I’ve been thinking about this all morning - will AI be the end of my career?
Here is the TLDR - it won’t. But, there are few reasons why, that I’ll get to.
Some professionals are so concerned about AI taking their jobs that they are suggesting now is the time to stockpile money.
The thing is, making a lot of money and saving as much as possible has always been a smart decision.
There is no doubt that AI will disrupt some professions.
I use AI just about every day, in one capacity or another. Whether its as search engine for answering questions, running my Marketing for me, or for building new apps.
For things like creating generic content, summarizing meetings, and more, AI is going to end some careers. Or, at the very least, change the way they do their work.
Which means, those professionals will have to evolve. More so than others.
For example, its going to be a long time before a robot is putting a roof on a house. Those careers, along with a lot of other blue-collar careers are safe for now.
It’s the white-collar professionals that have the most to be concerned about with AI.
Still, I don’t think AI is going to take your job. As long as you evolve. In fact, some companies that went all in on AI have reversed course.
How to Protect Your Job in an AI World
Our daughter is an incoming high school Senior. Which means we have started discussions about colleges and career paths.
I would never want her to pick a career strictly based on which careers are the most relevant in an AI-focused world or based on potential earnings. I want her to find a career in something she is really interested in, that way it isn’t just a job that provides for her.
Kids, like our daughter, and younger professionals have more time to adapt to the new AI business world. Whereas older professionals, like me, have less time to adjust.
So, what should you do?
First, by all means, making as much money as you can, now, as Rohit suggests, is a good idea.
There is a reason that I have had side hustles for the past decade.
Has it been worth the late nights?
Let’s see:
- I've learned a ton
- We paid off all of our debt (less our home)
- I've had a chance to meet some cool people
- It's paid for countless vacations
- It's allowed us to invest more than we planned
There have been countless days I wanted to stop, to simply life.
Like yesterday.
But I'm back at it.
Why?
Because my family deserves the effort.
And, if I'm honest, I love it at the end of the day.
I'm not the only person betting on side hustles.
Second, have a nest egg set aside. There is a reason my free financial planning course, taken by over 1,500 people, recommends having 6-12 months of emergency savings.
Still, you can make a lot of money and save a lot of it, and still not be protected. There is only one way to do that.
The real danger is if you are just now starting to evolve your professional skill set.
My wife told me last week that I evolve as a professional more than just about anyone she has seen.
Why am I like that?
Because I love learning. It’s just part of who I am as a person.
Also, because evolving as a professional is the only moat to relevance.
If you haven’t already been leveling up, are you are behind? Yep. That doesn’t mean you can’t protect your career from being disrupted by AI. It just means you have a lot of work to do.
What I’m consuming
A while back I read Saltwater Buddha by Jaimal Yogis. This week I decided to try another of his books, The Fear Project.
It’s a study of how fear works and how to overcome it. I had a hard time finding the book online. But, here is the link if you are interested.
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