EAR: Email Assistance Required. Changing Workplace Market Conditions.

[El Presidente]

 

Hi Rob,

Hope you and the Czar crew are doing well.

A lot of you here have been in business a long time, across just about every lane there is, so I’m throwing this out to the group.

I’m a data analyst based in New York. Last full-time role was in 2022. Since then it’s been contracts: government, finance, insurance, which was fine… until it wasn’t. I’m good at what I do, but my last three 12-month contracts didn’t get renewed.

Finding work in 2023 and 2024 wasn’t hard. 2025 was a different story. And 2026 is looking worse as more of the traditional work starts getting replaced or augmented by AI. Bottom line: fewer seats, more competition.

I’m 38. Mortgage. Two kids. Dog. Not exactly the stage of life where you can just “figure it out later.”

So the honest question is: where the hell do you pivot from here?

If you’re open to it, Rob, I’d appreciate this being posted on FOH. Any insight, perspective, or hard-earned advice would be genuinely appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

__________________________________________________________

Over to you good people. I haven't put together a reply as yet. 

[Pantone151]

My gut thought is, if your job is getting automated and you want to stay in the same field, try to move up the chain into management/consulting role or maybe customer acquisition. Or could think about starting your own firm and leverage the AI to your benefit and tailor to smaller operations that can’t or don’t want to bring it in house. Whether that’s realistic or feasible, I don’t know.

[El Presidente]

9 hours ago, Pantone151 said:

My gut thought is, if your job is getting automated and you want to stay in the same field, try to move up the chain into management/consulting role or maybe customer acquisition. Or could think about starting your own firm and leverage the AI to your benefit and tailor to smaller operations that can’t or don’t want to bring it in house. Whether that’s realistic or feasible, I don’t know.

It is a challenge to get ahead of the AI transformation currently underway. I can't tell you how many cigar deck discussions I have had with accountants/lawyers/data analysts - pseudo be it government or private. From what I can see real time, this is happening everywhere. 

Starting again (my businesses) in this age of AI, has me thinking long and hard. I have few answers bar trying to be exceptional in the customer experience. However, I am not in that data/white collar game. 

This is one of the tougher emails I have received. 

[riderpride]

It's hard to say without knowing the industry, but being an analyst in an AI world has got to be tough. Senior Mgmt/exec thinks it gets the job done, but there's zero context or understanding in what the data truely represents. I can't say what to do, but I can tell you my story. 

I wasn't too dissimilar in my early 30s with my first born and the mortgage. I was an Sr. operations analyst with an accounting background when our company was acquired by what was essentially The Borg. I asked to be laid-off while our industry was in a hole and haven't been happier - I found a role in the same industr, but a different perspective. It was a big gamble and a large step back. My belt got tightened significantly when I moved from a Sr Analyst at an O&G producer to an mid-level one at a midstream co., but now I had a customer focus, and those customer relationships made a massive difference as I got closer to the company's cash register (more security) and took care of the customers - their satisfaction made our department and company look good. Years later, those relationships remain, and I know one of them would help me out if I ever need it. 

Looking back, it was a decent step back in compensation for me, but it was only a few years in the end. It did take the wife some convincing, and the lean years were not easy on the household finances. Heck, even relocating to a less desirable city was on the table at one point. 

I truely wish this person good luck, gainful employment, and true happiness. 

Cheers!

- I just realized all 3 responses so far  are geared towards working closely with customers. Might be something to it 🤔 🤷‍♂️

[Li Bai]

It's really tough, I feel for him. Married, two kids, a mortgage and a dog, I'm right there too, and although I have to face big challenges in my field also, AI isn't one. Very much agreed on the customer service point, although in many fields I'm afraid it won't suffice given many loyal customers are sacrificing service to save money, at least that's what I see and hear about in France.

Dark times ahead for tech people, I hope he finds a way to turn a threat into an opportunity.

[BrightonCorgi]

10 hours ago, Li Bai said:

Dark times ahead for tech people, I hope he finds a way to turn a threat into an opportunity.

You don't say?

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/jobs/hr-policies-trends/top-it-firms-add-just-17-staff-in-nine-months-hiring-nearly-freezes/articleshow/126606856.cms

Synopsis

India's top IT companies saw a dramatic hiring slowdown, adding only 17 net employees in nine months, a stark contrast to last year's 17,764. This shift, driven by tighter demand and AI adoption, is reshaping the industry. TCS alone shed over 25,000 staff, signaling a move away from traditional growth models towards efficiency and productivity.

[Li Bai]

23 minutes ago, BrightonCorgi said:

You don't say?

Yeah, I know. My friends call me Captain Obvious.

[BrightonCorgi]

44 minutes ago, Li Bai said:

Yeah, I know. My friends call me Captain Obvious.

Parents are little late to the game sending their kids to coding school.  Vocational school will give them an opportunity at a larger and steady paycheck.

With the Indian IT firms, none of them have ever innovated.  How many will be around on that list in 5-10 years?