What role will AI play in shaping the careers of today’s students?
That’s the question explored in the final Five-Minute CPD Drop, created with the Good Future Foundation. In this episode, Alex looks at how AI can act as a personal tutor, critical friend, and career guide — not replacing human effort or decisions but supporting young people as they take their next steps.
AI as a career companion
Traditionally, career intelligence was the domain of specialists and one-off guidance sessions. Today, AI makes it easier than ever to:
- Explore industries, roles, and pathways based on students’ interests and skills
- Understand required qualifications, training routes, and work experience opportunities
- Preview a “day in the life” of different jobs, with realistic salary and growth expectations
AI can also support study by offering round-the-clock explanations, quizzes, revision tools, and personalised resources — effectively giving students a tutor in their pocket.
Practical classroom activities
Alex shares four engaging ways to use AI to prepare post-16 students for their future:
- Difficult dialogue simulator
Using chatbots, students role-play tough workplace conversations. This reduces anxiety and builds confidence in handling conflict and professional dialogue.
- AI journaling for reflection
AI can prompt students to keep weekly journals about milestones (e.g., UCAS applications, interviews). This builds emotional intelligence and helps track progress.
- CV for 2030
Students imagine future careers — from sustainability consultants to AI ethicists — and create customised CVs with AI support. This encourages creativity while highlighting transferable skills.
- Podcast simulations
Using tools like NotebookLM, students script and record interviews with “AI CEOs,” practising research, questioning, and professional presentation in a safe environment.
Why this matters
Whether they move on to university, apprenticeships, or the workplace, students will enter a world where AI is embedded across every sector.
By using AI as both a learning tool and a conversation starter, we can help them build resilience, creativity, and confidence for careers that don’t even exist yet.
Watch the video above to see Alex’s ideas in action, and try them with your learners.
Supporting resources, certification and evaluation
You can download the supporting activity for this session on this link:
https://community.stem.org.uk/viewdocument/responsible-ai-teaching-activity-5?CommunityKey=0f32484b-dc5a-4266-8526-01a09365a63a&tab=librarydocuments
What did you think of this session? How will it impact your classroom practice? Let us know after each session and receive your digital badge and certificate of completion: https://forms.office.com/e/3rhwBZnSkY