| Sunday, 12 January 2025 |
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Good morning [%first_name |Dear Reader%],
I have long been an unapologetic believer in careers—“the series of jobs that a person has in a particular area of work, usually involving more responsibility as time passes.” (Oxford Dictionary)
I’ve enjoyed my career, even though there were large parts of it that were nondescript and boring. Over the years I’ve managed to hew closer to things that give me joy, serendipitously and consciously. I’ve quit jobs to write books (twice, both failures), to become a journalist, and to turn an entrepreneur (twice, failed first).
Yet, I’ve always had the implicit cushion of knowing that a career was a given. That at best, I’d been knocked down a few notches on the career ladder, but I could try and climb my way up again.
I am not sure that is true today. Having a professional career that lasts roughly 40 years—from your early twenties to your early sixties—is not a given. Having a reliable career ladder you can ascend over the years, learning, growing, and earning, is not a given. Entry-level jobs are being targeted with AI tools. Mid-level jobs are getting squeezed between flattening corporate hierarchies and waning belief in the need for managers. Finally, senior jobs are at risk from the double biases of ageism and “expensive” salaries.
Salesforce has already said it will hire no engineers in 2025 because it’s got a 30% productivity boost from AI solutions. They’re not alone. 41% of global employers estimate they will reduce their staff by 2030 thanks to AI.
What does a 20-something who enters the workforce today believe about their career? What can they “take for granted”? What are the rungs on their career ladder they can step on?
It’s all up in the air.
Which is why we’re kicking off the first Quest for 2025—the reimagining of careers. I am also hoping to turn this Quest into our very first live event in Bengaluru. If you’d like to attend it, please let us know in the second part of the survey below.
And here’s everything else we have for you today.
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