How to use Generative AI for your career
There are several ways Generative Artificial Intelligence (Generative AI or GenAI) can help you with your career, from self-reflection and generating ideas to helping you write a job application or prepare for an interview.
Generative AI refers to digital tools that create content in response to instructions, known as prompts. The most popular in-browser tools include ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Microsoft Copilot. You have access to MS Copilot through your Open University Microsoft365 account.
The Open University (OU) has produced a guide for students to help you better understand generative AI and how to use it safely in your study and through your OU journey.
Why Generative AI matters in the global labour market
Across the world, employers increasingly use technology within recruitment processes. You may encounter:
- Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), for example, Workday
- AI supported video interviews
- Online psychometric and skills assessments.
Many sectors, including business, healthcare, education, technology, public services and the creative industries, are also integrating AI into everyday working practice. This means more employers need employees with skills and experience in using AI tools. Developing AI literacy is part of becoming digitally confident and employable. See the OU resources at the end of this article to further support you with this.
Using Generative AI to support career planning, job applications and interviews
To get started, create a strong and specific prompt. This will help the Generative AI tool provide a more relevant response. Here is a framework we recommend:
- Role: Who should the AI ‘be’? For example, “Act as a… interviewer, career assessor, CV reviewer”
- Context: Your situation, for example, “I’m… preparing for an interview, deciding what career would suit me, preparing my CV for a specific job vacancy”
- Task: What do you need? For example, “Provide… practice interview questions, personality or skills matching test, CV tailoring”
- Specifics: Tone, format, length, and priorities, for example, “Use… concise bullet points, max 250 words, professional tone”.
Note that Generative AI can sometimes create inaccurate responses and should not replace your critical thinking. We recommend you always evaluate the tool’s output if you are in any doubt of its accuracy, especially if you are not sure what sources it has used.
