Hoffman believes the 9-to-5 job model will not last, and that more than half of the U.S. workforce will shift toward flexible remote work—whether through freelance jobs, side projects, or part-time positions. This transformation, in his view, is driven by technology, which has made virtual meetings, cloud-based tools, and artificial intelligence more effective alternatives to gathering employees in closed offices.
Automation is a key factor in this change. AI has already begun to take over routine tasks such as data entry and customer service, pushing workers toward more creative roles focused on problem-solving and strategic thinking. “Any job that requires a human to act like a robot will eventually be mastered by a robot,” Hoffman says, noting that repetitive customer service roles will be among the most affected.
Hoffman also expects hiring standards themselves to change, with university degrees losing their shine compared to practical skills and completed projects. AI-powered systems, he suggests, will analyze a person’s digital track record rather than just their formal qualifications.
He believes most individuals will no longer rely on a single job but will spread their income across multiple sources, creating a new reality that requires continuous learning and strong self-management skills to maintain work-life balance.
Although some may find these shifts overwhelming, Hoffman sees them as a golden opportunity for the younger generation, which has grown up in a digital environment and can adapt to AI with ease. He compares this to what happened in professions such as accounting, which shifted from routine number-crunching to strategic consulting with the advent of spreadsheets.
While pointing out that the number of jobs available to new graduates has dropped by 16%, Hoffman describes this transformation as “either a warning bell or an opportunity to redesign the first step on the career ladder in a smarter, more flexible way.”