You = Future-proof

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"We’re being told to adopt an AI-first approach.”

She paused, “I don’t have one minute to figure out what that means for my team.”

She’s a tech VP, leading a digital team. Her team hasn’t grown, but her team’s mandate has … exploded. Waves of layoffs keep shifting “new” work 0nto her team.

She’s talented. Trusted. So is her top talent team.

But she calls her job “firefighting”. Now, along with the insane workflow, she and her team are being told to find efficiencies by using more AI. For context, her team had supported 3 business units. The same team now supports 20 more without additional headcount.

Her story echoes what the data’s been telling us. I’ve written about the exodus of women from tech before, but it’s worth repeating (over and over).

Women are leaving the tech industry (on our own or due to layoffs) at an alarming rate. The gains in gender equity we’ve made since 2007 are eroding as we do.

The 2025 numbers tell a pretty grim story: Over 200,000 tech jobs lost globally in the first half of 2025 alone - 80,000 of those were in the U.S. Women made up 42% of those cuts, even though we represent only about 28% of the tech workforce.

That means if you're a woman in tech, you're 65% more likely to lose your job than your male colleagues.

The roles being cut because of automation or efficiency gains (real or expected)? They’re in HR, recruiting, marketing, DEI - areas where women work in higher concentration.

The roles being protected right now? Core engineering and long-tenured positions where men are (still) overrepresented.

But what keeps me focused on this topic (and I hope it will for you, too): This isn't “just” about individual careers.

It’s about the future of technology.

Because if we’re not designing, shipping, marketing, and selling the tech that is interwoven seamlessly with our lives. That tech isn’t built by us, or for us.

And the bias? It’ll be even more baked in.

Quick favor: forward this email to someone who needs to get their future-proof career plan in place. Making the workplace a healthier place will take all of us.

Ambition

Next week on The New Ambition podcast, I'm joined by the amazing (!) Jodi Innerfield. Our conversation touches on leading through layoff, and about why building skills and networks while you're still employed isn't just smart, it's strategic.

But you don't have to wait until next week to start architecting your future-proof plan. In fact, please don’t.

My dramatic career crescendo happened while I was at a spa (of all places). I finally realized, after work burst into my “relaxing” long weekend, that my success might have been killing me.

I was in a privileged position to define my exit strategy. It’s so much harder for today's leaders.

The new ambition is durable, healthy success. Success that’s resilient. That propels you to where the tip of the spear is pointing. It’s a career that makes great use of your superpowers - in a way that energizes you.

This week, I shared a 5-phase strategy for future-proofing your career (in manageable chunks). That's long-term protection. But right now, we need immediate survival tactics.

We're not powerless. We're strategic.

So, how do we start thinking about our future when we’re fighting all the fires today?

Great question. We start small. And we start now.

GO | DO

The 16-Minute Audit

Estimated time: 16 minutes | Estimated energy: Medium

Take 16-ish minutes over the next day to audit your current readiness reality. Or now. Now’s good, too.

If you were on the “next layoff list” or decided tomorrow that you needed to make a change in your work, fast…How primed are you for success?

5 MINUTES: GATHER THE FACTS…AND YOUR FRIENDLIES

When was the last time you documented the business impact you delivered?

• When you stay ready to communicate your value, you never have to get ready.

• Immediate action: Create a Wins of the Week (WotW) file and add to it weekly. Pay special attention to business metrics and leadership/ influence wins.

If you lost your job tomorrow, how many people in your network could you confidently ask to make an introduction for you within a week?

• If it's fewer than 10, your network needs work.

• Immediate action: Add two 30-minute blocks a week for relationship building.

What's one skill you could develop that would make you valuable in ANY industry?

• Think: AI/ML literacy, data analysis, project management, change leadership

• Immediate action: I created a prompt that helps map your current role (and what energizes you) to emerging jobs. It also helps identify skills gaps and define a training plan so you can skill up with focus.

Are you visible outside your current company?

• This is so important! When you regularly speak, write, and contribute to relevant associations and platforms, you proactively remind people of your existence.

• Immediate action: Make a commitment to post 1 - 3 times a week on social channels. And add it to your calendar. Don’t know what to post about? How about a lesson learned from a Win of the Week?

 1 MINUTE: GIVE YOUR SUPPORT TO THE NETWORK

Are you actively mentoring or sponsoring women in tech?

• The women you help today will become your advocates tomorrow. They’re also much more likely to stay in tech and be successful.

• Immediate action: Commit to formal mentorship in the upcoming quarter. Ask the people in your network to connect you with potential mentees.

Get In There

📰 This Week's Reality Check:

• Layoff.fyi 2025 tech layoffs tracker shows 80,945+ tech workers laid off across 171 companies so far this year (August, 2025)

• CBS reports AI advancement is already a top factor in job losses, with 27,000+ cuts directly tied to AI since 2023.

📚 Deep Dive:

• "Chief In Tech" by Anna Radulovski Real stories from women leaders on mentorship, sponsorship, and negotiation (what I'm reading now)

• Women in AI Ethics: Monthly AI Expert Webinar Series August 25 at 8AM PT. The topic this month is AI & Education.

The last word is YES. Yes, you can find time to make tiny steps to future-proof your career. If the intense learning journey I’ve been on for the last 18 months has taught me anything, it’s this: I can find time to do almost anything if I limit my “scroll time” and fiercely protect my calendar.

You have permission to bow out of meetings that have no value. In fact, when you get great at conveying WHY you can’t attend, you are seen as strategic. And what could be more strategic than making your skills future-proof?