How to Build a Career in the Age of AI
How to Evolve Your Think about Careers in a Changing World of Work
I’ve been spending time lately working with a few organizations on the ways in which they do development for their leaders. Between this client work and evaluating the broader concept of a career as it relates to this changing workplace I’m feeling more than ever we’re in a moment where the idea of a “career” is being completely redefined.
For years, many of us were taught to think of our careers like a ladder: follow the path, check the boxes, meet the competencies, and keep climbing. But that model was built for a different time. In today’s world, especially in an era shaped by AI, complexity, and constant change—that model feels outdated.
The ladder (as well as subsequent models of the lattice, jungle gym, climbing wall, whatever other model you know) is making space for another model, perhaps by something more fluid. And more uncertain. (Note: To be sure, this was happening before the emergence of AI in the workplace (ex: my best guess is it started around the 2010s… but has accelerated greatly with the latest advent of AI tools circa 2022…)
But here’s the opportunity: we don’t have to wait for someone to tell us what to do. We don’t have to rely on the org chart. We don’t need permission. We just need to get moving. We need to be generative.
What Does It Mean to Be Generative?
We talk a lot about generative AI these days, tools that can create content, code, or ideas. But let’s not forget the original meaning of generative: the power to create, produce, originate.
This word matters, because in a world of shifting roles, emerging skills, and evolving technologies, the most successful professionals won’t be the ones with the perfect resume. They’ll be the ones who create new opportunities, new paths, and new value. They’ll be the ones who are generative.
Being generative isn’t just a capability for our AI products - It’s a human capability too. It means approaching your career as something you build, not something you follow. It’s the belief that you can create your own opportunities, by staying curious, by being proactive, and by showing up with intention.
Being generative means you don’t need a job title to start solving problems. You don’t need an org chart to justify your contributions. You don’t need permission to start. You can act/experiment/explore.
It means you see your career as a platform, not a path. Something you build and evolve with intention, not just follow step by step. That mindset is more valuable than ever in a world where jobs and skills evolve fast, and defined paths become more ambiguous.
Forget Predictability, Think in Possibility
Trying to predict the future of work is a losing game. Just a few years ago, everyone was told to become a software engineer. Now, with AI writing code, that advice is less ironclad.
Instead of trying to “figure it all out,” treat your career like a product in beta. You’re not mapping out a perfect sequence of moves, you’re staying curious, testing ideas, learning quickly, and refining as you go. Careers today aren’t episodic or linear. They’re dynamic, fluid, and continuous.
This shift reframes how you approach your career:
From static to dynamic: Your career isn’t a single story, it’s a series of evolving narratives.
From plans to progress: It’s not about having it all mapped out. It’s about moving forward by learning through doing.
From certainty to exploration: You don’t have to know the outcome. You just have to be willing to try.
How Do You Become Generative? Build Career Habits
Being generative sounds aspirational—but how do you actually do it?
The answer lies in career habits. These are the consistent practices that help you create, explore, and grow your career over time. You can’t always control the opportunities that come your way. But you can control your readiness for them. Career habits are your foundation. They’re your daily operating system for navigating uncertainty, creating momentum, and shaping your future.
There are many career habits you could adopt. You may even have some already even if you don’t fully realize it, but in my experience working with hundreds of leaders here are five foundational ones that you can lean on as you redefine career growth in the AI era:
Habit #1: Practice Self-Awareness
Self-awareness is the foundation of meaningful career growth. But it’s not about having all the answers or knowing everything about yourself—it’s about noticing what’s right in front of you: the work you’re doing, how it makes you feel, and what that says about your strengths, values, and goals. It’s the practice of tuning into your day-to-day experiences and using them as clues to guide your next steps.
True self-awareness includes both inward reflection and outward attention. Internally, it means being honest with yourself about your interests, skills, and energy levels. Externally, it means listening—to feedback from peers, patterns in your industry, and signals from your environment about what’s changing and what’s needed. Those external observations are just as valuable for making informed decisions about your career.
This habit is especially critical in today’s evolving world of work. Take a moment to get honest about two things:
A) What is your role, really, in this moment?
B) How is your function or industry shifting, especially with the influence of AI?
Actions You Can Take Today:
Research how AI is impacting your role, function, or industry. Reflect on what that means for your future.
Audit your current projects and responsibilities. Identify what you want to do more ofor less of to better align with your strengths and interests.
Evaluate your VISA (Values, Interests, Strengths, Ambitions) and how it shows up in your work today.
Habit #2: Advocate for Yourself and Your Work
Doing great work is important. But making your work visible internally and externally-is just as critical. Too often, others are unaware of the impact we’re making simply because we haven’t taken the time to share it.
This habit isn’t about self-promotion for the sake of ego. It’s about helping others understand your expertise so they can support, recommend, or partner with you. Visibility builds trust, unlocks collaboration, and creates new opportunities.
Actions You Can Take Today:
Start documenting your wins, learnings, and impact. Share a brief update with your manager each week.
Take a useful template, tool, or insight you’ve created and share it with a colleague or peer.
Join a professional community or share a quick post about something you’ve learned recently.
Habit #3: Build Your Career Team
Career growth isn’t a solo journey, it’s a team sport. Your success is directly influenced by the number of people who know you, believe in you, and want to see you win.
This is your “Career Team,” aka the people you can talk to about your goals, seek advice from, or get connected through. These relationships don’t appear overnight. They’re built through curiosity, consistency, and generosity.
Actions You Can Take Today:
Map out your current “Career Team.” Who’s supporting you? How are you investing in those relationships?
If there are gaps, identify what kind of support you need (e.g., feedback, introductions, coaching).
Ask your manager or mentor for 2 introductions to people aligned with your interests.
Habit #4: Run Career Experiments
You don’t need a perfect five-year plan. You need a mindset of curiosity and experimentation. In fact, in uncertain times, experimentation is one of the best ways to make progress.
Treat your interests as hypotheses. Test them through low-risk, high-learning activities like side projects, job shadowing, or learning new tools. These small bets create insight, clarity, and momentum.
Actions You Can Take Today:
Run one career experiment related to AI. It could be as simple as using a new tool or helping your team automate a task. (Read This for more details on how to run an experiment)
Take one curiosity (a skill, role, or topic you’re interested in) and design a small project or learning sprint around it.
Reflect on what you learned and what you want to try next
Habit #5: Create Your Own Opportunities
In the AI era, waiting for permission or direction is a recipe for stagnation. The most successful professionals are generative: they create value, spark ideas, and take initiative, often before anyone asks them to.
Creating your own opportunities doesn’t require a grand plan. It starts with looking around, identifying a gap or need, and taking a small step to contribute. The beauty of creating your own opportunities, is that it ends up like a virtuous cycle - opportunities beget opportunity, so as you start to do this more often, don’t be surprised that when you create your own opportunities, more opportunities start coming your way
Actions You Can Take Today:
Volunteer for an extra project next quarter that aligns with a passion or stretch goal.
Offer to mentor a new hire or peer to build your leadership skills.
Organize a knowledge-sharing session at work to exchange ideas with others.
Final Thought: You Don’t Need Permission. You Just Need to Start.
We’re entering an era where traditional rules and mental models around career development are evolving AI is rewriting the playbook, and the most successful professionals won’t be the ones who followed the steps, rather, they’ll be the ones who take their own steps forward
You don’t need to wait for the perfect job or title. You don’t need to rely on the system or the ladder, You don’t need to know exactly where you’re going, stay generative. Keep practicing the career habits that move you forward.
So the next time you’re unsure about what’s next, don’t ask, “What should I do?” Ask, “What could I create?” Then take a small step in that direction. And keep going.
Call To Action
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this newsletter and found it valuable and would like to work together, here are three ways. If you’re looking for some help for your learning and development, leadership development, I’d love to work with you: Here is how I might be able to assist:
Leadership & Learning Programs: Formal training and leadership development in your company, such as new manager or new leader training, or skill-based programs. (See Here for more details)
Keynote Speaking - Do you have a conference, offsite, or event and in need of a speaker? I’d love to hear more and see how I can assist
1:1 Executive Coaching - Are you looking for an executive coach for 1:1 leadership support? Let’s chat about how we can work together
Feel free to contact me directly for more details!
I could not agree more. I’ve personally experienced how thoughtfully engaging with AI has transformed my own career path, turning months of traditional reflection into hours of profound clarity and growth. Your emphasis on being 'generative,' creating your own opportunities, aligns perfectly with the reflective approach I've adopted.