By now you probably know the following about AI:
- It can reduce the time you spend finding information
- It does not always give perfect advice
- It should never be used for assignments unless your faculty approves
And I am going to add one more bit of knowledge:
- If you use AI for cover letters and resume and you don’t then adapt these materials to your own style and individual experiences, RECRUITERS WILL KNOW. So don’t just build resumes and cover letters via AI and not adapt/rebuilt/enhance them. (Schedule an appointment through Handshake with one of our career advisors and we can help you with that!)
So – now that we have covered all of that, I am going to share one great way to utilize AI – for skill-building. I know many of you reading this are very busy: You are taking a full load of classes, working part or full-time, may be commuting. You have very little time to spare to think about, or do, anything else. But how can you eventually market yourself for a job or internship without experience or skills that make you stand out as a great candidate?
AI can help you with this. Let’s give this a try.
Go to your preferred AI tool. Ask it what you can do – for free – to gain skills while in college. For instance, for this blog, I went to ChatGPT and typed in the following:
“What can an undergraduate do to gain skills and experience, online and for free, if they plan to go into the public relations field?”
ChatGPT recommended these FREE options:
- Four remote courses: Coursera’s “Introduction to Public Relations,” edX’s “Digital Branding and Engagement,” HubSpot Academy’s “Public Relations” and “Content Marketing” certifications, Google’s Digital Garage: “Fundamentals of Digital Marketing” and LinkedIn Learning’s (free with BSU student single sign in) Crisis Communication, Reputation Management learning modules
- 2 Certificates: HubSpot Academy’s “Public Relations” and “Content Marketing” certifications
- Using Canva to create sample Instagram postings, flyers and presentations for mock organizations to highlight your creative abilities
- Use Canva or another free site like Adobe Portfolio to share with future recruiters
Then pick out two or more options from the above list and put aside a few hours during Winter or Spring Break or during the Summer to learn, create and build, then add them to your resume. Done.
See how AI can help you? Now it’s your turn. Ask AI a question about gaining skills and see recommendations for your own list of skill-building options.
