At the start of the month, AWNY members gathered at the American Australian Association for a panel to discuss AI in the workplace and how we should best navigate this new wave of change. To accommodate the evening, we had headshots organised by Tia Metaxas and Graciela Sosa in front of the beautiful view at the AAA, with an open bar and canapés, along with a generous voucher from Airtasker.
Career coach and AWNY co-president Belinda (BJ) Jackson moderated a diverse discussion exploring what they see in the workforce. How do you keep creating value when the ground keeps shifting?
Our Aussie panel included: Lyndal Davis, the Director of Engineering, Chief Data Office
at IBM. Lyndal started as an IBM intern in Australia, then moved to the United States;
Katrina Ng (Kat) who has spent 7.5 years in brand marketing in consumer-packaged goods,
working on NESCAFE, MILO, Saratoga and now Ferrero Rocher; and Rob Leeds,
Senior Director of People Operations and Transformation, Change and Communications
at WPP.
So what did we learn along the way?
AI: A tool to work with, not against
We know AI has changed the modern work landscape. The key is to learn to work with
it.
Kat encouraged us to see AI as a partner, not a replacement. From summarizing long email
chains and meeting notes, pulling out action items and risks, to acting as a thought partner
in the early stages of innovation work. Kat stressed that the skills she’s investing in are the ones AI can’t easily replicate, such as understanding consumers, building relationships, influencing
stakeholders and bringing cross-functional teams together.
Lyndal further described the shift from the engineering side. AI is changing activities, not just
jobs. Engineers on her teams spend less time handwriting every artifact, because AI
can generate code, tests, documentation and designs. The human value moves to
framing, directing, reviewing, integrating and operating what AI produces.
She also flipped an old rule. Ten years ago, teams were taught to focus on one item
until it was done and to limit work in progress. That made sense when human creation
was the bottleneck. Now that AI can advance several work streams at once, the
bottleneck is judgment and orchestration. In her words: “Ten years ago we optimized
focus. Today we are increasingly optimizing judgment.”
Rob alternatively highlighted how AI is impacting us from the HR side. Modern
technology necessitates modern applications. Every workday, LinkedIn, ZipRecruiter, GlassDoor, etc., use AI screeners that your resume must learn to beat. That means using the right prompts and highlighting the right buzzwords to ensure your resume passes the first test. However, Rob also noted that at times, he does have to go and handpick for himself
So then, how else can you stand out when AI is reading your resume?
We know AI is increasingly part of hiring. Kat, who is hiring an associate for her team, said AI tools at Ferrero use can summarize candidate backgrounds and show how well a resume lines up with the job requirements, which leaves more time for assessing potential, leadership
qualities and cultural fit.
Overall, BJ, Kat, Lyndal and Rob all agreed with the following. The advice came down to being specific:
1. Tailor your resume to each role. Make sure your experience matches the job description, and your accomplishments are spelled out clearly (the days where slight experience is behind us).
2. Show outcomes, not a list of activities. Translate your responsibilities into measurable results and explain what changed because of your work.
3. Tell an “AI plus impact” story. Rather than “I managed reporting”, try “I used AI to automate analysis and free up time for higher-value strategic work.” This shows you too are evolving.
4. Show your judgment. Describe what you accepted, challenged or improved when you used AI.
5. Keep it real. Use AI to sharpen your examples, but keep them specific, authentic and grounded in your own experience.
“Experience tells me what you’ve done. Adaptability tells me what you’ll be able to do next.”
Making your next move
Lyndal argued that in the context of AI, future-proofing isn’t about predicting the future. It’s about building capabilities that survive change: curiosity and learning agility, judgment and situational awareness, clear communication, and resilience, including trust-building and a
willingness to reinvent. The common thread through her own career was learning before she felt fully ready.
When you’re deciding whether to stay, step up, pivot or move on, she suggests asking
four questions:
Am I still learning?
Will this expand my skills, perspective or network?
Can I make a meaningful contribution?
Does this move create more options for the future?
“Confidence does not come from certainty,” she said. “It comes from trusting your ability
to learn and adapt.”
The takeaway
Start with the outcome, focus on the work, and stay adaptable. Treat AI as a partner, back it with judgment, and build the relationships that open doors. The goal is not to compete with AI, it’s to work alongside it. What you always have over a bot is human attention, taste and empathy.
If you would like to connect with any of our panelists, please see their LinkedIn below:
BJ Jackson
Katrina Ng
Rob Leeds
Lyndal Davis
Special shout out to Airtasker who sponsored our event. The team was kind enough to offer a $100 voucher for our subscribers. See here.
BJ Jackson is a career coach and business consultant she is happy to offer a free 30 minute session with anyone in the AWNY community, feel free to reach out to her via her Working in the USA website.
Stay across our event calendar here to join our upcoming events.
