Let’s get this straight: AI isn’t coming for your job. Not directly. But someone who knows how to use AI better than you? That’s a different story.

I’ve seen it happen. The quiet guy in accounting suddenly becomes the “automation wizard.” The marketing manager who goes from overwhelmed to “how does she do it all?” The difference? They didn’t wait for AI to replace them. They made AI work for them.

So, if you want to keep your job (and maybe even get ahead), here’s what you need to do:

1. Stop Ignoring AI-Start Using It

You don’t need to become a coder overnight. But if you’re still pretending AI is a fad, you’re already behind. Start small. Try ChatGPT for writing emails. Let Notion AI organize your notes. Use automation to kill repetitive tasks. The sooner you get comfortable, the sooner you’ll see where the real opportunities are.

2. Double Down on Human Skills

AI is fast, but it’s not empathetic. It can summarize a report, but it can’t read the room in a tense meeting. If you want to be irreplaceable, work on what makes you human: communication, creativity, leadership. The best employees aren’t the ones who out-compute the machine-they’re the ones who use it as a tool and then do what only a human can.

3. Make Yourself the “AI Person” in Your Team

Every company has one. The person everyone goes to when they want to “see what this AI thing can do.” Why not you? Pick a tool, get good at it, and start sharing tips. You’ll be surprised how quickly you go from “just another employee” to “the person we can’t live without.”

4. Don’t Wait for Permission

Most people are waiting for their boss to tell them it’s okay to use new tools. Don’t. Experiment. Automate a report, draft a proposal with AI, save your team an hour a week. Show the results. In my experience, managers love people who solve problems before being asked.

5. Keep Learning-But Be Ruthless About What Matters

There are a thousand AI tools out there. Ignore most of them. Focus on the ones that solve your actual problems at work. If you’re in sales, learn how to automate follow-ups. If you’re in HR, use AI to screen resumes faster. The goal isn’t to become an AI expert-it’s to become the person who gets things done, no matter what the tech flavor of the month is.

Final Thought

AI isn’t a threat. Indifference is. The people who keep their jobs (and get promoted) are the ones who learn, adapt, and use new tools before everyone else. Don’t wait for the memo. Start today.

And if you’re still not sure where to start? Ask yourself: what’s the one thing I do every week that I wish I could automate or speed up? Now go find an AI tool for that. You’ll thank yourself later.