I don't think there truly is a way to bulletproof yourself
Anything that AI can't do today could be convincingly argued that it will be able to do in 3 years. There's no-one that can tell you what the world will look like then
If you're seriously worried and can't take that risk then maybe look into switching careers
Learn to sell yourself. Learn to adapt quickly. Learn to learn
The days of having one skillset you learn deeply and monetize for 40 years are over
The days of having one skillset you learn deeply and monetize for 40 years are over
This is a commonly held view - particularly among employers. And certainly some people can do it.
But the problem is that it takes time to build expertise and bargain that into something you can live on. And the more times you have to do that, the more you fall behind people who found a niche or a long-term role and stayed in it.
And you eventually find yourself in your late fifties, steamrollered by yet another wave of change, and you don't have the time or resources or energy, or just plain self-belief, to adapt again.
I am 30 years in professionally in June and 10 years as a hobbyist before that. I first started programming in 86 in assembly language
I’ve kept up with every wave in technology from 1996 when I was still programming ok mainframes, through web, a brief stint on mobile. “Full Stack development” (even though I suck at the web side), and since 2018 app dev + cloud including four years working at AWS.
I had three offers within 3 weeks after being Amazoned when I was 49 in 2023 and 1 offer in two weeks in 2024.
See my other comment. One thing AI can’t do is talk to people and deal with XYProblems, organizational complexity, egos, turf wars, teasing out the “what”
Comments
I don't think there truly is a way to bulletproof yourself
Anything that AI can't do today could be convincingly argued that it will be able to do in 3 years. There's no-one that can tell you what the world will look like then
If you're seriously worried and can't take that risk then maybe look into switching careers
Learn to sell yourself. Learn to adapt quickly. Learn to learn
The days of having one skillset you learn deeply and monetize for 40 years are over
This is a commonly held view - particularly among employers. And certainly some people can do it.
But the problem is that it takes time to build expertise and bargain that into something you can live on. And the more times you have to do that, the more you fall behind people who found a niche or a long-term role and stayed in it.
And you eventually find yourself in your late fifties, steamrollered by yet another wave of change, and you don't have the time or resources or energy, or just plain self-belief, to adapt again.
I am 30 years in professionally in June and 10 years as a hobbyist before that. I first started programming in 86 in assembly language
I’ve kept up with every wave in technology from 1996 when I was still programming ok mainframes, through web, a brief stint on mobile. “Full Stack development” (even though I suck at the web side), and since 2018 app dev + cloud including four years working at AWS.
I had three offers within 3 weeks after being Amazoned when I was 49 in 2023 and 1 offer in two weeks in 2024.
They are talking swapping fields completely like going into plumbing. Not simply picking up new tech.
See my other comment. One thing AI can’t do is talk to people and deal with XYProblems, organizational complexity, egos, turf wars, teasing out the “what”
Maybe they can in 3 to 5 years. Then you talk with them in Teams Meetings.