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Adapting to AI: Strategies for Career Centers and the Students They Serve


A Beginner's Guide to AI in Career Centers
*This image was generated using Canva's Magic Media tool, which generates images from text prompts.

We know AI is here, and it's not going away, but the speed at which this new technology has infiltrated our lives is disorienting for many. Here is what most of us know already:


  • AI and prompt engineering are new, in-demand skills that students should pursue.

  • AI will help career services staff with parts of our jobs and transform how we spend our time.

  • Students can use generative AI to get feedback on their resumes or for interview prep.


What's more challenging is what we don't know. 

  • How can students learn AI in a way that aligns with the future of work?

  • As career center staff, how do we most efficiently leverage AI in our everyday work?

  • What is the quality of the advice students receive from AI tools, and how do we help students understand how to balance this useful technology with their voice/brand?


In this blog post, we aspire to answer these fundamental questions to provide a baseline of knowledge and recommendations about leveraging this equally exciting and overwhelming tool.


Before we get to the good stuff, let's define two types of AI:

Generative AI generates text, images, or other media. These tools leverage a large language model (LLM), a computer algorithm that can summarize, develop, and predict new content. Examples: ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and DALL-E. Predictive AI uses statistical models and machine learning algorithms to identify patterns and relationships in data sets, draw inferences, and suggest outcomes.

Predictive and generative AI use machine learning and access to lots of data to produce their outputs. However, predictive AI uses machine learning to extrapolate the future, while generative AI uses machine learning to create content. For the sake of simplicity, we'll focus on generative AI.


How can students learn about AI in a way that aligns with the future of work?

Let's start with why this matters.


EQUITY


EDUCATION It's clear that all students, regardless of their intended major or career, need a foundational understanding of AI: what it does, how it works, and its potential impact on the world of work and society. Ideally, schools will integrate this content across the curriculum, but career centers should also develop or curate resources, workshops, or other learning experiences that introduce AI. 


We shouldn’t be educating our students to do a particular job. We now need to be educating our students to be able to be flexible, to be able to retrain themselves, to be able to learn how to learn. . . . because the nature of that job may change over the next few years. Or you may find that you need to be able to jump to a new career partway through. Quote from  Arianna Prothero Assistant Editor, Education Week

Beyond a basic understanding of AI, students must prepare to cultivate and provide evidence of the skills they will leverage in a rapidly changing workplace: adaptability, change management, independent skill-building, and a tolerance for ambiguity. These skills are all necessary for utilizing and collaborating with AI (and other new technologies) as a tool for problem-solving.


Below are ideas for how career centers can help students develop these skills.


  • Develop a library of career simulations/case studies. Creating a comprehensive library of simulations and case studies offers students a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in real-world scenarios without the high stakes of actual decision-making in the workplace.


  • Offer workshops or certifications on change management. These sessions can cover a wide range of topics, from the theoretical aspects of change management to practical strategies for implementing change initiatives, equipping students with the skills to adapt to and manage new technologies like AI seamlessly.


  • Facilitate interactive role-playing scenarios. In these scenarios, students engage in simulated situations that require them to act out roles relevant to their future careers, facing challenges that need quick thinking, adaptability, and effective collaboration. This experiential learning approach helps students build confidence and develop real-world skills in a safe, controlled environment.


  • Create partnerships with employers for short-term projects that allow hands-on experience with AI and other emerging technologies. Collaborations with employers that offer short-term projects provide students with hands-on experience with AI and other emerging technologies in a real-world setting.


  • Train career center peers to help students design effective AI prompts. Peers can guide students in structuring queries and requests to generate sound, relevant outputs from AI tools, increasing their efficiency and effectiveness in tasks ranging from data analysis to content creation.


As career center staff, how do we most efficiently leverage AI in our everyday work?

First and foremost, career centers should integrate technology to enhance rather than replace the stakeholder relationships that can be foundational to successful collaboration and belonging.

Also, if you've played with ChatGPT or another generative AI tool, you've likely discovered that it can be used to generate quick event marketing copy, ideate titles for programming or initiatives, and even create learning outcomes. That said, career center teams can utilize AI in many other valuable ways. Below are just a few.


  • Stay On Top of Workforce Trends Career center staff can use AI to gather and analyze vast amounts of data on job trends, skills in demand, and career paths. Use this data to tailor advice and coaching to individual students' aspirations, strengths, and areas for improvement.


  • Use AI to Enhance Stakeholder User Research AI can uncover trends and preferences of students, employers, and staff, improving personalized career advice and tailoring events to job market needs.

  • Engage with Your Creativity AI doesn't just automate tasks; it can also partner in the creative process. Tools like generative AI can offer initial ideas that staff can refine and adapt, ensuring that the final output is original and aligned with the center's goals.


What is the quality of the advice students receive from AI tools, and how do we help students understand how to balance this useful technology with their voice/brand?

According to a 2024 study, How Does Generative Artificial Intelligence Impact Student Creativity?, published in the Journal of Creativity, 100% of participants found AI helpful for brainstorming. However, the quality of AI-generated content is connected directly to both the quality of the prompt and the dataset's quality. AI tools can generate everything from misinformation to biased language, generic content, and high-quality text. For this reason, students should be encouraged to assess the quality, relevance, and specificity of AI-generated content. 


Higher education must embrace AI as a tool for exploration and help students understand that outputs from AI are merely the beginning and not the endpoint. We can achieve this by rethinking our application of AI in education to nurture critical thinking and amplify skills necessary for engaging with rapidly changing technology: curation, collaboration, and innovation.


Interested in a deeper dive into the ways AI will transform career services? Check out our Summer 2024 Virtual Think Tanks, including AI, Tech, and the Future of Career Services. Learn More or Register!




Margie McGee-Newton, Creative and Content Manager, Consultant

The Career Leadership Collective



Margie McGee-Newton has twenty years of experience in higher education. She has worked with a wide variety of institutions, including the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, the University of Minnesota, Wellesley College, and DePaul University.


She is passionate about bringing sensitivity and appreciation for a user experience lens to higher education and leveraging accessible and engaging learning experiences to connect learners to meaningful and actionable content.


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