In this timely solo episode of Now to Next, Jason Averbook takes on a feeling many people are struggling to name. A sense that the usual paths around education, careers, and work no longer feel clear, especially as families come together during the holidays. Drawing from conversations with executives, parents, students, and mid career professionals, Jason explains why this moment is not about jobs disappearing or people falling behind. It is about the loss of a shared map for how we plan our futures. Questions that once had straightforward answers no longer do. What should I study? Is college still the right choice? Am I behind, or just early? Instead of framing this uncertainty as a problem, Jason reframes it as awareness. A sign that people are paying attention to how work is really changing. He argues that the biggest gap today is not skills. It is agency. The ability to notice what is shifting, make informed choices, and move forward without waiting for permission.

Host Bio:

Jason Averbook is a globally recognized thought leader, advisor, and keynote speaker focused on the intersection of AI, human potential, and the future of work. He is the Senior Partner and Global Leader of Digital HR Strategy at Mercer, where he helps the world’s largest organizations reimagine how work gets done — not by simply implementing technology, but by transforming mindsets, skillsets, and cultures to be truly digital.

Over the past two decades, Jason has advised hundreds of Fortune 1000 companies, co-founded and led Leapgen, authored two influential books on the evolution of HR and workforce technology, and built a reputation as one of the most forward-thinking voices in the industry. His mission is to challenge leaders to stop seeing digital transformation as an IT project — and start embracing it as a human strategy.

Follow Jason Averbook:

Substack: https://substack.com/@jasonaverbook X: https://x.com/jasonaverbook LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonaverbook Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasonaverbook YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nowtonextwithjasonaverbook Facebook: https://facebook.com/jasonaverbook

(0:00) Introduction (2:12) Recent personal experiences and the changing landscape of work and education (6:32) Skills half-life, education system challenges, and AI's impact on work (10:04) Storytelling, agency, and system breakdowns in the job market (14:40) Debating the value of college and viewing careers as experiments (18:01) Learning from different company sizes and changing narratives (20:04) Closing remarks