Can AI-powered career mentoring augment human mentoring?

“Intelligent mentoring software has the power to find the perfect pairing, with a pool of potential mentors that can run into the thousands and stretch well beyond company walls.” — Tommy Weir, Founder and Director of enaible.

In his article on LinkedIn, Weir addresses the issue of mentoring in this new world of remote work. Like Weir, I am also aware of the direct and indirect mentoring I received as a young person who was clueless about the best way to achieve her professional dreams. My biggest mentor, my father, passed away just when I was getting ready to take a very crucial decision about my career, leaving me floundering. I was lucky to find the right inspiration and guidance in the form of teachers, colleagues, and friends, who taught and inspired not just through their words, but also through examples. I learned from the experiences and journeys of people that I admired and respected.

While Weir talks primarily about workplace mentoring in his article, I found myself finding parallels even for students, and people who are just starting their careers. I am obviously referring to GenZ, a generation that is dealing with many challenges, ranging from social anxiety to worries about the future. A large percentage of GenZ entering universities this year have spent some of their crucial years stuck behind screens due to lockdowns, adding to their already heightened propensity to avoid direct conversations. While some have emerged relatively unscathed and developed their communication skills, most are woefully lacking in this department.

🤔 So how does this generation access mentoring if they haven’t had the opportunity to build meaningful relationships with seniors at school, teachers and other experienced people? How can they leverage their penchant to chat to access quality mentoring?

An AI-powered career mentoring platform is the solution to this problem. Not only does it conform to GenZ’s preferred mode of communication, it will also help to democratise access to career mentoring, and enable anyone, sitting anywhere in the world, irrespective of their connection and network, to get guidance on how to achieve their career goals.

Can AI truly help people who are confused about their career?

🔀 To answer this question, let’s zoom out for a minute to revisit the concept of Artificial Intelligence.

At its core, AI is an attempt to replicate and augment human intelligence using computer systems and algorithms. Natural Language Processing is a branch of AI that focuses on the ability of machines to understand and process human language. By analyzing and interpreting human language, AI systems can interact with humans in a more natural and intuitive way, much like humans do when we communicate with one another.

🔁 Zooming back in to our topic, let’s see how NLP can be used for career mentoring. By analyzing and processing human language, NLP can be used to provide personalized guidance, support, and feedback to individuals seeking mentoring.

NLP-powered mentors can communicate with individuals using natural language, providing personalized advice and recommendations based on the individual’s needs and preferences. It can also be used to analyze large amounts of text data, such as emails, social media posts, and other online content, to identify patterns and trends that can inform mentoring strategies. By analyzing the language used by individuals seeking mentoring, NLP algorithms can identify common challenges, concerns, and aspirations, and provide insights that can be used to develop more effective mentoring programs.

Our aim at Adaptiv is to democratise access to career mentoring and insights, by making it possible for anyone to achieve their professional goals regardless of their background or experience, by tapping into the wealth of human wisdom on the web.

▶️ Step 1:

An AI-powered mentor, Ada, is available 24/7 to students and young professionals seeking basic mentoring. If they have some idea of what they want to do, users can ask Ada for advice on how to achieve their career goals. But if they are as clueless as I was when I graduated, Ada can even suggest career paths, based on the users’ educational background and interests.

▶️ Step 2:

If you’re satisfied with Ada’s suggestions, you can subscribe to a customised journey with micro-learning modules allowing you to discover more details about the chosen career path, and acquire the basic skills and knowledge needed to succeed on that path.

▶️ Step 3:

As a final step, Adaptiv also offers the opportunity to connect with human mentors on chat. As an upgraded user, you can also ask questions about your learning journey, or request for more information and specific advice about your chosen career path.

V1 of Adaptiv is currently available for free. If you’re curious about how this works, check in for a quick consultation with Ada on adaptiv.me.