Practical tools for working with artificial intelligence
Naples is a city that continues to reinvent itself, including through social and digital innovation. Between 7, 8 and 14 May, in the heart of Forcella, the workshop “Accelerate your career: more effective applications with AI” took place, promoted as part of AI Jump!, the Fondazione Simplon programme run in partnership with the Accenture Foundation and Fondazione Mondo Digitale to boost employability through generative AI.
The programme was hosted by the Casa della Musica, a property confiscated from organised crime and now a community space managed by L’Altra Napoli.
Three days of CVs, prompts and interviews
The workshop alternated between theoretical sessions and practical activities. As trainer and data scientist Alessandro Evangelista explains: “On the first day, we worked on CV writing and prompting techniques. During the second session, the participants created CVs and cover letters and improved their online presence. The final day was dedicated to interviews with partner companies.” The aim was not only to learn how to use AI tools, but to understand how to showcase skills, experience and professional goals more effectively.
Tailoring applications with AI
During the course, participants experimented with various tools and techniques to make their applications more effective. Emanuele, a Digital Humanities student, explains the usefulness of the “Swipe File”, a personal archive that collects experiences, skills and activities to be used in building targeted applications: “It helps us better explain to the models who we are and what we can do, so as to create CVs better suited to the roles we’re applying for”.
The use of advanced techniques, such as XML tags to guide the models and the use of platforms like Gemini and Claude, has enabled the participants to overcome the technological barriers of modern recruitment processes. There was also a strong focus on ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems), which are increasingly used by companies for the automated screening of CVs. Claudia, 27, explains: “I’ve learnt how to structure an effective CV using the right keywords, without the risk of it being automatically rejected.”
Among the participants was Eugenio, 30, a young man with Down’s syndrome who dreams of working in cultural heritage. He chose to take part in the workshop to meet new people, learn and share an experience of growth and inclusion.
From training to work: the PRODIGY project
Many of the participants came from the PRODIGY project, dedicated to young NEETs engaged in professional retraining courses in web design, social media marketing and sustainability. For Dario, 21, the added value of the course was above all the practical approach: “We also worked on concrete aspects such as contracts and client relations. This is what makes the difference between having a passion and building a professional career.”
Engaging with local organisations
The workshop concluded with real-life interviews with local associations and organisations. A valuable opportunity for both the young people and the organisations involved.
Anna Trocciola, vice-president of the Manallart Cooperative, explains: “The young people had researched our organisation; they’d looked at our social media and our work. It was interesting to see how they’d used these tools to come better prepared.”
For Lucia Basso of the EOS Foundation, however, technology remains useful only if accompanied by personal awareness: “What really matters in an interview is truth, the ability to know oneself and to tell one’s story.”
AI as a tool, not a substitute
A shared reflection emerged strongly during the activities: artificial intelligence can support career paths, but it does not replace creativity, vision and critical thinking. Daniela, 23, sums it up as follows: “Artificial intelligence isn’t everything. Behind it, there’s us, with our ideas and our way of thinking.”
Forcella, between memory and the future
Thanks to the Manallart Cooperative, participants also had the opportunity to visit the Disciplina della Santa Croce, a 13th-century complex situated next to the Casa della Musica and part of the history of the Sedili di Napoli, ancient civic institutions established to represent the common good.
The motto of the Seggio was “Ad bene agendum sumus” – “We were born to do good”. An expression that today takes on a special meaning in a neighbourhood often portrayed solely through stereotypes, caught between the news and fleeting tourism.
