Utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Career Development

The rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) offers powerful tools to boost productivity and support your career exploration, internship search, or job applications. At SNHU, we encourage learners to embrace evolving technology to improve efficiency, effectiveness, and equity in their professional development. When used responsibly, generative AI can help brainstorm ideas, analyze job descriptions, refine resumes and cover letters, and more.

On this page, you’ll find resources to help you use AI models effectively in your career journey. As AI platforms advance, our recommendations may change, so check back regularly for the latest guidance. Use this community to learn different ways that you can utilize AI tools for your own career journey!

What is AI, Generative AI, and Large Language Models (LLMs)?

Remember: While AI platforms are powerful tools, it is not a replacement for your creativity and critical thinking. AI tools can provide ideas and insights, but it is important to evaluate the outputs critically. It is important to note that some Large Language Models and AI tools train on user data. We recommend turning off data training if possible and being aware of what types of information you are uploading into your AI tool of choice. Consider redacting or removing any sensitive information before uploading to any AI tool.

A broad term referring to machines or software that can perform tasks typically requiring human intelligence, such as problem-solving, learning, and pattern recognition.

A subset of AI designed to create new content—such as text, images, or video—based on user prompts. It learns patterns from existing data to generate responses.

A type of generative AI specifically trained to understand and generate human-like text. Examples include ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Latimer, and CoPilot. The key differences among them stem from their training data and accuracy in generating responses.

Benefits and Limitations of AI Tools in Your Career Development

Accessibility – AI resources democratize in-depth career knowledge and make career support available 24/7, catering to different learning styles, languages, and abilities.

Time-Saving – AI resources can help generate professional content such as resumes, cover letters, and networking messages efficiently, giving you more time to focus on other important areas of your career development.

Idea Generation – AI resources can spark new ideas and help you get “unstuck” when you are hitting a roadblock.

Building In-Demand Skills – Learning to use AI resources effectively is a valuable skill that employers seek across industries.

Personalized Insights – AI resources can tailor recommendations based on your field, location, and interests, allowing for a more effective job and internship search.

Lack of Human Insight – AI models lack the personal touch and mentorship you get from Career Services, industry professionals, and your network.

Accuracy Issues – AI-generated information can be outdated, incorrect, or misleading (this is called an AI hallucination). Always review the output and verify key details, using reputable sources we necessary.

Bias in AI Responses – AI models are trained on information from the internet and therefore contain biases at times, which can be reflected in their responses. It’s essential to cross-check information and seek diverse perspectives.

Data Privacy Risks – AI tools store and learn from the data you provide. Never share personal, sensitive, or proprietary information. For example your: Home address, Social Security Number, Birthdate, Banking Information, Passwords, Student ID Number, etc.

Employer Restrictions – Some companies explicitly prohibit AI-generated application materials. Always review job application guidelines carefully.

How to Use Generative AI Effectively -Prompt Engineering

Generative AI works best when used in a collaborative, conversational way. Instead of accepting the first response, refine your prompts to improve the quality of the output. Throughout the sections below, you’ll find links to prompts created and tested by SNHU Career Services to help you get started using AI for various career tasks.

Be Specific – Clearly define your request, including role, audience, tone, length, and format.
Provide Context – Include details from your resume, cover letter, or past experiences for more personalized results.
Do NOT include personal or sensitive information. For example your: Full Name, Home Address, Phone Number, Email Address, etc.
Ask Follow-Up Questions – If the response isn’t quite right, adjust your prompt or ask the AI tool to modify it.

Popular LLMs (Large Language Models)

Large Language Models (LLMs) are revolutionizing career development, with each offering unique strengths. Below are some of the top few!

Versatile and widely used, ChatGPT excels in resume building, cover letters, and interview prep.

Designed for accuracy and safety, Claude provides thoughtful career insights with a focus on ethics.

Strong at analyzing trends and career paths, making it great for job market research.

This tool seeks to champion diverse histories and amplify underrepresented voices through specific training data which is not always included in other LLM datasets.

Best for technical portfolio projects and technical interview prep.

SNHU Career AI Prompt Library

**Our prompt library is under construction** The SNHU Career Team is currently developing the best prompts to assist you in your career journey, and more prompts will continue to be added to the pages below. Please continue to explore!