How the Job Market is Evolving

Do you think the skill sets we learned five years ago are enough today? Everyone is talking about AI, but for someone working in operations or customer service, how do you expect them to upskill with AI when their roles are being automated?

A Conversation That Made Me Think

I recently spoke to one of my undergraduate friends who works in operations. He has been in the same job for three years now after graduation, earning a decent living in South India. Decent pay is always subjective, depending on how you look at it.

He asked me for my opinion about doing a part-time MBA while continuing his job, as he cannot afford to stop earning right now. My first question to him was simple: what is his motive? His answer was direct, to find a better job and use the degree to move to the next phase of life.

Does a Second Degree Guarantee a Job?

Now, here is the real question. Does a second degree guarantee a job? We have seen people from top universities still struggling to find one. Many do not get the job that justifies the ROI of their degree.

One thing I really admire about the Indian education system is the placement process. As an international student, I can confidently say this with respect, great kudos to the placement teams, professors, and students who make that system work. They do their best to bring companies to campus and help students get placed. Abroad, things are very different. Everything is self-sourced.

I don’t have a strong opinion on using a part-time MBA purely as a career jump. I believe it helps people gain advanced knowledge or qualifications, but as a platform for the next job, it may not always work, especially in India, where there are thousands of MBA students and institutions.

The MBA Itself Is Changing

The truth is, even the MBA itself will be redefined.

Five to ten years ago, people said learn Python, Excel, or basic programming tools to move ahead in your career. Now, everyone says learn AI tools. But what does that even mean?

Think of someone from a commerce background working in operations or customer service, where AI-based tools are already replacing traditional call centers. That is not a distant threat; it is happening now.

My Personal View

Personally, as a finance student, I use ChatGPT and Perplexity for almost 80% of my screen time. It makes me wonder where this world is heading.

Earlier, when I used to research an industry, I would go in and out of sources myself. Today, unknowingly, I have confidence that GPT is giving me the right information, and I only verify it later. I felt the same with Google Maps years back. I used to love driving around and was comfortable with routes. Now my map is always on. I think that simple interaction of asking someone about a route itself is gone, haha.

Choosing Careers in a Changing Market

The solution lies in proper awareness, education, and research, helping people decide their career paths early. It is not as easy to switch careers as it was 5 to 10 years ago. Even for junior-level roles, employers now look for internship or domain experience.

People often say be open-minded and be ready for any job. It sounds good, but every job still needs its own skills. Being a generalist is a great concept, and my own story started that way.

My Journey of Finding Direction

I began my career as an Executive Assistant to a CEO, a role similar to Chief of Staff. It gave me great exposure to strategy, business models, and decision-making. But I realized that to move to the next level, I needed specialized knowledge. Over time, I found that finance was where I wanted to build depth. I moved into investment banking by upskilling myself, learning modeling, industry analysis, and parallelly pursuing the CFA.

Now, as I complete my master’s, I see how this journey helped me explore different areas of finance, from equity research to venture capital, and finally understand that my fit is in the advisory side of investment banking, with a long-term goal of private equity.

In investing, conviction matters more than numbers. You may get a value from a model, but deciding to buy or sell requires years of experience and deep industry understanding.

Chasing Opportunities Without Fear

What helped me most was chasing opportunities without hesitation. I have always believed that one cold email out of a thousand can change your entire path. Sometimes we fail drastically again and again, but there’s nothing better than giving ourselves a second chance instead of giving up.

Today, I also feel that my dependency on AI is high, which affects my critical thinking. Many may not agree, but this is my personal experience. AI makes things efficient, but we still need to think deeply and use our own judgment.

The Future of Work

The entire job market is changing fast. Hiring no longer depends only on resumes. AI filters most of them. Companies are cutting costs by replacing roles with technology. Employment today is no longer a simple function of market growth.

I am still learning and forming my thoughts. I may be naive about many things, and my views will evolve with new experiences. But this is what I feel today. The way we define skills, jobs, and learning will never be the same again.