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�鶹��Ʒ��ƵBlends AI and Human Coaching to Make Students Day One Career Ready

�鶹��Ʒ��Ƶ’s Career Center is pairing artificial intelligence with evidence-based career coaching to help students graduate “Day One Career Ready.” (Photo by Alex Dolce)

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As higher education institutions face increasing scrutiny over workforce outcomes, student success, return on investment and graduate employability, �鶹��Ʒ��Ƶ’s Career Center is pairing artificial intelligence with evidence-based career coaching to help students graduate “Day One Career Ready.”

Through a combination of personalized career coaching, strategic use of AI, employer partnerships and career readiness programming, Florida Atlantic is helping students develop the essential success skills employers seek, strengthen the return on investment of their education and successfully transition from college to career.

“Artificial intelligence can accelerate access to information, but effective career coaching remains fundamentally human-centered,” said Melanie Cormio, senior director of career pathways and coaching. “Many students don’t struggle because they lack information. They need help interpreting options, overcoming challenges, developing professional confidence and translating decisions into action. That’s where career coaching creates a lasting impact.”

AI-powered tools, such as Steppingblocks, help students explore career pathways, identify emerging opportunities and understand labor market trends. Other tools like Big Interview and Big Resume provide AI-assisted resume reviews and interview practice, while LinkedIn Learning helps students build industry-relevant skills and close competency gaps.

By using AI to support occupational research, career exploration and skill development, career coaches can dedicate more time to helping students build confidence, navigate complex decisions and create actionable career plans.

The career center’s adoption of AI-powered tools builds on its history of industry-leading practices. For nearly two decades, Florida Atlantic has grounded its career services model in Cognitive Information Processing Theory, a nationally recognized framework that helps students develop self-awareness, explore career options, make informed decisions and take meaningful action toward their goals. The model allows career coaches to identify barriers to career decision-making and tailor support to each student’s needs and circumstances.

Students access support through a two-dimensional model measuring capability and complexity, which assesses readiness for career problem solving and decision making and allows the Career Center to match the level of intervention to a student’s career gap. The scalable approach ensures students receive timely support while promoting equitable access to career services.

“Our goal is to help every student understand the connection between their academic experience, career aspirations and long-term success,” Cormio said. “Career coaching and AI together create powerful opportunities for students to make informed decisions, build essential success skills and confidently enter the workforce as ‘Day One Career Ready’ professionals.”

The career center’s work directly supports the university’s five-year strategic plan, “2031FAU: Where Tomorrow Begins,” by ensuring students graduate with the knowledge, experiences and essential success skills needed to thrive in a rapidly changing workforce while maximizing the value of their educational investment.

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Tags: student affairs | students