AI tools to build future-ready youths' career

With the revolution of information technology, changes are being made in every sphere of life. Artificial intelligence (AI) is one of them which is gaining popularity in the workplace in daily activities of human life. The prime purpose of using this technology is that it increases productivity which plays a role in easing work-life balance. Just like internet and social media, AI is here to stay and most likely be a part of the daily life of a person. So, employers now prefer to get those employees in their organisations who are accustomed to AI tools and activities which has created a new trend in the workplace.

AKM Fahim Mashroor is the chief executive officer (CEO) of Bdjobs.com, the country's largest online-based job searching platform. He is also the co-founder of this online platform which started its journey in July 2000. Since its inception, the company has been working as a bridge between employers and employees by creating a strong professional network.

Recently he described the necessity of AI in the job sector and the importance of its learning for youths to this writer. When he was asked about the basic differences in the workplace of the employees between now and before this time of the revolution of AI, he said, "Artificial intelligence (AI) does not change the workplace fully. I will say it is a process. It increases productivity and sometimes it can work faster than humans. Also in the media, there is a touch of AI in terms of article writing and content making. So, it can be said that in the future the scope of artificial intelligence will be much more than now, and going forward it may replace the employees in the workplace in some professions."

After that, while answering the question of how the changing job environment at the workplace has changed the employee recruitment process, he said, "Now the employers can use some AI assessment tools to judge the employability of the employees. Previously, for example, most employers had to go through a time-consuming process of CV sorting & assessment. Then some hiring teams conducted psychometric tests and case-solving tests to evaluate the employees' expertise. But now by using AI, they can do all of these and more, with ease."

He added that by assessing the voice of the employees, employers can now judge the employability of the employees through AI and some other tools, and thus the employee recruitment process is changing gradually.

Moving forward, when the writer asked him about how an employer can judge the AI skills of an employee at the interview board in the context of the current marketplace demand, he shared that artificial intelligence is based on data at the core. If a youth familiarises himself/herself with a database management system and how technology works, he can assess the AI tools and learn to use them as well.

"An employer can judge advanced tech utilisation skills through some tests. For example, youths can be asked to find out any insightful data among a lot of information or handle any particular work situation using AI-related software," he said.

He also described the importance of AI-related information to be included in the CV. He said, "I will say if an employee has the skills to use AI tools, he should include it in his CV. For example: the skills related to using ChatGPT using smart prompts can be included there. Also, there is a new method in AI which is called Prompt Engineering which refers to interpreting data from any specific text through AI tools. An employee having this skill should add it to his CV."

Beginning job preparation early is crucial for future success. When asked about the right time to start, he emphasised, "It's essential for students to commence their job preparations from the very outset of their university journey. Many times, academic education may not fully equip them for the job market. Delaying the preparation until the end of university could prove to be a misguided decision."

"Nowadays, by using YouTube, Linkedin or other social media, a student can learn many things related to the job market. And taking preparation related to AI tools will add value in this regard," he added.

After that, he talked about the skills that employers want from job candidates regarding AI. He said, "Basically an employer wants to know the profitability and challenges of the organisation in future. These tasks can be performed in a better way by using AI tools. So, an employer may seek these skills related to AI in the job candidates."

The last question to him was how an employee can sustain in the workplace by not losing job as the workplace becomes more competitive for AI. Answering the question, he said, "I think if an employee has AI knowledge well, he will not lose his job. On the other hand, those who are not skilled enough in this field, may not sustain in the long run. As the workplace is going to be dependent on AI gradually, the employees should focus on enhancing the AI skills to sustain in the competitive workplace."

The writer is an MBA student at the Department of Banking and Insurance, University of Chittagong.

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