Artificial intelligence is changing what employers expect from candidates, but knowing how to use an AI tool is only one part of becoming a competitive applicant. Employers also want people who can evaluate information, communicate clearly, work with others, and take responsibility for the quality of their work.
A May 2026 Strada Education Foundation survey of nearly 1,500 US executives and senior talent leaders illustrates that broader standard. Among employers evaluating entry-level college graduates, critical thinking and communication received the highest importance ratings. AI literacy ranked lowest among the eight skills measured, although employers still rated it positively.
Strada’s respondents were 2.7 times more likely to expect AI to increase their organization’s entry-level hiring in 2026 than to decrease it. AI is also changing the work assigned to new employees: 42% said it had increased analytical and judgment-based responsibilities, 41% reported fewer foundational or skill-building tasks, and 33% reported fewer routine or administrative tasks.
Those findings do not mean every junior role is secure. Some jobs are becoming more demanding as AI handles basic work, while positions centered primarily on repetitive tasks may offer fewer openings or fewer opportunities to learn on the job.
PwC’s 2026 Global AI Jobs Barometer, released June 15, found that jobs requiring specific AI skills grew 69%, compared with 9% across the overall job market. PwC also calculated an average wage premium of 62% for jobs requiring AI skills, although the size of that premium varied substantially by industry.
The research points to a two-track entry-level market. AI-exposed junior roles were seven times more likely to request skills traditionally associated with experienced workers, including judgment and leadership. Those roles grew 35% from 2019, while other entry-level roles declined 10%.
What employers value alongside AI skills
In Strada’s survey, critical thinking and communication each received an importance rating of 4.3 out of 5. Collaboration, workplace readiness, and self-management followed at 4.2, with technical proficiency at 4.1, quantitative reasoning at 3.9, and AI literacy at 3.6.
The results do not suggest that candidates can ignore AI. Instead, employers appear to value AI skills most when they support accurate analysis, effective communication, and dependable work.
Relevant experience also carried more weight than academic achievement alone. Among the candidate profiles tested, employers preferred applicants with related employment, an industry internship, or relevant project-based learning. A candidate with a 4.0 GPA and academic awards but no formal work experience ranked last.
Students and career changers can build evidence outside a traditional full-time job. Internships, capstones, freelance assignments, part-time work, volunteer responsibilities, and independent projects can all demonstrate readiness when they produce a specific result.
Employers also reported gaps between the importance of several skills and the performance of recent hires. The largest differences appeared in self-management and workplace readiness. Candidates can address those concerns by showing how they met deadlines, responded to feedback, resolved a problem, or completed work with limited supervision.
How to prove your skills to employers
A strong résumé shows evidence of analysis, communication, and collaboration instead of relying on a list of broad skills.
Consider these two descriptions:
“Used ChatGPT to draft reports.”
“Compared three vendor proposals using an AI-assisted review process, verified the findings, and recommended an option that the team implemented.”
The second version identifies the task, the candidate’s contribution, and the result. It also makes clear that the applicant — not the tool — remained responsible for the final recommendation.
Use the same approach in interviews. Be ready to explain:
- What problem you were addressing
- Why you selected a particular tool
- What information you provided or withheld
- How you checked the output
- What decision you made
- What improved as a result
Employers may begin assessing those abilities more directly. Gartner predicts that 75% of hiring processes will include certifications or tests for workplace AI proficiency by 2027.
That figure is a forecast, not a current market-wide standard. Candidates should nevertheless be prepared to demonstrate how they select tools, protect confidential information, verify results, and use AI for job-related tasks. A certificate can support that evidence, but it is unlikely to replace a relevant project or work result.
Choose roles built around judgment and ownership
Job titles do not always reveal how exposed a position is to automation. Read the responsibilities section and prioritize roles that assign ownership of a process, deliverable, or stakeholder relationship.
Positions such as operations coordinator, research analyst, project specialist, data associate, business analyst, implementation specialist, and systems support professional may require candidates to synthesize information, communicate findings, or coordinate work across teams. Requirements vary, so assess each posting rather than relying on the title alone.
Candidates also do not need to become AI engineers to benefit from growing demand for AI skills. Employers need professionals who can apply AI within accounting, marketing, healthcare, sales, operations, human resources, customer service, and other functions.
AI engineer and machine-learning specialist positions usually require deeper expertise in programming, mathematics, data infrastructure, or model development. General familiarity with consumer AI tools does not substitute for those qualifications.
Career changers should focus on skills that remain useful across industries. A January 2026 Brookings analysis identified 6.1 million US workers with both high AI exposure and relatively low capacity to manage a job transition. Many were in clerical and administrative occupations and faced limited savings, narrow skill sets, or weaker local job markets.
Workers in exposed positions can improve their options by developing transferable abilities such as data interpretation, customer communication, project coordination, process improvement, and quality control.
Where job growth is strongest
Occupation and industry growth should also shape a job search. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects total US employment to grow 3.1% from 2024 to 2034, compared with 13% during the previous decade.
Healthcare and social assistance is projected to record the largest job growth, while computer and mathematical occupations are expected to grow 10.1%. Demand for AI development, data analysis, cybersecurity, and technology integration is expected to contribute to that growth.
National projections do not guarantee strong opportunities in every occupation or location. Compare them with current postings, local demand, education or licensing requirements, salary ranges, and the cost and duration of any required training.
Build a stronger application before you apply
Review at least five current postings for the occupation you are targeting. Note which responsibilities, tools, and qualifications appear repeatedly, then compare those requirements with the evidence on your résumé.
Students and recent graduates can use internships, capstones, part-time work, and structured projects to show how they analyzed information, communicated with others, and delivered a result.
Career changers should translate existing experience into the language used in target postings. Emphasize examples involving problem-solving, process improvement, coordination, or stakeholder communication.
Working professionals can document how they improved a workflow, evaluated AI-generated work, trained colleagues, protected sensitive information, or helped a team adopt a new tool responsibly.
AI proficiency can strengthen an application, but a tool name by itself says little about a candidate’s ability. Strong applicants show how they used technology, where they applied their own judgment, and what they accomplished.
