. Exploring the AI impact on the workplace, career decision-making, and the job search can aid the work of the CP.

Istock 1467057071 Credit Poca Wander Stock

Impact on the Workplace

Technologies can directly affect employment and AI is no exception. An overall increase in workplace automation, which includes AI, is predicted to replace as much as 30% of work hours currently performed in the US (Ellingrud et al., 2023). In 2023, writers and actors in Hollywood, California voiced concerns about the lack of regulation limits on and the potential for abuse by AI, citing concerns that AI might create original works and lifelike avatars, in turn reducing jobs and income (Rogin, 2023). Recent surveys have indicated about 50% of individuals are concerned about how technology and specifically AI will impact their work (Contreras, 2023; NCDA, 2021). CPs need to be aware of these ongoing changes and concerns.

Tools for Career Practitioners and Job Seekers

Currently, there are several AI-based resources CPs can explore to support client career decision making and the job search. Note, the authors do not endorse any specific AI tools, including those mentioned in this article, but encourage readers to explore and evaluate the use of a variety of AI tools in career development work.

Career Exploration and Decision Making

AI tools can generate occupational matches to interests, skills, and/or a current career aspiration. CPs can show the clients how to prompt the AI tool to generate a list of occupations similar to a career aspiration, or to identify what types of training, skills or experiences might best prepare them. A client can prompt ChatGPT to provide information they should consider when thinking about a specific field, such as nursing. In that case, some of the recommendations included considering type of patient population, specializations, and personal qualities.

Job Search Uses

Jobscan uses AI to compare a resume to current job listings and makes recommendations for how to tailor the resume to the specific job opening, based on applicant tracking systems’ keywords of preferred hard and soft skills and experiences. A client who is seeking a new job can be shown how to input the qualifications of a published job opening to generate a list of similar job titles or draft a cover letter. CPs could encourage clients to type in their past job titles or skills and ask AI to generate a cover letter matching job requirements with their experiences. Resumes that match the cover letter can also be generated. ResumeGenius and Rezi are just two of the tools currently available to assist with these tasks. Other job search AI tools can quickly identify labor trends, potential employers, and strong interview questions. Google’s Interview Warmup offers practice interviewing with feedback.

Strategies and Recommendations for Career Practitioners

For those who are, like us – curious, skeptical, and excited – about the capabilities of AI, it can be difficult to find a place to start applying AI at work with clients. Sharing ideas and exploration tips with clients and students can be helpful as the role of the CP increasingly involves integrating daily work with technology. Keep in mind the following when providing career services:

Best Practices that Reflect Reality, Intent and Accuracy

The possibilities for AI in practice are only beginning to emerge, creating both excitement and concern among professionals. AI applications can provide valuable insights into a variety of career development and job search contexts, as the examples in this article highlight. However, it is necessary to review and even edit what these applications generate in response to prompts to ensure it reflects reality, intent, and accuracy. Career practitioners are encouraged to practice cautious optimism as new uses of AI emerge, and to engage in ongoing conversations with others so as to evaluate best practices for use with students and clients.

 

References

Anyoha, R. (2017, August 28). The history of artificial intelligence. Science in the News. Harvard University. https://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2017/history-artificial-intelligence/

Contereras, B. (2023, August 6). Actors and writers aren’t the only ones worried about AI, new polling shows. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2023-08-06/actors-and-writers-are-worried-about-ai-so-is-everyone-else-new-polling-shows

Ellingrud, K., Sanghvi, S., Dandona, G. S., Madgavkar, A., Chui, M., White, O., & Hasebe, P. (2023, July 26). Generative AI and the future of work in America. McKinsey Global Institute. https://www.mckinsey.com/mgi/our-research/generative-ai-and-the-future-of-work-in-america

Heaven, W. D. (2023, March 3). The inside story of how ChaptGPT was built from the people who made it. MIT Technology Review. https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/03/03/1069311/inside-story-oral-history-how-chatgpt-built-openai/

Mathews, L., Kettunen, J., Lee, H., Schifeling, J., & Zimenoff, M. (2023, August). Artificial intelligence: Will AI replace career development professionals in the future? NCDA Webinar Series. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ygfjq0oeww

McGill, J. (n.d.). How many AI tools are there? Content at Scale. https://contentatscale.ai/how-many-ai-tools-are-there/

National Career Development Association. (2021). Perceptions of career development from working America. https://www.ncda.org/aws/NCDA/asset_manager/get_file/628297?ver=0

OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT: Enhancing natural language interaction. https://chat.openai.com/c/073536da-e174-4f63-aae9-7c8c3dd38a6e

Rebelo, M. (2023, July 13). The best AI productivity tools in 2023. Zapier Blog. https://zapier.com/blog/best-ai-productivity-tools/

Rogin, A. (2023, September 2). Why artificial intelligence is a central dispute in the Hollywood strikes. PBS NewsHour. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/why-artificial-intelligence-is-a-central-dispute-in-the-hollywood-strikes

 

 


 

Deb Osborn 2023Debra Osborn, PhD, is a Professor and Co-director of Psychological and Counseling Services in the Educational Psychology and Learning Systems Department at Florida State University. She is also the Co-Director and Senior Research Associate for the Center for the Study of Technology in Counseling and Career Development at FSU. In this position, she is responsible for overseeing and conducting research on the design and use of information technology in counseling, as well as the study of vocational behavior and the delivery of career services. Her research interests include the identifying predictors of and best practices for increasing positive/ decreasing negative career outcomes, applying career-related theory (especially Cognitive Information Processing theory) in research and practice, the infusion of art therapy with career counseling, and exploring the role technology can play in enhancing and extending services. You can reach her at dosborn@fsu.edu or linkedin.com/in/debosborn

 

 

Melissa Venable 2023Melissa A. Venable, PhD, is the Director of Professional Development for NCDA. She coordinates learning opportunities through The Hub, Career Practitioner Conversations podcast, and a webinar series. She has more than 15 years of experience in online education as an instructional designer, curriculum manager, and online instructor. Her professional background includes work in higher education career services and military outplacement counseling. Melissa also currently serves as Board Chair for the Beaufort (SC) Digital Corridor, a not-for-profit startup incubator supporting tech entrepreneurship in her local community. You can reach her at mvenable@ncda.org and https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissavenable/

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9 Comments

Itamar Gati   on Saturday 12/02/2023 at 09:59 AM

Thank you for the excellent introduction to using AI to facilitate career exploration and career decision-making by career clients.
The challenge faced by career professionals is to develop the skills to be able to evaluate the quality of the AI-based responses and recommendations their clients bring with them to counseling.
The list of recent references at the end of the review is informative.
Itamar Gati

Ellen Weaver Paquette   on Monday 12/04/2023 at 08:05 AM

This artice is both informative and direct, it will serve as a reference for many.

Deneen Pennington   on Monday 12/04/2023 at 09:11 AM

Great article! Thanks for sharing your expertise.

Melissa Venable   on Monday 12/04/2023 at 09:18 AM

Thank you, Itamar! I'm glad you found the references helpful.

Melissa Venable   on Monday 12/04/2023 at 09:19 AM

Thank you , Ellen and Deneen. it is always a pleasure to collaborate with Deb Osborn.

Paul Hartung   on Monday 12/04/2023 at 11:44 AM

Agree with Prof. Gati and all.
Your article provides a readily accessible precis on career development and AI.
Many thanks for your work.
With my best,
Paul

Deb Osborn   on Monday 12/04/2023 at 10:09 PM

Thank you for the encouragement- AI presents such a huge sea- filled with some known, some unknown, exciting but sometimes down right scary possibilities. My hope is to stay focused on how we can practically use AI in providing quality services to those we serve. I think we're about to embark on a grand new adventure!

Barbara Thomson   on Tuesday 12/05/2023 at 12:25 PM

Thanks for providing this information, is very exciting to consider where we might go with AI.

Jim Peacock   on Thursday 12/07/2023 at 01:04 PM

There is so much hype out there about AI and lots of concerns. Thank you for sharing some of the things we can do in our work that will be helpful to us and our clients.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the comments shown above are those of the individual comment authors and do not reflect the views or opinions of this organization.