AI Career Guidance Chatbot Using Retrieval-Augmented Generation for First-Year Students

This project presents an AI-powered career guidance chatbot designed to support first-year university students in exploring career paths and making informed decisions. The system leverages Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) to combine large language models with a curated knowledge base of alumni experiences, ensuring accurate, relevant, and context-aware responses. The chatbot enables students to access authentic career insights, understand job market trends, and explore different professional paths through an interactive conversational interface. By integrating natural language processing and vector-based information retrieval, the system delivers personalized guidance tailored to individual user queries. The proposed solution addresses the gap between students and alumni knowledge by providing scalable, AI-driven access to real-world experiences. Expected outcomes include improved career awareness, faster decision-making, and enhanced understanding of professional opportunities among students. This work was conducted at Arab International University (AIU), Syria. Official University Website: https://www.aiu.edu.sy

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Published
2026-04-11
DOI
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19520429
Primary Topic
AI in Service Interactions
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

AI Career Guidance Chatbot Using Retrieval-Augmented Generation for First-Year Students

Tarek Barhoum, Malek Ahmad
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
AI in Service Interactions
article

AI Career Guidance Chatbot Using Retrieval-Augmented Generation for First-Year Students

Tarek Barhoum, Malek Ahmad
article en

Abstract

This project presents an AI-powered career guidance chatbot designed to support first-year university students in exploring career paths and making informed decisions. The system leverages Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) to combine large language models with a curated knowledge base of alumni experiences, ensuring accurate, relevant, and context-aware responses. The chatbot enables students to access authentic career insights, understand job market trends, and explore different professional paths through an interactive conversational interface. By integrating natural language processing and vector-based information retrieval, the system delivers personalized guidance tailored to individual user queries. The proposed solution addresses the gap between students and alumni knowledge by providing scalable, AI-driven access to real-world experiences. Expected outcomes include improved career awareness, faster decision-making, and enhanced understanding of professional opportunities among students. This work was conducted at Arab International University (AIU), Syria. Official University Website: https://www.aiu.edu.sy

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Arab International University (SY)
Quality Education
Openalex Percentile: Top 26%
AI in Service Interactions
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.