At present, the topic of work seems to be on the mind of many people as something they want to explore through coaching. Whether it is somebody starting out trying to find their first job, finding a side hustle, or wondering about changing careers given what the future holds for their current role, it can be difficult to decide on what you should do. Given the breadth of the subject, I would like to approach this blog post by focusing on two topics relevant for those considering jobs at present. These are the high level of unemployment in New Zealand, and how AI may impact the job market.

In looking at unemployment in New Zealand, it is definitely higher than it has been for some time and although the job market seems very competitive at present, there are signs it could improve in the next year. Ultimately, there are a lot of external economic factors that may influence the number and type of jobs that will be available in the coming year. When creating a space for a person to explore thoughts of starting a new career or finding their first job with the concern of competition from high unemployment in mind, tools can help. Visualization (perhaps including a vision board) of the process of finding the right job, what a good new job will look like, or how to overcome barriers or prepare for a long job hunt can be useful. Journaling different concerns around finding a new career may be something that allows the pros or cons to be evaluated more thoroughly, or can even be useful in how to look at a current role in a different light – is a new job needed or a new perspective? The high unemployment rate is also relevant to frequent news stories about business closures and people losing their jobs in the last year. This may be a very difficult experience. Depending on your situation it may be a chance to explore retraining, for others you may need to look at all options available to cover food and bills. What is important right now? This can be an uncomfortable but essential question.

Moving to the second topic, there is a lively debate about the role AI will play on the job market and there is the potential it could replace some jobs but also create new jobs. I have tried to follow the AI strategies and policies of the OECD but am left feeling that laws and regulations are struggling to keep pace with the technology itself. Tilly Norwood an AI-generated actress, and Xania Monet the first AI artist to debut on the Billboard radio chart, have created a lot of discussion about the types of job roles AI may excel at and have caused some people in those industries to feel threatened. Ultimately, it is difficult to tell how the technology will develop and how people will respond to it for a number of jobs. One thing is certain, and that is that technology has caused disruption and eliminated some jobs/created others throughout history. Whatever its influence on our work life, understanding how to work with AI will likely be an important skill to have. Perhaps a good question to ask yourself is: How could I best adapt to a world where AI plays more of a role in work?

Finally, it is worth noting that ‘career coaching’ is a branch of coaching in itself. You are the expert on you, take time to think carefully about your work life and what you want or need from it.