Career and Soft Skills incorporating the use of AI

General information

Course type	EPICUR online
Module title	Career and Soft Skills incorporating the use of AI
Language	English
Module lecturer	dr hab. Christopher Korten
Lecturer's email	ckorten@amu.edu.pl
Lecturer position
Faculty	Faculty of History
Semester	2025/2026 (winter)
Duration	30
ECTS	5
USOS code	.

Timetable

Weekly meetings between October 2025 and January 2026.

Module aim (aims)

Module 1: Mastering AI Tools for Professional Growth

Aim: Equip students with practical skills to effectively utilize AI tools such as ChatGPT, Grammarly, and Notion AI for career development, productivity enhancement, and informed decision-making.

Module 2: Enhancing Presentation and Storytelling Abilities

Aim: Develop students' competencies in crafting and delivering impactful presentations by integrating storytelling techniques, creative hooks, and AI-assisted design tools to engage diverse audiences.

Module 3: Strengthening Professional and Academic Writing Skills

Aim: Foster the ability to compose compelling written content, including project proposals and research papers, emphasizing the importance of strong openings, clear main ideas, and coherent structure, while leveraging AI for drafting and refinement.

Module 4: Conducting Effective Research with AI Integration

Aim: Teach students to employ AI tools to enhance research methodologies, including sourcing credible information, summarizing data, and organizing findings, ensuring ethical and accurate academic work.

Module 5: Cultivating Collaboration and Communication in the Workplace

Aim: Prepare students to navigate professional environments by developing soft skills such as teamwork, effective communication, conflict resolution, and negotiation strategies, with an understanding of AI's role in facilitating these processes.

Module 6: Integrating AI into Capstone Projects

Aim: Enable students to apply acquired skills in a comprehensive project that synthesizes AI tools, presentation techniques, and collaborative efforts to address real-world challenges or academic inquiries.

Pre-requisites in terms of knowledge, skills and social competences (where relevant)

English at the B1+ level

Syllabus

Week 1: Course Kickoff – Skills for the Modern Workplace

Overview of course goals and assessment
Career and soft skills: definitions and importance
Introduction to AI in the workplace
Activity: Self-assessment of current soft skills and career goals

Week 2: Essential AI Tools for Career Development

Overview of AI tools (ChatGPT, Grammarly, Notion AI, Perplexity, etc.)
Responsible and ethical AI use
Practice: Using AI to build a personal career roadmap

Week 3: Professional Presentations – Storytelling & Structure

Structure of effective oral and visual presentations
Creative storytelling frameworks (e.g., Hero’s Journey, Problem-Solution)
Hooking your audience with AI-generated story prompts
Mini-presentation with peer feedback

Week 4: PowerPoint & Visual Design with AI

Slide design principles (less text, more visual impact)
AI tools for visuals (Canva, Tome AI, Beautiful.ai)
Workshop: Create a 5-slide pitch using AI support

Week 5: Writing Powerful Openings for Projects and Proposals

Types of written openings: academic vs. professional
Using AI to brainstorm, draft, and refine openings
Peer feedback activity on written introductions

Week 6: Research Methods and AI for Credible Content

How to conduct professional and academic research
Using AI as a starting point: refining queries, summarizing, and fact-checking
Activity: Build a short research outline on a career-related topic

Week 7: Titles and Main Ideas – Clarity and Persuasion

The power of a good title: clear, intriguing, and informative
Finding and structuring the main idea in writing and speech
AI-assisted brainstorming for titles and thesis statements

Week 8: Collaboration and Communication in the AI Age

Digital collaboration tools (Notion, Slack, Google Workspace)
Asynchronous vs. synchronous communication
Group activity: Collaborative task using AI and communication platforms

Week 9: Navigating Workplace Conflict

Common causes of conflict in diverse teams
Conflict resolution models (e.g., Thomas-Kilmann)
Role-play: Conflict scenarios and resolution with AI-generated prompts

Week 10: Negotiation Skills and Strategies

Types of negotiation: win-win, win-lose, compromise
BATNA and preparation techniques
Simulation: Negotiate a job offer or team deadline using planning tools and AI support

Weeks 11-13: Capstone Project – Drafting with AI

Begin final project: a professional or academic presentation + written proposal
Students use AI for brainstorming, drafting, slide generation, and feedback
Peer coaching and revision workshop

Weeks 14-15: Final Presentations & Reflection

Final capstone presentations (oral + PowerPoint)
Reflection essay: How AI has shaped your soft and career skills
Course wrap-up and next steps for lifelong learning

Reading list

AI Tools & Career Development

Watson, M. R. (2023). Career AI: Navigating the Job Market in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. This book offers insights into the transformative power of artificial intelligence and its impact on the workplace, your career, and society.
Matheny, R. (2024). The AI Revolution: Ace Your Career Path with AI Powered Tools. This guide explores how professionals can leverage AI to enhance personal branding, strategic networking, career development, and productivity.

Presentation Skills & Storytelling

Lindsell-Roberts, S. (2023). Storytelling in Presentations For Dummies. This book demonstrates how to develop and deliver presentations through storytelling, keeping the audience engaged and prompting them toward action.
Duarte, N. (2010). Resonate: Present Visual Stories That Transform Audiences. This work delves into creating presentations that resonate with audiences by using storytelling techniques to connect emotionally and drive change.

Professional Writing & Research Methods

Kinkead, J. (2016). Researching Writing: An Introduction to Research Methods. An accessible textbook that teaches undergraduates how to conduct ethical, authentic research in writing studies.
Booth, W. C., Colomb, G. G., Williams, J. M., Bizup, J., & FitzGerald, W. T. (2024). The Craft of Research (5th ed.). A thoroughly updated edition of a classic guide that has assisted generations of researchers in conducting effective and meaningful research.

Collaboration, Communication & Conflict Resolution

Rosenberg, M. B. (2003). Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life. This book provides life-changing tools for healthy relationships, focusing on empathetic communication to resolve conflicts effectively.
Patterson, K., Grenny, J., McMillan, R., Switzler, A., & Gregory, E. (2022). Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High (3rd ed.). A guide to handling high-stakes conversations with confidence and skill, offering strategies to communicate effectively under pressure.

Negotiation Skills & Strategies

Fisher, R., Ury, W., & Patton, B. (2011). Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In (3rd ed.). A seminal work on principled negotiation, providing a straightforward, universally applicable method for negotiating personal and professional disputes.
Voss, C., & Raz, T. (2016). Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It. Written by a former FBI hostage negotiator, this book offers field-tested techniques for high-stakes negotiations, emphasizing the importance of emotional intelligence and tactical empathy.