Unlearning is becoming an indispensable skill in addressing the rapid changes in the job market driven by AI. Addressing the AI-driven job market changes, LinkedIn’s CEO Ryan Roslansky outlined his top three recommendations for young professionals. At the forefront was a skill critical for business students and professionals alike: learning how to learn. This approach fosters adaptability and critical thinking, empowering individuals to effectively leverage advanced technologies like AI. Refining this skill equips future professionals with the resilience and agility needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving job landscape. Yet, mastering this adaptability demands an equally vital—and often more challenging—step: the art of unlearning.
Job-Proof Skills
In Psychology Today, Dr. Koehler defines unlearning as the deliberate process of letting go of outdated knowledge, habits, and assumptions that no longer serve us in a modern context. In Critical Thinking: Creating Job-Proof Skills for the Future of Work, Dumitru and Halpern point out that anyone entering the job market, along with existing employees, must continuously adapt to new forms of job automation and evolving ways of working. As the job landscape continues to change, the ability to adapt and adjust to both job automation and changes in work approaches becomes imperative. This requires more than simply acquiring new skills; it involves critically evaluating existing ones, identifying those that hinder progress, and replacing them with more relevant competencies.
Curiosity As A Driver for Unlearning
As professionals work to unlearn outdated habits and adapt to evolving technologies, curiosity plays a critical role in this process. Curiosity fuels the desire to ask better questions, challenge assumptions, and embrace new ways of thinking—all essential skills for thriving in a world reshaped by AI and automation. In The Secret to Better Communication: Stop Assuming, Start Rephrasing, Dr. Diane Hamilton emphasizes how rephrasing questions can lead to deeper understanding and better collaboration, both crucial for unlearning and relearning in the workplace. Developing a mindset that welcomes exploration and continuous learning can empower individuals to tackle the complexities of modern careers with confidence and creativity.
Why Unlearn?
Unlearning is particularly crucial in an era where artificial intelligence, machine learning, and automation are reshaping industries. Clinging to traditional methods can create blind spots and limit opportunities for innovation. For instance, employees accustomed to linear workflows may struggle to adapt to AI-driven tools that rely on iterative and dynamic processes. Unlearning these rigid approaches enables professionals to embrace new technologies with an open mind, allowing them to collaborate more effectively with AI and other advancement
But what does unlearning entail in practice? As Razzetti mentions, the process begins with self-awareness and a willingness to question ingrained beliefs. Professionals need to identify what is holding them back—be it a mindset, a process, or a skillset—and acknowledge that past success does not guarantee future relevance. This might involve abandoning micromanagement habits, as DiGangi mentions in Harvard Business Review, to embrace decentralized decision-making or discarding assumptions about fixed career trajectories to explore non-linear growth opportunities
Unlearning Leads To A Growth Mindset
Unlearning also demands a growth mindset—one that views change not as a threat but as an opportunity to evolve. For business students, this might mean challenging outdated academic paradigms and embracing interdisciplinary learning that integrates technology, psychology, and design thinking. For seasoned professionals, it could involve stepping out of their comfort zones to engage in continuous education, mentoring relationships, or reverse-mentoring with younger colleagues who bring fresh perspectives.
Ultimately, unlearning is not about erasing the past but about recalibrating for the future. It involves a delicate balance of retaining foundational knowledge while discarding what no longer serves one’s needs. As the job market continues to transform, unlearning will remain an indispensable skill—one that empowers individuals to stay ahead of the curve by embracing change as a constant and innovation as a necessity.