"My Career Coach": Clermont School of Business Innovates with AI
The rapid rise of artificial intelligence is transforming not only professional practices, particularly in recruitment, but also the ways students interact with and expect from these new tools. To further enhance the support offered to students, Maryse Vimal, Head of the CareerLab, and Marc Gonnet, an affiliate professor specializing in AI, have combined their expertise to develop a groundbreaking initiative.
A Project Born from a Dual Necessity
Leading the CareerLab within the Business & Career Services Department, Maryse Vimal brings her deep knowledge of the job market and professional guidance. Together with Marc Gonnet, a specialist in generative artificial intelligence, they designed a student-centric approach tailored to meet the real needs of students.
Their work was driven by two major observations:
- The need to make CareerLab’s tools and recommendations more engaging and interactive for students—such as CV optimization tips, interview preparation, and LinkedIn profile enhancement.
- The importance of providing a structured learning framework that promotes a professional, thoughtful use of AI rather than a purely consumerist approach that could hinder students’ critical thinking development.
This collaboration addresses two key challenges: establishing a framework of best practices for student career support and fostering an informed, critical approach to the use of Generative AI.
A New “Make Sense” Workshop to Optimize CVs and Land Interviews
At the heart of their initiative is a hybrid approach that blends pedagogy with hands-on experimentation, transforming generative AI into a true learning and career support tool.
This unique approach not only familiarizes students with AI but also enhances CareerLab’s services to better align with market expectations.
This year, their workshop focused on CV optimization, with two primary objectives:
- Helping students master the school’s “golden rules” for crafting an effective, relevant CV, maximizing their chances of success in securing internships, apprenticeships, or jobs.
- Teaching students how to use AI wisely, ensuring they maintain their judgment skills while leveraging AI as a decision-making aid.
How the Workshop Works
Integrated into the “Make Sense” module, this workshop features key learning moments that combine faculty expertise with the capabilities of Generative AI:
- CV optimization with an AI career coach: A ChatGPT-style model, specifically trained on CareerLab’s expertise and recommendations, was developed to guide students.
- Tailoring CVs to job offers: Based on a specific job posting, students could ask the AI coach to refine their CV to better match recruiters’ expectations.
- Finalizing CVs with expert support: Faculty members, also leveraging AI, helped students fine-tune their applications to maximize their impact.
Encouraging Success and Future Expansion
The first feedback from students and faculty has been overwhelmingly positive. This innovative approach has proven highly effective in improving applications and enhancing students’ generative AI skills.
Given these promising results, the goal for next year is to scale up: Initially tested on a small group, then expanded to 150 participants, the program could soon train hundreds of students simultaneously!
By combining solid methodological foundations with AI-enhanced tools, Clermont School of Business is setting itself apart in higher education and establishing itself as a pioneer in integrating AI for career support and professional development.
To further these innovations, a partnership with OpenAI is currently being explored to provide the school with a pool of AI licenses and integrate AI even more effectively into its educational approach. This initiative represents a major milestone and reinforces Clermont School of Business’s commitment to educational innovation and student employability.
Stay tuned…
Did You Know?
The Make Sense module, developed by the CareerLab at Clermont School of Business, is designed to help students explore and build their career paths. Structured as an incremental and personalized program, it follows an immersive educational approach that blends reflection, experimentation, and refinement:
- Know yourself to make better career choices: Students are guided in identifying their strengths and passions while considering job market demands.
- A Learning–Doing–Checking approach: A dynamic methodology combining learning, hands-on application, and validation, using innovative tools like “My Career Coach”.
- A structured collaborative framework: All faculty members in the program follow a “One Team / One Voice” philosophy, ensuring pedagogical consistency throughout the year.
The Make Sense workshops go beyond job preparation—they train future change-makers, equipping them to thrive in a rapidly evolving world with a sustainable and engaged vision.
To take this initiative even further, a partnership with OpenAI is currently under discussion to enhance the school’s AI capabilities and further integrate AI into its teaching methods.
This marks a major step forward in innovation and reinforces Clermont School of Business’s commitment to preparing students for the future of work.
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