Unlocking New Possibilities: How AI Helps Students Communicate Skills

The integration of career-related competencies into the curriculum is a growing trend in higher education. A recent article from Inside Higher Ed highlights that 62% of schools are now embedding career or career-related competency work into first-year student experiences, and 73% include some element of career readiness in classroom presentations.

These are clearly promising steps. Looking ahead, there are even more exciting opportunities with artificial intelligence (AI) to help students translate their academic work into marketable skills and communicate employer-desired competencies and job-specific skills. AI's ability to provide personalized feedback and fill educational gaps represents a transformative potential in higher education.

Leveraging AI in Career Tools

At SkillsFirst, we understand the importance of helping students translate their academic work into competencies desired by employers. Our flexible set of AI-powered career tools allows institutions to customize the AI to meet their specific needs, whether used by different departments or within the context of classes. These tools help students effectively communicate their skills and tailor their application materials for specific job opportunities, enhancing the relevance and impact of their resumes and cover letters.

Demonstrating a Progression of AI Scans

To show how AI can make a real difference, we’ve created a three-step scan process. This example demonstrates how our AI tools can enhance students' career readiness and help them stand out.

Step 1: Translate Academics into Marketable Skills

Our first scan helps students connect their academic achievements to practical, job-relevant skills. This involves transforming coursework and academic projects into competencies that employers value. The example output below is just one part of the scan, focusing on connecting coursework to skills.

Example Output: Connect Coursework to Skills

Why it's Important: Specifying how your coursework translates into tangible skills helps employers understand the practical application of your education.

Current Content:

"Relevant Coursework: Introduction to Computer Science, Data Structures and Algorithms, Web Development, Calculus I & II, Introduction to Sociology"

Suggested Improvement:

"Relevant Coursework:

• Introduction to Computer Science - Gained foundational programming knowledge in Python and Java

• Data Structures and Algorithms - Developed problem-solving and analytical skills

• Web Development - Learned HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for web design and development

• Calculus I & II - Enhanced quantitative reasoning and problem-solving abilities

• Introduction to Sociology - Improved understanding of societal structures and communication skills"

Providing General Feedback on Career Readiness

Understanding how well a resume aligns with employer-desired competencies is crucial for career readiness. Our second scan provides general feedback on these competencies, helping students identify their strengths and areas for improvement. This step ensures that students are aware of the key skills employers are looking for and how well they are demonstrating these skills in their resumes.

Step 2: Employer-Desired Competencies Review

The second scan evaluates the resume against eight key career readiness competencies, providing students with feedback on areas for improvement and highlighting strengths. Again, the example output below represents a portion of the overall scan.

Example Output: Career & Self-Development

Status: Detected

Feedback: Your resume reflects an eagerness to explore career pathways and a commitment to professional growth.

Suggestions:

• Consider elaborating on how you’ve discerned your career aspirations and developed specific interests in technology.

• Mention any career counseling sessions, internships, or mentorship programs you have participated in

The Importance of Targeted Resumes

As students progress and reach the critical point of seeking internships, the need for targeted resumes becomes clear. A generic resume may not effectively highlight the specific skills required for a particular job. Creating a targeted internship resume, tailored to the specific demands of the position, significantly enhances a student's chances of securing valuable internship opportunities. Our AI tools assist in this process by offering students feedback on how to customize their resumes to align with job-specific requirements.

Step 3: Internship Skills Gap Analysis

The third scan identifies key skills in an internship posting and provides students with a gap analysis, showing aligned skills and areas needing improvement. The example output below is a snippet from the comprehensive analysis.

Example Output: Basic Knowledge of Programming Languages (Python, HTML, CSS)

Status: Present

Comment: This skill is well-represented in your resume under the "Skills" section.

Suggestions:

• Highlight specific projects or coursework where you have applied these languages. For example, mention a specific web development project you completed in the "Coding for Community Club."

• Consider adding bullet points under the Coding for Community Club section that explicitly state the use of these programming languages.

Empowering Faculty with AI Tools

Faculty play a critical role in the career development of students, often providing valuable advice on career pathways. According to a recent article from Inside Higher Ed, 92% of faculty report that students in their disciplinary area seek career advice from them annually.

To support faculty in this pivotal role, our AI-powered suite integrates AI scans into a centralized review hub. This enables faculty to leverage AI tools to provide rapid and quality feedback to students. Faculty can selectively use different aspects of AI to deliver high-quality insights quickly, enhancing their ability to guide students effectively through their career development journey.

Conclusion

The resume remains central to every student's career journey today. With artificial intelligence, we can now elevate our support for students, helping them understand how to translate their academic coursework and extracurricular activities into marketable skills. AI enables us to provide targeted feedback on whether their documents effectively convey employer-desired skills, preparing them to swiftly tailor internship applications and more. This advancement marks an exciting opportunity for institutions to enhance their educational offerings and empower students for success in the modern job market.

 At SkillsFirst, we are committed to advancing these goals and making career readiness a central, integrated aspect of the student experience. Our comprehensive suite of AI-powered tools is designed to support both students and faculty in navigating the complexities of the modern job market. Join the conversation with us; please do reach out if you're interested in exploring the possibilities with SkillsFirst.

#SkillsFirst #MasterYourStory #CareerReadiness #AIinEducation #StudentSuccess #HigherEducation #JobSkills #FutureOfWork #EdTech #CareerDevelopment #Competencies #ArtificialIntelligence