Here’s a story that might sound familiar: You’re staring at your outdated resume, scrolling through endless job postings, and feeling overwhelmed by the sheer volume of networking, applications, and follow-ups required for a successful career transition. Now, here’s the twist that makes this story different – my pal, Neal Schwartz, decided to treat artificial intelligence not as a replacement for human connection, but as his most dedicated career companion.
Neal’s approach was refreshingly simple yet remarkably effective. Rather than viewing AI as some mysterious technical tool, he treated his ChatGPT like a highly capable intern – one that never sleeps, never gets tired, never forgets a detail, yet remains eager and open to guidance and direction from you. The result? A successful career transition in less than five weeks.
Whether you are considering a career transition or want to leverage AI for your own special project, keep in mind these key takeaways from Neal’s approach:
- Treat AI like your most reliable intern. Give it context about your goals, communication style, and desired outcomes upfront, then delegate the administrative tasks while you focus on human-to-human interactions.
- Start with your foundation documents and invest the time. Spend 30-60 minutes up front iterating with AI on your resume and LinkedIn profile before anything else – these become the backbone for everything your AI assistant will create moving forward.
- Let AI handle the backend while you handle relationships. Use it to track contacts, schedule follow-ups, draft thank-you notes, and prep conversation questions, freeing you to focus entirely on authentic relationship-building and meaningful conversations. By giving your AI buddy access to your calendar and email, it can do much of the administrative work for you.
- Make it mobile and conversational. Conduct most of your AI interactions through your smartphone using plain language – no coding or technical setup required, making it easy to stay on top of your search wherever you are.
- Set ambitious but trackable goals. Neal aimed for 25 touchpoints per week and far exceeded it because his AI system made tracking and follow-through effortless, turning networking into a measurable, manageable process.
What makes Neal’s story particularly compelling is how he balanced AI efficiency with human authenticity. For established professionals, this approach offers a unique advantage in clarifying career direction while ensuring no opportunities slip through the cracks. Neal’s success proves that the future belongs to those who understand how to leverage AI not as a replacement for human judgment, but as a force multiplier for human connection and strategic thinking.
With well-wishes for landing a great gig and appreciation to Neal for reminding us that sometimes the most powerful innovations come from the simplest insights, keep in mind that success isn’t about having the most sophisticated technology – it’s about having the wisdom to use any tool, even AI, to amplify your most human capabilities.
Happy Networking!