In this edition, is IT outsourcing in India under threat? How to bypass “friction” apply online for jobs (tip: avoid using AI to mass apply) How to use 3Cs to build skills; How to Avoid Being Invisible and more.
Indian IT: Crisis or Strategic Pivot? The Data Says…
The Alarm Bells:
AI automating entry-level rolesClients cutting outsourcing spend
The Hidden Reality:
$54. 1B → $74. 1B market growth by 2033$3. 5B cybersecurity investment surge75% of enterprises need AI skills NOW
Is L&D investment defensive cost or strategic advantage?
Full analysis »
“Friction” in Applying for Jobs Online
Companies are changing recruitment to avoid being flooded with low-quality or fraudulent applications. Clicking “apply” online often sends resumes into a digital void, especially as AI tools make mass applications easier. Companies are using longer forms, reference checks, and skill tests—to discourage casual or unqualified applicants. Employers now value curiosity, adaptability, and soft skills, not just hard qualifications.
The skills economy is here. Employers are increasingly getting comfortable looking beyond the degrees and diplomas from Ivy League colleges. The big question that gets you a job is the answer to the question – can you DO what this job needs? Companies like Google, Apple, and IBM have dropped degree requirements for many roles, instead prioritizing portfolios, certifications, and practical demonstrations of capability.
Project-based work is growing, where people are hired for specific skills needed for particular projects rather than broad organizational roles that go full time. The gig economy exemplifies this shift toward skill-specific engagement.
How to apply online for jobs when everyone is using AI »
I hear this question often—spoken quietly, sometimes guiltily—by professionals who are doing everything “right” but still feel something is missing. The role is secure. The salary is respectable. The company has a good name. And yet, there’s a growing sense of being unseen. This is what I describe as a job in “a well-furnished basement”. The place is warm, familiar, and full of everything you needed. But there are no windows. No clear sense of the horizon. You’re there, but the world doesn’t know it. You wonder if you have become invisible.
Book Recommendation: The Skill Code
The Wall Street Journal reviewed this book that talks about the 3 C model of building skills. Matt Beane speaks of Challenge, Complexity and Connection as the three intertwined strands that help us learn new skills.
“Despite growing recognition of the importance of mentoring and on-the-job learning, the modern workplace is in upheaval, facing the simultaneous rise of remote work, use of robotics and broader adoption of artificial intelligence.”https://abhijitbhaduri. substack. com/
I have written about how to apply the 3C Model in your organization. It is in my newsletter on Substack below the article on how to navigate the job market. Don’t miss the podcast link there.
I signed up for a class.
I learnt about Mortimer Adler’s idea of Four Levels of Reading. The course was very well structured. It lasted less than 30 minutes. And there were 4 practitioners who spoke about what that looked like at work and where I could apply it. There was quiz and my first attempt revealed gaps in my understanding. But …
I completed the course and am proud to share my certificate with you.
What is the course you have done recently? Do you recommend it? Leave the details in the comment