Are you doing enough education to preserve your value on the market regarding AI, and what skills will be needed in the future?
The pace of innovation within the AI space is changing workplaces faster than we could have imagined. Bernard Marr in his LinkedIn Newsletter post "The Great Skill Shift: How AI Is Transforming 70% Of Jobs By 2030." Bernard has recently discussed this with Aneesh Raman, the Chief Economic Opportunity Officer on LinkedIn. Let it sink in: 70% of skills required for the average job will have changed by 2030. Raman states the following:
"Everyone in every job is gonna generally be in a new job by 2030 'cause the skills required for your job are gonna change at a fundamental level."
The four phases of economic transformation
The article highlights four main phases of economic transformation. As AI and technological advancements reshape industries, the global economy is undergoing a profound transformation. According to experts, this shift unfolds in four distinct phases:
- Disruption – The initial impact of AI and automation leads to widespread adoption of new tools. Businesses and workers start integrating AI-powered solutions into their workflows, increasing efficiency and challenging traditional job roles.
- Job Transformation – The nature of work changes dramatically. By 2030, 70% of the skills required for most jobs will be different from today. Professionals must adapt by acquiring new competencies while companies rethink hiring strategies.
- Emergence of New Roles – Just as the knowledge economy created entirely new job titles, AI-driven industries will lead to brand-new career paths. Roles that didn't exist a decade ago—like data science or social media management—will be joined by AI-focused professions.
- The Innovation Economy – The final phase is the emergence of an economy driven by creativity, imagination, and human-centered innovation. As AI handles routine tasks, the most valuable workers will be those who leverage soft skills like curiosity, compassion, creativity, courage, and communication.
This transformation isn't happening in some distant future—it's unfolding right now. As industries shift toward AI-assisted work, individuals and businesses must stay ahead by investing in skill development and embracing adaptability.
Raman emphasizes that soft skills are becoming more valuable than technical skills in the AI era. He argues that as AI takes over analytical and computational tasks, uniquely human abilities—such as curiosity, compassion, creativity, courage, and communication—will be the most in demand.
Raman points out that engaging with AI is not just a digital skill set—it’s a communication skill set. AI will drive innovation through collaboration, meaning workers must excel in relationship-building, strategic thinking, and adaptability. LinkedIn’s research shows that 72% of U.S. executives agree that soft skills—like communication and creativity—are even more valuable than AI skills. This shift marks the rise of what Raman calls the “relationship economy”, where human-centered skills will be crucial for career growth and business success. AI can mimic certain aspects of human interaction, but it cannot develop qualities like courage or empathy independently.
The linear traditional career path progression is gone
The article also highlights that the more traditional linear career path is gone, and this is due to AI. The traditional career progression, where one enters a function and gradually rises through the ranks and manages more people and tasks, is gone. This goes back to the skills that a person has been able to retain, to ensure that the skills are something that the market values.
Are you getting enough education to stay relevant?
What each and every one of us should do is consider whether we are doing enough for education. I have mentioned several times in my previous articles that one of my biggest fears, from the beginning of my career, was that I would end up working on irrelevant things that would take down my professional career value. I have made sure that has not happened. An example is that I have challenged myself regularly in my career by working on opportunities that have taken me to uncomfortable areas, forcing me to educate myself on new topics.
I regularly get into uncomfortable areas to stay relevant
An example of getting into "uncomfortable areas" was last week when I decided to take part in a 5-day Sage Intacct Implementation trainingto gain more insights into Sage's ERP solution platform. Will I be delivering ERP solutions? No, but now I will be more educated on what the platform does, how it does it, and why it is winning market share. It is part of my new journey as global alliances leader for Microsoft and AWS. It also gives me a better position to discuss with Sage value-added resellers (VARs), customers globally, and hyperscalers like Microsoft and AWS.
Earlier in my career, I was an accounting specialist for the second-largest ERP vendor in Finland, so I did have some background in accounting besides having a Master's degree in management accounting. My Master's thesis in the past was to compare three Swedish and three Finnish ERP solutions, which was a fun project and ended up as a dissertation of 300+ pages. The training was intensive as each educational session ended with a practical exercise. One could not be left behind as we were configuring the Intacct ERP solution from the get-go, and every configuration, of course, has interdependencies. It was fun and I survived the week.
What you have to ask yourself is this: Are you doing enough education to stay up to date in your career? What are you doing regarding AI to incorporate that into your career? Do you already use tools such as ChatGPT, Perplexity.ai, Microsoft Copilot, etc.?
You should read the LinkedIn article by Bernard Marrand the interview to reflect on what Raman from LinkedIn thinks about the market's direction. He has a good view of the job market, its current needs, and its future needs.
I would love to hear your views on this topic. Do you already see what is happening in your domain and whether the company you represent is doing something about AI, and what that is?
Yours,
Dr. Petri I. Salonen
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