Office of Academic & Career Success
Providing central coordination for the undergraduate advising, career services & learning support communities

AI in Career Services: An Evolving Conversation

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Two summers ago, a group of career services staff from across campus developed the AI Career Toolkit to help students navigate the emergence of artificial intelligence and its intersection with career development.

As we begin a new academic year, AI remains a prominent topic in career services. It’s showing up in student appointments, employer conversations, conference sessions, research reports, webinars, discussion boards, and communities of practice.

But as AI has continued to be a part of our lives, the conversation has evolved. Many of us now have firsthand experience using AI tools, and as a result, the questions we ask ourselves and each other have changed.

Our New Questions About AI

Instead of asking what AI is or what it can do, many of us are now wrestling with questions like:

  • How can students use AI without losing their authenticity and unique voice?
  • What are employer expectations around using AI in the application process and the workplace?
  • How do we help students evaluate AI-generated information?
  • What should we say to students who are hesitant or resistant to using AI?
  • How do we best prepare students for the reality of AI in their future workplaces?

These questions are less about the technology itself and more about the way we can or should use it. They reflect a shift from understanding AI as a tool to helping students use it thoughtfully, ethically, and effectively.

What Does This Mean for Career Services?

Our role is evolving from teaching students how to use AI to helping them make informed decisions about when, why, and how to use it. 

One section of the AI Career Toolkit remains especially relevant today: “When considering whether generative AI is appropriate for a career-related task, students can ask themselves…”

  • Does it matter if the output is true?
  • Do you have the knowledge to evaluate whether the output is accurate?
  • Are you willing and able to take full responsibility for any inaccuracies?

These questions aren’t really about AI as a tool. They’re about judgment, accountability, and ownership.

Questions like these are what we, as career services professionals, should continue to make sure students consider as they use AI in their career journeys. 

How Should We Move Forward with AI?

As you prepare for the new academic year, here are some questions you can consider to help guide your continued learning about the use of AI:

  • What AI-related questions are students asking you most often?
  • How do you help students balance efficiency, authenticity, and accountability?
  • What AI-related skills, if any, should students be developing before graduation?

Moving forward, the question may no longer be whether AI belongs in career development, but how we can equip students to navigate its possibilities and limitations with confidence and intentionality. Staying informed about AI can help us better support students in their career development journeys and below we’ve compiled some resources for continued learning.

As UW-Madison’s Year of AI Readiness and Competency gets underway, the questions facing career services feel increasingly relevant. The initiative’s emphasis on readiness, judgment, and responsible use mirrors many of the conversations career services professionals are already having with students.

This year, we suggest challenging yourself to start one new conversation about AI with students, colleagues, or employers. The insights gained from those discussions may be just as valuable as the technology itself in preparing students for the future of work.

Resources for further exploration: