EI can shield you from AI
The impact of AI on careers of all types is going to be monumental. While the shape of that impact is somewhat murky, what we CAN know is that tech, finance, and media-related jobs will be among the biggest casualties, most likely quicker than we now envision. Focus on the bottom line will drive businesses to quickly enact the massive cost savings that can be achieved by replacing labor with “smart” machines. Fortunately Washington-related jobs will likely be among the safest, due to the protection afforded government workers and providers by law/policy.
Nonetheless, looking ahead I believe the safest career paths will involve those that require sophisticated relationship skills. Building, maintaining, and deepening connections is something it is hard to imagine AI doing well in the foreseeable future. So I urge you to focus on improving those relationship skills, starting with building your EI – your emotional intelligence.
Emotional Intelligence
As an adult your current level of emotional intelligence is fairly well established, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t steps you can take to strengthen it. A list of some of these steps can be found in a chapter of the Indeed Career Guide.
Another particularly valuable EI-boosting practice is to imagine yourself in the shoes of the person you’re looking to interact with. As you approach the interaction, start imagining: What are they likely to be thinking? How do they view you? How are they likely to react to whatever it is you want to discuss with them? Making a conscious effort to practice this shift will in time yield a definite improvement in your emotional intelligence and your ability to effectively interact with others – and help protect you against the job inroads threatened by AI.