Artificial Intelligence and Career Preparation

As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more advanced and widespread, many of you are likely exploring ways it can support your career planning, whether that’s through building your resume, refining your cover letter, researching job options, or preparing for interviews. Most of the AI tools you’ll use rely on generative AI, which creates new content in response to user prompts. Common forms of generative AI are Large Language Models (LLMs), which generate and understand text, including tools like ChatGPT and Gemini. 

Below you’ll find information on different AI tools and their uses, considerations for using AI, and tips to help you use it effectively. Or, check out our subpages below with information tailored to specific career topics! 

Keep in mind that the UVA Career Center does not endorse or recommend specific AI platforms; we may reference popular tools or platforms you have likely heard of, but this is not a comprehensive list. We encourage you to look into various AI tools so you can determine which ones you trust, feel comfortable using, and best meet your needs.

Considerations for AI Use

• Be mindful of inaccuracies. Generative AI can sometimes “hallucinate,” where it generates outputs that are false, outdated, or misleading. You should double-check any information it provides to ensure accuracy.  
• Be conscious of potential biases. Because AI models are based on aggregate data, biases can be present and result in potentially discriminatory responses. 
• Protect your data. Make sure you do not share any personal information or confidential data when using AI tools. 
• Know whether you are allowed to use AI. If you are using AI for academic work, job applications, graduate school applications, or any other professional use, make sure you understand the specific rules and expectations around AI use in that context. 
• Know UVA’s Responsible Use Guidelines. UVA provides a list of guidelines and Terms of Use for generative AI tools. Take time to familiarize yourself with them. 
• Avoid using entirely AI-generated outputs. While generative AI can provide suggestions for improvement, brainstorming tips, and outlines, it should not replace your original work. It may not reflect your personal voice, and outputs are often generic. Start with your own creation and use AI to enhance it, not replace it. 

Tips

• Be specific. The more generic your prompt is, the more generic the output will be. Provide as much context as needed. 
• Make it conversational. Even with a clear, well-written prompt, the first output likely will not be perfect. Provide corrections, suggestions, and follow-up questions to get more useful results. 
• Prompt the tool to ask you follow-up questions. AI tools are tailored for generating answers, not asking for clarification. This means they might make incorrect assumptions about what you want. Explicitly prompt the tool to ask you questions if something is unclear, especially for more complicated requests.