This piece digs into a personal story about changing careers after an acquisition. It also explores “professional identity purgatory”—a weird, unsettling state that’s becoming more common as AI shakes up the workplace.
Imagine spending nearly 30 years in a career, only to see your role fade away—not because you’re fired, but because it just doesn’t exist anymore. That’s the kind of limbo we’re talking about. The article offers some ways to handle this transition with a bit more intention and maybe even a renewed sense of purpose.
Understanding professional identity purgatory
The author calls this weird in-between phase professional identity purgatory. It’s that space between who you were at work and whoever you might become next.
It’s not a personal failing. It’s just a long, uncomfortable transition that chips away at the stuff we use to feel good about ourselves. With AI moving fast, a lot of people might land here as old jobs and roles lose their staying power.
The tough part? Our usual instincts—like clinging to old routines—don’t really solve anything. At first, the author filled the gap with networking, mentoring, and advising, hoping it would bring back a sense of purpose.
Looking back, he sees that as more of a distraction than real progress. Maybe, if we actually sit with the discomfort instead of ignoring it, we’ll pick up on some signals about where to head next.
Redefining expertise in a machine-learning era
AI is changing how we work, so we have to rethink what “expertise” even means. The author insists that machines can’t replace every skill we value—some things are just too human.
He points out four core abilities that AI can’t touch: judgement, relationships, context, and the ability to ask the right questions. No matter how slick the tech gets, these capacities stay out of reach for machines.
The capacities AI cannot replace
- Judgement—the ability to weigh messy information and juggle competing priorities.
- Relationships—trust, empathy, and the teamwork that make organizations actually work.
- Context—the knack for seeing how problems fit into the bigger picture, both inside and outside the company.
- Asking the right questions—knowing what to ask and where to dig in.
Navigating the transition: practical steps
If you look at purgatory through a resilience lens, it can become a chance to rethink who you are and what you want. The way forward isn’t about holding onto an old job title—it’s about experimenting with new professional identities and ambitions.
- Treat identity as provisional: try on new professional selves without locking yourself into one path.
- Stop filling silence with noise: don’t just keep busy—let yourself feel the awkwardness and learn from it.
- Use reflection—through journaling, feedback, or conversations—to figure out what actually matters to you.
- Jump into cross-disciplinary projects to grow your context, judgement, and relationships.
- Start measuring success by the quality of the questions you ask and the problems you solve, not just by job titles.
Implications for individuals and organizations
For individuals, this whole purgatory thing is a nudge to rethink your career goals as AI and automation take over more work. For organizations, it’s a reminder to support employees through transitions, especially those with long service.
If companies see this phase as something useful, they can create roles, mentorship networks, and learning opportunities that help people find their footing in new areas. That’s not just smart—it’s necessary.
Conclusion: who you are when you’re not doing it
The author frames purgatory as maybe the most important stretch in a career. It’s this forced pause that makes you wonder, “What do I do now?” but also, maybe more crucially, “Who am I when I’m not doing it?”
Sitting with that question nudges people to build skills that last, even as AI keeps shaking things up. You start focusing more on judgement, relationships, context, and asking the right questions—stuff machines can’t really fake.
Here is the source article for this story: AI is about to send millions to ‘professional identity purgatory.’ Here’s what I discovered after my 30 year career crashed to a halt