Could mastering one AI tool in two weeks significantly change your job search outcomes?
In job interviews today, you’re more likely to hear questions like “Which AI tools do you use daily?” instead of the old standby, "Where do you see yourself in three years?"
Have no fear, you’re not alone in wanting to improve your AI skills. Major employers have shifted focus too: they now evaluate how well candidates use AI to solve real-world problems. According to recent workforce research by Boston Consulting Group, AI fluency is the new baseline, just as critical as systems thinking and adaptability.
Rob Grimmett, who was laid off from a marketing operations role in 2025, experienced the shift firsthand. “A lot of marketing-related job descriptions that prioritized skills like proficiency with a particular CRM and CMS have been reframed and reposted to also require experience with AI-powered workflow tools. The AI baseline has shifted quickly.”
What employers are expecting from new hires on day one is also shifting. BCG found employers want new hires to contribute at a higher level immediately because AI is now handling many of the routine execution tasks that used to fill the first six months on the job.
Ethics, empathy, and judgment are now more valuable than ever. You don’t need to act like a machine, but it’s important to be able to use AI well enough to focus on human strengths.
Try these tips for when you're building AI skills for your job search:
Select an "AI bestie" and stick with it for 30 days. Choose ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or Copilot. Don’t tool-hop. Learn one before you try others. BCG’s research shows that those combining hybrid skills with AI are the new norm.
Set up an AI project just for your job search. Upload your resume, past performance reviews, desired job descriptions, and interview prep notes. Now you have a thought partner who actually knows your background.
Try the RACE framework every Sunday night. Review, Assess, Create, Evolve. Review where you spent your time this week. Assess which tasks could benefit from AI assistance. Create one change and evolve week by week.
Give your AI thinking time. Instead of rapid-fire questions, try this in your prompt: "Do you want to take a minute and review what we've been discussing?" The quality of AI responses jumps.
Learn one specialized AI tool for your field. If you’re in Marketing, try Jasper.ai. In Finance, try Zest AI. Learn what tools your industry uses, and in your informational interviews, ask professionals what they’re using and why.
We know from our work with the Unbroken app that your nervous system is already working hard right now, regulating in the face of the stress of displacement. Why not have AI handle edits to your resume, interview prep, networking email drafts, and company research?
Save your brain power for the parts that actually need a human, which is the genuine connection, the creative problem solving, the judgment calls that separate you from every other candidate. Good luck in your search!