Latest news with #CareerPivot
Forbes
11-08-2025
- Business
- Forbes
AI Is Changing Work Forever: These Skills Will Keep You Ahead (No Tuition Required)
Artificial intelligence won't replace your job. But someone who knows how to use it will. Open LinkedIn and you'll see it instantly. AI skills are showing up in job descriptions that never mentioned them a few months ago. Knowing how to get the most out of ChatGPT is now a baseline, not a bonus. The shift has been fast and unforgiving. For mid-career professionals, it can feel like the ground is moving under your feet. The tools change. The expectations placed on you change. And the expertise you've spent years building suddenly feels at risk. Here's the reality: staying relevant doesn't mean quitting your job, going back to school, or putting your career on hold. The pivot is possible. It starts with small, deliberate moves. Why the Skills Gap Is Growing The World Economic Forum predicts that by 2030, nearly 60% of the global workforce will need to retrain, upskill, or move into new roles. AI, automation, and digital tools are reshaping job descriptions across industries. Even knowledge work, made up of professionals who create value through expertise, critical thinking, and interpersonal skills, is getting a complete rewrite. In the last year alone, daily AI use at work has doubled. By 2030, up to 30% of U.S. jobs could be automated. And it's not only technical roles at risk. Emotional intelligence, creativity, and adaptability are now expected to pair with tech literacy. This hybrid skill set—human judgment plus digital fluency—is becoming the new standard. The question is no longer if you will upskill, but how. Reframe Upskilling as Micro, Not Monumental We tend to picture 'upskilling,' as a big leap: a boot camp, a degree, a career detour. In reality, the most meaningful growth comes from small, consistent steps you can fit into the week you already have. That might mean finally learning how ChatGPT works instead of skimming scary headlines about it. It could be exploring the AI features built into tools you already use, like Canva, Airtable, Loom, or Miro. Or it might be practicing sharper, more strategic questions so AI delivers deeper, more accurate answers. More than half of U.S. workers fear their skills will become obsolete, and small steps today can ease that anxiety. You don't have to figure it out alone. Platforms like LinkedIn Learning, Coursera, Reforge, and Maven offer bite-sized lessons you can finish over your lunch break and still see a real impact. How to Audit Your Skills Gap Think in threes: where you are now, where you want to go, and what the market is asking for. Spot the tools you're expected to use but haven't mastered yet. Review job postings for the roles you want and note the skills that appear over and over. Notice when you rely on colleagues for tech tasks you could handle yourself. This isn't a report card. It's a roadmap. And it shows you exactly where to focus next. If you need a starting point, here are examples of industry-specific training worth exploring: This is not a complete list, but whatever you choose, add certifications to your LinkedIn and place them prominently in your resume's skills sections. Applicant tracking systems scan for those keywords, and without them, you could be filtered out, often by AI itself. Earning and showcasing these skills will put you ahead of the pack, especially since only a small share of professionals familiar with AI truly understand how it works. Career-Boosting Projects That Double as Learning The fastest way to learn is to put new skills into action. Automate a recurring task in Zapier. Build a Notion dashboard your team didn't know they needed. Use GenAI to jumpstart that client pitch you've been avoiding. Each project builds fluency and leaves you with tangible results you can use across your career. Share them with your team or post a short reflection on LinkedIn. The growth is the point. The visibility is a bonus. The Career-Long Learner Advantage Upskilling isn't a one-time effort. It's an ongoing practice. In a world where the tools will keep changing, adaptability is not optional. It's your advantage. Your next big career move might not be a new job. It might be a new skill. And that may take you further than any title ever could.
Forbes
13-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Career Advice For Unemployed Social Impact Workers Hit By Federal Cuts
Many people take jobs in the federal government – or with organizations that receive government funding – because want their work to create positive social impact. Many such workers have been laid off from government, nonprofit, academic and private sector positions this year due to federal firings, frozen budgets and contract terminations. This has created an army of unemployed professionals with experience in DEI, foreign aid and public health, for example, competing for scarce jobs in those fields. 'The job market is brutal,' said Wayan Vota, who launched CareerPivot on February 1, the day after he lost his USAID-related job. He reports that 13,000 people have subscribed to this 'community of action' designed to help anyone who has lost a job due to USAID defunding. Vota said he has heard from recruiters that international development openings now attract 300 to 500 applicants from ex-USAID ecosystem job seekers, in addition to the usual 200+ applications from those without such experience. And those that are hired often take substantial pay cuts 'just to have a job,' according to Vota. How tough is it out there? A Chronicle of Philanthropy tracker of nonprofit jobs tallied nearly 20,000 layoffs nationwide from January 20 through May led by cuts in 'education (916 positions), health care (1,617 positions), and organizations providing food, housing, and shelter (414).' And more are on the horizon. It's particularly acute in 'the DMV', the Washington DC/Maryland/Virginia corridor, which is home to so many federal and government-funded workers. Job postings on the hiring platform Indeed in the city of Washington, D.C. fell by 17% from January 20 to late May and applications from federal workers have surged. – the top website for listings of social impact jobs – estimates that its online traffic was up a whopping 39% between January and May in the DMV compared to 2024. A growing number of individuals and institutions are investing ways to help newly unemployed workers unearth opportunities. This year, for example, Michael McCabe, a 30-year veteran of international development work, created Collective Leadership LLC to provide free online resources and to coach clients (especially in the social impact space) who hire him for help tackling career challenges. For many such people, their next move may not be doing the type of work they have done before. McCabe advises job seekers to 'reflect on what you really love doing (not just job names but daily skills) and broaden and then narrow your search for possible jobs that align.' Even the most flexible of applicants should be prepared for the job search to be a long, emotionally-challenging slog. 'Competition is fierce and you will be unemployed for 3-6 months,' Vota said he tells job seekers. 'This is a financially and emotionally traumatic marathon. Expect to experience many emotions, much stress, and very dark days. You will question if you have worth, if you will ever be employed, and if the unemployment pain will ever abate. It will, one day.' To deal with the challenges, McCabe tells clients to recognize they are not alone in this 'massive disruptive moment.' They should 'be very intentional in creating both personal and professional support networks or circles.' It is neither healthy nor feasible for job seekers to be applying for work 24/7 so they will inevitably have more empty space on their calendars than they are used to. They should make the most of that. 'Spend this time to skill up on emerging priority skills and certifications such as AI/technology or project/financial management,' said McCabe. 'You may be surprised by joy to try something outside of your traditional path, such as if you go for a teaching certification to help fill the current teacher gap, and then apply your previous experience to that work.' People impacted by the federal cuts should check out these valuable free online resources: – Tips and Resources for Young and Transitioning Professionals in a Changing Global and Career Environment by Michael McCabe – Career Pivot by Wayan Vota – Resources for Unemployed Federal Workers by The Job Hopper – Pivot With Purpose: News Paths In Development And Beyond by The Georgetown School of Foreign Service – How To Survive A Layoff by
