OutSourcing Your Career Decisions to AI

More people than ever are asking many important questions about their life and work to an AI tool of their choice. 

Before asking it to their manager. To a mentor. To someone who knows them well.

But most importantly, before they ask themselves. 

(Spoiler alert:  I am not against AI, I think it can elevate our work if we use it in the right way. So this article is not about keeping you away from it. I will write more articles about it.)

Some answers AI spits out look brilliant. Why ask others? Seems to know a lot more than people we know.

Also we avoid being vulnerable. AI does not care if we look weak or stupid with our questions. 

I see it every day in my work.

People come to me after they’ve already asked AI:

• “What career should I choose?”

• “What jobs are future-proof?”

• “Should I leave my job?”

• “What skills should I learn next?”

• “Can you rewrite my resume?”

• “Can you create a career transition plan for me?”

 Why do they still come to me?

 Because these are not small questions.

 These are life questions.

 And I understand why AI may help but may not be enough. 

We are living in a time where:

• Jobs feel less stable than ever

• Career paths are no longer linear

• The rules we were taught no longer apply

• And the pressure to “figure it out” feels constant

 So people turn to what is fast, available, and always responsive.

 AI.

But here is what I want you to pause and think about:

 AI can give you answers. But it cannot tell you what truly matters to you.

 It does not know:

• What drains you at the end of the day

• What kind of environment brings out your best

• What you value when no one is watching

• What kind of life you actually want to build

 You have to give the answers first.

 It can generate options.

 But it cannot define meaning for you. 

 This is where I see people getting stuck.

 They start optimizing before they have clarity.

They:

• Update their resume

• Apply to dozens of roles

• Learn new skills

• Follow what the market says is “hot”

But underneath all of it… There is still confusion.

Because the real work was skipped.

Clarity does not come from better prompts. It comes from better questions. And questions we need to think about first. Without AI. 

Questions like:

• What do I actually want my work to feel like?

• What matters to me at this stage of my life?

• What am I no longer willing to tolerate?

• What are my strengths—and where do they truly come alive?

 These are not questions AI can answer for you.

 These are questions only you can sit with.

Now, don’t get me wrong.

 Use AI. (We will talk about the downsides some other time!)

 It is an incredible tool.

I use it every single day and I help my clients learn how to use it in their job search too. 

But don’t outsource your life decisions to it. Even if you really love the idea of not making the hard decisions yourself. 

Because the real risk right now is not that AI will replace your job.

The real risk is that you let it replace your thinking. What life you choose. What feels meaningful to you. 

We need more self-awareness.

We need better alignment.

And maybe this is the invitation in front of all of us right now:

To pause. To reflect. To reconnect with ourselves.

Before we ask the world—or AI—what we should do next.

If you’ve been asking these questions lately, you are not alone.

But before you type your next prompt…

Take a moment.

And ask yourself first.

If this resonates, I’d love to hear from you:

What is one career question you’ve been asking lately? Can you answer it for yourself before you ask AI?

Warmly,

Ozlem Brooke Erol

The questions that helped me when I was in transition and also my clients over and over again are listed in my new book by the way if you prefer to learn by reading More Than a Paycheck is written to help you reconnect with yourself—and bring more of your true self alive in the work you do every day.