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Job skills in demand for 2025 and beyond
Companies are looking for employees who can navigate AI and offer unique perspectives in 2025, since AI is automating some tasks and placing a premium on human creativity.
New technology innovations such as generative AI are changing how work gets done, which means they're also changing the skills people need to do their jobs. In 2025, employers are increasingly looking for specific job skills that demonstrate an ability to thrive in these new environments.
All industries have their core skill sets that stand true through the years, whether that's a grounding in scientific method or the ability to write copy. These are skills that every hiring manager knows to look for – and every prospective employee knows to promote on their resume. But as working practices evolve and adapt to new ideas and tools, smart candidates will also highlight their suitability for this new way of working. This could mean learning new technology or picking up soft skills that enable the worker to stay productive in changing circumstances.
Skills on the rise
In January 2025, LinkedIn released data that predicts that 70% of the skills used in most jobs will change by 2030. It also created an inaugural 2025 “Skills on the Rise” list to reflect the growing areas that professionals are prioritizing and managers are hiring for. Of the 15 skills listed, two involve artificial intelligence (AI) while at least five could be considered soft skills, which are skills tied to emotional intelligence or personality strengths, rather than technical skills.
Notable skills on the list include:
AI literacy (#1)
Most common job titles: Software engineer, product manager, CEO
Most common industries: Technology and internet, higher education, IT services and IT consulting
AI literacy is the ability to understand and interact with AI technologies and applications, in a critical and productive way. It's increasingly valuable as organizations build AI into workflows throughout the business, such as data analysis, customer support automation or content generation – and as they look for new ways to extract value from these tools.
Conflict mitigation (#2)
Most common job titles: Customer service representative, administrative assistant, project manager
Most common industries: Technology and internet, IT services and IT consulting, higher education
Conflict mitigation refers to the effective handling of competing ideas and personalities within the workplace, particularly when these have escalated into more hostile disagreements. As ways of working change, there may be increasing tension between management and staff or between different teams, which can be very difficult to solve. People who can help defuse this and find a way through will be in particular demand.
Adaptability (#3)
Most common job titles: Teacher, administrative assistant, project manager
Most common industries: Higher education, technology and internet, media and telecommunications
Adaptability, meaning the ability to adjust to new conditions, has long been prized by employers as it increases the likelihood that the worker will be able to perform when conditions change unexpectedly. This is especially true in start-ups or other fast-paced environments where processes and strategy can change quickly and unpredictably. 2025 is seeing renewed interest in adaptability, as AI is implemented and replaces old methods of doing tasks, along with other modern shifts to ways of working.
Innovative thinking (#5)
Most common job titles: Creative director, teacher, writer
Most common industries: Higher education, technology and internet, advertising services
Original and innovative thinking have long been ways for companies to gain a competitive edge in the market. As more rote tasks are automated, human employees become even more valuable for their creativity and ability to create an innovation culture, which AI is not yet able to do.
LLM development and application (#10)
Most common job titles: Software engineer, data scientist, research assistant
Most common industries: Technology and internet, higher education, IT services and IT consulting
Development in AI applications has already prompted incredible change within the working world, but there is still more to be done. People with the skills to work on large language model (LLM) development and applications will be the ones who shape how AI is used in the future, and therefore, they are key hires for anyone in this space.
When creating its list, LinkedIn referenced a range of factors that contributed to this desire for new skills. The post-pandemic boom is influencing business behavior, with many companies acknowledging their former pursuit of unchecked growth and now looking for people who can navigate sustainable, long-term scale. Elsewhere, the introduction of stricter privacy laws such as GDPR and DMA has companies needing to adhere to more complex regulations.
However, there is a consensus that many of these new skill preferences are the result of internal changes and personnel restructuring.
"The main driver [is] organizational changes," said Beca Mayr, VP of talent acquisition at Sedgwick, a global claims administrator. "AI is streamlining, and even fully automating, repetitive and entry-level work." This means prospective employees need to offer value in new ways, especially when early in their career.
The broader influence of AI
Several hiring experts spoke to the growing requirement for AI literacy, no matter which industry they were recruiting for. On a granular level, one expert highlighted skills such as prompt engineering, building agents and the ability to extract maximum value from this new technology. Knowing what to ask the AI and how to ask it can be more useful than understanding how the technology works, depending on the work context.
However, the mass adoption of AI tools is not just creating a need for AI-related skills but is also raising a new range of questions that workers will need to navigate. Ciara Harrington, chief people officer at Skillsoft, spoke of how it is now valuable for candidates to be familiar with ethical AI use and digital discernment and to be able to evaluate AI-generated content critically. Those skills wouldn't have been on recruiters' radar in the past.
As AI automates many tasks, many professionals will have two options: to become experts in AI itself or distinguish themselves with more 'human' skillsets.
"The human edge will come from our ability to think critically, collaborate effectively, and lead with empathy," said Harrington. "As we integrate AI into performance management, we're finding that human judgment must play a central role in ensuring fairness and consistency."
Many experts explained the growing interest in particular soft skills as a natural response to AI automation. Hiring managers will now recruit for skills that can't be as easily replaced by technology, such as client relationships, human authenticity and creative ingenuity. This has also prompted a rise in the value of skills related to adaptability, problem solving and resilience; with so much change resulting from new AI workflows, the most useful employees are those who can evolve alongside.
How candidates can demonstrate these skills
In the case of more technical skills, prospective employees might want to take courses or qualifications to show their proficiency. These can be easy to include when building a resume and to name during an interview. If the candidate has previously used AI tools in a successful way, they should call this out in their application materials, such as sharing how they used a specific AI program to increase measurable efficiency in data analysis.
However, less measurable skills, such as gracefully managing a difficult client or handling conflicting teammates, can be trickier to demonstrate to hiring committees. One practical method is to provide a clear example of how the candidate used those skills in a previous role. Fallan Mitchell, senior analyst for HR and advisory services at McLean & Company, described how the company uses the Situation, Action, Result (SAR) framework to help candidates turn "abstract qualities into clear, results-driven stories."
Many soft skills will also be visible during an interview, such as interpersonal relationship building, creativity and empathy. In addition to conveying material information about themselves, candidates should be cognizant of the fact that their attitude and demeanor may be revealing about how they would work as an employee.
Lastly, several HR professionals recommend that candidates use the range of social and publishing platforms available to create a personal brand. This puts some of the power back into the applicant's hands, as they can control their narrative and showcase their best work in the formats that they are most comfortable with. These materials can then be used as part of an application – or they may even earn an invitation to interview or a job offer.
"Companies go and find new talent, and if a candidate is doing a great job at building their brand online, their chances of being considered increase," said Mayr.
Madeleine Streets is a senior content manager for WhatIs. She has also been published in 'TIME,' 'WWD,' 'Self' and Observer.'
