07 Jul Planning Your Career in the Age of AI

With the current chatter around AI replacing jobs, students are in a fix. Students are confused about which fields to pursue and how to plan. This is a topic that comes up time and again in our discussions with students. Parents are worried, too, as the long-held belief is that a degree from a good university guarantees a job. Not anymore.

Here is what we think about this.

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Build a Strong Foundation in What Interests you

AI is still shaping the corporate world, and we still don’t know what the future workplace will look like. We do not advise taking up something simply because it looks promising without genuine interest. Without real curiosity for the field, the work will become harder to sustain. This is where our Student Interest Compass helps you, identifying areas that you are more likely to explore and enjoy.

We also suggest strengthening your foundations, like mathematics, sciences, humanities: whatever interests you. In the future, your subject choices will not define the boundaries of your career. Employers will value people who can carry their knowledge across disciplines; a science student who understands people, or a humanities student who is comfortable with data. The goal is not to pick the “right” subject, but to go deep enough in something that you can think rigorously, and broadly enough that you can apply it across contexts.

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Industry will Demand More Soft Skills

Although AI is good at managing routine tasks at the workplace, it cannot replace the qualities that humans bring to the table – creativity, empathy, and communication. These are the qualities AI genuinely struggles to replicate, and they are what employers will look for most.

Reflect on the work you have done so far and identify a few areas that intersect with art or problem-solving, and develop them to stand out. For instance, if you are interested in Chemistry, find a local vendor or school canteen and run simple tests to check for food adulteration in everyday items like milk, spices, and oil. Document what you find and present it to your school or community. Alternatively, test the soil quality in a community garden or a school plot and recommend what crops would grow best. 

AI will Change What Jobs Look Like

AI will manage operational tasks of future jobs. However, a doctor will still see patients, and a lawyer will still argue for cases. AI will help coders in writing code, but software developers will still need to optimise it and understand client requirements. It means the workforce of tomorrow will have to start jobs with more refined skills from day one.

We suggest that students work on acquiring transferable skills from the time they start university. Do not wait for last year. Instead, start from the second semester once you have settled into the university and sign up for internships and extra courses.

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Conclusion

In our opinion, AI will not replace humans in jobs. Instead, it will make jobs more interesting by replacing the operational tasks. People with strong foundations in subjects of their choice and a proven track record of problem-solving and additional work will flourish in the workplace. A degree from a good university still matters but what you build alongside it matters just as much.