AI Readiness in STEM Careers with Shannon Smith
AI tools are everywhere — but how do you show up as someone employers trust to use them responsibly and effectively? In her lightning talk at the 2025 AdaMarie Career Navigation Summit, Shannon Smith (Tyrannosaurus Tech), walked us through what hiring managers actually want from candidates in an AI-enhanced workplace: ethical awareness, critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and a willingness to share what you learn.
This replay is from the live AdaMarie Career Navigation Summit (September 18, 2025). Watch the full lightning talk inside the AdaMarie Professional Network.
Quick excerpts from the talk
“Our topic is going to be looking at how you might signal to employers that you are a good fit for an AI-powered workplace when maybe you don't have a lot of experience with AI… Today, we’ll talk about common mistakes people make, some transferable skills you already have, learnable habits, and some high-value qualities to highlight.”
“With everyone who is using these tools, I need ethical awareness. I need people who value trust and safety, who care about fairness and accountability… I need people who can assess what tasks AI is good at, and when human attention is needed. I need people who are going to think critically about AI outputs and question them. I need team players, people who are going to share what they're learning, what's working and what's not working.”
Why this conversation matters
Recent headlines show that AI can create real-world harm when used without careful oversight — from flawed training data to automated systems making costly mistakes. Employers aren’t just looking for technical chops; they want teammates who know when to lean on AI and when to step in, who can evaluate outputs critically, and who will prioritize trust, safety, and fairness.
Shannon’s talk reframes “AI readiness” as a mix of mindset and habits rather than a single technical certification. That’s great news if you’re early in your career or if your formal AI experience is limited.
Key takeaways you can use right now
Ethical awareness is a core skill. Employers want people who think about fairness, accountability, and the real-world impact of automated systems.
Know AI’s strengths and limits. Be able to articulate which tasks are safe to automate and which require human judgment.
Develop a critical validation habit. Always question outputs, check assumptions, and verify results against evidence.
Highlight emotional intelligence and communication. You’ll be tasked with explaining AI findings to non-technical stakeholders and handling sensitive conversations with care.
Be collaborative and transparent. Share what you’re learning. Teams value people who help raise the whole group’s AI maturity.
Practical next steps — how to signal AI readiness even without a deep AI resume
Document experiments. Keep short notes or a GitHub repo of projects where you used AI tools (even exploratory notebooks).
Frame transferable skills. On your resume and in interviews, translate problem-solving, data literacy, and testing habits into AI-relevant language.
Practice ethical thinking. In interviews, be ready to discuss trade-offs and safeguards you would apply to an AI feature or dataset.
Quote to save/share
“I need people who can assess what tasks AI is good at, and when human attention is needed.”
Want to watch Shannon’s full lightning talk and access the transcript and resources? Join the AdaMarie Professional Network to view the replay and continue the conversation with peers and who are ready to build AI-ready careers in STEM.
