After completing higher secondary education, every student faces a major question: What should I study at university, and which career path should I choose? It may seem that this single decision will determine the direction of an entire life. Finding the right answer has now become more complicated than ever. Technology, particularly artificial intelligence or AI, is rapidly changing the way we work, learn and think.
There is one important point students should remember. Those entering university today will graduate in approximately four years. During this period, AI-powered technologies are likely to bring significant changes to the workplace. According to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025, 170 million new jobs are expected to be created globally by 2030, while around 92 million jobs are projected to disappear. That would result in a net increase of approximately 78 million jobs.
The same report shows that the fastest-growing professions, in percentage terms, include Big Data Specialists, with projected growth of 110 percent, followed by FinTech Engineers at 90 percent and AI and Machine Learning Specialists at 82 percent. Other professions high on the list include Software and Application Developers at 57 percent, Security Management Specialists at 53 percent, and Data Analysts and Scientists at 41 percent.
This list makes one thing clear: it is not only a particular profession that will become more valuable. Demand for skills related to technology, information security and data-driven decision-making is also expected to grow significantly. The pace of change is so rapid that it is difficult to predict with certainty what the job market of the future will look like.
Historian Yuval Noah Harari has said, “For the first time in human history, nobody knows what the job market will look like in 20 or 30 years.” Therefore, students should recognize that the reality of the subject they choose to study today may not look the same four years from now.
This is why fields such as Computer Science, Data Science, Software Engineering and Information Technology are likely to become even more important. At the same time, demand for skilled professionals in areas such as Machine Learning, Robotics, Cybersecurity and the Internet of Things (IoT) is expected to grow rapidly. For students who enjoy mathematics, logic and statistics, these fields could offer exciting opportunities.
However, one point needs to be made clear: AI is not only relevant to Computer Science.
AI is increasingly being used across almost every field, including business, medicine, agriculture, law and journalism. AI-powered document analysis in law, data-driven crop-yield forecasting in agriculture and AI-assisted disease diagnosis in healthcare are just a few examples.
Therefore, regardless of what subject a student chooses to study, becoming familiar with technology and learning how to use it effectively is becoming almost essential. In the future, technological literacy will likely be considered a valuable supporting skill in nearly every profession.
Students should therefore consider developing basic knowledge of data analysis, programming and technology alongside their primary field of study.
How Can Students Prepare for an AI-Driven Future?
The next question is: How can students prepare themselves for a future shaped by AI?
First, instead of being afraid of AI-related technologies, students should become familiar with them and learn how to use them effectively.
Second, they should develop skills that AI cannot easily replicate—such as leadership, effective communication, creative thinking, problem-solving and the ability to build meaningful relationships with people.
Third, students need to move beyond the idea that learning ends with graduation. They should develop a mindset of lifelong learning.
Futurist Alvin Toffler made a similar observation decades ago: “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.”
In an era of rapid technological change, there will be something new to learn four years from now, and something else to learn ten years from now. The ability to keep learning may therefore become one of the greatest qualifications for the future.
A Message for Parents
Parents also have an important role to play.
Instead of putting excessive pressure on their children or pushing them toward a particular field, parents should help them develop the ability to adapt to change.
In the long run, giving greater importance to a child’s genuine interests, abilities and willingness to learn may produce better results than focusing solely on examination results or social expectations.
The Most Important Career Decision
Ultimately, students should not feel overwhelmed when choosing what to study. The wisest approach is to find a balance between personal interests, individual abilities and the realities of the future job market.
Technology will change. The nature of professions will change as well.
But three qualities are unlikely to become outdated:
A willingness to learn.
The desire to develop new skills.
The ability to adapt to change.
These may prove to be among the most valuable qualities in an AI-driven world.
The student who begins developing these qualities today will be better prepared to thrive in the world of tomorrow.
