Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Career Development

Start Here:

Any use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Career Development should follow guidelines and policies laid out in the Guidelines for Using Generative AI at App State (linked).
Visit the AI Tools page (linked) to learn more about the AI tools available to you as an App State student.

Think of AI as an Advisor in your career development journey.

An advisor can do a lot of things –

Brainstorm job titles, industries, and directions you had not considered
Flag gaps between your resume and a job posting
Surface keywords, draft starting points, and process volume fast

When it comes to career development and your employability, AI cannot:

Decide what actually matters to you in a job or in life.
Tell your story in a resume, on LinkedIn, or through a job interview, because it only knows the story you give it.
Sit across from a recruiter and defend or elaborate on your accomplishments, experiences, or skills.

YOU are the decision maker and ultimately responsible for what you present in future job applications.

Some other important considerations:

AI is not always accurate. AI systems generate responses based on patterns in data; they do not independently verify facts. As a result, they may create inaccurate, outdated, incomplete, misleading, or entirely fabricated information. AI tools may also invent sources, statistics, credentials, citations, employer information, or application requirements. Always review AI-generated content carefully and confirm important details using reliable sources.
AI can reflect and reinforce bias. AI models learn from data created by people and institutions and may reproduce existing social, cultural, or historical biases. Users should critically evaluate AI generated content to ensure materials align with their values, goals and lived experiences.
Be mindful of the information you share. Avoid sharing confidential, sensitive, proprietary, unpublished, or personally identifiable information. This may include student records, research data, employer materials, financial information, or application materials that you do not wish to disclose. Different AI tools offer different privacy protections, so review platform policies before use.
Start with your own work. Use AI as a collaborator, not a replacement for your work. Start with your own knowledge, experiences, interests, and ideas. Rather than asking AI to complete work for you, use it to brainstorm options, organize information, identify areas for improvement, generate questions, practice interviews, or offer feedback on drafts. Employers and admissions committees value authenticity and can often recognize generic, overly polished, or impersonal AI-generated materials.
AI works best through iteration and critical thinking. Strong results come from refining prompts, evaluating outputs, providing context, and asking follow-up questions. Consider the audience, purpose, tone, format, and goals of your request. Treat AI output as a draft rather than a finished product.
Review your materials with a career coach. AI tools are most effective when combined with human feedback, judgement, and insight. Take advantage of all available tools and resources, including scheduling an in-person, Zoom, or phone appointment with your career coach on Handshake (linked).
Be sure to adhere to guidance from each employer, school, or department you are engaging with. Each organization you encounter may offer specific guidance for using generative AI relevant to their population. Review and follow the guidance provided by each organization. If disclosure of AI use is requested, be transparent about how you used AI in your work.
Stay alert to AI-enabled scams and misinformation. AI has made it easier to create convincing phishing emails, fake job postings, deepfake audio and video, and fraudulent recruiting communications. Verify opportunities through trusted sources, use caution when sharing personal information, and independently confirm the identity of recruiters or organizations when appropriate.

Source: Harvard University Mignone Center for Career Success (2026)

Prompt Engineering for Career Development

A strong GenAI prompt includes 5 parts:

ROLE: Tell the AI who to be. “Act as a career coach specializing in entry-level [insert industry] roles.”
CONTEXT: Give background. “I am a [insert class year] at Appalachian State University majoring in [Insert major(s) and minor].”
TASK: Be specific about what you want. “Write 3 resume bullet points for my social media coordinator internship [Insert job description or self-written description].”
FORMAT: Tell it how to deliver. “Use the PAR method (Power Verb, Application, Result). Keep each bullet under 2 lines.”
CONSTRAINTS: Set boundaries. “Use language from this job description: [paste]. Do not fabricate any experience I did not have.”

Source: University of Southern Indiana, Your AI Co-Pilot Career Toolkit (2026)

Example Prompts for Job Search and Company Research

Job Search Keyword Help

Role: Act as an expert executive recruiter and ATS (Applicant Tracking System) specialist in [Insert Industry, e.g., Supply Chain].
Context: I am a [Insert Class Year] at Appalachian State University majoring in [Insert Major]. I am searching for summer internships but am tired of seeing the same generic listings.
Task: Analyze this target job description: [Paste Job Description]. Identify the top 5 “hidden” keywords, required software skills, and core competencies that I should use as search terms on LinkedIn and Indeed to find similar, less-saturated roles.
Format: Present the findings in a clean Markdown table with columns for “Keyword/Skill,” “Why It Matters,” and “Suggested Search String.”
Constraints: Focus only on keywords relevant to entry-level or internship-level roles. Do not include senior-level certifications unless explicitly required for entry-level.

Boolean Search Help

Role: Act as a sourcing expert who knows how to game job search engines.
Context: I am a [Insert Class Year] business student looking for an entry-level [Insert Field, e.g., Digital Marketing] role in [Insert Target City/Region].
Task: Create 5 advanced Boolean search strings that I can copy and paste directly into Google, LinkedIn, and Indeed to find unlisted or recently posted positions. Format: Provide a numbered list of the exact strings using operators like AND, OR, NOT, and quotes.
Constraints: Exclude recruiter agencies and third-party staffing firms from the search results using the NOT operator.

Company Competitor Research

Role: Act as a strategic management consultant.
Context: I am a [Insert Class Year] business student at Appalachian State trying to stand out in an interview with [Insert Company Name].
Task: Conduct a brief SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis of the company relative to its top two competitors: [Insert Competitor 1] and [Insert Competitor 2].
Format: Provide a 2×2 grid format using Markdown. Keep the bullet points within the grid highly concise (1 sentence per point).
Constraints: Do not use overly complex macroeconomic jargon. Keep the analysis focused on things an entry-level employee or intern would notice or be impacted by.

Brief Company Research

Role: Act as a senior business analyst and corporate researcher.
Context: I am a [Insert Class Year] business major interested in working for [Insert Company Name].
Task: Research and summarize this company’s current market position, their recent major news or press releases from the last 6 months, and their core corporate culture values.
Format: Structure this as a 1-page executive briefing memo. Use headings for: Market Position, Recent News, Culture Alignment.
Constraints: Do not provide generic advice. Focus exclusively on facts, data, or publicly stated initiatives relevant to this specific company.

Example Prompts for Resume revision

Highlighting a class project:

Role: Act as a recruiter hiring for entry-level [Insert Industry, e.g., Corporate Finance] roles.
Context: I am a [Insert Class Year, e.g., Junior] at Appalachian State University majoring in [Insert Major].I lack corporate experience, but I have completed a major hands-on class project.
Task: Convert my class project description into 3 high-impact resume bullet points. Here is what I did: [Insert brief description of project, data used, and tools like Excel/Tableau].
Format: Use the PAR method (Power Verb, Application, Result). Write 3-5 bulleted phrases.
Constraints: Do not use passive language like “responsible for.” Do not fabricate metrics, but leave placeholders like [X%] where I need to add data.

Highlighting a part time job:

Role: Act as a corporate HR manager looking for transferable business skills.
Context: I am a [Insert Class Year] business student at Appalachian State. My only work experience is a part-time job as a [Insert Job, e.g., Bartista/Server/Retail Associate].
Task: Rewrite my current resume bullets to highlight business-relevant skills like [insert reequired skills from desired job description]. My current bullets are: [Paste current bullets].
Format: Provide a bulleted list. Keep each bullet under 15 words. Use the PAR method (Power verb, application, result).
Constraints: Do not use industry jargon from the part-time job; translate it into professional business terminology. Do not embellish my level of authority.

Example Prompts for LinkedIn Profile Optimization

Adding Relevant Skills

Role: Act as an algorithm expert who understands how LinkedIn Recruiter search functionality works.
Context: I am a [Insert Class Year] business student at Appalachian State majoring in [Insert Major] and aiming for roles like [Insert Target Job Title].
Task: Based on my target role, generate a list of the top 15 skills (divided into hard skills, soft skills, and industry software) that I must add to my LinkedIn “Skills” section to increase my appearance in recruiter search results.
Format: Organize the 15 skills into a neat Markdown table with categories: Technical Skills, Domain Knowledge, and Interpersonal Skills.
Constraints: Only include skills that a university student would realistically possess or learn in a business curriculum. Avoid outdated software.

Open to Work Message

Role: Act as a corporate talent acquisition director.
Context: I am a [Insert Class Year] business student at Appalachian State looking for [Insert Type of Role, e.g., full-time entry-level supply chain roles starting in May]. I want to utilize LinkedIn’s “Open to Work” feature but only show it to recruiters, not the public.
Task: Write the exact text for the “Note to Recruiters” section within the Open to Work settings that clearly explains my availability, geographic preferences [Insert Cities], and target roles.
Format: A concise block of text under 500 characters, written professionally.
Constraints: Explicitly state the graduation/start date so recruiters know the timeline. Do not sound desperate; frame it around being ready to bring value.

Example Prompts for Interview Preparation

Behavioral Question/STAR Story Practice

Role: Act as a hiring manager conducting a behavioral interview for a [Insert Target Role] at [Insert Company Name].
Context: I am a [Insert Class Year] business student. I want to practice answering the question: “Tell me about a time you had to manage a conflict within a team project.”
Task: Read my rough draft response based on a college group project: [Paste your raw story/experience here]. Critique it and rewrite it to sound professional.
Format: Organize the rewrite strictly using the STAR method labels: Situation, Task, Action, Result.
Constraints: Do not change the facts of my story. Do not make my team members sound overly malicious; focus on the business/academic problem and my leadership solution.

Technical Question Practice

Role: Act as a notoriously tough interviewer at [Insert Company Name or Type of Company, e.g., a fast-paced fintech startup].
Context: I am a [Insert Class Year] business major with a minor in [Insert Minor] applying for their [Insert Job Title] role.
Task: Look at the job requirements [Paste Job Description] and predict 3 “curveball” or highly technical situational questions they might ask to test my critical thinking under pressure.
Format: List the 3 questions. Under each question, provide a 2-bullet “Cheat Sheet” detailing what the interviewer is actually testing for and a suggested angle for my response.
Constraints: Do not give me generic questions like “What is your biggest weakness?” Make them specific to the operational realities of this role.