What Will 2025 Bring?
As we step into 2025, the pace of change in careers, industries and technology continues to accelerate. Staying relevant and thriving in this evolving landscape requires more than just adapting—it means setting intentional goals to grow your career and skills. Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting out, this is the year to align your aspirations with the skills and mindsets that the future demands.
Here’s our annual “new year, new you” career resolution list to keep you moving forward—with some inspiration from our recent graduates sprinkled throughout.
“Advice? Go for it! If you are discouraged by cost, time or doubt, I will simply say the return on investment worked for me.”
—Lia Mezzio
Elevate Your Side Hustle Into a Startup
In recent surveys, nearly 50-percent of the population has a side hustle in addition to their full-time work. What starts as a side hustle often begins with a spark of passion or a desire to explore an idea outside the confines of a regular job.
It's a space for creativity, a chance to build something meaningful on your own terms. But as this small venture grows, it presents a unique opportunity: the chance to transform that side hustle into a full-fledged startup.
“If you’re afraid to talk about your idea for fear that someone's going to take it, the real enemy here is that you don't talk about it,” says former instructor Chuck Temple on a recent Future of Work podcast. “You don't learn about the breadth of your idea. You don't get the feedback.
“Because it's really all about business ideas, being an entrepreneur, coming up with new things. How well do people understand your idea? How well do they take to it? The people who get out there and talk about it and get feedback on it, then those are the people who are going to at least get to failure quicker, if not success quicker.”
Related: From Side Hustle to Startup
“Network: Build relationships with peers and instructors. Networking can lead to valuable connections in the industry and potential career opportunities.”
—Ioana Bolata
Don’t Be Afraid to Lean on a Coach
Perhaps you have never thought about working with a career coach, or maybe you thought about it but hiring a coach was not financially viable. Some may feel an unfounded concern that coaching puts a spotlight on identifying your weaknesses.
“The difference between a football coach or a mentor is that the football coach or the mentor will give you clear advice or even instructions,” podcast guest Michael Timmermann describes. ”The coach will just ask you questions and provide methods that you can always turn down at any point in the process. And you will then make your own decisions for your life, for your job. You will find your own solutions. The coach will just help you figure these things out.”
Related: Please Meet Your AI Coach
“Make connections with the people in your class! They have interesting experiences, have different perspectives on how they use data in their own roles and could just be great study partners.”
—Chloe Medosch
Take Your Vacation, Leave the Work At Home
“I see that people work a lot on vacation,” says podcast guest Sylvia Doss. “At least, they'll check their email. Well, now you're working on vacation. The benefit of vacation is to be able to step away from the day-to-day; half of your time each week is associated with work.
“Taking a vacation allows you to actually step away from that and focus on other things. It allows you to do something creative, do something fun, go visit some family or friends. It allows you to just focus on that. We know it's really relaxing to our mind, to our brain, to our bodies. And when we run people 24/7 basically 365 days a year, it's just not healthy.”
Related: Mental Health Matters
“Follow your dreams and be passionate—passion will keep the light of curiosity lit in your minds and keep you moving forward in the hardest time.”
—Dany Bonaventura
Find the Right Education Path for You
If you're considering boosting your skill set or changing careers in today’s competitive job market, you’ve done the research on the types of education programs that are the most effective, within budget and are flexible enough to fit your busy schedule. You’ve read about bootcamps, quick-to-complete online offerings, workshops or straight-up YouTube tutorials.
But you can’t afford to settle for shortcuts or surface-level knowledge. You need to get up to speed in new or quickly evolving industries and you don’t have the time or the funds to invest in a master’s program.
Check out why a certificate may be better than a bootcamp or a master’s degree.
“My advice to you is to pick the right certificate that meets your goals and then focus, stay disciplined, continuously learn and surround yourself with positive people—your instructors and classmates! And, most importantly, stay persistent in pursuit of your goals!”
—Benny Huang
Embrace People Skills for Leadership
Technical knowledge is essential, but 2025 will see a growing emphasis on emotional intelligence, adaptability and leadership skills. Businesses are looking for leaders who can foster collaboration and navigate complex challenges.
“Leadership skills is another area that a lot of employers are looking for,” says podcast guest Vaneese Johnson. “Leadership is about your strength, your skills and your abilities in overseeing processes or guiding initiatives or steering people or employees toward success or achievement. You need to set goals for yourself, have a career vision for yourself and execute on that career mission. When you can self lead, then you recognize those different character traits and a different level of boldness. You're incorporating the people or the human skills. You're incorporating the essential skills. You're incorporating leadership skills from a place of self, and you then have experiences of how that connects with other individuals around you.”
Related: The Hybrid Role—Fusing Technical and Soft Skills
“Balancing a busy job and family life with the demands of the certificate will require significant time and energy. Take a break if you need, but remain focused, motivated and persistent. The rewards and sense of accomplishment upon completing the certificate make the journey worth the effort.”
—Jessica Bonnecaze
We’re excited to see what 2025 will bring you! Whether it’s through a single course or a full certificate, you can learn from working professionals to gain the practical skills that hiring managers are looking for now.
