If you’ve ever started a job search and wanted to just give up, you’re not alone. That feeling doesn’t mean you’re not motivated. It’s not knowing where to start when you’re flooded by options without a real plan.
In this mini-episode of Promoted, Merit America Career Coach Anja Nikolic explains why a job search can feel impossible, and how AI can help you lose all the noise and take action, without letting a machine decide your future.
Key Takeaways
In this episode, Anja shares:
- Why roughly half of job seekers say their search has taken a real toll on their mental health, and why that often comes from not having a filter rather than from the applications themselves
- Why applying for more roles makes exhaustion worse, not better
- Learning that you don’t need more effort, you need a narrower target
- Using AI as a thinking partner with you as the decision maker
- How to narrow in three stages: career path, industry, and company type
As Anja puts it: AI helps you think faster, but it can’t think for you.
Tune in to learn:
- Why searching “jobs near me” and ending up with 40 tabs is not the answer
- How to talk through your strengths and interests with AI like you would with a friend
- How to ask AI to compare industries, including what they value, what the daily work looks like, and where the openings are
- How to figure out which company size, culture, and pace fits you best
- How a career coach helps you apply selectively instead of everywhere at once
Check out the full episode!
Join Anja Nikolic for a short, practical lesson for turning a tangled job search into a plan, using AI with you in the driver’s seat.
Podcast Transcript
Anja: Welcome back to Promoted, the podcast about leaving low-wage work for good. I’m Anja, a career coach with Merit America.
Let’s start with something honest. If you’ve ever opened your laptop to start a job search and just closed it again, you’re not alone. That isn’t about motivation. It’s about not knowing where to even start when everything feels like an option and nothing really feels like a plan. Today, let’s talk about how AI can help you build that plan, not by deciding your future for you, but by helping you narrow it all down to something you can act on.
Why a career plan matters
Picture this: You sit down to search “jobs near me.” Forty tabs later you’ve applied to three roles you don’t even want, and you’re more exhausted than when you started. Roughly half of job seekers say their job search has taken a real toll on their mental health. A lot of that isn’t about the applications themselves, it’s about not having a filter. People often respond by applying more, hoping something sticks, which makes the overwhelming feeling worse, not better.
The thing to remember is: You don’t need more effort. You need to narrow the target.
Now, the worry I hear most is, “If I let AI help me, aren’t I just letting a machine decide my future?” No. And I want to draw a hard line around that today. AI doesn’t pick your path, it helps you think out loud faster. The choice is still entirely yours.
What using AI for career planning really means
Try using AI as a thinking partner, not a decision maker. You’re still the one who says yes or no.
It means narrowing in stages, not all at once: career path, then industry, then company type. Trying to deal with all three at the same time is exactly what makes you feel overwhelmed.
And it means the plan gets more specific as you go. In other words, don’t try to boil the ocean in one search.
How to build your career plan
Start with a career path. Talk through what you’re good at and what you want with AI, like you would with a friend. “Here’s what I’ve done. Here’s what energizes me. What direction makes sense?” You’re exploring, not committing.
Then narrow to industry. Once a direction feels right, prompt AI to compare industries within it: what they value, what the daily grind looks like, and where the real openings are right now.
Then narrow to company type. Now get specific about size, culture, and pace. Prompt AI to help you think through what environment fits how you work best, so you’re applying with intention instead of everywhere all at once. AI provides options, you decide.
To recap
Feeling overwhelmed isn’t a discipline problem, it’s a filter problem. Narrow in stages: career path, then industry, then company type. AI helps you think faster, but it doesn’t think for you.
At Merit America, we know that creating a career plan is hard work. That’s why our program pairs you with a career coach and teaches you to use AI tools with intention, so you’re never staring down 40 tabs by yourself. We’re here to help you use AI as a tool, not a replacement for your own voice.
A career coach can offer you personalized guidance for building your ideal career. We’ll help you build confidence, and use AI to support your strengths and advocate for yourself even when it feels difficult. Together, we’ll help you define clear and achievable career goals, keeping you accountable, and helping make sure your resume and job search materials still sound like you.
If you’re sitting there wondering whether you’re the kind of person who gets to have the career you deserve, here’s the answer: If not you, then who?
Thank you so much for tuning in. I hope this helps you turn your job search into an action plan. If you’re ready to take your next step, Merit America can help. Visit our website at www.meritamerica.org to learn more.
This transcript has been edited for length and clarity.