How to get ahead in the age of AI?
Do you feel like employers are looking for someone with the energy of a 20-year-old and 10 years of experience at the same time?
Do you want to know how to meet those expectations?
Recently, it was reported that Estonia has one of the highest youth unemployment rates in the EU (ages 15–24) – 25.4%. At the same time, 200–400 candidates apply for a single position.
🤔 So, how do you actually get your dream job?
Here are some practical tips to help you start building your dream career already as a young person:
💡 Start working already during school.
Try to find a summer job – youth work programs, seasonal jobs, customer service, or any kind of support work (even helping your family counts).
💡 Volunteer.
Sports events, youth organisations, cultural events, NGOs, communities…
Yes, you might not get paid, but you will gain experience – and if you do a good job, you’ll likely get a recommendation too.
💡 Offer yourself for an unpaid internship.
An internship is an investment in yourself. It’s also a real cost for the employer – while someone is mentoring you, they’re not doing their usual work.
Value that. See it as the company investing in you.
Listen, learn, and actually apply what you learn.
💡 Create value for people who inspire you.
If there’s someone you really admire, find out if you can help them somehow.
This is your chance to work with your role model, be surrounded by inspiring people, and be part of something bigger.
And think about it – who will they recommend when someone they know needs help in something you’re good at?
💡 Join or start projects.
School events, student organisations (JCI, youth groups, community initiatives, youth centres), sports events, etc.
This is where you develop leadership, teamwork, and planning skills.
💡 Start your first business.
What is the problem you see that needs to be solved? Find a way to do that. Help someone build a website, create social media content, vibecode some cool project, do UGC projects, sell your products online, offer dog walking…
Anything that feels interesting and fun to you.
And yes – some of these can actually start bringing you real income.
💡 Give more than expected at work.
Be proactive. If your tasks are done, offer help to your colleagues.
Ask questions. Try to truly understand the business and the client’s needs.
Share your ideas on how to create more value or make things work better.
💡 Keep learning.
In your free time, read, ask ChatGPT for advice, explore YouTube, and take courses (LinkedIn Learning, Coursera, Udemy…).
And one more thing you need to understand about your future… AI is already part of it.
AI is changing the job market faster than ever.
But this doesn’t mean opportunities are disappearing – it actually means the opposite.
Here are a few extra tips to help you navigate this new reality:
💡 Don’t choose only a job — choose skills.
👉 Jobs change. Skills stay.
AI might replace specific roles, but it cannot replace:
- communication skills
- creativity
- problem-solving
- self-management
💬 A thought for you:
You don’t need to know today who you’ll become.
But you can start building skills that will be useful in any future.
💡 Learn to WORK WITH AI, not against it.
👉 AI is not your competition. It’s a tool.
The ones who will stand out are not “the smartest”, but those who:
- know how to use AI – learn different tools and platforms
- know how to ask the right questions and how to lead AI
- know how to think critically about the answers, challenge AI
💬 A thought for you:
If you learn to use AI wisely, you’re already one step ahead of those who are afraid of it.
💡 Do real things (even if they’re not perfect).
👉 Experience > theory
Employers don’t just ask:
“What did you learn from this?”
They look at:
- what you’ve tried
- what you’ve created
- where you’ve failed and learned
💬 A thought for you:
Don’t wait until you feel ready.
Start something small today – it matters more than a perfect plan.
💡 Get to know yourself (this is your real advantage).
👉 AI can’t be you.
The better you understand:
- what you genuinely enjoy
- what you’re good at
- how you think
…the easier it becomes to make decisions.
💬 A thought for you:
Clarity doesn’t come from someone giving you answers.
It comes from learning to listen to yourself.
💡 Get comfortable with change — this is the new normal.
👉 One career for life = old world
In the future, it’s normal to have:
- multiple career shifts during your life
- continuous learning throughout your life
- experimenting with different directions
💬 A thought for you:
You don’t have to get it right immediately.
You just need to keep moving and adapting.
✨ If there’s one message I want you to remember, it’s this:
You don´t need to have all the answers. But you do need to be willing to learn, try, and trust yourself.
Your effort and contribution will not go unnoticed – not by your current employer, and not by future ones.
Hardworking, motivated young people with potential are always noticed, and opportunities tend to find them.
Every experience you add to your CV is an investment in yourself – something no one can take away from you.
If you build these experiences early, by the time you graduate, you’ll already be seen as experienced, reliable, and valuable.
That means you’ll have plenty of options. You’ll be able to choose between many good opportunities, do work you actually enjoy, and move faster on your career path.
At the same time, I want to remind you of something important:
While you’re still in school, school is your priority.
All these extra activities should support your learning – not come at the cost of it.
If you feel stuck or unsure about how to find your path, reach your dream job, or take the next step towards your dreams, I can support you on this journey.
With my background as an experienced HR leader, I can also help you to prepare or polish your CV, interview skills, presentation confidence, and clarity.
You can book a 1:1 consultation or coaching session, where we can look into your dreams and obstacles.
If you’d like to work together, feel free to message me or book a time directly in my calendar.
👉 Book your DISCOVERY CALL HERE.