Brainstorming your job search with A.I.

Everybody seems to be freaking out about A.I. these days.

I’m not.

First, because I’m old, and I have seen a lot of these “technological breakthroughs” splash onto the scene. I’m reminded of “desktop publishing” in the 90s, when people went around with their hair on fire, saying that design was dead. It wasn’t. Everyone just needed to take a breath and start looking at it as a new tool, not something that would end civilization.

Second, because I’ve managed to find ways that A.I. is helpful to me, while still keeping in mind its shortcomings. One of the best ways I’ve found to use A.I. tools is for brainstorming. Describe the problem I’m trying to work out in as much detail as possible, and see what it comes up with.

Some (or a lot) of the result might be nonsense. But because it can crunch through thousands of similar examples, it very well might come up with some fascinating ideas I hadn’t considered.

Here’s one example to get you started thinking of ways you might use these tools yourself. When I was writing the piece on statistics, I put this prompt into three A.I. systems – ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini:

I write a newsletter for people over 50 who are job hunting. I try to differentiate my newsletter from job hunting guides with generic advice and focus on the needs of older job candidates. I want to write a post about using numbers and statistics to improve your job search materials: resumes, cover letters, LinkedIn posts. Give me five ideas for using numbers and statistics in job searching, focused on older people. Make each one as entertaining and unusual as possible.

Here are some of the best responses I got:

1. Your Experience in Miles: The Distance You’ve Traveled

Imagine converting your years of experience into miles traveled on a road trip. For example, if you've been working for 30 years, that’s like driving 30,000 miles—coast to coast across the U.S. more than ten times! Incorporate this playful metaphor in your resume or LinkedIn profile: "With 30,000 miles of experience in my field, I’ve navigated the roughest terrains and smoothest highways, always arriving at my destination—success."

2. The Age-Defying Productivity Multiplier

Showcase how your productivity has multiplied over the years by comparing your current output to your early career. “In my first decade, I completed 50 projects. In my third decade, I’ve completed 150, proving that experience isn’t just about years—it’s about exponentially increasing impact.” This playful yet powerful stat can be a striking way to demonstrate that age is an asset, not a liability.

3. The Benjamin Button Effect

Calculate how many years younger your professional skills are compared to your actual age. For example, "I may be 55, but my tech skills are a sprightly 25 thanks to continuous learning." This approach flips the script on age concerns in a memorable way.

4. The Skills Gap Calculator: Demonstrate Your Value

• Idea: Develop a "Skills Gap Calculator" that highlights how your skills can fill a specific gap in the job market. Use industry data or research to identify common skill shortages and quantify how your experience addresses these needs.

• Example: "According to recent industry reports, there's a 20% shortage of experienced project managers with a data analytics background. My 15 years in project management and 5 years in data analysis perfectly align with this gap, making me a prime candidate for the role."

5. Time-Tested Techniques: The 10,000-Hour Rule Times Two

Lean into Malcolm Gladwell’s famous “10,000-Hour Rule,” which suggests that mastery in a field is achieved after 10,000 hours of practice. For older job seekers, double or triple that figure to showcase mastery. "With over 20,000 hours dedicated to [specific skill], I’ve gone beyond mastery—I've redefined it." This stat could be a headline for your resume or LinkedIn summary, emphasizing your depth of experience.

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One of the tricks to getting the most out of A.I. tools is being as detailed and descriptive as possible – both about the problem you want to solve, and the type of output you are looking for. Make sure the A.I. knows who your audience is and the tone you are looking for: casual, corporate, educational, humorous.

The more specific you are, the better the A.I. output.

I’m working on a new series of job-search-related prompts you can use in your own explorations. But in the meantime, try out all the tools. Each one has some sort of free version, which is usually all you need.

Let me know what your experience has been with chatbots and other A.I. tools in the comments. I would love to hear how you are already using them.

See you next week.