Why LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky thinks five-year career plans no longer make sense

For decades, career ambition was expected to arrive with a blueprint. Students were urged to decide early, professionals were told to map promotions years in advance, and uncertainty was framed as a flaw rather than a feature. The five-year plan became a symbol of seriousness, proof that one had control over the future.

That certainty has steadily eroded. Technology now reshapes jobs faster than institutions can redesign them. Roles appear, mutate, and vanish within short cycles. In this environment, long-term career predictions are less a strategy and more a gamble. It is against this backdrop that LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky is challenging one of professional culture’s most cherished ideas.

Why long-term career blueprints no longer work

Roslansky spends his days observing how people talk about work online. LinkedIn, after all, has become a public square for professional wisdom. Yet not all advice, he believes, has aged well. One recurring suggestion, he argues, no longer fits the reality of modern careers.

Speaking to content creator Erin McGoff on her YouTube channel AdviceWithErin, Roslansky described the five-year plan as “a little bit outdated.” In fact, he called it “a little bit foolish.” With workplaces being transformed by artificial intelligence and rapid technological shifts, it is no longer realistic to “chart out what the next five years of your life are going to look like.”

A career model built on learning, not prediction

Instead of rigid planning, Roslansky urges workers to adopt a more flexible mindset. Careers, in his view, should be shaped by learning goals rather than fixed destinations.

The question professionals should ask is not where they want to be in five years, but what they want to learn next. What experiences do they want to accumulate?

“I think that's the right mental model in this environment,” he said. “If you focus on those shorter steps, gaining learning, gaining experience, a lot of your career path will open up for you.”

Progress, he suggests, emerges from motion, not foresight.

The collapse of the linear career narrative

Roslansky is equally sceptical of the traditional ladder model of success. The idea that careers unfold in neat, predictable stages no longer reflects reality.

Many people still imagine a straight path. “You graduate high school and then go to a certain college and then become a consultant and then get an MBA,” he said. But, as he pointed out, “that's not how it happens at all for most people.”

Modern careers zigzag. They pause. They restart. Once that truth is accepted, Roslansky argues, individuals gain control rather than lose it.

Taking ownership of your career

Letting go of linear expectations changes how responsibility is understood. No institution is designing a perfect path behind the scenes.

“Once you let go of that idea, you can take your own career into your own hands,” Roslansky said. “No one is trying to figure this out for you. You have to take care of it yourself.”

The message is stark but empowering. Agency now matters more than alignment.

Practical advice for young professionals

For young people entering the workforce, Roslansky’s guidance is grounded in action. His first recommendation is direct. “Learn the tools.”

He encourages experimentation with artificial intelligence at work, even in small ways.

“Try and figure out how to create a PowerPoint presentation out of chat,” he said. “You know, figure out how this can help you with a better marketing message.” The objective is not expertise overnight. It is comfort with change.

Why mindset matters more than mastery

Roslansky emphasises that openness to tools matters more than personal preference. Whether AI feels intuitive or awkward is beside the point.

“Whether or not you like it, whether or not it's a good fit for what you're trying to do,” he said, adopting the mindset of learning through use is essential. “That mental model- like, 'I'm going to use this tool and learn it to help me do something' – I think is the most important thing.”

Adaptability, in this sense, becomes a skill in itself.

The enduring value of human skills

Yet Roslansky is careful to avoid technological determinism. He stresses that careers are not won by software alone.

Empathy, judgment, and communication remain “critical” in the modern workplace. In fact, they may matter more than ever. As automation spreads, human discernment becomes rarer, and therefore more valuable.

“In a world where everyone is kind of, you know, focused more on the technology, if you really work on a lot of those human skills, it can be a great differentiator for you,” he said.

A career philosophy for an unstable age

Roslansky’s argument ultimately reframes what career planning means. The goal is no longer to predict the future with precision. It is to prepare for uncertainty with skill and judgment.

Five-year plans may once have signalled ambition. Today, the sharper advantage lies in learning faster than change itself.Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!