Job Role Explosion & Future of Work


The kind of proliferation of titles we come across today related to careers and designation are interesting as well as confusing. In fact, 'bemusing' is more likely a term which conveys the feel. Under the names of two 'Resource Persons', those who came deliver sessions, the following descriptions were found. 


1. Leadership Coach

Curriculum Designer

Corporate & Academic Trainer

Parenting Coach

Counsellor & Therapist

Teacher, Mentor


2. Higher Education Facilitator

 International Career Analyst

 Transformational Life Coach

 Academic Strategist


These are samples of many such one can come across and, when you are the old school, how ever present and future conscious, this is worth thinking on. Many of these titles sound overlapping. While it points to the reality that there has been an explosion of job roles of late, it becomes hard to come across many institutions which offer such roles. When this fact is read against the backdrop of the language inflation that AI tools like ChatGPT has caused, there is more clarity. Be also aware of the pressure to self brand which comes from professional networks like LinkedIn! 

It must be considered that the roles and careers have evolved and diversified, owing to the needs of the industry and society. Hence a leadership coach, a councellor or corporate trainer can mean different things, with varied skills requirements. Same is the case of academic strategist and curriculum designer. Hence there is a diversification, a broadening of the spectrum, with sometimes clear and at times fine distinctions. 

But this doesn't stop the discerning one from spotting the effects of AI tools-created inflations and the not so subtle pressure for impressive digital self-presentation. The easy availability of impressive sounding expressions makes them stack those descriptors even when these may be repetitive, overlapping. These are adopted as it may help create a bigger persona without thinking that it can blur comprehension too. 

Being an academic, my thoughts were equally on how will this reflect on the minds of the young who are looking to enter the career world. This sure can be confusing for many because there are role-overlaps and quite fine distinction. This can create a sense of plentiness too: a feeling that such a lot of roles and careers are there! The truly clever can even play along the AI-generated fancy roles and imagine, think of creating more similar ones! 

But one serious takeaway from this must be the realisation that the career roles in the future will be quite fluid. Quick changes in roles and responsibilities will be a reality. The hybridity which is a result of quick evolutions and technological penetration across one stable career domains is what the young should be prepared for. A consultant or trainer will have to fit into the lable of a coach too as many of these finer split roles will surely part of a broader category. A 'teacher' of the past will be called a 'Learning Designer' or a Human Potential Developer' but will still teach. Rights consultants and legal strategist or conflict resolution experts will all be part of the lawyer career family. 

For the young this is a warning not to be taken away by the sophisticated-sounding titles, not to rest assured that fancy layered titles will win the day. Learn to cut through the clutter and be oneself. Be authentic. All the AI supported inflation will surely fail, when the real show starts! There comes a point at which the attention shifts from the fancy tags to real capability. Hence the mission for the job-seeking youth is to be less taken away by such labels. 

The focus of those looking career-wards must be in exploiting the possibilities offered by the AI to build a niche for oneself. 


- Babu. P. K., Ph D. 




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