One-Degree Adjacent: Rethinking Career Paths in the Age of AI

Alex king
Aug 5
3 min read

Most people think of careers like ladders, straight, vertical, and predictable. But today’s job market, fueled by AI and evolving skills demands, looks more like a jungle gym. It’s no longer about moving “up”; it’s about moving smart. And one of the smartest moves you can make? Exploring a one-degree adjacent career.

These are roles that aren’t far off from what you already do, but they unlock new opportunities, growth, and resilience in an AI-transformed job market.

What Is a One-Degree Adjacent Career?

A one-degree adjacent role is a job function or industry that leverages your existing skills but applies them in a new context. It’s not a full career reinvention’s a strategic pivot.

You’re not jumping from finance to filmmaking. You’re moving from FP&A to revenue operations. From content marketing to customer education. From project manager to product ops.

These pivots aren’t radical, they’re intelligent. They keep you in motion, aligned with your strengths, and relevant to where work is going.

Real Examples: One Degree Away

From SDR to Product Marketing: An outbound sales rep already understands the customer’s voice, the product’s pain points, and the competitive landscape. That’s 80% of what makes a great product marketer.
From Customer Success to Solutions Consulting: If you’re already problem-solving and translating product value for clients, you’re well-positioned to become the technical voice in the sales cycle.
From Executive Assistant to Chief of Staff: You’ve been managing priorities, relationships, and workflows; now you need to do it at a more strategic level.
From Marketing Ops to RevOps: If you’re automating campaigns and analyzing lead flow, it’s a short hop to owning the full revenue engine across sales, marketing, and CS.

How AI Helps You Make the Jump

AI is the ultimate pattern recognizer, and when used correctly, it can help you recognize your hidden potential. Here’s how:

Skill Matching Tools: Tools like Teal, Rezi, or LinkedIn’s Career Explorer can help map your current skill set to adjacent roles.
AI Career Coaches: AI tools like FutureFit AI or ChatGPT can help analyze your resume and suggest new roles based on your experience.
Proof of Work: With generative AI, you can create sample deliverables for a new role, like writing a product launch plan if you’re eyeing product marketing, before you’ve even landed the job.

How to Prompt AI to Discover Your One-Degree Adjacent Roles

AI isn't just reshaping jobs; it can help you find your next one. The key? Ask the right questions. Below are prompt examples you can copy and paste into tools like ChatGPT to uncover adjacent career paths based on your background:

🧠 Prompt Examples:

“Here’s my resume: [paste summary]. What are some adjacent roles I could be a fit for that use similar skills but are in different job functions?”
“I’m currently in [your role], and I’m great at [list top 3 skills]. What are 3-5 job titles in other departments that value those skills?”
“I work in customer success and want to move into product marketing. What overlapping skills do I already have, and what should I start learning?”
“Give me a list of adjacent career paths for someone with experience in [industry] and strengths in [skills].”
“Write a short positioning statement I can use on LinkedIn to transition from [your current role] to [target adjacent role].”
“What kind of sample project could I build to prove I can do [adjacent job title] even if I haven’t had that title before?”

🔥 Pro Tip: The more specific you are with your inputs (your skills, industries, interests), the more tailored and actionable the suggestions become.

Why This Matters Now

The Job Market is Shifting Fast: Roles are being redefined, merged, or automated. Those who move laterally and quickly have the edge.
Companies are Hiring for Skills, Not Just Titles: Skills-based hiring means your title matters less than what you can do. Use it to your advantage.
You Future-Proof Your Career: Adjacent moves build your adaptability, a core skill in an AI-driven world.

How to Get Started

Audit Your Skills – Don’t just list what you’ve done, list what you’re good at.
Identify Target Roles – Use job boards and AI tools to find common adjacent roles.
Prototype Your Fit – Build something: a portfolio, a sample project, a case study.
Network Laterally – Talk to people in the role you want. Ask how they got there.
Market Yourself with Intent – Use your resume, LinkedIn, and AI tools to translate your experience into the language of your next role.

In a world that’s changing faster than ever, clinging to a rigid career path is a liability. One-degree adjacent moves keep you fluid, relevant, and employed, not just now, but also into the future of AI.