The Robots Aren’t Coming For Your Job, But They Are Changing It: Here’s How
The world of work is shifting on its axis. Roles that have existed for decades are evolving, and new ones are emerging at a pace we’ve never seen before. At the heart of this transformation are skills.
They are the currency of your career, the very thing that connects you as an individual to incredible opportunities.
I could talk about skills forever. It’s a genuine passion of mine. Before becoming a Career Navigation Specialist, skills were my day-to-day language.
As a staffing and deployment lead, I was constantly analysing the pipeline of work to figure out what skills our teams needed. I’d measure our existing capabilities to identify where our strengths and gaps were.
I spent my time advising people on how to sharpen their skills to build fulfilling careers, creating skills gap analyses for those on the path to promotion. My last year at PwC was even spent as a Skills Activation Lead, driving new, global ways of working with skills.
I absolutely love skills. They are the unique blueprint of who we are professionally. Your specific combination of skills and your proficiency in them is what makes you, you.
And right now, the skills landscape is undergoing a fascinating change, thanks to the rise of Artificial Intelligence.
The AI Paradox: The Rise of the Human
You might think the rise of AI means we all need to become coding geniuses. While tech skills are certainly valuable, what we’re actually seeing is a huge surge in the demand for uniquely human skills.
As AI takes on more of the routine, data-heavy tasks, it’s our ability to think, create, and connect that becomes our greatest asset. AI is a powerful tool, but it’s not a leader, a creator, or a critical friend. That’s where we come in.
The future of work isn’t about man versus machine. It’s about man with machine. It’s about leveraging technology to free up our time to focus on the things that humans do best.
The Skills on the Rise
So, what are the skills that are gaining momentum in this new world? Research from bodies like the World Economic Forum paints a clear picture. These are the capabilities that will make you indispensable.
Top 10 Trending Skills:
- Analytical Thinking: The ability to dissect information, see the connections, and solve complex problems. It’s about asking the right questions of the data that AI provides.
- Creative Thinking: As AI handles the predictable, our ability to generate novel ideas and innovative solutions becomes a key differentiator.
- Resilience, Flexibility, and Agility: The world is changing fast. The ability to adapt, bounce back from setbacks, and navigate uncertainty is crucial for career longevity.
- Leadership and Social Influence: Inspiring and guiding teams, building relationships, and influencing others are deeply human capabilities that technology cannot replicate.
- AI and Big Data Literacy: You don’t necessarily need to code, but understanding the principles of AI and being able to work with data is becoming a baseline requirement.
- Curiosity and Lifelong Learning: The desire to explore, ask questions, and continuously update your skillset is perhaps the most important skill of all.
- Technological Literacy: A general understanding of how technology is shaping your industry and the ability to adopt new tools with ease.
- Emotional Intelligence: The capacity to be aware of, control, and express one’s emotions, and to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously1 and empathetically.
- Service Orientation and Customer Service: A focus on anticipating, recognising, and meeting people’s needs. This human touch is vital in a world of automated responses.
- Talent Management: The ability to attract, develop, and retain talented people will be a critical leadership skill.
(Source: Based on findings from the World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Report)
The Skills on the Wane
With the rise of new skills, it’s inevitable that the value of others will decline. This isn’t about human capabilities becoming useless, but rather that technology is now able to handle many routine and manual tasks with incredible efficiency.
Recognising which skills are losing ground isn’t about causing alarm; it’s a strategic prompt to look at where you should focus your personal development. If your role is heavily reliant on these, it’s time to think about upskilling and leaning into more human-centric or complex capabilities.
Top 10 Declining Skills:
- Manual Data Entry & Processing: The ability to manually type or input data is rapidly being superseded by automated systems that can extract, categorise, and process information from documents and images in seconds.
- Basic Literacy (Reading, Writing, Maths): To be clear, these are still fundamental. However, according to the World Economic Forum, their importance relative to other skills is declining as AI tools can now handle basic drafting, proofreading, and calculation, shifting the focus to higher-level communication and analytical skills.
- Routine Information & Memory Recall: In an age where any fact is instantly accessible, the skill of simply memorising and recalling information on demand has less value. The focus is shifting towards using that information for problem-solving.
- Manual Dexterity, Endurance & Precision: For tasks involving assembly, handling objects, or other precise physical movements, robotics and machinery are increasingly taking over, especially in manufacturing and logistics.
- Managing Personnel (Administrative Tasks): While leadership and influence are rising, the purely administrative side of management—like scheduling rotas or approving timesheets—is being automated by workforce management software.
- Technology Installation & Maintenance (Basic): The skill of setting up basic hardware or software is becoming less specialised as technology becomes more user-friendly and cloud-based, with automated setup wizards.
- Telemarketing & Cold Calling: The skill of performing scripted, high-volume sales calls is being replaced by AI-driven marketing automation and analytics that can identify warmer leads more effectively.
- Quality Control & Visual Inspection: AI-powered visual recognition systems can now spot defects or inconsistencies in products on a production line with a speed and accuracy that surpasses the human eye.
- Basic Bookkeeping & Transaction Recording: Software now automates the process of recording financial transactions, generating invoices, and reconciling accounts, reducing the need for manual ledger entry.
- Information Search & Retrieval: The basic skill of finding information is being transformed. While research is key, the simple act of locating documents or data is less of a skill now than the ability to critically evaluate and synthesise what AI-powered search tools deliver.
(Source: Analysis based on trends identified in reports from the World Economic Forum, McKinsey, and other industry analysts on the future of work.)
Seeing a skill you rely on within this list isn’t a dead end. It’s a signpost. It directs you to pivot towards the skills that technology can’t replicate: your creativity, your analytical mind, and your ability to connect with and lead others. These are the foundations you can build upon for a future-proof career.
Your skills are your story. They tell a prospective employer what you are capable of and what you are passionate about. Understanding your own skills inventory is the first step to navigating your career with purpose.
Unsure what your skills can mean for your career future? Book a free consultation with me or get in touch via the DMs and let’s have a chat about it.
Excellent blog post there Tony re skills.