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The last 25 years have included some significant culture shifts in our nation. A few of those have been obvious and have had a large impact on society, politics and economics. Others have had more of a subtle impact on things like the world of work and education. AI, for example, is now something that needs to be acknowledged and addressed in nearly every situation where original material needs to be produced and shared. In my role as a guidance consultant, AI is a primary example of a relatively new and significant factor that needs to be discussed with students considering their future career and how to navigate that pathway.
The impact of the rapid change in technology has become nearly impossible to predict except for those who are in the field now and have seen the reality of AI coming. ChatGPT was the topic of a professional development workshop I attended while still employed in a traditional school setting. It was fascinating to see how what would have taken hours to accomplish could be done in seconds using this tool. I admit that my head was swimming with the idea that this could become a way to produce materials that could be published and sold on Teacherspayteachers, a website that many educators use to sell products they have developed. Since then, I have also seen how this tool can be and is being abused by students looking for shortcuts to producing original content in things like school projects and college essays. Students are usually the first ones to figure out how technology can be used for good, but also for not-so-good. This article will focus on the way that students need to acknowledge how AI will impact their future, no matter how they use it.
AI and Its Impact on Career Choice
Career readiness has become a highlighted subject in the field of guidance to the extent that in some states, Michigan for example, relicensure now requires it as the focus of a percentage of continuing credits for anyone renewing their 5 year school counselor credential. One of the ways guidance counselors can complete this training is to take the ASCA course for Career Specialist Certification. This is a course I have completed and the content focuses on how to have conversations with students in an organic way to connect their interests and life situations to the potential for a good career match. The reality of AI now needs to be included as a component in these conversations.
In a high school co-op class I taught this past school year, students completed some activities for career exploration and this included discussing various career factors such as work environment, work/life balance, and future demand. The concept of future demand is not one that a typical teen would naturally think about because, developmentally, teens are “in the moment” creatures. Considering how AI will impact the demand for a career by the time they complete the training needed means thinking 5-10 years down the road. One of the students was interested in a career as an editor. It is pretty clear that the job of an editor is different now than it was even 5 years ago considering how AI is pervasive to all published text. For someone who works in journalism, AI has had a dramatic impact on this field including the salary. In this article, Dowel writes about the pros and cons of AI in the field of journalism but how it is a nightmare for editors. Based on just this one example, and how fast this component of technology is impacting the world of work it is imperative to consider how AI will impact any chosen field of study or vocational preparation.
AI and College Essays
There is no doubt that AI can save time and allow for other productive activities in most scenarios. I have used AI to generate lesson plans and quizzes. But, as with all technology, this tool can be used for good and it can be used inappropriately. The idea of a college essay is to get a glimpse into the goals and personality of the writer. College essays are a way that college entrance personnel have historically determined if a student has reached a level of metacognition that demonstrates college readiness. It is also used to match the traits of the applicant to the culture of the institution. Using AI is not only the antithesis of personal, but the sterility of the content steers the reader in the opposite direction to the goal of the essay requirement. Admissions officers are also using AI to filter the content for the values they seek. From either direction, the value of including a personal touch to a quality college essay will now stand out in what has become the trend for many applicants choosing to skip this effort. Although using AI for a college essay is now recognized as a reality to admissions departments, the most important thing to remember is that it has value as a tool, rather than a replacement for personal “voice.” For relevant statistics and further insight, Diane Gyeski of Ithaca College discusses in this article insights from the college advisor perspective.
AI and Career Planning
The future of the world of work is being shaped by the growth of an AI dependent society. We cannot ignore the importance of looking at trends in career demand when discussing how to prepare for a career where jobs will actually be available. There are rapidly growing industries as well as rapidly declining ones. This is the essential tab to keep open and check often for changes. BLS.gov has specific data that is updated frequently to advise on this specific career factor. In this video about which jobs are being created and disappearing, this technology influencer has a good overview of this topic. When asking a student what they “want to be when they grow up,” the next question may be “How do you see AI impacting your ability to get a job when you graduate?” It is not easy to know the answer to this unless the actual trends are monitored. Checking websites such as Careeronestop.com or BLS.gov are helpful, but some common sense conversations and observations are also helpful to gain insight. Watch the trend at the grocery store check-out being self-serve vs. the presence of human customer service? How many banks now have actual tellers servicing customers? Who or “what” are you talking to on the chat box on that retail website? Do you envision hair stylists or lawn care maintenance workers ever being replaced by AI? Maybe not, but how will AI impact these industries? New jobs are being created, faster than I can type this article, that change the educational process, creativity components and mechanical engineering on levels that aren’t necessarily visible or currently obvious.
AI and the Guidance Consultant
I will be transparent here and admit that the seasoned homeschool parent is now doing a great job of providing guidance to their children in the area of education that matters to the individual learner. Some may even be proficient in the use of AI tools in their helping. I have learned much from the homeschool community about how to expand the world of education and provide a flexible approach to college and career readiness that I never would have considered when I was in the “box” of the traditional educational model. The training that I received in my graduate work to become a counselor who specializes in K-12 needs for academic, personal/social and academic growth can’t be replaced with AI when considering the connection I make with the person of the learner or the parent as educator.
The information in the links I have shared note that mental health workers are on the increase in career demand. Educational Guidance is a mental health field. We listen, consider, research, provide resources and check in on progress in a way that an AI search engine never will. Please consider how I may be of help to you or your learner in the area of college and career readiness and schedule a consultation with me through Indyed.com https://www.indyed.com/michigan/south-lyon/secular-curriculum/tamara-hall
Author: Tami Zea Hall, owner of AffirmCounsel
Contact me for permission to share at Affirmcounsel2020@gmail.com
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