While we have anxiety around AI stealing human jobs, Google’s new AI product may actually do the opposite. Whether you’re taking your first step into the workforce or transitioning to a new industry, Google’s experimental “Career Dreamer” is designed to connect you to compatible roles.
If there’s one question I dread, it’s “what do you do?” For multi-hyphenates or those in the midst of a career transition, it’s hard to know how to identify yourself—in social settings and in your job search. Google is addressing this challenge with Career Dreamer, an AI tool that supports jobseekers.
In Google’s blog, the company essentially pitches the product as a digital career coach, helping you to find professional opportunities that line up with your skills.
“Career Dreamer uses AI to find patterns and connect the dots between your unique experiences, educational background, skills and interests. Think of it like a helping hand to bridge where you’ve been and imagine where you could go next.”
At the time of writing, Career Dreamer lives on Google Labs, Google’s home for AI experiments.
How to Use Career Dreamer
If you’re in the US, you can get started on Career Dreamer for free at grow.google/careerdreamer. There’s no account setup required, and the experimental tool is clean, colorful, and approachable.
Admittedly, I have some PTSD from job-related platforms, which often require you to re-enter a plethora of information from your CV. While I feared the worst, I was pleasantly surprised when Career Dreamer told me it would do the work for me, starting with the simple prompt of identifying a current or past role.
The platform then generates a list of responsibilities and skills that you can select from, and that’s all Career Dreamer needs to start drafting a Career Identity Statement. This statement is something you might include at the top of a resume or as part of a cover letter. As you add information, Career Dreamer refines your statement to be more holistic.
When you’re ready, you can tap Explore paths, bringing you to a page of career ideas. As you drag your cursor over each role, Career Dreamer provides a quick explanation of how your experience makes you a good fit.
You can refine your results by selecting the Explore paths based on… button. For example, I asked the AI tool to focus more on new directions by deselecting Experiences and Education, and keeping Skills and Interests selected. The tool then highlighted new paths, along with advice on additional certifications or education I might need to make the pivot.
Lastly, Career Dreamer includes a tab called Jump to Gemini, intended for building your resume or cover letter. Now that Gemini’s fastest model is available to all users, this experience should be just as smooth as that of Career Dreamer.
From my point of view, this experimental tool could be the next modern and accessible form of career coaching. The UI is clean, colorful, and inviting—perfect for color-coders and the easily-distracted. As contemporary as it is, Career Dreamer also scratches a nostalgic millennial itch, hearkening back to the ease and playfulness of a BuzzFeed quiz.
While Google’s newest AI experiment has plenty of bells and whistles, perhaps its most promising feature is its ability to frame. As Google puts it, “understanding the skills you already possess and learning how to articulate them effectively is incredibly valuable.” Truthfully, the hardest part of getting your foot in the door is communicating that your foot belongs there, even if your shoe looks different than the others.
