Work smarter in 90 days: A real-world guide to using AI

You hear about it everywhere, from LinkedIn posts to keynote speakers to job listings: Learning to use AI is the way to get ahead in your job and help future-proof your career.

But you may not know exactly where to begin. And even if you do, sometimes using AI tools can feel unsettling - the technology is evolving quickly, and it's easy to wonder whether you're doing it right.

Now there's a blueprint to help you become more AI-fluent and confident in your career path in this new world. In the new book "Open to Work: How to Get Ahead in the Age of AI," Ryan Roslansky, executive vice president of LinkedIn and Microsoft Office, and Aneesh Raman, LinkedIn chief economic opportunity officer, outline how to gain a competitive edge in just 90 days.

"The most important truth about this moment is that the outcome isn't written yet," Roslansky says. "The new world of work is being assembled right now, task by task, policy by policy, business by business. It will reflect the choices of the people who show up to build it."

So if you're looking to get started, here are the basics of their step-by-step plan - along with some specific AI prompts you can use along the way.

Days 1-30: Build your base

Shifting your workday toward using AI tools and adding in uniquely human tasks can help you become more efficient and more valuable at the same time - so it's helpful take a quick inventory of what you do and how AI fits in. List your top 12 daily or weekly tasks, then sort them into three buckets:

• Tasks AI can do alone, like routine reports, data entry, scheduling
• Tasks you can do with AI tools, like strategic analysis with AI insights or creative work with AI as a partner
• Uniquely human tasks, like building trust, making ethical decisions and reading a room

Restructure your time based on what you learn

If most of your tasks are in the first bucket, you may have time to take on new projects or work with more impact. If the second bucket is nearly empty, you might be missing the chance to incorporate AI more as a tool. If the third bucket is less than half your work, consider spending more time using or building your own unique human skills.

Start small and stay consistent

Choose one everyday task you already do on autopilot - drafting emails, summarizing documents, prepping for meetings - and experiment with Copilot in that one area. Treat it like a daily test-and-learn loop: Note what helped, what didn't and what you'll try next.

Make it a group project

Pull together a small group of peers to learn alongside you. Each week, try a different AI challenge and compare notes. You could create a shared library of Copilot prompts for your team or build an AI agent that will send a weekly report. Sharing what works accelerates confidence - and progress.

Try this prompt in Microsoft 365 Copilot:

Summarize this [email/document/meeting notes] into three key takeaways and two follow-up actions I should take.

Day 30 check-in:

You've explored multiple Copilot use cases, identified a handful of tasks AI can reliably support, and built momentum through shared learning.

Days 31-60: Find what makes you human

No matter how technology evolves, there will always be five human skills that will stand the test of time: curiosity, creativity, communication, compassion and courage. These so-called "soft" skills are a superpower for staying relevant. Sure, AI can generate ideas and text, but it can't bring the fresh perspective shaped by your unique background.

Pick two of the five skills listed above to intentionally develop. Make it a daily habit to ask: What did I contribute today that only I could?

Shift work, not effort

Revisit your task buckets and fully transition your most repetitive, low value work to AI. That could mean using AI tools to build a slide deck or summarize a lengthy document. Use the time you gain back to focus your work on higher-impact contributions - maybe strategic thinking, relationship building and creative problem solving.

Keep looking ahead

Track how AI is evolving in your role or industry. In 2025, there was a 29% spike in the number of people posting about AI-related topics on LinkedIn. The knowledge is out there, and people are excited to talk about it. As you grow, you can share what you've learned with others and teach as you go - that reinforces your own mastery.

Try this in Microsoft 365 Copilot:

Review my to-do list and identify which tasks could be automated, streamlined, or delegated - and suggest how I could approach each differently. Draft a simple weekly routine to help me build new habits that stick (no more than 15 minutes/day).

Day 60 check-in:

A meaningful portion of your time is now dedicated to higher value work. You've deepened core human skills and you're more aware of what's coming next.

Days 61-90: Chart a path forward

By the final stretch, you'll be using AI to help tackle many routine tasks and focusing your human skills on more strategic, interpersonal work. Now, it's time to put the pieces together and think through what you want from your career. Assess what's helping or holding you back. Do you have access to the right tools? Is there leadership support to use AI thoughtfully and responsibly?

Clarify your story

Try articulating answers to these three questions, really thinking about them in depth to give thorough, honest answers:

• Why do you work? Every meaningful decision you make in your career should start with a fundamental question: Why do you do what you do in the first place?
• What do you uniquely do? Think about the skills you bring to the table that set you apart.
• Where are you going? Now that you've thought about the why and your unique skills, this last step is choosing where your path goes next.

Choose your own adventure

Think about what new projects or opportunities would help you use your skills to climb toward your ultimate goal. You could connect with your manager to pitch new ideas that could have big impact for your business, consider lateral roles that align with what you want to do or even explore different roles entirely. It can be useful to research these ideas - Microsoft 365 Copilot Researcher can be helpful - or learn from people in your network who are doing what you want to do.

Try this in Microsoft 365 Copilot:

Help me write a short summary of how I've used AI to improve my work based on my emails, Teams conversations and work documents. Then turn it into: 1) a first draft of a LinkedIn post I can personalize and share with my network, and 2) three bullet points I can use in a conversation with my manager about my unique skills and how I can apply them to higher-impact work.

Day 90 check-in:

You can clearly demonstrate how your work has changed, explain your AI-powered edge and articulate what's next - whether that's growing in your role, evolving it or pursuing new projects.

Illustrations from Getty Images and enhanced with Microsoft Copilot and Create in Microsoft 365 Copilot, from top to bottom: Rudzhan Nagiev / iStock / Getty Images Plus; Malte Mueller / fStop / Getty Images; Richard Drury / DigitalVision / Getty Images; Blueastro / iStock / Getty Images Plus.

Samantha Kubota reports on everything AI and innovation for Microsoft Signal, with a recent focus on how AI agents are reshaping everyday work, Microsoft's research breakthroughs and the responsible use of emerging technologies. Prior to Microsoft, Kubota was a journalist at NBC News. Follow her on LinkedIn and X.