Upskilling and Reskilling for the AI Era
04 Mar 2025
Progress is a funny thing – take artificial intelligence as an example. According to the recent 2024 Work Trend Index Annual Report, three-quarters of the 31,000 people surveyed use AI at work, especially when offloading menial tasks. Yet, many fear that doing so might make them look replaceable (53%), or that AI could potentially replace their jobs (45%).
There’s no doubt AI offers limitless potential for businesses by automating processes and repetitive tasks, enhancing decision-making through predictive analytics and data-driven insights, and driving innovation and enhanced operational efficiencies. It’s also significantly impacted the job market, creating new career opportunities and transforming existing roles, especially in IT, architecture, engineering, the sciences, and even management. We use it every day at HelloKindred – as leaders in specialised talent and creative staffing solutions, AI plays an increasingly critical role in transforming our talent acquisition processes. (For more on this, take a look at our article, How AI Streamlines the Contingent Workforce Pipeline, exploring how AI-driven technologies are automating and optimising the sourcing, screening and management of contingent labour.)
We posed a similar question recently in our Future of Work survey, and the results were interesting. 56% Of respondents believe AI creates opportunities in their field, while 44% say it poses challenges requiring ongoing upskilling or reskilling. And that right there, hits the nail on the head. AI is here to stay – it presents significant workplace opportunities AND challenges. So, whatever camp you belong to, it’s imperative to remain relevant to meet the demands of an evolving, AI-centric job market.
Future-proofing tips for professionals
To ensure you’re able to meet the challenges of AI head-on, acquiring new skills and updating existing ones are essential. Here are our top suggestions to keep you one step ahead in the game.
1. Assess your starting position
Assess your job and ask yourself how much of it falls into, or is likely to soon fall into, an at-risk role or career. Anything that involves low-value and repetitive tasks, such as crunching numbers or masses amounts of data – is potentially a no-go. Now may be the time to start planning your pivot strategy instead.
2. Focus on the softer side of life
Instead of worrying fruitlessly about what AI can do, focus your efforts on what it can’t do. It can’t, for instance, inspire and lead a team, develop long-term organisational strategies, or deal one-on-one with clients. As AI takes over more analytical tasks, the importance of soft skills, such as intuition, empathy, adaptability, communication and teamwork, increases.
3. Take advantage of the rise of the machine
It might sound counter-intuitive, but the best way to arm yourself is to grab AI with both hands. As a start, take a look at our top list of courses to Get Certified in AI. Experiment with it, even if it’s just ChatGPT, and use it to your advantage at work. Look for new ways to do your job and how you can incorporate new technologies into it. According to the World Trend Index Annual Report, workers who frequently experiment with artificial intelligence say it boosts their creativity (92%), helps them focus on their most important work (93%), and fuels motivation (91%) and work enjoyment (91%). And it seems leaders agree too – 66% of managers say they wouldn’t hire someone without AI skills, while 71% would rather hire a less experienced candidate with AI skills than a more experienced candidate without.
Artificial intelligence is also a vital tool to use if you’re looking for a job. According to a recent survey from ResumeBuilder, 18% of job seekers use ChatGPT as part of their job search – and those who did were more likely to receive interview requests and negotiate a higher salary. From writing your CV and automating networking emails, to AI cover letter generators and interview coaching tools, AI can help you streamline your job search, cut through the noise and make an immediate impact on hiring managers.
4. Embrace a mindset of continuous learning
A mindset geared towards lifelong learning is vital to keep up with the rapid technological changes brought about by artificial intelligence. Get to work developing your data analysis and digital skills to ensure you’re able to deal effectively with AI systems. Alternatively, take some time to improve your complex cognitive skills – problem-solving, critical thinking and creativity are all necessary to complement AI capabilities while helping you make better and more informed decisions based on AI insights. As a professional marketing staffing agency, we believe it’s crucial for you to stay up-to-date with the latest technological advancements – if you’re a guru in the marketing space take a look at some of the ways you can Invest in your career with AI.
5. Keep up with industry developments
Now isn’t the time to put your head in the sand. Make sure you know what’s coming your way – the good, the bad, and the ugly – by keeping up to date with the latest developments in your sector as well as adjacent fields. This means that if you ever do need to pivot, you can do so quickly and more easily.
6. The people factor = the x-factor
At the end of the day, businesses are made up of people. Whether it’s your boss, your work colleagues or your customers, your relationships with those around you largely define your success. While AI may be good at conducting specific, mathematically-defined tasks, it hasn’t mastered the art of human connection. Work on your people skills, spend time with the people around you, and put some real effort into what truly matters – building emotional bonds.
7. Work on your brand
In today’s ever-changing world, being known as a skilled, dependable and trustworthy professional is hugely beneficial. So, take the time and effort to build up your reputation. Get your name put there – network prolifically, attend conferences, speak at events and meet up with peers and colleagues. Whatever you choose, it’s all about ensuring you remain top of mind.
The role of organisations
Businesses also have a major role to play when it comes to AI uptake and integration – primarily the need for inclusive, comprehensive training and education across all organisational levels.
Begin with a skills audit by identifying and mapping your current workforce’s skills and job architecture. Then, focus on training and development – provide fair and inclusive training programmes to help your employees develop the right skills and maintain a positive attitude towards AI. These could be anything from ad hoc, online workshops to more tailored, targeted programmes. As part of this, supporting your employees and giving them a safe space to voice their concerns is imperative. Consider too, potential ways you can redesign roles or job specs to integrate AI more effectively, making better use of the unique talents of your people elsewhere in your organisation.
The increased use of AI and other new technologies means embracing change. Instead of worrying over what may happen, it’s time to start preparing for whatever new reality awaits.
