Closing the Loop: GenAI-Blended Procrastination Mitigation in Career Service

While university students are often overwhelmed by academic deadlines, important career planning activities are frequently postponed. This specific form of procrastination on tasks related to career readiness and engagement stems from their nature of being “always important but never urgent”. The consequences range from missed internship opportunities to a stressful job search after graduation.

In collaboration with UZH Career Service, this master’s thesis aims to address this challenge through generative AI. While many standalone apps exist to boost productivity, they often lack the personalized, contextual support of a human coach. Conversely, the guidance from Career Services’ advisors is limited to scheduled appointments. This research seeks to bridge the gap between these two modalities by exploring a novel, generative AI-blended approach.

We are looking for a motivated student to employ a design science research (DSR) methodology to design, build, and evaluate this generative AI system. Acting as an agent, the system will support career advisors and students by preparing them for consultations, co-developing actionable plans, and therefore, “closing the loop” with persuasive generative AI. The expected outcomes include a functional prototype and a set of design principles for AI-blended career coaching. The student is required to have good German skills.