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Open to Work: How to Get Ahead in the Age of AI
Work is changing for everyone, everywhere. Standing still isn't an option. Ryan Roslansky and Aneesh Raman, CEO and Chief Economic Opportunity Officer at LinkedIn, show you how to take control of this moment with clarity and confidence.
The future of work is not a distant horizon. It is being built right now. While some of us are experimenting and adapting with AI, most of us are feeling anxious and uncertain, navigating rapid change with outdated playbooks. We're relying on old career advice that assumes the tasks you do at work are static, that the skills you learned in school last decades, and that success comes from moving up a predictable ladder. That's the old world of work, and it's on the way out.
Open to Work offers a new path forward. Backed by real-time insights from over a billion professionals on LinkedIn, it is a clear-eyed view of what's actually changing, what skills you really need, and how to stay ahead at work as AI reshapes every aspect of work.
You'll meet early movers like Neil, who used AI to get better at his job; Jonetta, who used AI to get a new job; and Taj, who used AI to build a business.
You’ll also get expert perspectives across the future of work and careers, helping you discover what will make you competitive in ways no machine can replace. You'll learn how
Assess which parts of your job to delegate to AI, and which to keep for yourselfBuild the core human capabilities that will carry you through any technological shiftTake action, including with a 30-60-90 day plan
Both a roadmap and a rallying cry, Open to Work delivers an urgent change is coming. The only question is whether you harness it or let it overtake you.
The future of work is not a distant horizon. It is being built right now. While some of us are experimenting and adapting with AI, most of us are feeling anxious and uncertain, navigating rapid change with outdated playbooks. We're relying on old career advice that assumes the tasks you do at work are static, that the skills you learned in school last decades, and that success comes from moving up a predictable ladder. That's the old world of work, and it's on the way out.
Open to Work offers a new path forward. Backed by real-time insights from over a billion professionals on LinkedIn, it is a clear-eyed view of what's actually changing, what skills you really need, and how to stay ahead at work as AI reshapes every aspect of work.
You'll meet early movers like Neil, who used AI to get better at his job; Jonetta, who used AI to get a new job; and Taj, who used AI to build a business.
You’ll also get expert perspectives across the future of work and careers, helping you discover what will make you competitive in ways no machine can replace. You'll learn how
Assess which parts of your job to delegate to AI, and which to keep for yourselfBuild the core human capabilities that will carry you through any technological shiftTake action, including with a 30-60-90 day plan
Both a roadmap and a rallying cry, Open to Work delivers an urgent change is coming. The only question is whether you harness it or let it overtake you.
224 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 31, 2026
133 people are currently reading
16 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 23, 2026
I confess I found this bloviating and a bit too subtly self-satisfied for my taste, much like LinkedIn itself. I asked ChatGPT to summarize the main points for me. (Do I get a gold star?) If you’re looking for a book which contains information about actual ways in which to enlist and utilize AI and LLMs, and ways in which they’re limited based on what they inherently are and how they’re trained, this is not that. If you’re looking for a “ra ra capitalism, don’t be a dinosaur” cheerleading book cajoling you to start embracing AI, this is more aligned with that. Below are the AI-generated distillations from the book, saving you reading the ~200 pages yourself.
1) AI is reshaping all jobs—not just tech
* Automation isn’t limited to engineers; it’s affecting marketing, recruiting, finance, operations—everything.
* The shift is less about jobs disappearing and more about tasks within jobs changing.
* People who treat AI as a collaborator—not a threat—pull ahead.
⸻
2) Skills > titles
* Traditional career paths (degrees → roles → promotions) are weakening.
* What matters now is your skills graph, not your résumé chronology.
* In-demand skills evolve quickly, so static expertise loses value fast.
Implication: Continuously update your skill set or risk becoming irrelevant.
⸻
3) Learn faster than the market changes
* The biggest advantage is learning velocity.
* Top performers:
* Experiment constantly
* Use AI tools to accelerate learning
* Build in public (share insights, projects, progress)
This isn’t about mastering everything—it’s about adapting quickly.
⸻
4) AI amplifies—not replaces—human strengths
The most valuable capabilities are still human:
* Judgment
* Creativity
* Communication
* Leadership
* Ethical decision-making
AI handles execution; humans provide direction.
⸻
5) Your network is a career multiplier
* Opportunities increasingly come from relationships, not applications.
* Weak ties (acquaintances, past colleagues) are especially powerful.
* Visibility matters—if people don’t know what you can do, it won’t matter.
⸻
6) Career growth is now nonlinear
* Expect lateral moves, pivots, and portfolio careers.
* Side projects, gigs, and cross-functional work are becoming the norm.
* “Climbing the ladder” is being replaced by building optionality.
⸻
7) Personal brand is no longer optional
* Employers look beyond résumés to:
* What you share
* What you build
* What others say about you
* Demonstrated capability beats claimed experience.
⸻
8) Use AI as a co-pilot
* Practical advantage comes from:
* Automating repetitive work
* Generating ideas faster
* Enhancing decision-making
* People who use AI well outperform those who don’t—regardless of raw ability.
⸻
9) Mindset shift: from job security → career resilience
* Stability doesn’t come from staying put—it comes from staying relevant.
* You need to be:
* Curious
* Flexible
* Comfortable with change
⸻
10) Access is expanding—but competition is too
* AI lowers barriers to entry (anyone can build, write, analyze).
* But it also increases competition globally.
Result: Differentiation matters more than ever.
1) AI is reshaping all jobs—not just tech
* Automation isn’t limited to engineers; it’s affecting marketing, recruiting, finance, operations—everything.
* The shift is less about jobs disappearing and more about tasks within jobs changing.
* People who treat AI as a collaborator—not a threat—pull ahead.
⸻
2) Skills > titles
* Traditional career paths (degrees → roles → promotions) are weakening.
* What matters now is your skills graph, not your résumé chronology.
* In-demand skills evolve quickly, so static expertise loses value fast.
Implication: Continuously update your skill set or risk becoming irrelevant.
⸻
3) Learn faster than the market changes
* The biggest advantage is learning velocity.
* Top performers:
* Experiment constantly
* Use AI tools to accelerate learning
* Build in public (share insights, projects, progress)
This isn’t about mastering everything—it’s about adapting quickly.
⸻
4) AI amplifies—not replaces—human strengths
The most valuable capabilities are still human:
* Judgment
* Creativity
* Communication
* Leadership
* Ethical decision-making
AI handles execution; humans provide direction.
⸻
5) Your network is a career multiplier
* Opportunities increasingly come from relationships, not applications.
* Weak ties (acquaintances, past colleagues) are especially powerful.
* Visibility matters—if people don’t know what you can do, it won’t matter.
⸻
6) Career growth is now nonlinear
* Expect lateral moves, pivots, and portfolio careers.
* Side projects, gigs, and cross-functional work are becoming the norm.
* “Climbing the ladder” is being replaced by building optionality.
⸻
7) Personal brand is no longer optional
* Employers look beyond résumés to:
* What you share
* What you build
* What others say about you
* Demonstrated capability beats claimed experience.
⸻
8) Use AI as a co-pilot
* Practical advantage comes from:
* Automating repetitive work
* Generating ideas faster
* Enhancing decision-making
* People who use AI well outperform those who don’t—regardless of raw ability.
⸻
9) Mindset shift: from job security → career resilience
* Stability doesn’t come from staying put—it comes from staying relevant.
* You need to be:
* Curious
* Flexible
* Comfortable with change
⸻
10) Access is expanding—but competition is too
* AI lowers barriers to entry (anyone can build, write, analyze).
* But it also increases competition globally.
Result: Differentiation matters more than ever.
April 30, 2026
Some excellent points with a 90 day plan on how to survive in the world of work with AI. Loved the 5Cs concepts curiosity, creativity, communication, compassion and courage.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews