AI can help you find and formulate your professional skills – even if you're having trouble putting it into words yourself. Here you get concrete examples of how to use AI as a brainstorming partner.
AI tools are good at providing inspiration, asking questions from new angles, and helping you formulate what you already know. Think of it as a brainstorming partner that can give suggestions – which you then evaluate and adapt.
How to use AI for skills
The key to good AI answers is providing good context. The more you tell about your background, the better and more precise suggestions you get.
Provide context about your experience
Start by telling the AI about:
- Your job title or profession
- How many years you've worked
- What types of tasks you've solved
- Which industry you come from
Ask open questions
Instead of yes/no questions, ask questions that invite exploration:
- "Help me find my professional skills"
- "What skills are typically relevant in [job type]?"
- "Give me examples of work situations that show these skills"
Example 1: Experienced electrician
An electrician with 15 years of experience wants to find their skills:
Prompt:
"I'm an electrician with 15 years of experience. I've worked a lot with newly built houses. Help me find my professional skills."
The AI gives a list of professional skills that you can review and relate to. Then you can follow up:
Follow-up prompt:
"Give me concrete examples of work situations where I've used these skills."
Now you get examples you can use directly or adapt to your own experiences.
Example 2: Recent graduate looking for work
A recent business graduate is considering applying for a job as an analyst in a municipality's finance department:
Prompt:
"I'm a recent business graduate and considering applying for a position as an analyst in a municipality's finance department. What professional skills are typically relevant in such a position?"
You get inspiration and knowledge about what to highlight. Then you can go deeper:
Follow-up prompt:
"With my education in business, what academic skills do I have that can be used in an analyst position? And can I get them translated to professional skills?"
Now you get knowledge about how to translate your education into skills the company understands.
Example 3: Find skills for a specific job posting
You can also use AI to match your skills with a specific job posting:
Prompt:
"Here's a job posting [insert text]. I have 5 years of experience with [your experience]. Which of my skills should I highlight in my application?"
The AI analyzes the posting and gives suggestions on what you should focus on.
How to work with the answers
AI gives suggestions – not the final answer. Use the answers as a starting point:
- Evaluate: Does it match your actual experience?
- Adapt: Reformulate in your own words
- Elaborate: Ask for more details if something catches your interest
- Combine: Use the AI suggestions together with the three-column method
Important: Never use AI text directly in your application without adapting it. It often sounds generic. Make the text your own.
What can AI help with?
- Identify skills – based on your experience and background
- Give examples – of work situations that show the skills
- Translate education – to professional skills
- Match with job postings – find the most relevant skills
- Formulate text – for CV and application
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using text directly – always adapt to your voice
- Providing too little context – the more you share, the better answers
- Taking everything at face value – AI can be wrong
- Skipping reflection – evaluate whether the suggestions fit you
Practical tips
- Start by telling about your background and experience
- Ask specific questions rather than vague ones
- Ask for examples, not just lists
- Ask follow-up questions to go deeper
- Combine AI help with your own reflections
- Always adapt the text to your own voice
Try it yourself
Try our AI tool with this starting point:
- Describe your background in 2-3 sentences (job, experience, industry)
- Ask the question: "Help me find my professional skills"
- Review the answers and mark those that fit you
- Follow up with: "Give me concrete examples of these skills in practice"
Frequently asked questions
Can AI really know what my skills are?
No, AI doesn't know – but it can give suggestions based on your description. Think of it as inspiration and help to put words to what you already know. You make the final decision about what fits.
Is it cheating to use AI for my application?
No, as long as you adapt the text and make it your own. AI is a tool – like a dictionary or template. The important thing is that the final result is honest and represents you.
Module complete!
Congratulations! You've now completed all 6 guides in the professional skills module. You've learned:
- Why skill identification is important (52% of employers ask for it)
- The difference between industry-specific and methodological skills
- A step-by-step method to define your skills
- 3 techniques for communicating skills effectively
- How to showcase skills on LinkedIn
- How AI can help with skill identification
Next step? Continue working on your personal skills – the soft skills that show how you work. Together with your professional skills, they give the complete picture of what you can offer.