#242 | Building Career Agility in the Age of AI With Jenny Foss

AI is here, and if you’ve been wondering what that means for your career, you’re in good company. Maybe you’re wondering which parts of your job AI could take over, which skills you’ll need next, or whether that career pivot you’ve been thinking about still makes sense. The good news? You don’t need to become an AI expert to start figuring it out. In my conversation with career strategist and long time recruiter Jenny Foss, we talked about how to use AI as a career partner while keeping your voice, judgment, and direction firmly in your own hands.

Start With Your Work, Not the Tool

It’s tempting to start with the technology: What can ChatGPT do? What AI tools should I be using? Jenny suggests flipping that around. Start by looking at the work you actually do. Identify your three to five main areas of responsibility, then break those down into individual tasks. Maybe one of your pillars is content development, which could include writing blog posts, researching trends, drafting emails, or editing copy. Once you see the work laid out in front of you, it becomes much easier to spot where AI could save you some time. Instead of asking, “What can AI do?” try asking, “What do I do all day, and which parts could use a little AI help?”

Not Everything Needs an AI Upgrade

Just because AI can do something doesn’t mean it should. This is especially important when a task involves judgment, confidentiality, creativity, or high stakes. Before handing something over to AI, Jenny recommends asking a few simple questions: How much judgment does this require? What happens if something goes wrong? Is the information sensitive? Does this require original thinking? Those questions matter whether you’re dealing with personal information, contracts, financial details, or competitive data. And don’t forget to check your company’s AI policies before experimenting with company information. AI can be a helpful thought partner, but when the stakes are high, the human should still be making the final call.

Think Beyond Productivity

Here’s where the conversation gets really interesting, AI doesn’t have to be just about getting through your current to-do list faster. It can also help you think about where you want to go next. Jenny shared how someone could use AI to explore a career pivot by identifying transferable skills, finding gaps, understanding what a new role actually looks like, and even creating a 30-day learning plan. So if you’re wondering whether your current skills could translate into a new field, AI can help you start mapping the possibilities before you make a big leap. That makes it less of a shortcut and more of a planning partner.

Jenny and I also talked about what she calls “radical responsibility” the idea that you can’t put your career on autopilot and hope it takes you somewhere you want to go. AI can help you create clarity, but you still have to decide what you want to be known for, what kind of work you want to do, and which opportunities are worth raising your hand for. The same goes for the job search. AI can help you research companies, prepare for interviews, brainstorm, and spot gaps, but your resume, cover letter, LinkedIn profile, and interview answers should still sound like you. The goal isn’t to hand your career over to AI. It’s to use the technology thoughtfully while keeping your judgment, your voice, and your choices at the center.

Timestamps:

05:43 Addressing the Fear of AI Taking Jobs

08:32 Mapping Tasks for AI Support

12:23 Handling Sensitive and Confidential Tasks

16:10 Leveraging AI for Career Growth and Pivoting

19:00 Future Casting and Career Responsibility

22:32 Using AI to Analyze Skills and Fill Gaps

27:27 AI in Job Search and Application Materials

36:15 Building a Habit of Using AI

44:28 Experimenting with AI for Repetitive Tasks

Links:

Tools:

Instinct

Claude

ChatGPT

Courses:

Jenny’s course on LinkedIn: Building Career Agility and Resilience in the Age of AI

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