Goldman Sachs Veteran's Career Secret: How to Thrive in the Age of AI by Understanding Your Role in the Company Machine

For Gen Z starting their careers, Goldman Sachs' US equity chief has one key tip: figure out how you fit into the company machine.

David Kostin, the firm's longtime partner and chief US equity strategist, who will be retiring this year, shared his advice for young workers in his final appearance on "Goldman Sachs Exchanges" this week.

"Think about one's role and how that fits into the broader business environment," he said.

"If you understand where you sit and your contributions to the commercial process, then you can see how that changes over time," he added.

Kostin, who joined Goldman in 1994, credits decades of conversations with hedge funds, sovereign wealth funds, and pension giants for shaping his own way of thinking.

His advice to juniors reflects the same idea: technical skills matter, but judgment comes from a deep understanding of clients, markets, and how your work influences both.

Goldman Sachs' David Kostin says young workers stand out by understanding how their daily tasks power the business. (Brendan McDermid/Reuters)

Focus on tasks, not titles

Gen Z is entering the workforce at a challenging time. AI is disrupting the traditional pathways into white-collar work, and experts say young employees must adapt in different ways.

James Ransom, a research fellow at University College London, told Business Insider last month that Gen Z should stop chasing job titles and instead zero in on the tasks AI still struggles with — judgment, oversight, leadership, and persuasion.

In his view, the standout young workers will be those who can supervise and scale AI while demonstrating real, measurable impact.

Wharton professor Ethan Mollick, one of the most influential voices in the AI revolution, took that thinking a step further.

Because AI evolves so quickly, he said last month, many AI skills become obsolete almost as soon as workers learn them.

Instead, young job seekers should focus on what tasks they are uniquely good at, and let AI handle the parts they struggle with.

He called this "task distribution," saying that success now depends on being able to judge AI's output, give clear instructions, and pair deep topic expertise with broad knowledge — including in the humanities.

Quentin Nason, a 35-year finance veteran and former managing director of investment banking, offered a more structural warning.

With the first rung of the career ladder collapsing as graduate schemes shrink, he said in October that young people should look beyond traditional finance hubs to the next wave of automation, robotics, blockchain, and drones.

"Rather than chasing yesterday's jobs, chase tomorrow's," he said.