The SAP company has published the results of a new study titled “The Road Ahead: Predictions and Possibilities for the Future of Work”, prepared from the analysis of 357 specialized sources and a survey of 8,058 employees from around the world, which evaluates the future of professional careers and their opportunities in the work environment.
The conclusions show how the combination of artificial intelligence (AI), demographic changes and new job expectations are profoundly transforming the work environment and redefining the development of professional careers. This new context is forcing us to rethink how professional careers are built and evolve over time.
The study identifies three major transformations that directly impact professional careers: the redefinition of opportunities for young talent, the evolution of the role of managers and the growing relevance of senior talent in a longer and more flexible model of professional careers.
Access to the first job, in transformation
The advance of automation driven by AI is significantly reducing the volume of more basic tasks, traditionally associated with junior profiles. This change directly affects the beginning of professional careers, limiting opportunities to access the labor market for younger people.
Faced with this situation, many professionals are forced to build their professional careers through certifications, projects and fragmented experiences, instead of following linear trajectories based on university studies and stable jobs. Thus, professional careers are increasingly configured as a dynamic portfolio of skills and experiences.
On the one hand, this evolution favors more flexible and adaptive careers, as workers continually develop new skills to remain competitive. In fact, 77% of the young people surveyed would be willing to work on projects if their economic stability was guaranteed.
However, it also introduces significant risks into professional careers, such as increased stress, job instability and a possible lack of fundamental skills in the medium term. This could make it difficult to consolidate solid professional careers when organizations demand talent with intermediate experience.
Faced with this scenario, the report proposes promoting alternative models that strengthen professional careers through internal accelerated development programs. These programs prioritize potential over degrees and combine learning, rotation and practical experience, relying on AI to personalize career paths and anticipate future needs.
Managers facing a turning point
The second major transformation affects the role of managers, with direct implications for their professional careers. According to the study, these professionals already use AI to perform about 40% of their tasks, especially administrative ones.
This change opens the door to different scenarios for professional careers in leadership positions. In one of them, technology assumes a large part of the traditional functions, reducing the weight of the manager. In another, considered more sustainable, AI frees up time for managers to focus on people development, a key element in the evolution of their teams’ professional careers.
This approach involves redefining professional careers in the field of leadership, prioritizing skills such as mentoring, communication and critical thinking. However, the report warns that this transition will require investment in training and a thorough review of the professional careers of those currently in management roles.
The “third stage” promotes new professional careers
Finally, the study focuses on senior professionals, whose role is becoming increasingly relevant in the current context. Increased life expectancy and the desire to stay active are extending the length of professional careers, giving rise to a “third stage” with new opportunities.
The report warns that this transition will require investment in training and a profound review of professional careers
In this phase, professional careers are characterized by lower turnover and a greater preference for flexible models. However, these professionals continue to face challenges that can limit the continuity of their professional careers, such as restructuring processes or prejudices about their technological adaptation.
To respond to this challenge, the SAP report proposes redefining the career paths of senior talent through new roles, such as “organizational memory architect.” In this context, AI makes it possible to strengthen professional careers by facilitating the transfer of knowledge, preserving accumulated experience and improving decision-making.
In this way, AI is positioned as a key ally to promote more inclusive, sustainable professional careers adapted to a constantly evolving work environment.
