Using artificial intelligence at work is becoming more common. But AI is not just being used at work, but also to find work.

That’s how Derek Richardson found his current path within tech, a pivot from his prior work in the skilled trades that he hopes will land him a career in cybersecurity.

“A lot of people struggle to identify their right career path because a lot of people don’t know where they want to go,” Richardson says. “AI helps you know what skills to focus on. Celeste helped me in discovering what skills I want to develop. I might’ve had a broad range of thought on careers, but Celeste helped me pinpoint which skills to develop based off of what I need to know.”

“Celeste” is an AI career coach that’s part of website SkillsNation. Described as an “ecosystem” by its creator, BuildWithin, the site helps employers identify the roles that are in demand and helps candidates identify their transferable skills.

“Celeste has been trained to really extract from individuals what their passions, interests, transferable skills are, their goals for the future and help translate that to occupations and career pathways that are in demand in their particular location,” says Stephanie Baum, co-founder of BuildWithin. “Then, from there, Celeste can match and connect to different training opportunities in that person’s location, even different job opportunities, whether there’s apprenticeships or traditional jobs. But it’s really in your back pocket, having someone to really understand and encourage, and provide recommendations on next steps.”

How Celeste, the AI career coach, can identify your durable skills

BuildWithin is a technology company that has focused on job training, registered apprenticeship training and matching candidates to employers. The idea for Celeste came from thousands of conversations Baum and her co-founders have had with job seekers, she says, and her background as a clinical social worker. The company is constantly training and refining the questions the AI asks to identify a user’s transferable skills, interests, preferences in work arrangements and more.

Celeste initiates a conversation with a user by asking questions such as, “What’s an experience, job or hobby that excited you and brought you joy?” “What is an ideal work setting?” “Do you prefer working with your hands or behind a computer?” or, “Does speaking in public excite you or stress you out?”

The tool may propose a scenario and ask, “Do you feel this is a good fit?” It might ask, “What are your durable skills?” And if users ask, “What is a durable skill?” Celeste can explain before moving on.

In Richardson’s case, he was two years into an electrician apprenticeship when he wanted to switch careers. He knew he wanted to get into “tech,” but he didn’t know what kind of job in that industry. He earned a few certifications by the time he engaged with Celeste.

“I went to it and it asked me a list of about 10 questions, and gave me results of three or four different career paths,” he says. “Based on those paths, it told me what certifications I needed to do. Having that pathway set forth by Celeste was very informative.”

‘AI has altered the (job search) landscape’

Jennifer Bobrow Burns, managing director for executive MBA and alumni career development at the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, sees that “AI has altered the (job search) landscape.”

More than just finding job openings like other digital tools and websites, Burns says AI can identify target industries, customize resumes and prepare users for interviews.

“What distinguishes AI is the ability to automate manual tasks,” Burns says. “For example, every job posting contains specific key words, required qualifications, and other details about the role, responsibilities, and desired skill set for applicants. AI can help a candidate identify the key indicators and match them to their own experience, ensuring these words appear on a resume or LinkedIn profile.

“It’s essential for applicants to do their due diligence and validate the process, checking output over themselves and then putting all language into their own authentic voice,” she adds. “But it can be a great time saver in picking out key words and skills, as well as distilling and synthesizing information.”

Baum says BuildWithin has served 80,000 people since its inception, and SkillsNation (which includes Celeste) just launched three months ago. In Washington, D.C., SkillsNation operates in partnership with the D.C. Department of Employment Services (DOES) to connect residents with career opportunities and match them to local, open roles. Baum estimates that a couple thousand people in D.C. and Maryland have already used the platform to advance their careers.

For example, Baum says, youth apprentices from D.C. high schools and charter schools were matched through SkillsNation and hired at the Howard University Faculty Practice Plan. In addition, she adds, high schoolers were matched to a Maryland company to learn more about project management, engineering and development jobs. And high schools and middle schools in Tennessee have expressed interest in the tool to help students explore jobs.

AI and human advisors can work in tandem

That combination of technology and in-person connection is ideal when on the job hunt or considering a future, says Burns.

“Al is a great starting point for career exploration, but not a magic bullet,” she says. “It can be a good tool to gather information. Strong input will produce the most meaningful output. If you include detail about your past experience, interests and skills, you can then try specific prompts to ask for job titles that might match, company names, and suggested industries.

“You can also use AI to better understand the employment landscape within a certain city, or career trajectory by job title,” she adds. “However, be mindful to validate this information with your own self-knowledge and legitimate sources; consider what resonates for you. Nothing can replace the value of speaking to people to better understand different career paths.”

Baum says the speed at which SkillsNation and Celeste can process, evaluate and share information can fill the workforce gaps at job placement centers, school counseling offices and human resources.

“We have this idea of Mission Zero, where there’s zero vacancies and zero people who are under- and unemployed,” she says. “That’s a really big, lofty goal, but we really believe people deserve to do a job that they feel good about, that they can provide for their family. And employers really deserve to have good employees to help grow their grow their company. And we feel like all those people are there.

“It’s just kind of like a matching and moving, helping facilitate some of that collaboration,” she says. So that’s really what success looks like.”

Thanks to AI, Richardson is on his way to a successful pivot. He’s currently working in a tech, as a network administrator at the Washington Convention Center, managing all of the facility’s networking internet. He has identified his ultimate goal: a job in cybersecurity.

“Celeste excited me towards ability that is capable that I didn’t think was capable,” he says. “It pushed me towards an understanding of having a big mindset of what’s possible. My goal was just getting certifications and a career. But Celeste showed me a bigger picture of what’s possible based off of skillset that I have.”