AI Masterclass - Assisted Career Translation Workshop

Join us in person to connect with others who understand the veteran journey and to explore practical support, services and opportunities.
About this Event

AI Masterclass - Assisted Career Translation Workshop

Thinking about your next step, looking to broaden your network, or simply interested in what support is available? This event offers a friendly and relaxed space to meet others, share experiences, and make useful connections.

Join Defence in Business for an in-person gathering that brings together veteran talent and supporters from across Victoria.

A practical, hands-on workshop designed specifically for former ADF personnel navigating the transition to civilian employment. This session tackles one of the most common and frustrating challenges facing ex-defence professionals: the gap between the language used to describe military roles and the language that resonates with civilian employers.

The armed forces develop exceptional professionals — disciplined, adaptive, skilled in high-stakes decision-making and complex logistics. The challenge is rarely about capability; it is almost always about translation. Civilian hiring managers often struggle to read an ADF career history, not because the experience lacks value, but because the vocabulary is unfamiliar. This workshop gives participants a practical, AI-assisted method for bridging that gap.

Using the ADF Careers website as a starting point, participants will locate the official description of their own ADF role, then use AI tools to systematically translate that language into the terminology that employers across industries recognise and value. The result is a personalised vocabulary — a set of keywords, competencies, and capability statements — that can be deployed consistently across CVs, cover letters, LinkedIn profiles, and interview preparation.

Food and drinks will be provided.

Workshop Content and Outcomes

Session Structure

Part 1: The Translation Problem (approx. 10 minutes)

Julia Gibney opens the session with a facilitated discussion on the translation problem — drawing directly on the experiences of the people in the room. Rather than setting the scene through theory, we ground the conversation in what participants are actually encountering: the moments where a CV hasn't landed, where an interview has stalled, or where a hiring manager simply hasn't understood what a career in the ADF actually involved. This lived experience becomes the foundation for everything that follows in the session.

Part 2: Finding Your Source Material (approx. 5 minutes)

Participants locate the best available description of their own ADF role — this might be the official role description on the ADF Careers website, or it might be an official job description or role document they already have access to. Whichever source contains the most detailed and relevant information about their role is the right starting point. This becomes the raw material for the AI translation exercise. Dr Downs will demonstrate the process live before participants have a go themselves.

Part 3: AI-Assisted Translation — Live Demonstration and Hands-On Practice (approx. 20 minutes)

Using an AI tool (Claude or ChatGPT — participants use whatever they have access to), Dr Downs will demonstrate how to take an ADF role description and prompt the AI to:

• Identify the transferable skills embedded in the role description
• Reframe those skills using civilian employer language
• Generate a keyword list suited to applicant tracking systems (ATS) and human readers alike
• Produce draft capability statements for use across CVs, cover letters, LinkedIn profiles, and interview responses

Participants then work through the same process with their own role descriptions, with Dr Downs circulating to assist.

Part 4: Building Your Language — What to Do With This (approx. 10 minutes)

The session closes with a brief discussion of how to use the output strategically — not just for a single application, but as a consistent language toolkit that travels across every job-hunting medium. Participants will leave with a clear understanding of how to:

• Adapt their AI-generated keyword set for different roles and industries
• Use the same core language to ensure consistency between their CV, LinkedIn profile, cover letter, and what they say in interviews
• Return to this process as their job search evolves

What Participants Will Leave With

• A personalised keyword and capability vocabulary drawn directly from their own ADF service record
• A repeatable AI-assisted process they can apply independently after the session
• Confidence that their military experience is not just translatable — it is genuinely competitive

Terms & Conditions for Defence in Business Events:

Defence in Business Membership. Your ticket includes DiB membership, and you will be invited to future events and opportunities.

Special requirements and dietary needs. DiB is committed to meeting the needs of all attendees and will try to ensure any special requirements are met, subject to reasonable prior notice. Please state your request at the time of booking and we will confirm arrangements before your arrival.

Photography and video. Please note that a photographer may be present at the event. Images may be used for domestic and international purposes and may appear on our website and in printed or electronic publications. If you do not wish to be photographed, please let the DiB staff know at the registration table.