“Fear is the price of admission to a meaningful life. But preparation? That’s your power.”
- Nabeela Elsayed
This week’s article was inspired by a question I got in our community chat:
Noha asked what is by far one of the most common questions I get from most professionals today:
Should I stay or should I go?
What steps should someone take to prepare for a career transition?
How do you manage the fear and still take action?
I will answer this question in a multi-part series of articles.
Unlike many of my other posts, I will delve into the technical details here, so please bear with me. Think of this like a mini tutorial on how to plan your career.
And as a warning, in case you’re tired of all the AI talk, we cannot discuss career transitions without addressing the significant AI elephant in the room. So, yes, this will be very AI-esq, but I promise to do my best to make it practical and meaningful.
The Career Dilemma
At any given moment in your career, you may be standing at a professional crossroads, whether by design or by default. And regardless of how successful your career may be, or how powerful or influential you are, there will be moments when something just feels off.
I have also found this applies universally, whether you’re in a corporate role, a small business owner, or a successful founder. At multiple points in your work life, you’ll have a nagging thought swirling in your mind:
Should I stay the course, make a pivot, or take a giant leap?
This is a challenging question by default, but for high achievers, it can be downright debilitating. That’s because part of the high achiever mindset is this instinct to persevere and protect what we’ve built; this preservation instinct is then coupled with a drive to push through discomfort and a desire to perform regardless of the cost.
Until inevitably, the cost becomes too high.
The antidote to avoiding what I call the preserve and protect freeze is three things:
1. Maintaining an overview
2. Introspection
3. And Preparation
But how does one apply an overview, and what needs to be prepared?
Well, that's exactly what I want to walk you through in this series of articles so that you can move with context, foresight, and alignment to your inner truths. Its a process that will allow you to
* Examine the big picture (Maintain an overview)
* Align personal Intentions (Introspection)
* Define your Path (Preparation)
To be done correctly, though, it requires rolling up your sleeves, doing some solid thinking and research. To keep it simple and digestible, I will tackle one step at a time over the coming weeks.
This week, we will focus solely on Step 1: Maintain an Overview.
Step One: Scan the Horizon & Maintain an Overview
This is the step most people sense but don’t take the time to understand fully. To make the right career and life decisions, you always need to start by zooming out. Zooming out allows you to gain a better understanding of the broader terrain, including developments in your industry, the economy, and the disruptive trends shaping the world of work.
Now, you might be thinking:
"This is pointless, we’re always in a state of disruption."
And yes, that’s true. However, when it comes to disruptive events, especially those triggered by technology, it's essential to understand where we are in the technology maturity curve and how specific sectors will be impacted.
This curve is often referred to as the “Technology Adoption Lifecycle” or the “Gartner Hype Cycle”, which is basically a fairly predictable cycle that articulates the journey technology will take from being considered disruptive to becoming widely adopted to business as usual. Just a quick distinction between these two models
* The Technology Adoption Lifecycle explains who adopts technology and when.
* The Gartner Hype Cycle explains how public perception evolves from hype to reality.
Both of these things are important indicators of how customer behaviour will shift and, thereby, how companies will react or be affected.
I know it’s overused, but my favorite example is Uber. There was a time in the early 2000s when the idea of using your phone to call a random stranger to pick you up and take you somewhere for a fee was considered wild and disruptive - now we don't even think about it; it has become business as usual. We allow complete strangers to drive us around, drop off our dinner and stock our fridges without a second thought.
Another important consideration is that different technologies have varying adoption curves. Consumer technology, such as smartphones and social media, has a shorter adoption curve, typically spanning 3-7 years, while enterprise technology, including cloud computing, CRM tools, and SaaS tools, may take 5-10 years. Deep tech solutions, like AI or blockchain, may require 7-15 years.
Here are some concrete examples:
* Cloud computing took ~10 years (AWS launched in 2006, broad enterprise adoption ~2016).
* Smartphones took ~5 years (from the iPhone’s launch in 2007 to full market penetration).
* Generative AI is still in its early stages. We are in years 1–3, we’re still on the curve.
Okay, this is not a tech blog, so you are probably asking where am I going with this? Technology, along with other major social events—such as the 2008 Financial Crisis or COVID-19 — are the macroeconomic changes that have the most significant impact on careers by far. Technology changes consumer behaviour, which in turn changes business strategy, leading to business transformations and subsequently impacting jobs, which then drive the adoption of more technology, ultimately continuing to influence consumer behaviour.
Let me illustrate this example further:
Below is a graph that illustrates the Consumer Tech Adoption Curve and Its Impact on Jobs and Society:
While 2007 was the breakthrough of consumer tech, its influence was already growing in the late 90s and early 2000s - now imagine you were paying attention to the technology, its maturity curve and anticipating how it might affect jobs and careers. Imagine if, in 2000, you were keeping an overview, strategizing, and planning what you might do professionally, entrepreneurially, or from a skill development perspective.
What decisions could you have made?
What trade-offs would have made more sense?
What businesses could you have built?
But here is the thing, most people are not paying attention to the slow swell of disruptive change or anticipating its peak or when it will crash. Most people are merely being carried along by the current, relatively passive about what it will mean for their careers or lives. Because this is the thing most people don't realize, disruption is rarely sudden; it builds quietly before breaking out.
To continue demonstrating the importance of paying attention to macroeconomic factors, the following graph illustrates the technology adoption lifecycle of Consumer tech, enterprise tech, and deep tech across a timeline from 2000 to 2050.
Now, let's zoom in one more time to the dot.com and personal tech era of the early 2000s to 2010. During this period, traditional industries, including newspapers, bookstores, and magazines, underwent significant disruption. Newsrooms and media outlets had to shrink and reinvent themselves; some survived, but most didn't. There was a complete disintegration of traditional news-telling roles, and in its place, it gave rise to public relations and communications-related jobs. Below is a graph of this shift based on BLS data from 2012.
In 2012, if you were a journalist, you were looking at a median salary of $ 37,000, as well as a 13% decline in job growth. On the other hand, PR professionals earned a median salary of $54,000 and were projected to experience 12% growth in the job market.
Now, let’s layer the industry data on top of the tech adoption curve.
Okay, now in my opinion, this is an extremely powerful and compelling picture.
Now, place yourself as a high-performing journalist or news media professional back in 2012. You knew things were shifting; you saw the budget cuts, the layoffs, the hiring freezes, but imagine if you took the time to zoom out and do the research. And with the graph above in hand, had taken an intentional approach.
What could that pivot have looked like in real terms? Well, several things:
* Pursuing additional education and certifications in Public Relations
* Working as a contractor and freelancer in PR to build up a portfolio.
* Clearly articulating how your skills as a journalist, news professional, or media professional translate into PR. For example, the savvy journalist brought their newsroom networks into the corporate world, which proved to be a very compelling competitive advantage.
* Rebranding yourself online in every way possible
* Connecting with others who were making the pivot for references, referrals and inside network access
Now, let’s use a more timely and relevant example.
Someone recently approached me and mentioned that they had just graduated from university with a degree in data science and are now looking for an entry-level data analyst role.
I grimaced a bit before I told them- that won't be nearly enough and that they needed to rethink their entire career. Below are the career growth prospects for Data Analysts in Toronto according to StatsCanada Job Bank Site.
Now, keep in mind that government data has a significant lag, so in this case, the Canadian data does not yet reflect the actual impact of AI. Even so, a data analyst shows moderate growth prospects, so if you are in a job with low to moderate growth, that is a significant signal to consider planning a pivot.
Though the maturity model of AI is still in its early stages, adoption is happening at an unprecedented rate, and the next five years will be dizzying. The hiring slowdowns, the restructuring, the workforce reductions you’re seeing? That’s companies changing their business strategies and preparing for organizational transformations.
Okay, back to my Data scientist student. They have two things to do:
* AI’ify their skills, which includes upskilling themselves for how Data science will change with AI.
* And/or focus on trying to get experience in a more stable industry
Here is what a development plan would look like if I were them:
AI Career Development Plan
Goal:
To build a future-proof, AI-enhanced career path by deepening technical skills, gaining real-world experience, and strengthening uniquely human capabilities that AI cannot replace.
Strategic Focus Areas:
· Strengthen technical fluency in machine learning and LLM development
· Apply AI to real-world domains and problems
· Cultivate human power skills (communication, ethics, critical thinking)
· Build a public portfolio and professional presence
· Track emerging AI roles and adjust trajectory accordingly
6-Month Development Roadmap:
Months 1–2 – Core Skills
· Complete a structured ML course
· Do a Kaggle mini-project to apply concepts
Months 2–3 – LLM Literacy
· Build a GPT-powered project using OpenAI or Hugging Face
· Learn prompt engineering and chain-of-thought prompting
Months 3–4 – Domain Application
· Join a hackathon or volunteer project in a real-world domain (health, education, etc.)
· Conduct a case study applying AI to a domain-specific issue
Months 4–5 – Showcase & Ship
· Build a personal portfolio site (GitHub + Notion + blog)
· Write and publish 1–2 project writeups or tutorials
Months 5–6 – Visibility & Career Prep
· Start posting weekly on LinkedIn or Medium/Substack
· Apply for internships, fellowships, or junior AI/DS roles
Future Career Paths to Explore:
· AI Product Manager
· Prompt Engineer / LLM Developer
· AI Safety or Ethics Specialist
· AI + Domain Expert (e.g., AI + climate, healthcare)
· Human-AI Interaction Designer
And even all of that won’t be enough:
Now, you might be thinking the data science student has it easy. After all, they’re already a technologist. Surely, they can just learn AI and ride the wave?
Unfortunately, that won’t be enough.
Just like journalists back in 2010, hundreds of thousands of data scientists will flood the job market, all trying to pivot, adapt, and stay relevant. But when everyone’s playing the same game, the rules change, and so does the advantage.
Microsoft recently commissioned a major study on the impact of AI on jobs. The results are sobering. Below is a table based on their findings, highlighting the top 40 occupations with the highest AI applicability score—the roles most likely to be disrupted. Scan the far-right column and you’ll see the number of people currently employed in those roles. Data scientists made the list of top 40 roles with high Applicability - all 192,000 of them.
Here is the list of jobs with the lowest AI applicability score, meaning the least to be impacted by AI.
Which brings us to the bigger truth: learning AI is necessary, but it’s not sufficient. Along withthe AI fluency required to do the jobs of the future, we also need to deepen the skills that make us distinctly human, the things AI will struggle to replicate.
Because no matter how much disruption the world throws at us, one thing remains true: humans will still need and want other humans to do certain kinds of work.
The individuals who thrive in this era will be those who can adapt to technology not by competing with it, but by collaborating with it. They’ll use AI to augment their abilities while leaning into the human aspects of work that matter most:
* Nurturing trust and relationships
* Being physically and emotionally present
* Applying emotional intelligence
* Exercising ethical judgment under uncertainty
These are the differentiators.
Jobs rooted in care, creativity, crisis, or culture where nuance, unpredictability, and human connection are essential will remain far more resilient than those built on repetition or rote cognition.
In the age of AI, your employability won’t hinge on technical proficiency alone. It will depend on your capacity to center the human experience. Those who can blend AI fluency with human fluency, who can master the tech, and who remain uniquely human, won’t just survive this shift. They’ll lead it.
Now What?
To answer Noha’s question: it starts with lifting your head above water—moving from being dragged by the current to learning how to ride the wave.
Yes, it’s overwhelming. But it’s not unknowable.
The future isn’t some abstract storm barreling toward us; it’s unfolding in real time. The data is out there. The patterns are visible. The shifts are already underway. You don’t need to predict the future perfectly you just need to stop outsourcing your awareness of it.
So take a breath.Look at the terrain.Then start moving with intention.
We won’t all become electricians or psychotherapists. But we can all become better navigators. We can take responsibility for preparing ourselves eyes wide open, sleeves rolled up.
Below are some of the best tools to help you get started:
* Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook (U.S. job trends)
* Stats Canada Job Market Predictions (Canada-specific forecasts)
* Microsoft Research on AI's Job Impact
* Gartner Hype Cycle(to understand where tech sits on the adoption curve)
In my next article, I’ll help you zoom in, moving from external context to internal clarity. Once you understand the landscape, the next step is figuring out where you want to go and how to get there.
P.S. This week’s article was a departure from my usual format, and I’d love to hear what you think. Did this help? Was it overwhelming? Empowering? Leave a comment or share it with someone who's feeling lost in the noise.
P.S.S. We’re almost 1,000 strong in the Re-Imagine Success community which is honestly so humbling. Up until now, the group chat was just for paid subscribers, but I don’t just want to spark conversation I want to help create a movement.
So starting now, the chat is open to all subscribers free and paid.
If you’ve been reading quietly, this is your cue to join the conversation. Bring your thoughts, your questions, your uncertainty.
Let’s make this space one where we can wrestle with big shifts together with honesty, curiosity, and a bit of hope. I’d truly love to see you there.
P.S.S.S. (Okay, I know we’re getting into ridiculous territory with these P.S.’s. I promise this is the last one.)
I’m launching a new “Ask Us Anything” series! Live conversations with some seriously talented, thoughtful humans I’ve invited into the Re-Imagine Success orbit.
We’ll be tackling your questions about work, transitions, burnout, purpose, ambition, you name it.
Nothing is off-limits.
Our first session will be on August 12th, and I’ll be sending out more details soon.So make sure you're subscribed, stay tuned… and yes, bring your questions. I can't wait.
If you made it to the end, you’ve got range.
For more content on redefining leadership and getting off the burnout loop, you can:👉 Follow me on LinkedIn, YouTube or Instagram🎙️ Listen to the article on the Substack or wherever you get your podcast: Re-Imagine Success Podcast📨 Or just forward this to a colleague who needs a little perspective (and maybe a little permission to let go of the balancing act).
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