New to AI? You’re in the right place.
Came from the Dress for Success workshop? Welcome back — this is your space to practice everything from the room. Starting on your own? You’re in the right place — this course teaches itself, in plain words, and nothing here needs a class first. Either way: tap, try, and go one tiny step at a time.
You are still the person in charge.
What can it help with?
Do more
Turn a big goal into small steps.
Make it easier
Get a first draft instead of a blank page.
Save time
Organize ideas, lists, and plans faster.
How do you feel about AI right now?
Four moves you will use in every lesson
Ask: Say what is happening and what help you want.
Check: Read the answer. Look for mistakes or missing pieces.
Choose: Keep what fits your real life. Change or leave the rest.
Act: Turn one useful idea into one small next step.
What AI can — and cannot — do
AI can help you…
- make a first draft
- turn a goal into a plan
- explain a confusing idea
- brainstorm choices
AI cannot…
- know for sure what is true
- know your whole life
- feel what you feel
- replace your judgment
Your 10-lesson course map
How to take this course on your own
Go in order: each lesson builds on the one before it.
Actually do the practices: tapping and trying is where it sticks.
Star the prompts you like: they collect into your toolkit in Lesson 10.
Take the final quiz: ten questions — 7 out of 10 passes.
Earn your certificate: it carries your name and its own ID, so it can be checked later.
Keep these three ideas
- AI gives suggestions. You make decisions.
- Ask, check, choose, then act.
- One small useful step is enough.
You never have to share private information to get useful help.
Who stays in charge when you use AI?
A very fast helper. Not a magic brain.
Imagine a helper who has read a giant library and learned how words usually fit together. Ask it something, and it makes an answer one word at a time.
It can also be confidently wrong.
Let’s clear up three big worries.
What is a ?
You may use AI without calling it AI.
A giant library — then a pattern game.
During training, an AI system studies a huge amount of writing. It notices patterns: which words often come next, how lists look, and how questions are answered. When you type, it predicts a helpful reply from those patterns. It is not remembering a life. It is not thinking like a person.
Use it where it is strong. Check it where it is weak.
Usually good at
- first drafts and rewrites
- lists, schedules, and summaries
- brainstorming many options
- practice questions
Often weak at
- knowing what is true today
- anything after its cut-off date — the point where its learning stopped, so it may not know new prices, news, or job openings
- understanding your private situation
- giving expert health, money, or legal advice
- knowing when it made something up
AI can copy people’s unfair ideas.
AI learned from words people wrote — and people are not always fair. So sometimes an answer can repeat an unfair idea about a group of people, a kind of job, or a neighborhood. That is called bias: an unfair idea baked into the answer.
If an answer ever feels unfair, or just “not like you,” you can push back. Try typing: “Try again without assuming things about me.” One more reason you stay in charge.
Keep these three ideas
- AI learned patterns from a giant library of examples.
- It predicts useful words; it does not “know” like a person.
- AI can sound confident and still be wrong.
Double-check important facts. Fast does not always mean right.
Which sentence is true?
Let’s make dinner less stressful.
Watch how this works — then it’s your turn. Pick two details and watch a clear question turn into a useful first draft. Came from the workshop? This is the meal-plan example, ready to practice again.
Two promises that keep you safe.
Never share
Some things never go into AI — not today, not ever:
- passwords
- bank or card numbers
- Social Security numbers
- your home address
You can still get great help without them. Lesson 9 goes deeper.
The Check It habit
AI sometimes makes things up — and says them like they are true. For anything important:
- Ask: “How do you know that? Where did you get it?”
- Look: check one fact in a second place you trust.
- Remember: AI only learned things written up to a certain date. It may not know today’s prices, hours, or job openings.
Ask. Look. Then decide. That is Check It — you will practice it all through this course.
Build your question
Typing is one way to ask. In a real AI app you can also talk out loud, or show a photo — Lesson 4 shows all three. The words work the same.
Here’s a simple starting plan
- Monday: bean and cheese quesadillas + corn
- Tuesday: spaghetti with tomato sauce + frozen broccoli
- Wednesday: sheet-pan chicken, potatoes, and carrots
- Thursday: baked potato bar with leftover chicken
- Friday: veggie fried rice with eggs
One grocery list: tortillas, beans, cheese, corn, pasta, sauce, frozen broccoli, chicken, potatoes, carrots, rice, eggs, and one bag of frozen vegetables.
Prices change by store. Check the total before buying.
Check It: before you shop, peek at one price at your own store. AI cannot see today’s shelf prices — that date thing from your Check It card.
“I have $60 for groceries. Make 5 simple dinners and one grocery list. Please use affordable ingredients.”Star it for your toolkit.
Every useful part has a job.
The full question
I have $60 for groceries. Make 5 simple dinners for myself. Give me the meal plan and one grocery list.
Change one detail. Watch the answer change.
Try a smaller budget
Type: “I have $35 for groceries. Make 4 simple dinners for one adult. Use beans, eggs, rice, or frozen vegetables when helpful. Give me one grocery list.”
What changed: the budget, number of meals, and low-cost ingredients.
Try meals for picky kids
Type: “Make 5 simple dinners for me and two picky kids. Keep sauces on the side. Use ingredients in more than one meal. Give me a grocery list under $70.”
What changed: who is eating and what makes the meals easier to accept.
Build one from your real life.
Keep these three ideas
- Give a real limit, like time, money, or number of people.
- Say exactly what you want made.
- Ask for the answer in a shape you can use: list, plan, or steps.
Treat the answer like a draft. Check prices, allergies, and what your family actually eats.
What made the dinner question useful?
Start with one. Meet the rest later.
You only need one helper to begin — so we will pick one friendly default together. The other helpers may already be hiding in your phone, and we will meet them too.
Start here: ChatGPT
Our pick for your first try. Friendly, free to start, and great for lists, drafts, and practice conversations.
Also lovely: Claude
Another kind helper, wonderful for longer writing and explanations. A fine second stop — never homework.
Already on your phone?
Gemini, Copilot, and Meta AI may already be there waiting. You will meet them below.
Our default, and one lovely alternative
ChatGPT
- easy for quick lists, ideas, and back-and-forth practice
- official website and phone apps
- a free level is available; limits and paid extras can change
Claude
- often comfortable with long writing, explanations, and organizing ideas
- official website and phone apps
- a free level is available; limits and paid extras can change
You can look at either official site without paying. To keep a conversation or use the tool, you may be asked to make an account. Start free. You can decide later if a paid plan is worth it.
What “getting started” looks like
Three ways to ask — pick the easiest.
Talk
Tap the microphone in the app and just speak. Perfect when typing is slow, tiny, or your hands are busy.
Type
The way we practice in this course. It works everywhere, and you can read your words before you send them.
Show a photo
Show the helper a picture — a letter, a store label, a plant, a broken lamp — and ask: “What is this? What should I do first?”
And one more: you can ask the helper to read its answer out loud to you. Listening counts as learning, too.
How to begin
Helpers already in your pocket
Gemini
Google’s helper. It lives in many Android phones and Google accounts — if your phone already has it, you may not need a new app at all.
Copilot
Microsoft’s helper. Many jobs use it inside Word and email, so it is a friendly face to know when you start work.
Meta AI
Inside WhatsApp and Facebook. Handy for quick questions in the apps where you already chat with family.
Same rules everywhere: never share the private things, and Check It before you trust it.
Which helper for which job?
Both can do every job below. Tap one to see a simple starting choice.
Keep these three ideas
- You only need one AI helper to begin.
- Use the official website or official app.
- Start free, try the same question, and keep the tool that feels easiest.
Download apps only from your phone’s official app store. Check the name carefully.
Do you need both tools to get started?
Better details. Better help.
No fancy “AI language.” Just tell the helper what is going on, what you need, and how you want the answer.
When you are ready, level up.
1 · Show an example
Show the helper what “good” looks like first, then ask for one like it.
Type: “Here is a message I like: ____. Write mine in the same friendly style, about ____.”
An example teaches faster than a long explanation.
2 · Read it, then ask for changes
The first answer is a draft — not the finish. Your second message is where the magic happens:
- “Make that shorter.”
- “Use simpler words.”
- “Make it friendlier.”
- “Give me that step by step.”
- “That is not what I meant. I meant ____.”
Make a fuzzy question clearer
Good start. Try adding these words:
“I work during the day and have two appointments this week. Make me a simple Monday-to-Friday plan with just three tasks each day.”
“Here is my situation: ____. I need help with ____. Please give it to me as a short, step-by-step list.”Your all-purpose starter.
Watch small details make big differences.
Job email
Before: “Write an email.”
After: “Write a short, polite email to a hiring manager. Thank her for yesterday’s interview and say I am still interested in the front-desk job. Keep it under 120 words.”
Cooking
Before: “What can I cook?”
After: “I have chicken, rice, frozen broccoli, and 30 minutes. Give me one simple dinner with numbered steps.”
A difficult letter
Before: “Fix this letter.”
After: “Make this letter calm and clear. Keep every fact the same. Do not make it rude. Put the action I need in the last sentence.”
Learning something new
Before: “Teach me Excel.”
After: “Teach me how to add a column of numbers in Excel. Assume I have never used a formula. Give me five tiny steps.”
Making a plan
Before: “Help me find work.”
After: “I want a customer-service job. I have 30 minutes each weekday. Make a five-day plan with one action per day.”
Nothing is wrong — just add one fix.
Fix the weak question.
“Help me cook.”
What food, time, and answer shape would you add?
“Write my message.”
Who is it for, why are you writing, and what tone?
“Teach me computers.”
Name one skill and how simple you need it.
AI sounded sure. Should Ana trust it?
Ana asked AI about a job posting. The helper answered fast: “The job pays $22 an hour, and applications close Friday.” It sounded completely sure. What should Ana check first — before she counts on it?
See the Check It answer
The real job posting itself. Ana should open the posting (or call the workplace) and look at the pay and the closing date with her own eyes. Remember: AI only learned things written up to a certain date, and it can mix up details from other postings. Asking “How do you know that?” is always allowed — and for money and deadlines, Check It is not optional.
Keep these three ideas
- Say your situation, your task, and the answer shape.
- Ask for one main thing at a time.
- You can always say, “Make that shorter, simpler, or more like me.”
Clear does not mean private. Leave out names, addresses, account numbers, and passwords.
Which question will usually get a better answer?
Your life is allowed to feel easier.
Pick what feels heavy today. We’ll give you the exact words to type.
Start here: tap “My week is packed” below, then the Busy week prompts. Two minutes, real relief.
Start here: tap “I have time, but I’m stuck” below, then the free-time prompts. Structure first, then action.
“Here are my appointments and tasks: ____. Make a simple weekly plan with breaks and no more than three must-do items each day.”For a busy week.
“I have these ingredients: ____. Give me three simple meals I can make without buying many extra things.”For using what you have.
“Explain this in plain, simple words. Tell me what it means and what I need to do first. Here it is: ____”For letters, forms, bills, and job postings. Paste the words — or show a photo, with account numbers covered first.
“I have two free hours today and want to do something useful. Give me five low-cost ideas, then help me pick one first step.”For turning free time into action.
Open the situation you need.
Tight budget
Type: “I have $___ for groceries and need ___ dinners for ___ people. Use low-cost ingredients more than once. Give me one shopping list.”
A good answer looks like: realistic meals, reused ingredients, and one list you can check against store prices.Busy week
Type: “Here are my fixed appointments: ____. Here are my tasks: ____. Make a simple Monday-to-Friday plan with breaks and three must-do items each day.”
A good answer looks like: your fixed times protected, few priorities, and room to breathe.Too much free time
Type: “I have ___ free hours this week. I want to feel useful and connected. Suggest five free or low-cost activities, then give me one first step.”
A good answer looks like: choices that fit your money, energy, and transportation.Difficult message
Type: “Help me write a calm message to ____. I need to say ____. Keep it respectful, direct, and under 100 words.”
A good answer looks like: the truth in your voice, with no threats, fake facts, or extra drama.Learn a new skill
Type: “Teach me how to ____. Assume I am brand new. Give me one tiny step, wait for me, then give the next.”
A good answer looks like: one action at a time, simple words, and room for questions.Explain this to me
Type: “Explain this in plain, simple words. Tell me what it means, what matters most, and what I need to do first: ____.”
Works for a letter from an office, a form, a bill, or a job posting. You can paste the words, or show a photo of the paper — cover any account numbers first.
A good answer looks like: the meaning in everyday words, the one action you need to take, and the date it is due — then Check It against the paper itself.Say it in Spanish — or simpler English
Type: “Say this in Spanish, in simple words: ____.” Or: “Explain this in simpler English, like I am brand new to this: ____.”
A good answer looks like: the same meaning, in words that feel like home. For very important papers, ask a trusted person to double-check the translation.Healthier routine
Type: “Help me build a gentle routine for ____. I have ___ minutes a day. Give me three small ideas. Do not give medical advice.”
A good answer looks like: safe everyday habits you can adjust — not a diagnosis or treatment.Keep these three ideas
- Start with the part of life that feels heaviest today.
- A good answer should fit your time, money, energy, and real needs.
- If a plan is too much, ask for a smaller version.
A plan should fit your real energy and time. Ask the AI to make it smaller if it feels like too much.
If an AI plan feels overwhelming, what can you do?
From “I need a job” to one next move.
AI can help you plan, practice, and make a first draft. Your experience makes it honest — and if you are part of a Dress for Success program, your team there can help make it stronger.
Plan
Break a big job search into daily steps.
Practice
Try interview questions before the real conversation.
Polish
Turn true work examples into clearer resume wording.
Turn duties into clear proof.
Line-by-line improvement
Why the after is stronger: it keeps the work true but adds action, detail, and a result. Never add a number you cannot prove.
Four short parts. No fancy speech.
“Help me draft a short cover letter for a __ job. The posting asks for __ and __. My true experience is __. Keep it warm, clear, and under 250 words. Do not invent anything.”Read every line and make it sound like you.
Try one question
“Tell me about a time you solved a problem.”
You have a strong start.
Try adding three pieces: what happened, what you did, and what got better. Keep it true and use your own voice.
“Pretend you are interviewing me for a __ job. Ask one question at a time. After I answer, tell me one thing I did well and one thing I can make clearer.”For kind, useful interview practice.
“I want to apply for a __ job. Make me a five-day plan with one small job-search action each day.”For turning a goal into action.
“Quiz me like an interviewer for a __ job. Ask me one question at a time. Do not give me the answer — if I get stuck, give me a small hint and let me try again.”Learning, not copying: you do the interview, so you do the thinking.
Eight questions worth rehearsing
- Tell me about yourself.
- Why do you want this job?
- What is one strength you bring?
- Tell me about a problem you solved.
- Tell me about a time you worked with a team.
- How do you handle a difficult customer?
- What are you learning right now?
- What questions do you have for us?
Practice one at a time. Ask AI to listen for three parts: the situation, what you did, and what changed. Then say the answer out loud in your own words.
Five days. One clear action each day.
A tiny list keeps you from guessing.
| Job | Date applied | Next step | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front desk · local clinic | Write the real date | Follow up in one week | Applied |
| Customer service · retailer | Write the real date | Practice phone interview | Interview |
Use paper, Notes, or a simple spreadsheet. Record only what you truly did. The sample rows show the shape — replace them with your own.
Use the posting’s own words. Only your real ones.
Speak the computer’s language
Many employers use a computer program to sort applications before a person ever sees them. It looks for the exact words in the job posting — words like “customer service” or “cash register.” Those exact words are called keywords.
Type: “Here is a job posting, and here is my real experience. Show me which words from the posting honestly match what I have done, so I can use those same words in my resume.”
The honesty line — never cross it
- Never let AI invent a job, a date, a degree, or a skill.
- If you have not done it, do not claim it. You can honestly say what you are learning instead.
- Read every line before you send. If it is not true, it does not go.
Sometimes the first interview is with a computer.
Some employers ask you to record video answers on your phone, or answer a computer’s questions before a person meets you. It can feel strange — it is not just you, and it does not mean you did anything wrong.
“Pretend you are a video interview for a __ job. Ask me one question at a time. After I answer, tell me one thing that was clear and one thing I can say shorter.”Practice tip: look at the camera, sit somewhere quiet, and smile like it is a person — because a person watches it later.
Two workplace rules that protect you.
Ask first
Every workplace has its own rules about AI. Ask your supervisor what is allowed before you use it at work.
Protect work secrets
Never paste private work information — customer names, prices, or company files — into your personal AI app.
Your work, your name
If AI helped you draft something at work, you are still responsible for every word. Read it like your name is on it — because it is.
Keep these three ideas
- AI can help you plan, practice, and polish — never invent.
- Strong resume lines show action, detail, and a true result.
- Bring important job materials to a Dress for Success mentor for a human review.
Never let AI invent experience. If you’re part of a Dress for Success program, your mentor would love to see this — bring your AI-made draft to a mentor or workshop and make it true, clear, and yours.
What should you do with an AI-made resume draft?
Do you need time — or a starting point?
Both are real. Neither means you are lazy or behind. Pick the one that sounds most like today — your pick follows you through the rest of the course and shapes the toolkit you build in Lesson 10.
Pick a pack. Copy the exact words.
This is the same lens that opened Lessons 6 and 7: life help and job help, sorted by the kind of busy you are — not by how “good at technology” you are.
Running on empty
“Summarize this in five plain bullets. Put any deadline or action at the top: ____.”
Expect: the main points, not a decision for you.“Write a short, kind message to ____. I need to say ____. Keep it under 80 words.”
Expect: a draft you still check and personalize.“Compare these choices: ____. Use cost, time, and effort. Make a simple table.”
Expect: organized tradeoffs, not a perfect answer.“Turn these rough notes into a clear email with a subject line and one action request: ____.”
Expect: a cleaner message. Remove private details first.“Help me make a short list of questions for my appointment about ____. Do not give medical or legal advice.”
Expect: questions to ask a real professional.Time, but no starting point
“I want to ____. Make a simple seven-day starting plan. One action per day.”
Expect: a first week, not your whole future.“This goal feels too big: ____. Break it into steps that each take 20 minutes or less.”
Expect: smaller pieces you can actually begin.“Make a morning checklist for ____. Keep it to five items in a useful order.”
Expect: a repeatable routine you can edit.“Help me learn ____ this week. Give me five short practice sessions for a total beginner.”
Expect: practice, not instant mastery.“My goal is ____. Ask me three questions, then make a 30-day timeline with one first step today.”
Expect: a draft timeline based on your answers.Keep these three ideas
- When you are overloaded, use AI to shorten, sort, or draft.
- When you are stuck, use AI to create structure and one first step.
- Change any plan that does not fit your real energy.
You do not have to follow every suggestion. Keep what fits. Leave what does not.
Which kind of person can AI help?
Pause. Protect. Double-check.
Three little habits keep you safer: protect private details, pause when something feels shocking, and check important facts somewhere trustworthy.
Never share
Passwords, Social Security or bank numbers, home address, or someone else’s private information.
Pause on shocks
If a photo, video, or claim feels designed to scare or rush you, stop and check.
Keep your say
Your words are yours. You can change an answer, reject it, or say no.
Share or don’t share?
Three fakes you may meet
“You are hired” before an interview, then a request for money, gift cards, or bank details.
A prize, refund, or emergency that pushes you to act right now.
A familiar face or voice asking for money may be copied. Seeing or hearing it is not proof.
Family tip: pick a secret code word with your family. If a panicked “family emergency” call or message cannot say the word, hang up and call the real number yourself. A copied voice is not proof.
For anything important, check it twice.
Ask “How do you know?”
Ask the helper where an answer came from. A careful answer names a source you can open yourself.
Check one fact somewhere else
A job’s pay, a deadline, a phone number, a price — look at one fact on the official site, or ask a person, before you act.
Mind the date
AI only learned things written up to a certain date. For today’s news, prices, and openings it may be out of date — or quietly fill the gap with a guess.
Take five minutes before you share.
Look for “Data,” “Privacy,” or “Controls” inside the AI tool.
Look for a choice about using your chats to improve the tool. Turn it off if that feels better to you.
Delete a chat you do not want to keep. Remember: deleting from view may not erase every system copy right away.
Use “my supervisor” instead of a name. Use “my city” instead of your address.
Buttons and wording can change. If you cannot find a setting, ask a trusted helper to look with you — not for your password.
Do not panic. Take the next safe step.
You keep your voice and your choices.
Change the draft until it sounds like you.
You never have to follow an AI suggestion.
Ask for sources, steps, or a simpler explanation.
AI learned from people’s words, so it can copy people’s unfair ideas. If an answer feels like a stereotype, say: “Try again without assuming things about me.”
Health, legal, money, safety, and job decisions need a trustworthy human or official source.
Keep these three ideas
- Urgency, secrecy, and requests for money are warning signs.
- Protect private details before you type.
- If something important depends on the answer, check with a qualified person.
If money, health, legal rights, or your safety is involved, ask a qualified person — not only AI.
A shocking video appears online. What is your first move?
Keep the words that help you move.
Every prompt you starred is waiting below. Add a few ready-made starters, then download your toolkit to keep.
Build a toolkit you will actually use.
My AI Toolkit
Connect.
Thrive.
- Star a prompt in lessons 3–8 and it will appear here.
Seven days. Seven tiny wins.
You do not have to figure it out alone.
Resume + interview support
If you’re part of a Dress for Success program, bring your AI-made draft to a mentor, resume review, or mock-interview practice for a human second look.
Workshops + career resources
Ask which job-search, workplace, Word, Excel, or digital-skills workshop matches your next goal.
Mentor + volunteer paths
Ask how to connect with a mentor now, or explore volunteer opportunities when you are ready to give back.
Your full-course recap
- Ask with your situation, task, and answer shape.
- Check facts, protect private details, and keep your judgment.
- Use AI to make one real next step easier — then get human support when it matters.
You’re AI-ready.
You do not need to know everything. You know how to ask, check, protect yourself, and take one useful next step.
Ten questions. Everything you learned.
One question from each lesson, in plain words — just like the course. Some questions ask what you remember. Others tell a tiny real-life story and ask what you would do. There is no timer, and you can step back to re-read a question any time.
Get 7 out of 10 right and you pass. Pass, and your Certificate of Completion is yours, with your name on it. And if you fall short? Retakes are always free — as many tries as you need, no penalty, no shame.
This certificate is proudly presented to
for completing
AI Ready: Everyday AI Made Simple
The person named above has completed all 10 lessons of AI Ready: Everyday AI Made Simple and passed the final quiz with a score of 70% or higher.
Dress for Success Louisville · AI Ready Course
READY ✦
This certificate can be checked with its ID on this page.
Want a paper copy? Open your browser’s Print menu — this page prints just your toolkit and your certificate, clean and centered.
This course is educational, not legal, financial, medical, or mental-health advice. For important decisions, talk with a qualified professional.
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