Middle Management: AI and Your Career Transition

This is the first article in this three-part series on AI and career transitions.

A New Era of Opportunity

Artificial intelligence isn’t just changing how we work, it’s transforming how we prepare for it. From job searching to portfolio development, AI is playing an increasingly pivotal role in shaping modern career transitions.

Two recent articles – Harvard Business Review’s look at the future of middle management and The Wall Street Journal’s deep dive into AI-supported job hunting – highlight the changing landscape for job seekers and organizations alike. As companies adopt AI to streamline operations and redefine roles, individuals are using the same tools to explore new career paths, surface transferable skills, and present themselves more effectively to potential employers.

At GimmeCredit, we’re seeing these trends play out in real time with our Participants – professionals looking to break into the Learning & Development (L&D) field or transition into new roles. Whether it’s identifying strengths, refining a portfolio project, or exploring lesser-known career paths, AI is becoming a trusted partner throughout the process.

This three-part series explores how AI is reshaping the career transition experience; starting with the evolution of middle management, moving into how AI enhances job exploration and coaching, and concluding with how AI-powered tools are making professional portfolio creation more accessible, efficient, and aligned with industry needs.

We hope you enjoy!

Middle managers won’t disappear; instead, they’ll evolve

For this series, I decided to start with a focus on managers, specifically middle management. Throughout my career I’ve looked at middle managers as the lifeblood of organizations, and it’s fitting, given recent predictions about the future of these roles, to explore their evolving importance. Some experts forecast that organizational structures could soon diminish or even eliminate this crucial employee layer. However, recent insights from Harvard Business Review and other leading industry sources suggest a different, more nuanced reality: middle managers won’t disappear; instead, they’ll evolve into more strategic roles as facilitators, mentors, and agents of change.

We’re at a pivotal moment, experiencing rapid technological shifts and heightened customer expectations. Rather than eliminating middle managers, successful businesses are reshaping their roles. Instead of traditional supervisory and administrative duties, many being automated by AI, managers are increasingly required to guide teams through transitions, support skill development, and ensure technology enhances human expertise rather than replacing it completely.

Our Participants are positioned to support managers

At GimmeCredit, we see clear evidence of this shift. Many of our Participants aspire to transition into careers within Learning & Development (L&D) and related fields. Our approach equips them with skills specifically tailored to complement and support this evolving managerial landscape. By incorporating AI into our learning paths, we teach Participants not only instructional design skills, but also how to effectively collaborate with and support managers through complex technological changes; skills industry experts identify as crucial today.

This evolution represents an enormous opportunity for those currently transitioning careers. As middle managers increasingly focus on soft skills such as empathy, strategic thinking, mentoring, and motivating employees, they will also need effective partners – individuals who bring practical, hands-on understanding of AI technology. Our Participants are positioned precisely for these roles, supporting managers by managing tasks involving AI-driven tools, instructional design, digital transitions, and operational efficiencies.

Shaping the future of work: powered, not replaced, by AI

We believe the future of middle management is transformative rather than reductive. Organizations embracing this change and supporting their managers by building capable, skilled support teams will reap immense benefits. For individuals considering a career transition, now is an ideal time to step into these dynamic support roles, making meaningful contributions to organizational success.

We remain committed to guiding Participants through this exciting transition. Our aim is to prepare our Participants not just for new roles, but to become essential partners shaping the future of work – powered, not replaced, by AI.

Stay tuned for our next article where our focus is on how AI is redefining the career transition experience.

If you’re ready to explore our program, check out our latest updates and see how we can support a successful career transition!