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The truth is that the workplace is far different than that which we encountered even last year. There is a new “alpha” teammate in the office. That co-worker goes by its initials, AI. And it outproduces all the rest of the team by working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week without coffee or bathroom breaks. On the more positive side, AI is there around the clock to pitch in on brainstorming, writing, formatting, publishing and all the other tasks that are necessary for a smooth-running office. It completes continuing and recurring tasks, mentors staffers, and is a ready resource for up-to-the-minute information.
The urgent task facing those of us who teach and advise students, whether they be degree program or certificate seeking, is to ensure that they are prepared to enter (or re-enter) the workplace with skills and knowledge that are relevant to 2025 and beyond. One of the first skills to cultivate is an understanding of what kinds of services this emerging technology can provide to enhance the worker’s productivity and value to the institution or corporation. In my case, that begins with an “ask AI first” motto. Too often, I have found over the years that in beginning a work assignment, whether it be writing an article or preparing a report, my opening premise may not be on target.
So, to begin this article, the first step I took was to check with AI. In a personalized and warm note, ChatGPT 4.o responded to my inquiry. As you can see in the link, the app responded in seconds with some preliminary points with citations to get me started. In this preliminary request, I started with GPT 4.0, known for its speech and accuracy. If I felt I needed additional deeper research with nuances and chain-of-thought reasoning, I would then progress to using one of the more than half a dozen “deep research” tools that are now available at little or no charge to the public.
In this instance, however, I felt well-enough versed to move to traditional sources to complete my research for this article. To the point, the focus is how can we integrate information into the final two months of classes that will help prepare our students for working with AI as they enter the workplace.
Given that short period of time, coupled with the need to cover the scheduled information in the syllabus, I recommend that we consider merging AI use into authentic assignments and assessments, supplementary modules, and other resources to prepare for AI. A most useful strategy is to recommend that students include examples of their work with AI in a supplementary section of their portfolio of projects (if they have one) or in a new online portfolio. Many no-or-low-cost portfolio options are available if you don’t provide one.
Don’t fall into the trap of assuming that most or all graduates need to code or configure AI on the job. Instead, their role will be to understand and most effectively use a well-developed AI system provided by the employer. It’s the equivalent of expertise in driving a car, rather than building or repairing one. Yet, there are key skills that HR departments will be looking for in applications. As Althea Storm writes in HubSpot, here are some of the top skills:
- Intellectual curiosity
- Adaptability
- Objectivity
- Holistic understanding
- Ability to write good prompts
In general, those are qualities we all reinforce through the delivery of our course materials. It is standard practice to support these skills. It is important that we show students how these skills relate to their use of AI in the workplace.
Of course, just like humans, AI is more skilled at certain skills than others. These point to the areas where humans may direct AI to place a finer focus. For example, Storm suggests that AI doesn’t always fully measure up to humans in these areas:
- Critical thinking—Filling in gaps in logic and incomplete contextual understanding of situations.
- Empathy—Utilizing interpersonal experience for how to best understand and respond to human feelings such as love, pain, anxiety and fear.
- Emotional intelligence—Of which empathy is a part. This is most helpful in bridging communication between humans and computers.
- People management—This includes identifying the varying potential of individual staff members to lead, work under pressure and inspire the team.
- Creativity—Consistently identifying outside-the-box solutions that provide superior outcomes to more obvious alternatives.
- Strategic thinking—Consistently linking all problem-solving to a broader strategy rather than the immediate problem at hand.
Some faculty and administrators are surprised that the key skills and abilities needed to thrive in an AI-enhanced workplace are not truly technical in nature. The skills do require a basic understanding of the capabilities and limitations of the version of artificial intelligence in use. Yet, at their heart, the skills currently sought in AI-enabled offices are mostly interpersonal, leadership, empathic and creative skills. Certainly, content understanding is necessary, but far less important is a deep understanding of how the AI works. We have reached that level of sophistication that we need to know how to deftly drive the car, not build it.
How, then, can you enhance your students’ skills and abilities to successfully land a position in an AI-enhanced workplace in the last two months of the term? Can you modify some assignments to include cultivation, or at least understanding, of the soft skills needed now in the workplace? Perhaps you might invite an HR officer from a business that uses AI to speak to your class about needs and expectations that are unique to the AI-enhanced workplace. Perhaps there are some role-playing examples that can be conducted online or in person to assist your graduating students in preparation for applications and interviews in the contemporary workplace in your field. Your students’ careers may depend upon what you can impart in these last few weeks.
