7 Smart Ways to Use AI in Your Job Search

Let’s be real: the job search has never felt more overwhelming and resumes never felt so futile! Between AI-written job descriptions, never-ending application tracking systems, and recruiters ghosting even the most qualified candidates—it’s no wonder so many professionals feel stuck or discouraged.

But here's the good news: AI isn't just something companies are using against you. With the right strategies, it can become your secret weapon for standing out. Before you over complicate by using lots of fancy tools, my preference is to use the simple paid version of Chat GPT or Claude.

Below are the seven most practical, authentic ways to use AI in your job search that I recommend to the ambitious professionals I work with. These are tools to enhance your voice—not replace it.

1. Upgrade Your Résumé (Without Losing Your Soul)

AI résumé optimizers (like Rezi or Teal) can help you align your résumé with a job description—especially for those redundant ATS applications (Applicant Tracking Systems). But that can be an extra step – Keep it simple and use Chat GPT to get a clear picture of how qualified you are, where your gaps are, and suggestions for improvement.

✅ Use AI to clean up awkward wording, reframe your accomplishments, check grammar and generally optimize. (Visit our YouTube video on this)

❌ Don’t let it rewrite your entire story in corporate jargon. Keep it you.

🛠️ Try this: Paste your resume and several target job descriptions into Chat GPT and say,

“You are a world class job search consultant and resume writer. Help me revise this resume to optimize for my target roles, which are attached. What percentage does my current resume align to their requirements and lay out my skills, knowledge and experience gaps for the requirements.”

2. Build a Stronger LinkedIn Presence

LinkedIn’s new AI tools can suggest headlines, write “About” sections, and even help you engage with posts. Linkedin does have this built in if you purchase the premium subscription but, AGAIN, I say use the KISS method (Keep It Simple, Silly) and just use our friend Chatty-G (as my friend Kyle calls ChatGPT) but the magic really happens when you combine AI with your personal brand, which you should work on laying out and documenting.

✅ Ask AI for critique and feedback on your Linkedin Profile but remember to give it a perosna. Use it to help with content prompts or summaries of industry trends that are relevant to the types of jobs you want.

❌ Avoid posting anything AI wrote word-for-word. If it sounds like a TED Talk and you’ve never given one, rewrite it. We like to use it for brainstorming or outlining and then expanding ourselves.

🛠️ Try this: “What’s a great hook for a LinkedIn post about why I’m pivoting from finance into data analytics?”

3. Discover Hidden Jobs with Smarter Search Ad Application Tools

AI-powered job platforms like Rezi, Sonara, or even LinkedIn’s filters can surface roles you might miss but they also EDIT and you may miss other. They can also help you mass apply, depending on your level and the roles you’re seeking. Tools like ChatGPT can help you search smarter.

✅ Ask AI to find “companies hiring for X in the US, making over $90K” or to summarize top job boards in your field.

🛠️ Try this: “Create a list of 10 emerging roles in healthcare tech that align with operations or project management experience.”

4. Close Skill Gaps with Laser Focus

One of the smartest ways to use AI? Let it audit your skills.

✅ Use tools like ChatGPT or LinkedIn Skills to identify where you’re strong—and where a quick online course could boost your relevance.

🛠️ Try this: “Based on this job description, what are the three most important skills, and how can I learn them quickly?”

Then take a bite-sized course (Coursera, Skillshare, Linkedin Learning, or even YouTube) and add that to your résumé with confidence. Other tools like Perplexity can surface some of the best research out there for you

5. Practice Interviews Without the Stage Fright

AI interview simulators (like Interview Warmup from Google) can help you practice responses and get feedback on clarity and tone. You can even feed your answers into ChatGPT and ask for improvements.

✅ Practice, refine, but keep your delivery natural. Pro tip is to have a bank of these questions with STAR answers, that you can easily use in an interview with bulleted talking points.

🛠️ Try this: “Here’s how I’d answer ‘Tell me about yourself.’ Rewrite it to sound more confident and concise for a leadership role in marketing.”

6. Write a Better Cover Letter—Fast

Let’s be honest: cover letters are often painful to write. But they’re still powerful when done well.

✅ Use AI to build a draft based on the job description. Consider asking ChatGPT “what is the problem they’re trying to solve” with the hire and then positioning around that as well.

❌ Don’t submit it until you rewrite the opening and closing in your own voice. Make it sound like YOU.

🛠️ Try this: “Draft a conversational, 3-paragraph cover letter for a product manager job that emphasizes collaboration, adaptability, and results, using executive level writing style with bullets.”

7. Craft Stand-Out Follow-Up Messages

AI can help you write thoughtful post-interview thank-you notes, networking intros, or follow-ups that don’t feel awkward or pushy. Be sure to use the opportunity to address your weak areas or any concerns that your interviewers might have.

✅ Focus on clarity, appreciation, and connection.

🛠️ Try this: “Write a thank-you note after a panel interview for a leadership development role, mentioning collaboration and strategic growth.”

Final Thoughts: Use AI as a Co-Pilot, Not the Driver

AI is here to stay—but it’s not here to replace your story, your value, or your voice. Think of it like a career co-pilot: useful for shortcuts, guidance, and clarity—but you’re still the one steering. In this new world of work, your ability to adapt AND stay human is your greatest advantage.

Want more like this? Subscribe to The Shift Show to start applying smarter—not harder.

Six Ways to Change Your Career Without Starting Over

You’re not starting over—you’re just shifting forward.

Changing careers can feel like standing at the edge of a cliff—uncertain, exhilarating, and a little terrifying. But here’s the truth: You can change your career without starting over. In fact, you probably already have what it takes—you just need a strategy to shift your story, not scrap it.

I started my career as an architect—literally designing buildings and solving physical space problems. Today, I help people design careers and solve workplace challenges as an HR executive and now a podcast host. Was it scary? Absolutely. But every step, every shift, has been a bridge—not a reset. Let me show you how to do the same.

1. Understand Your Transferable Skills (Yes, You Have Them)

When I moved from architecture into HR, I wasn’t “starting over”—I was repackaging. Strategic thinking, system design, stakeholder collaboration, human centered design? These weren’t just architecture skills; they were leadership skills. I just had to learn how to translate them and help others see them.

Start here:

• What skills do you use that would be valuable anywhere?

• What have people consistently praised you for?

• How do you think through problems? That’s a skill, too.

Pro tip: Look at job descriptions in your new field and highlight what you already bring to the table. This is your career bridge—the solid foundation between where you’ve been and where you’re headed.

2. Build a Skill Bridge (And Walk Across It, One Step at a Time)

Career shifts don’t require you to blow up your past—they require you to connect the dots.

When I transitioned into HR, I built a skill bridge from my systems design background to organizational strategy. Now in podcasting, I bridge my HR experience with public storytelling and content creation.

Here’s how to build yours:

• Highlight common themes between your past and future

• Use the language of your target industry when telling your story

• Emphasize universally valued traits like leadership, adaptability, and curiosity

Every pivot I’ve made had one thing in common: I didn’t abandon who I was—I expanded who I could be (and I kept that mindset when I stumbled or was criticized).

3. Use Your Network (It’s Bigger Than You Think)

I would’ve never moved into HR without conversations that started as “curious coffee chats”. When I began thinking about podcasting, I expanded my network, connecting and leaning on people who had done it before.

Do this:

• Reconnect with old colleagues or mentors—you never know who might open a door

• Attend industry events, panels, or even follow hashtags on LinkedIn

• Be honest: “I’m thinking about making a shift—can I learn more about your role?”

Pro tip: Ask for informational conversations, not jobs. People love to share what they know and talk about themselves, and those conversations are often where real opportunities begin.

4. Gain Experience Without Quitting Your Day Job

Freelancing, side gigs, shadowing—these are all ways to try on your new identity without making a leap too soon. I started with project work YEARS before I was in HR full time. Even this podcast started as a side project. And now? It’s one of my favorite ways to serve others.

Try this:

• Take a short course to get your feet wet or test tools within your selected industry

• Offer your skills pro bono for a nonprofit or friend

• Join online communities and challenges in your target space

🎓 Linkedin Learning, Certifications or digital badges can also give you instant credibility—without requiring a new degree.

5. Look Inside Before You Leap

One of the most overlooked strategies? Shifting internally. If you love your company but want to try something new, start there. That’s what I did—moving across departments and domains while building a network of trust. Experienced job hoppers say you should only learn one big new thing in a role so it’s either the company or the career function – if you’re moving to a new career AND a new job, you can still do it but you’re more likely to have some failures and you’ll probably have a ton of time after work learning what you’ll do tomorrow.

Steps you can take:

• Ask to shadow someone in a different team who has a job you’re interested in

• Volunteer for cross-functional projects that will give you the necessary skills

• Let your manager know you’re eager to grow and learn something new

Trust me—many leaders would rather help you stay than lose you to another company.

6. Master Your Mindset: You’re Not Starting Over

This one’s big. Every time I pivoted, there was a voice in my head whispering, “Who do you think you are?” But I’ve learned to listen to a different voice.

It’s the one I first heard in a Teddy Roosevelt quote that changed everything for me (and for Brene Brown, too, which is where I first heard it):

I’ve come back to this quote over and over, especially when I’ve felt judged, unqualified, or scared. It reminds me to stay in the arena. To keep showing up—even messy and uncertain.

And that’s what I want for you, too.

Embrace the beginner’s mindset. Not knowing everything isn’t a flaw—it’s a sign that you’re growing. And honestly? It’s the most exciting place to be. However, too many professionals get hung up on being the smartest person in the room - and that's a lost opportunity for learning, trust building, and growth.

Final Thought: You’re Not Lost, You’re Shifting

Every career change I’ve made—architecture to HR to podcasting—wasn’t about abandoning who I was. It was about honoring where I’d been, and choosing where I wanted to go next.

And guess what? You can do the same.

You’re not starting over, you’re expanding WHO YOU ARE. You’re shifting into something bolder, braver, and more aligned.

So get in the arena. The future of work is already here. Let’s shift into it—together.

Embracing Change and Reinvention: How Getting Laid Off Inspired The Shift Show

Why I’m Creating The Shift Show—And Why It Matters

I was raised in a traditional American household. My father had two jobs, the first he retired from early and then he went back to work for his second before retiring for the final time. My mother was very entrepreneurial but focused on raising my brother and me. I was taught to work hard, for a great company, and to push through the hard parts and conflict to build partnerships with your colleagues. “Dukes don’t move” was a theme that I was taught, meaning if you were quality talent, worthy of leadership and investment, you grow in your company.   

Over the past year, I’ve found myself at a career crossroads. I built a successful career at a company that I loved, with a good team that I cared about—leading global talent transformation, pioneering AI-driven hiring strategies, and helping companies navigate change—A pretty good life but still areas that I wanted to change or grow in new ways. Unfortunately, I was positioned for a layoff due to a reorganization and I could either lean into the change and plan my exit or change the kind of work I want to do for an internal redeploy. I decided to lean into the change. Why? Because I wanted experiences that I couldn't get by staying safe and I was comfortable with the competitiveness of my skillset on the market. Layoffs aren’t just about losing a job. They force you to ask: What now? 

I’m lucky because I was at the table with the reorganization and I could see the shift happening. I had time to unpack my feelings about risk, growth, security, potential and opportunity. I took a writing workshop from Sarah Allen Short that was incredibly helpful and it really got me out of my comfort zone to try writing, which is NOT my mode of expression. I had some real self-discovery out of the process. The most impactful being that for me, growth and learning is more important than security, and I embraced change and reinvention. I am lucky that my husband was on board with taking on risk for our family based on the potential for my career.

I’ve been feeling a pull to share what I’ve been learning about the "future of work" through content creation since 2023 but didn’t have the energy and bandwidth to learn this giant ecosystem of social media, artificial intelligence, the tech market and its myriad of tools, not to mention the audio/visual equipment needed to produce content. Now that I have more free time, I’m on a mission to get this all built with sustainable workflows so that I can continue this when I start my new job. This “gift of time” has been an incredible opportunity for me to get recentered and refocused on purpose. I know that I am on the right path and this is the right time. It’s been a real privilege to lean into growth for my family and to make a bigger impact for others.

It was a little scary not knowing where things will go with my own job (and I'll talk more about that in future blogs) but, this isn’t my first career shift. I’ve pivoted industries, redefined my expertise, and I’m working on “de-programming” some of the old-school mindset, figuring out how to stay relevant in a world that never stops changing. I also have an expanded purpose. This time, I am not just navigating it for myself. I am doing it for my son, Sam, so that I can teach him the new roles of work. I am doing it to share with you, so that we can all get out of the reactive mode and into strategic planning.

I started The Shift Show not just because I needed to figure this out, but because I could uniquely help others embrace change.

The Privilege (and Responsibility) of Seeing What’s Ahead

For years, I’ve studied the future of work but now I’m leaning into it more intentionally. I’ve sat inside HR and talent strategy discussions; I’ve built the systems; and I have learned so much doing it. I’ve seen how AI, automation, and evolving workforce dynamics are reshaping careers—and I’ve also seen how unprepared many professionals feel for what’s coming.

I don’t think companies are doing enough to prepare their workforces—not because they don’t care, but because they themselves are still grappling with the sheer magnitude of change. This shift isn’t just about AI agents or automation. It’s about how work itself is being fundamentally redefined.

As an HR professional, I believe we have a responsibility to help our teams and workforces see what’s ahead, not just react to change after it happens. We have to make sense of the uncertainty, provide guidance, and help people build careers that can thrive—even when the landscape keeps shifting under their feet.

That’s why The Shift Show exists.

Infographic of the "Why" of The Shift Show

Making the Future of Work Understandable (and Actionable)

We’re in the middle of a work revolution. AI is reshaping industries, automation is eliminating roles, and the old career playbook—go to school, get a job, stay in your lane—is obsolete. But there are not enough roadmaps for everyday professionals on how to proactively adapt.

This podcast isn’t about fear-mongering. It’s not about hyping up trends without practical applications. It’s about equipping you with the knowledge and tools to navigate what’s next.

Through solo episodes and expert interviews, I’ll help break down:

• What’s actually happening in the workforce—and what it means for you

• The skills that will future-proof your career

• How to pivot, upskill, and build a career that thrives in uncertainty

• Why companies are struggling to keep up—and how to take control of your own path

• How to balance career growth with life, family, and well-being (still not getting this right)

• What I am learning as I go—so you can learn, too

This Isn’t Just a Podcast—It’s a Call to Action

I didn’t start The Shift Show because I had all the answers. I started it because I understand the problem and I want to help people find solutions. I want to build something that helps people—not just with career transitions, but with building lives that work in this new world. I want to prepare Sam for a future where opportunity isn’t tied to a single degree or career path, and where adaptability is the most valuable skill of all. And I want to create a space where professionals can get ahead of the curve instead of being blindsided by it.

If you’ve ever thought:

·       I’m working so hard but why don’t they see it for my next promotion?

·       How do I stay relevant when AI is changing everything?

·       What skills actually matter now?

·       How do I make career moves that align with my life, not just my job?

Then The Shift Show is for you!

Let’s Navigate This Together

I don’t believe in reacting to change—I believe in preparing for it. And I know that by learning, adapting, and sharing insights, we can not only survive these shifts but use them to build something better.

So, whether you're pivoting careers, figuring out how to integrate AI into your work, or just trying to make sense of all the noise—The Shift Show is here for you.

I hope you’ll tune in. I hope you’ll learn with me. And I hope, together, we’ll create a future where work works for us—not the other way around.

Subscribe to The Shift Show on your favorite podcast platform. Let’s get shift done!