4 Ways to Future-Proof Your Career Against AI

As a job seeker or employee in 2024, you might be concerned about the ramifications of artificial intelligence (AI) on the job market. You’re not alone. According to a survey by the ADP Research Institute, 85% of respondents believe AI will have some sort of impact on their jobs in the near future; furthermore, 17.% of job seeker respondents to iHire’s 2024 State of Online Recruiting Report survey expect “AI replacing jobs” to impact their job search or career growth in the coming year. It’s a scary thought and a real possibility that AI could interfere with some jobs. If you’re worried about AI affecting your career, then it’s important to learn about the trends and how you can future-proof your career against AI. 

What Jobs Will AI Replace?

AI has the opportunity to replace a lot of human workers. It has already started appearing in roles like customer service, data entry, graphic design, content writing, administration, and more. Another report, this one by Goldman Sachs, states that 300 million full-time jobs could soon be replaced by AI via automation. 

Unfortunately, we could also see the following jobs and sectors affected by AI: 

• Photography 
• Manufacturing 
• Retail 
• Data analyst 
• Financial analyst 
• Research analyst 
• Translation 
• Telemarketing 
• Computer programmer 

Jobs That AI Can’t Replace

Yes, AI is a real threat to some fields. But there are a few that AI just can’t replace. For example, AI can’t take over the role of a teacher who can care for, look after, and form trust and human connection with their students. AI also can’t replace human nurses or social workers for the same reasons. Other jobs that will remain safe in the face of AI include: 

• Handypersons
• Lawyers
• Scientists
• Politicians
• Surgeons
• Human resources 
• Leadership
• Skilled trades, such as electricians and plumbers

How to Protect Your Career 

If you’re in a field that could possibly be impacted by AI, or if you’re worried at all about how AI will affect your future, then put some energy into learning how to AI-proof your career. Let’s go over a few of the best steps to take. 

Embrace AI

Now, this might seem counterintuitive, but perhaps instead of running away from AI, you should run toward it. Of course, you won’t want to trust AI to get all your work done, and you’ll still want to show your value. But you can definitely use AI to your advantage. Learning how to write prompts and bounce ideas off generative AI could be useful in speeding up your workflow. You could also use automation in your day-to-day, automating tasks like managing emails and data. If you’re an artist suffering from artist’s block, use AI to come up with ideas. Same thing with writing. 

If you want to take it a step further, you could always learn more advanced AI skills like data science and machine learning. Think about staying abreast of AI’s current trends, too. In 2024, this looks like: 

• Multimodal AI: Expands basic design and coding skills by mixing text with images and video
• Open-source AI: Allows teams to collaborate on projects with the help of AI 
• Retrieval-augmented generation: Reduces AI hallucinations – results that are nonsensical or inaccurate
   

Learn High-Demand Skills

Despite AI already becoming a major issue in the job market, there’s always going to be room for high-demand skills. The job market is always changing, so you need to change with it. If you see a job posting that requires a new skill, take the opportunity to learn about that skill. If you already have a job but are hearing talk of a new software program in your field, take the initiative and learn about it. It doesn’t even have to be hard skills – it can be soft skills, too. Marketing, sales, cybersecurity, and software development are all important. But so are skills like leadership, teamwork, creativity, critical thinking, and communication.

It’s important that you, as an employee, stay ahead of the curve by embracing continuous learning. Even if you feel comfortable in your position, you’ll shine and show your value even more by taking the initiative to keep learning and developing your skill set. 

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Build Relationships

No matter what field you’re in, you’ll need to form relationships. You can develop them while at work or take it a step further and attend local networking events to build even more connections. No local events? No problem! You can also network online. 

But it’s more than just about building relationships. You have to maintain them, too. Spend time with those in your network. Get to know them, and let them get to know you. Show them your value and build trust with each other. Keep in touch with past employers and colleagues – you never know when they might have a job recommendation for you. 

Be Human

And, arguably, the most important thing you can do in the face of AI is to just be human. AI can never replace human intelligence, human emotion, or critical thinking. So, just be your human self. Remember that it’s OK to make mistakes and that mistakes are human. 

Don’t try to be perfect or compete with AI. Instead, think about what sets you apart from it. What makes you human? Empathy, creativity, interpersonal skills, morals, and ethics. AI struggles here, so focus on these areas and show your value as a human worker. 

There’s a reason why AI can’t replace jobs like teachers and nurses. It’s because people want that human connection. And as smart as AI is, it’ll never be able to replicate human connection. 

Future-Proof Your Career 

It’s OK to be worried about how AI will affect your job in the future, but don’t let that worry consume you. There are steps you can take now to future-proof your career against AI. Learn to use AI to your advantage, keep on top of in-demand skills, build relationships, and be yourself – that’s how you can keep yourself afloat in the near and far future.

iHire has resources for job seekers like you to help you land or advance your next role. Take action now to protect your career in the future.