Career ambitions are great to have but they can end up being shelved when the reality of tackling day-to-day work tasks gets in the way.
But there may be some ways that tech and advances in artificial intelligence (AI) can take the hassle out of some workloads, leaving people with more time to focus on accelerating their career prospects in 2025.
Rob Smithson, business applications lead at Microsoft UK says generative AI tools can help people to be more productive and focus on the “more meaningful parts of their role”.
Smithson says: “Increasingly, you can start to customise these tools to complete specific tasks or take certain actions – and this is a hugely exciting prospect for employees wanting to supercharge their career.
“Enter ‘AI agents’ – these are a new generation of customised gen-AI tools that work alongside you and your team, helping with everything from project management through to ordering new supplies and assessing your latest sales leads.”
Happily, he says people don’t need to be a tech expert to get started, adding: “There are lots of pre-built agents, but you can also build your own using natural language.”
Here are Smithson’s tips for how to start getting ahead with AI agents this year:
1. Take the admin out of project management
Smithson says: “Keeping track of everything can be a headache – timelines, updates, follow-ups – it’s a lot. You can create a bespoke AI agent for your particular need.
“The agents can then work on your goals autonomously by assigning tasks, tracking progress, and contacting the right people when something needs attention. That means less time for you sourcing updates and more time actually getting stuff done.”
2. Turn brainstorming into real action
When you’re focusing on getting day-to-day work tasks done, bright ideas that could have a big impact can end up being shelved for another day.
Smithson says: “We’ve all had great ideas that never quite go anywhere.
“Agents can bridge the gap between your idea sparks and execution. It can start by organising your thoughts, identifying key themes, and breaking them into actionable steps.
“Simply input your notes and the agent can structure them into plans, to-do lists, and reminders. Whether you’re mapping out a business plan or figuring out a better way to run daily operations, AI agents can help by organising thoughts, grouping similar ideas, and even drafting out potential plans so things don’t just sit in a notebook gathering dust.”
3. Take AI powered meeting notes
“There are lots of pre-built agents which you can add to the software you use every day,” says Smithson.
He says AI can be used to draft live and tweak notes while the conversation is still taking place.
4. Automate research and insight gathering
“If you spend hours looking up regulations, product comparisons, or market trends, an AI agent can do the legwork for you,” says Smithson.
“It’ll scan sources, summarise key points, and surface only the most relevant information. That means staying informed without the endless scrolling.”
5. Make training easier
AI agents can be set up to help workers through training modules, answer common questions, and guide them through processes step by step.
“Whether it’s a new apprentice on a construction site or a cashier learning store policies, AI can make training smoother,” says Smithson.
