Comparison
CairnCareers vs asking ChatGPT.
Most students try the chatbot first. It is free, it is fast, and it will happily tell you which jobs are safe from AI. The problem is that it cannot show you where any of that came from. This page sets out what each one gives you, and when the chatbot is the right tool.
Last checked
| Feature | ChatGPT | CairnCareers |
|---|---|---|
| Where the answer comes from | Patterns in training data. The same question can get a different answer tomorrow, and there is no source to check. | Each career path is scored against O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational task data, using the Eloundou et al. (2024) exposure framework published in Science and METR's capability trend.1 |
| Can you check the numbers | No. A chatbot can name a study, but it cannot show that the number it gave you came from it. | Yes. Every source is named and linked on the methodology page, and every number on the dashboard carries a footnote.1 |
| Pay and growth data | Mixed into the same answer as everything else, from whatever the model remembers. | From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, shown as context, and kept structurally separate from the exposure score so you can see what moved the result.1 |
| What happens when you have no number | It will often write one for you, which is how invented figures end up on resumes. | The coach asks the one question that would produce the number, and if you do not have one it falls back to an honest description of scope. It never invents a figure. |
| The plan | A list of suggestions in one reply, with no memory of what you did last term. | A term-by-term roadmap tied to the academic calendar, each term closing one evidence gap, plus resume, LinkedIn, network, and interview modules that share the same records.3 |
| Built for | Everyone, for everything. | College students and recent graduates choosing a first path. |
| Price | Free tier, with paid plans set by OpenAI. | Free tier. Pro at US$6 a month. Premium at US$11 a month.2 |
When ChatGPT is the better tool
- Drafting a cover letter, rewording a bullet you already have a real number for, or rehearsing answers to interview questions out loud.
- Quick, low-stakes questions where you do not need to defend the answer to anyone.
- You can use both. Bring the sourced numbers from your dashboard to the chatbot and let it help you with the wording.
When CairnCareers is the better tool
- You are choosing between paths and want to know which tasks in each one are exposed to AI, with a source you can hand to an adviser, a parent, or a recruiter.
- You need a plan that survives past one chat window and moves the number over a year.
- You want the number on your resume to be one you can back up.
Sources
- CairnCareers methodology page: the three sources behind the score (O*NET, Eloundou et al. 2024 in Science, METR) and the 0 to 100 scale.
- CairnCareers pricing: Free, Pro at US$6 a month, Premium at US$11 a month, on the pricing section of the homepage.
- CairnCareers sample roadmap: the term-by-term plan, one evidence gap per term.
Statements about ChatGPT describe its public pages on the date checked and may have changed since. If something here is out of date, tell us and we will correct it.