Career Durability in the Age of AI: Your Job Isn’t Safe. Your Career Can Be.
We’re living in a world where even the most accomplished professionals are waking up to unexpected layoffs, shrinking roles, and a job market reshaped by AI.
The old question was, “Is my job safe?”
The better question today is: “Is my career durable?”
In this session, Ha Nguyen shares a powerful framework for building a career that can adapt, evolve, and thrive, no matter how the landscape shifts. Drawing from her own journey across product, venture, operating roles, and fractional work, she introduces the Career Durability Flywheel: a system built on three core behaviors:
Build: Develop skills, projects, and income streams that create ongoing opportunity
Connect: Cultivate authentic relationships that unlock doors no resume can
Sell: Clearly communicate your value, ideas, and vision to create momentum
Through real stories and practical examples, you’ll learn how these behaviors compound over time to make you more resilient, more in demand, and more in control of your career.
You’ll walk away with:
A clear understanding of what makes a career durable in an AI-driven world
A personalized map of where you are in the flywheel today
Concrete actions to start building momentum immediately
Because while we can’t control how work changes, we can control how we show up within it.
And the sooner you start spinning the flywheel, the farther it will carry you.
Meet Ha
Ha is the Founder & Managing Partner of NextStep, where she works with Seed–Series B founders as a fractional COO to operationalize strategy, go-to-market, and people-first culture. Ha is also a COO & GM of Sidebar, running their B2B and B2C business and community, being responsible for growth, retention, and operating performance. With 25+ years of experience, she has built and scaled startups, led operations, and designed products and experiences that serve both customers and teams. She was previously Chief Experiences Officer at Swimply and a Founding Partner at Spero Ventures, where she supported early-stage founders building companies centered on well-being, work, and human connection. Across everything she does, Ha is driven by a commitment to community, impact, and helping people and companies grow in meaningful, sustainable ways.