The modern human is a child of technology, whose lineage started with fire.

Throughout millennia, technological advancements have revolutionized industries, reshaped economies, and fundamentally transformed the nature of work.

As a professional navigating this world, understanding and adapting to technological disruptions is crucial for your career progression.

Let’s give you the keys you need…

What Is Technological Disruption?

Technological disruption refers to the profound, substantial, and material changes that new technology brings to industries, businesses, and the job market.

These changes often challenge norms, create new opportunities, and introduce new risks. When it’s all said and done, a disruption completely transforms the way work is done in every industry it touches; leading to cascading reactions that transform the entirety of a culture, and eventually the world.

In other words, unlike the venture capital bait term “disruptive” business, which is used to hint at the potential for viral growth for a startup, an actual technological disruption is a world-changing historic event – a type of change that changes everything.

Examples of Past Technological Disruption

  • Printing Press: Revolutionized the dissemination of information by enabling mass production of books and other printed materials, which disrupted the manual copying of texts. This democratized knowledge, leading to widespread literacy and the spread of new ideas. Subsequently, the printing press toppled totalitarian religious institutions and established what we know as modern science.
  • Steam Engine: Transformed transportation and manufacturing by powering trains, ships, and machinery. This disrupted manual labor and traditional forms of transport, fueling the Industrial Revolution. This process not only accelerated urbanization, but became the foundation of our energy centered modern global culture.
  • Computers: Automated complex calculations and data processing, disrupting manual computation, information management, and clerical jobs. Computers revolutionized industries from finance to healthcare, from government to entertainment, from manufacturing to sales – leading to unprecedented efficiency and innovation in every industry that exists.
  • Internet: Created a global network for information exchange, disrupting traditional media, communication, and commerce even further than what computers had already accomplished. The internet enabled the rise of e-commerce, social media, and digital communication, reshaping society and business practices.
  • GPS: Enhanced navigation and location tracking, disrupting traditional maps and navigation methods. GPS technology improved logistics, transportation, and personal navigation – You would be hard-pressed to find any technology that relates to one’s location on Earth that does not use some derivative of GPS.
  • E-commerce: Revolutionized retail by enabling online shopping, disrupting brick-and-mortar stores. E-commerce platforms like Amazon permanently changed consumer behavior, leading to the rise of digital marketplaces and a near complete extinction of shopping malls and other physical retail spaces.
  • Smartphones: Combined communication, computing, and multimedia into portable devices that fit in your hand. The still ongoing disruption eliminated the need for devices like cameras, MP3 players, and GPS units. Smartphones transformed how we communicate, access information, and entertain ourselves.
  • Social Media Networks: Changed how people interact and share information, disrupting traditional media and communication channels. Platforms like Facebook and Twitter created new forms of social interaction and marketing. These platforms can create revolutions and significantly influence, if not outright determine election results.
  • 3D Printing: Enabled on-demand manufacturing of complex objects, disrupting traditional manufacturing and prototyping methods. While still in its infancy, 3D printing allows for rapid production, customization, and innovation in industries ranging from healthcare to aerospace. As more materials become printable, we may find ourselves in a world where factories are thing of the past.

As you can see from the examples, technological disruptions are a big deal.

Why then are we talking about it?

Could it be that we are in the middle of yet another tremendous technological revolution that is going to change everything?

We Were Already in the Middle of a Big Technological Disruption

A technological disruption was already being caused by digitization and globalization. According to McKinsey, due to this disruption:

  • Labor Markets Under Strain: Talent is often underutilized (underemployed) due to a mismatch between available skills and demand for work. Meaning: most professionals cannot find jobs they are satisfied with.
  • Stagnating Household Incomes: Household incomes (especially in advanced economies) have stagnated or fallen – causing significant anger and political reactions.
  • Mismatch of Skills, Jobs, and Locations: Skills, jobs, and locations were not matching. Meaning: many can’t get a job with their skills where they are, or find jobs matching their skills.
  • Cross-Border Migration: Migration accelerated, turning into a hot topic political item. While migration, fills some skill gaps and the job market, giving employers access to cheap labor – it also creates significant tensions.

Beyond these observations, McKinsey also made too crucially important remarks:

  • Potential for Automation: Many activities that workers carry out today have the potential to be automated.
  • Rise of Gig Work: Digitally-enabled independent work, often referred to as gig work, is on the rise (over permanent salary employment).

In other words, we are already in the middle of a disruption and quite vulnerable to a specific kind of change that fuels automation, as well as the elimination of permanent positions.

We are about to get double disrupted!

Enter AI

In this particularly challenging job market, we have the AI newcomer…

For the first time in human history, we now have the capability to create computer programs that can solve a variety of complex problems that were previously too expensive or difficult to tackle.

In terms of productivity, Artificial Intelligence (AI) represents a monumental leap in technology due to its ability to learn, adapt, and perform tasks that require human-like intelligence. This includes everything from recognizing speech and images to making decisions and predicting outcomes.

AI can automate repetitive tasks, analyze vast amounts of data at unprecedented speeds, and uncover patterns that are invisible to the human eye. It can enhance productivity, drive innovation, and create new business models, fundamentally transforming ALL industries.

AI is the disruption of disruptions, and it’s coming as a double disruption – into the middle of the already ongoing disruption of digitization and globalization!!!

It’s especially pertinent to your career, because the big deal with AI lies in its potential to revolutionize how we work and live, by completely changing how humans work and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.

It is such a monumental change to the way we work, that even the World Economic Forum is unable to create a spin story, without highlighting the massive potentials for job displacement!

Technological Impact on Jobs: A “Mixed” Outlook

The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2023 finds that most technologies will “positively” impact jobs over the next five years. Yet their definition of positive is rather suspect…

They expect structural labor market churn, with a 23% shift in jobs – 10.2% growth and 12.3% decline (meaning some jobs will disappear, while others get created). During this period, 44% of workers’ skills will be disrupted (source).

They tried to represent this churn term in terms of job titles, as well as types of work done in various industries. They report:

Top Growing Jobs Due to Technological Disruption

  • AI and Machine Learning Specialists
  • Sustainability Specialists
  • Business Intelligence Analysts
  • Information Security Analysts
  • Fintech Engineers
  • Data Analysts and Scientists
  • Robotics Engineers
  • Electrotechnology Engineers
  • Agricultural Equipment Operators
  • Digital Transformation Specialists

Top Fastest Declining Jobs Due to Technological Disruption

  • Bank Tellers and Unrelated Clerks
  • Postal Service Clerks
  • Cashiers and Ticket Clerks
  • Data Entry Clerks
  • Administrative and Executive Secretaries
  • Material Recording and Stock-Keeping Clerks
  • Accounting, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Clerks
  • Legislators and Officials
  • Statistical, Finance, and Insurance Clerks
  • Door-to-Door Sales Workers, News and Street Vendors, and Related Workers

Top Skills for the Future of Jobs (According to WEF)

Based on this churn, according to the World Economic Forum, the top skills for navigating the future job landscape include:

  • Analytical Thinking
  • Creative Thinking
  • Resilience, Flexibility, and Agility
  • Motivation and Self-awareness
  • Curiosity and Lifelong Learning
  • Technological Literacy
  • Dependability and Attention to Detail
  • Empathy and Active Listening
  • Leadership and Social Influence

While this list is a good starting point, it has a few flaws due to the various ideological assumptions made by the authors. To get a more refined perspective, see the Five Core Skills and Seven High-Value Disciplines.

More importantly, in the upcoming technological landscape, power dynamics and office politics are expected to play increasingly significant roles. In other words, “Who You Are” is going to start to have a disproportionate impact on your career outcomes.

Here’s why…

What Companies Are Saying About Technological Disruptions

It’s essential to dive into what companies are actually saying and planning amidst technological disruptions. Luckily for us, companies are quite vocal about their strategies:

  • 82%: Prioritize investing in on-the-job learning and training.
  • 80%: Accelerate the automation of processes.
  • 46%: Commit to transitioning existing staff to roles in growth areas.
  • 25%: Plan to outsource significant work functions.
  • 24%: Intend to expand their use of contract workers.

Here’s the kicker: While many companies talk about training and making their workforce tech-savvy, the reality reveals a different truth…

If a job can be automated, companies will automate it – that’s a given. What matters is that:

The Automated Will Be Let Go

Less than half of employers reported by the WEF (46%) are willing to shift current employees into expanding roles. In simple terms, what this means is that, the person whose job is automated will likely be canned rather than retrained for a new position.

This isn’t just about cutting costs – it’s a strategic decision in a competitive market. It’s expected that employees will learn on the job (82%) – because learning on the job does not entail additional training costs. But training existing employees for new positions?!? No thank you!

That is seen as too expensive.

It’s cheaper to hire someone new with the required skills, then to shift someone from one section of the business to another. For example, instead of retraining a data entry clerk to become a data analyst, a company might find a freshly graduated data analyst who already possesses the necessary skills and knowledge.

(Pro Tip: For you, this means proactively positioning yourself to technology growth areas is required. Waiting until automation is in place to propose switching roles will be too late. You have to be ready to switch BEFORE your job gets automated.)

Most Employees Are Not Preparing!

It’s also worth noting that most employees are not preparing for the upcoming technological disruptions. This is, of course, in response to employer demand…

According to the WEF, “Only a fifth of employers consider the completion of short courses and online certificates – so-called ‘micro-credentials’ – as one of their top three assessment criteria” (source). Instead, companies prefer skills based hiring (even on top of university credentials), and employees just wing it (meaning: soft career skills and network reign supreme).

Keep in mind, this lack of preparation doesn’t mean ignorance…

People may be lazy and unwilling to learn new skills, but they’re not oblivious to changes in the job market and our work culture. “If employees perceive that their job may be threatened by technology, they may look to leave their job or organization.” (source).

In other words: the unprepared will not only remain unprepared, but they will also flood the market – making it even harder for those whose skills are getting automated in one industry or location, to find jobs anywhere else.

How To Prepare Your Career for Technological Disruption

Preparation is key. Here’s how you can stay ahead and ensure your career remains resilient amidst technological disruptions.

Step One: A Sober Look

Despite the optimistic narratives and spin stories from the investor class, make no mistake:

TECHNOLOGICAL DISRUPTION DESTROYS JOBS.

(Destroyed means, those jobs don’t come back.)

As detailed in MIT Technology Review, in the short term, technological disruptions eliminate significantly more jobs than they create.

Keep in mind, this is not a hypothetical scenario; the past 50 years clearly illustrate this point when you observe the relationship between productivity and employment. While productivity has soared, employment has lagged.

Sure, some growth and some new jobs do take place. But as Erik Brynjolfsson, a professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management, explains: only jobs requiring complex, specialized skills will see significant growth. Low-end jobs will be automated, and the middle-tier jobs will hollow out, as fewer workers will be needed for those roles.

Step Two: Don’t Overlook Your Advantages

While technological disruptions eliminate jobs, they also bring significant benefits. According to Indeed, these advantages include:

  1. Innovation benefits
  2. Startup opportunities
  3. Room for business growth

Here’s what this means for you: stay alert to emerging technologies and consider how they can enhance your skills or open new career paths.

For example, learning to use AI tools or understanding blockchain technology could make you more valuable to employers looking to innovate. Or being open to working in startup sectors fueled by technology, can open fast growth opportunities.

Think of it like this: what’s established is going to get disrupted and shrink, whereas what’s new and shiny is going to present opportunities for growth and wealth. Heading toward “where the puck is”, is going to be critical for aligning your career with these disruptions.

You can swim upstream, or you can swim downstream – your swimming either way.

Step Three: Focus on Job Security

With that said about embracing change… Still… the most critical step amidst technological disruptions is prioritizing your job security.

This is particularly important: According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, when new technologies threaten jobs in established industries, employment in those sectors typically declines while wages rise – a phenomenon known as “obsolescence rent” (source).

Coupled with the fact that many people who are at risk of automation will be on the job market, this obsolescence rent creates an extremely competitive environment where only the adaptable and proactive thrive.

In this environment you must approach your work with a focus on job security. Continuously update your skills, stay informed about industry trends, and be ready to pivot to roles that are less susceptible to automation.

And whatever you do, do not jeopardize a good thing you have going!

Keep your job secure to the best of your ability. (Note: we recommend our students to set up exit contracts that cover at least 6 months of income, on top of a lump sum payment during termination, in order to build greater leverage against being let go.)

Step Four: Upskilling Is a Crucial Necessity

In today’s fast-changing world, upskilling isn’t just an option – it’s survival.

In fact, even universities are starting to get it, though they’re a bit late to the party. According to the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), universities admit they need to overhaul how they teach because even their own professors can’t keep up (source)!

They even admit that the days of professors just lecturing – the “sage on stage” model – are fading. Remember: university professors and educators are going to need to compete with automation, and they recognize that their expertise won’t be able to keep up with the rapid growth of human knowledge.

While institutions play catch-up, you’ve got to take charge of your own learning. It’s about staying relevant and ready, no matter what. Focus on developing the five core skills and seven high-value disciplines that are essential for career success.

Step Five: Don’t Fall for Fad Titles

Don’t be swayed by flashy titles like “Prompt Engineer,” “Product Builder,” or “Complex Project Manager.” and make the mistake of orienting toward some made up profession that does not exist.

These are tools of propaganda, trying to make it look like the destruction of jobs is not happening.

But it’s even worse than that, because, even if the propaganda were true – it would be for a time that no longer exists!

In fact, the era of titles is long gone. Titles don’t matter in the same way they used to. Today, what truly matters are the substance of your hard skills, your career skills, and the depth of your professional network.

That being said, of course, one aspect of your title is still crucially important: the level of your title…

Think of the difference between a title “Product Builder” versus “VP of Product”… The second title says all that needs to be said on our resume, whereas the first one says nothing… Or nothing helpful.

Make no mistake: Titles are still primarily an instrument for sorting humans into pecking orders. And what’s transferable in your career from one firm to another, outside of your hard skills, is the level of authority you have been achieved – assuming you have the necessary career skills that allows you to transfer that authority from one context to another.

Step 6: Build a Personal Brand

As mentioned earlier, in the age of technological disruption, who you are is becoming as crucial as what you can do – perhaps even more so.

This shows the importance of building a personal brand. In a landscape where job roles evolve rapidly and skills can quickly become obsolete, your personal brand has the potential to set you apart. Your reputation, expertise, and unique value proposition in the marketplace – that’s what you’ll be judged by.

You must learn how to become visible in the right way, and get in front of the right people in a social context. (If you only knew how many business deals are closed and positions are offered in lounges, bars and restaurants… you’d think twice about filling out a job application ever again, and instead, ask yourself: “How can I become one of those people for whom the resume is a post-hire formality?”)

Step 7: Seek Mentorship and Guidance

Seek mentorship and guidance from experienced professionals who have “been there and done that”.

While no one on the planet has been through the AI disruption and fully understands all the outcomes, there are many individuals who have face similar challenges like a contracting workforce, globalization, automation, and increased competition for positions.

The goal of mentorship is not to get someone to tell you step by step what you need to do. The goal is to give you new perspectives, create new possibilities, and highlight the dangers that are lurking in your blind spots.

Think about it practically: when you have someone who’s already walked the path, they can steer you away from dead ends and toward opportunities. They can introduce you to the right people, give you insider tips on industry trends, and even recommend specific skills to develop that are in high demand (skills that HR won’t talk about).

Mentorship will also help you navigate office politics, or pivot into a new role; giving you the kind of guidance that textbooks can’t. They’ve been there, done that, after all.

So, don’t underestimate the power of mentorship in shaping your career – it could be the difference between wandering lost in the woods and finding lost treasure.

PS – Our events provide valuable opportunities to network with industry leaders to find mentors and benefactors. We do not sell or monetize mentorship; mentorship is a natural side effect of bringing the right people together.

Conclusion

Technological disruptions present both challenges and opportunities.

Truth be told, for most people, the challenges far outweigh the opportunities.

You must embrace continuous learning, develop hard skills as well as soft career skills, understand and leverage technological tools, and adapt to new work models.

We highly advise that starting from today, you approach your work in a very pragmatic and survival-centered mode.

If you are currently employed: expand your options by automatically applying to jobs that are title promotions.

If you are currently unemployed: get a job as fast as you can, and double down on job security.

We won’t mince words: this pending technological disruption is going to be a bloodbath. It will have such a significant impact on the job market, that our culture’s understanding of capitalism will change.

Stay proactive, build a strong network, and seek guidance from mentors to ensure you remain at the forefront of your field.