Preparing for a Less Predictable World of Work
4 min read
Until recently, career advice was relatively straightforward. Study, develop expertise, choose a stable profession, and gradually build a successful career.
That advice still has value. The difference is that the world of work is changing faster than it used to. Artificial intelligence is becoming part of everyday work, employers are looking for new capabilities, and many people are rethinking what they expect from their careers.
Choosing a career is no longer only about deciding what you want to do. It is also about preparing for work that will continue to change.
According to the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2025, 86% of employers expect AI and information-processing technologies to transform their business by 2030. The report also estimates that 39% of employees' core skills will change, while 59% of the global workforce will require reskilling or upskilling. Although 92 million jobs are expected to be displaced, around 170 million new jobs are projected to emerge, resulting in a net gain of approximately 78 million jobs.
These figures suggest that the challenge is no longer choosing the right profession once. It is continuing to develop new skills throughout a career.
The same direction appears in Microsoft's 2025 Work Trend Index, based on responses from more than 31,000 employees across 31 countries. The report found that 82% of business leaders believe this is the year to rethink strategy and operations as AI becomes more integrated into everyday work.
Research from Gallup tells a similar story. The proportion of U.S. employees using AI at work at least a few times a year nearly doubled, increasing from 21% in 2023 to 40% in 2025.
Technology is changing how work is done. Organisations are adapting alongside it.
Most professions are not disappearing, but they are changing.
AI is helping people write, analyse information, develop software, create content, and automate routine tasks. As those tasks become more efficient, skills such as judgement, communication, creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving become more valuable.
We see this in our own recruitment processes at Talentra.
Alongside technical expertise and industry experience, employers increasingly ask candidates how they use AI in their daily work. Questions such as "Which AI tools do you use?", "How have you incorporated AI into your workflow?", or "How has AI improved your productivity?" are becoming more common across a growing range of roles.
A few years ago, these questions were unusual. Today, they are becoming part of how organisations assess future readiness.
Employers are looking not only at what candidates know today, but also at how quickly they can learn tomorrow.
Technology is changing work. Employees are changing their expectations as well.
The Deloitte 2025 Gen Z and Millennial Survey found that work-life balance, learning opportunities, meaningful work, and financial security remain among the most important factors when choosing an employer. Only a small proportion of respondents identified reaching senior leadership positions as their primary career goal.
Financial security remains essential. At the same time, many people are evaluating careers more broadly. Salary still matters, but so do flexibility, personal growth, wellbeing, and time outside work.
As technology makes many tasks faster, time itself may become a more valuable resource.
No one knows exactly how work will evolve over the next decade. Preparing for change is more realistic than trying to predict every change.
For individuals, that means becoming comfortable using AI as part of everyday work and continuing to build skills throughout a career. It also means strengthening capabilities that technology complements rather than replaces, including critical thinking, communication, creativity, judgement, collaboration, and emotional intelligence.
For employers, it means creating environments where people can continue learning as technology evolves.
Adaptability is no longer simply a personal strength. It is becoming a professional capability.
The careers that succeed in the years ahead are unlikely to belong only to those with the most expertise today. They are more likely to belong to those who continue learning as the world of work evolves.
Deloitte. 2025 Gen Z and Millennial Survey.
Gallup. AI at Work: Employee Adoption Nearly Doubled in Two Years.
Microsoft. 2025 Work Trend Index: The Year the Frontier Firm Is Born.
World Economic Forum. The Future of Jobs Report 2025.
