What AI Skills Do You Need to Stay Competitive in Your Career?

AI skills are appearing in job descriptions across industries, but employers aren't always clear about what they're looking for. If you're an experienced professional, you may be wondering which skills you need to develop and whether additional training is worth the investment.

Anirudh Bajaj, author of Indispensable: Your Career Guide for the Age of AI, joined me on Control Your Career to discuss how professionals can prepare for changes in the workplace. He recommends developing a working knowledge of AI tools that support responsibilities relevant to your profession, without assuming you need the technical expertise required to build AI systems.

What AI Skills Are Employers Looking For?

The World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2025 identifies AI and big data among the fastest-growing skill areas, while analytical thinking, leadership, creative thinking, and adaptability remain important workforce capabilities.

Professionals with substantial experience can apply AI to work that already benefits from their industry knowledge, problem-solving abilities, and understanding of organizational priorities. A marketing professional, for example, might use AI to analyze customer information while relying on their expertise to determine which findings are relevant and how they should influence a campaign.

Ani uses AI-assisted note-taking to organize customer conversations and identify patterns across multiple discussions. By reducing the time required to review and organize information, he can spend more time evaluating what he's learned and determining how it should influence his work.

Research: Future of Jobs Report 2025: Skills Outlook — World Economic Forum

Start With the Work You're Already Doing

Review your current responsibilities for activities involving information gathering, organizing materials, analyzing data, or preparing initial drafts. These may offer opportunities to use AI, provided the tools are approved by your employer and appropriate for the information involved.

A project manager might use AI to organize meeting notes and prepare status reports, reducing administrative work while retaining responsibility for verifying information, identifying problems, and communicating with stakeholders.

When using AI to analyze information, you need to be clear about what you're trying to learn, provide relevant context, and check whether its conclusions are supported by the available evidence.

Ani emphasized that AI can struggle with ambiguous situations, interpersonal relationships, and decisions that require an understanding of circumstances beyond the information provided. Professionals who rely on its recommendations without evaluating them risk introducing errors or overlooking important considerations.

Should You Invest in AI Certifications?

The value of an AI certification depends on what it teaches, whether you can apply those skills, and how employers in your field evaluate the training.

Review job descriptions for positions you're interested in, including roles that represent your next career move. Recurring requirements can help you determine whether employers expect familiarity with specific applications, experience improving workflows, or more advanced technical capabilities.

If you're new to AI, introductory training may be sufficient to understand common applications, limitations, and responsible use. Professionals pursuing roles in AI development or implementation may need more specialized technical education.

The OECD's research on AI and skills distinguishes between workers who need specialized AI expertise and those whose existing occupations are being affected by the technology.

Research: AI and Skills — OECD

Demonstrating AI Skills to Employers

Employers evaluating AI experience need to understand how you've applied the technology and what you accomplished. Listing several applications on your resume provides limited information about whether you know how to use them effectively.

Describe a problem you addressed, the role AI played in your approach, and how you evaluated the results. If you improved a process, reduced the time required for a recurring responsibility, or helped your team use a tool more effectively, explain the outcome and your contribution.

Before investing in AI training, consider what employers in your field are looking for and how those expectations align with your career goals. You may benefit from learning specific applications or developing more advanced skills, but there's little reason to pursue certifications that don't support the work you want to do.

For more on AI skills, professional judgment, and the future of work, listen to my conversation with Ani Bajaj on Control Your Career: https://www.ridethetidecollective.com/podcast/ai-jobs-future-of-work-anirudh-bajaj

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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by Anirudh Bajaj in this episode are his own and do not represent those of Microsoft or his employer. He is appearing in a personal capacity.

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Julia Toothacre, MS, is a career coach, strategist, and founder of Ride The Tide Collective. Through her Control Your Career methodology, she helps experienced professionals navigate career challenges, evaluate their options, and make informed decisions grounded in their individual circumstances, priorities, and goals.