Nearly half of active job seekers are using or plan to use artificial intelligence-enabled career tools during the search process, according to a Feb. 8 report from CompTIA.
About a third said understanding AI fundamentals is an important digital skill needed today, while 90% said general digital skills are important, regardless of industry or occupation.
“It’s encouraging to see the vast majority of workers recognize the need for continuous learning and building their digital fluency in AI and other areas,” Hannah Johnson, senior vice president of tech talent programs for CompTIA, said in a statement. “An investment in upskilling will serve them well whether they choose to stay in their current field or seek a fresh start in tech or another field.”
In a survey of 1,000 U.S. job seekers, 27% of respondents — representing about 44 million workers — said they engaged in some type of job-seeking activity during the past three months. Many of these job seekers considered opportunities in the same field, as well as different fields that would require a career change.
About two-thirds of active job seekers said they were aware of discussions around AI and the potential impact on the workforce. All ages said they’re using or plan to use AI-based tools to help with the job search..
In particular, job seekers said they already use or plan to use AI to review or enhance their resume or cover letter, match their skills to potential job opportunities, research prospective employers, receive interactive career coaching and automatically apply for jobs or manage their applications.
The demand for generative AI skills has exploded since 2022, according to a report by Lightcast. In general, the most in-demand roles are focused on developing new AI applications.
Despite explosive growth around AI, however, most workers lack the relevant skills and expect their employers to help them fill the knowledge gap, according to a Salesforce report. About two-thirds of workers said they want opportunities to learn how to use generative AI, which is about the same amount who said their employer doesn’t offer training around AI tools.
A culture of learning and development could alleviate concerns about a skills gap and equity issues when it comes to AI, especially among software developers, according to a Pluralsight report. Workers who felt like they belonged and were given the space to learn were more productive overall.
