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Working on it! · Winning the Client · New Build

Talk About AI to Set Yourself Apart

My genuine interest in AI is what set me apart. Here is why it works, and how to talk about it honestly.

Length: 16 minutes For: anyone who wonders how to stand out in an interview Updated: 2026-06-24 (v1) Prerequisite: none

"There were probably ten other applicants as qualified as me. I keep wondering what would make a client choose me over them."

The question behind every interview

I had the same question. And when I look back at the interview that got me hired, I am fairly sure I know the answer. I told the client about my interest in AI and ChatGPT, and I think that is what set me apart. Not a fancier resume. A genuine curiosity about a tool that was changing their world.

The wrong question vs the right question

Wrong question: "How do I prove I am the most qualified?"

Better question: "What do I genuinely care about that this client also cares about?"

Qualifications tie. Curiosity that matches the client's world breaks the tie. For a technology-forward client, an applicant who is genuinely into AI is not just qualified. They are a fit.

Why this works, honestly

What the client seesWhy it moves them
You keep up with their worldIf they live in technology, your AI interest says you live there too. You will not need everything explained.
You love to learnA learner adapts as their business changes. That is worth more than a fixed skill set.
You can understand their businessThe whole reason I mentioned AI was that I knew it showed I could easily understand a technology-forward business.
You are already using the toolsBeing into ChatGPT and building your own things signals you will bring efficiency, not need hand-holding.
The honest mechanism

It is not a trick. It is a match. This works because it is true and because it fits the client. You are not pretending to love AI. You are letting a real interest meet a real need. That is why it lands, and why a faked version would not.

What I actually said, and why

When the client asked about my hobbies, I did not give a random answer. I had prepared. I said I love reading, I love watching tutorials, and my current interest is ChatGPT, and that I am developing my own tools and learning Python. I chose those because I had researched the client. They were technologically advanced. AI and ChatGPT were the hot topic at the time. I knew they wanted someone who could easily understand their business, and my honest interests happened to prove exactly that.

That is the key. I did not invent an interest to impress them. I had a real one, and I chose to share the part of it that fit their world. The research told me which true thing about me to put forward.

The rule that came out of this

Lead with the true interest that fits the client. You contain many real interests. Research tells you which one to put in front. For a tech-forward client, a genuine interest in AI is often the one that wins.

The Differentiator Loop

Four steps. It builds on researching the client first, because the research is what tells you which true interest to lead with.

StepWhat you doWhy it works
1. Research their worldLearn whether they are technology-forward and what is current in their field.You can only match what you understand.
2. Find your true matchPick a genuine interest of yours that fits their world. For tech clients, often AI.True plus fitting is unbeatable; faked is fragile.
3. Make it concreteDo not just say you like AI. Mention what you actually do: using ChatGPT, building a small tool, learning.Specifics prove the interest is real.
4. Connect it to their needShow how that interest helps you understand and serve their business.A hobby becomes a hiring reason.

One interview, one differentiator

Setup: a tech-forward client asks about your interests.

You researched
You already know they are technology-forward and value efficiency.
You chose your match
Your real interest in AI and ChatGPT is the one that fits.
You made it concrete
You mention using ChatGPT for your work and a small tool you are building.
You connected it
You note it helps you understand their business and work faster. The client leans in.
What that cost

One honest sentence, made specific and fitting. No bragging, no pretending. Just a real interest, put in front of the right client.

Practice. Prepare your true differentiator.

  1. Pick a real or dream tech-forward client.
  2. Confirm their world values technology and learning.
  3. Name your genuine matching interest (often AI).
  4. Make it concrete: what do you actually do with it?
  5. Write one sentence connecting it to their needs.

Audit checklist:

  • Confirmed the client values technology and learning
  • Chose a genuine, not faked, interest
  • Made it concrete with a real example
  • Connected it to understanding their business
  • Practiced saying it in one natural sentence

Action items, based on your archetype

🌱 The Fresh Starter~5% · curiosity beats a thin resume

You worry your resume is light. A real, specific interest in AI can outshine a longer resume that shows no curiosity.

Do this week
  1. Start one small thing with AI you can honestly mention.
  2. Be specific: what you tried, what you learned.
  3. Practice connecting it to a client's needs.
Recommended pairing: this plus client research.
💼 The Corporate Transitioner~30% · show you are not stuck

Clients may fear corporate people are rigid. A genuine AI interest proves you adapt.

Do this week
  1. Connect AI to a process you improved at work.
  2. Show curiosity, not just experience.
  3. Keep it concrete and humble.
Recommended target: adaptable beats senior-but-rigid.
🌟 The Polished Freelancer~25% · AI as your edge over peers

Your peers are skilled too. A real AI practice is how you out-position equally good freelancers.

Do this week
  1. Show a real workflow where AI multiplies your output.
  2. Tie it to client results, not novelty.
  3. Mention it only where it fits.
Recommended angle: AI-enabled is the new premium.
🎨 The Creative Specialist~15% · AI as a creative ally

Show AI as a tool that speeds your craft, not replaces it. Clients love that balance.

Do this week
  1. Name one way AI speeds your creative process.
  2. Keep your taste as the headline.
  3. Connect it to faster client delivery.
Recommended pairing: human taste plus AI speed.
🛒 The Solo Entrepreneur~15% · you already use the tools

You run a business with AI already. That lived experience is a strong, true differentiator.

Do this week
  1. Share how AI runs part of your business.
  2. Frame it as practical results.
  3. Offer to bring that to their business.
Recommended angle: real usage beats buzzwords.
📋 The Generalist Admin~10% · AI plus range

Pair your breadth with an AI interest, and you become the efficient, adaptable hire.

Do this week
  1. Show AI helping you cover many tasks faster.
  2. Be specific about one workflow.
  3. Connect it to saving the client time.
Recommended pace: breadth made efficient by AI.
Universal rule

For every archetype: a true interest, made specific and fitting, is the strongest differentiator there is. For a world being reshaped by AI, a genuine curiosity about it is rarely the wrong thing to share.

Checkpoint. Show proof that you used the lesson.

Postable artifact

Post this in the BFF Facebook Group (Work At Home Geek):

  1. Your one-sentence differentiator: a true interest, made concrete, connected to a client's world, OR
  2. The small AI thing you started this week that you can honestly mention.

Proof posted means lesson passed.

Community + next step

The story →
What actually set this freelancer apart
The honest answer
Is it real? →
Can talking about AI help me get hired
Why it works, and its limits
Prepare →
Research the Client First
Find which interest to lead with
Zoom out →
See the full Blueprint
Where this lesson fits

Hold steady, BFF Team. We keep going together.

– Lala