I have the privilege of mentoring two marketers through the American Marketing Association. One is a graduate student and the other is a college senior. This “Where do I actually start?” framework is one we share with our clients at Expera Consulting in our starter kit. If you’re a student or a professional trying to find your footing, this guidance is for you.
This framework helps professionals move beyond surface-level use and toward AI literacy, which we define as the ability to critically evaluate how AI systems function, use them strategically to solve complex problems, and maintain human accountability for the final results. It’s more than just prompting; it’s the professional discipline of orchestrating these tools while staying responsible for the quality of what you ship.
Before you open a single tool, start with the right mindset. These rules are not optional.
This mindset is about protecting yourself and your company. To explore this idea further, I recommend reading: For Creators: How to Think Like a Threat Hunter When Using AI.
Once you have the rules down, start exploring the map. As I wrote in Tool-osophy 101, these tools share similar capabilities but exhibit distinct personalities, strengths, and weaknesses.
Future Watch. Keep an eye on the transition from chatting with AI to working with AI Agents. While generative tools wait for you to give them a prompt, agents are designed to execute multi-step tasks like researching a lead or drafting an email on their own. One of your goals should be to learn how to manage these agents.
The goal is to get hands-on experience so you can form an educated opinion.
This hands-on practice has a direct career payoff. Hiring managers do not want to see a list of AI tools on a resume. They want to know you can use them with a critical, strategic mind.
Imagine saying this in your next interview:
“I’ve spent time testing both ChatGPT and Claude for my writing workflow. I’ve noticed that Claude tends to be more nuanced with the brand voice I’m aiming for, while ChatGPT is my go to for fast, high volume brainstorming. For a project like this, I’d likely use ChatGPT to build the initial structure and then move to Claude for the final polish. Regardless of the tool, I always perform a manual fact check on every output to ensure everything is accurate and on brand before it goes live.”
If you’re interviewing at an enterprise that uses Microsoft 365, imagine saying this:
“I’ve been using Microsoft Copilot as a bridge between my meetings and my actual work. Instead of starting from a blank page, I’ll have it pull the key points from a meeting transcript to help me start a draft in Word or a project brief. It’s a total game-changer for staying organized because it ensures my work is actually grounded in what we’ve already talked about, rather than me just guessing or starting from zero.”
If you have experience creating agents, imagine saying this:
“I’m also following the shift toward AI agents. I see the role becoming more about orchestration where I’m coordinating a few different tools to handle a multi-step project. My focus is on making sure the whole process stays on track and that the final result is actually right. It’s about being the person who can manage those moving parts while taking full accountability for what we ship.”
These help demonstrate value, understanding, and a mind that thinks critically about when and when not to trust the technology.
If you are interviewing with an organization in a regulated industry like financial services or healthcare, they likely have their own internal generative AI tool. In these environments, you must demonstrate that you are a steward of their reputation. Here is a way to position yourself.
“I know that even if an organization that has its own approved AI tool, it doesn’t mean I can just put it on autopilot. I look at the internal AI as a great starting point to get things moving, but I’m still the one responsible for the final product. I make sure to double-check everything for accuracy and tone because, at the end of the day, the quality of the work is still on me.”
This shows that you are not just following the rules of the tool but applying your own higher standard of professional accountability.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the traditional practice of ranking in a list of blue links. The new frontier is Generative Engine Optimization (GEO).
Think of it this way. SEO helps a person find your website. GEO helps an AI engine find your insights and use them as a trusted source when it answers a user’s question. You are now optimizing for both humans and machines to find your brand.
GEO is a transition from matching keywords to building authority. Focus on providing clear, direct answers and citing your sources. AI engines look for content that is easy to verify and trust. When you write with this kind of clarity, you are not just hoping to get a click. You are ensuring that your expertise is what the AI chooses to repeat. Being the source that the AI trusts is a competitive advantage for the next generation of marketers.
If $20 a month is in your budget, a paid subscription to your favorite tool is the logical next step. Paid tiers often include better privacy settings that let you turn off training on your data. If you already pay for extra Google Storage, check if Gemini Advanced is already included in your plan. It is a way to access a pro-tier model without an extra fee.
This framework is designed to help you move past the uncertainty of ‘where do I even start’ and into the confidence of a professional who knows exactly how to lead with these tools.