Here's how AI can give your career the winning edge, according to experts

Professionals, from all across the world, encountered a whirlwind of challenges last year. With the emergence of geopolitical crises, layoffs, AI advancements and a continuously evolving business landscape 2023 was anything but easy.?

AI is generating both excitement and alarm, sparking debates about its potential impact on the global economy and concerns over its ability to displace human jobs.?

LinkedIn’s Global Talent Trends report shows job postings mentioning AI in Southeast Asia (SEA) have grown by 2.4x over the last two years. Industry experts believe that these developments are expected to accelerate workforce learning and increase the importance of skills.

Professionals in the SEA region are acquiring AI skills more rapidly than the global average, according to the Future of Work report . Singapore leads globally, with the highest rate of members adding AI skills to their profiles over time, showing a 20x increase.?

Read more: Check out 20 roles in Singapore that are growing in demand

In this special issue of the Get Hired by LinkedIn News Asia newsletter, we feature insights from LinkedIn Top Voices on the impact of AI on job creation and skill development. This includes Google Southeast Asia Vice President Sapna Chadha , executive leadership coach Brenda Bence , FlexOS CEO Daan van Rossum , career expert Kevin Kan and career change coach Jennifer Ong . They will discuss how professionals can prepare for this shift to build their desired careers in 2024.

What role does upskilling play in building a successful career? Check out these Top Voices' insights and share your thoughts in the comments below, using #GetHiredAsia.

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Human and AI collaborative intelligence will work hand-in-hand

“We’re witnessing a significant shift towards human-AI collaboration at the workplace. The true potential of this lies in augmenting human capabilities and pioneering entirely new working methods. By automating mundane tasks and augmenting our capabilities, AI enables us to focus on areas where it truly matters: fueling innovation and creativity,” says Sapna Chadha.

For example, AI tools are already helping businesses and individuals boost productivity and help teams of all sizes connect and collaborate more efficiently. “While AI is no replacement for the ingenuity, creativity, and smartness of humans, it can be a collaboration partner, a source of inspiration, and a productivity booster to bring new ideas to life,” she adds.

?? Read more of Sapna Chadha’s content on AI, digital decade and careers. ?

Jennifer Ong agrees. She says, “AI’s ability to process vast amounts of data swiftly is a significant advantage for any team. Much like how the telephone and the internet did not replace humans, AI will not either. Instead, it can be harnessed to boost productivity and foster innovation,” she adds.

?? Read more of Jennifer Ong’s content on career growth and career development.

Hard skills will increase your employability …

Tech skills will continue to be top of mind for most organisations, especially with Southeast Asia’s digital economy GMV (Gross Merchandise Value) and revenue continuing its double-digit growth momentum from 2023, says Chadha.??

“Google’s report with The Economist Impact found that over half of senior-level employees in Asia Pacific view cybersecurity, data analysis and visualisation as essential skills today,” she adds. “In fact, advanced digital skills, including AI and ML, coding, digital marketing, and cybersecurity, are key differentiators for employees.”?

According to Brenda Bence, “one interesting position that AI is bringing to the forefront is that of a ‘prompt engineer’ — an expert skilled in posing the right questions or inputting the correct text to elicit the most helpful responses from large language models (LLMs).”??

?? Read more of Brenda Bence’s content on leadership and personal branding. ?

… but don't neglect your soft skills

“It’s not just tech skills: human skills will actually become increasingly important – it’s the only part machines can’t do yet,” says Daan van Rossum.

He believes that this year will see a heightened focus on skills such as leadership, agility, remote and digital communication, emotional intelligence, interpersonal problem-solving, strategy, creativity, and thought leadership.

?? Read more of Daan van Rossum’s content on future of work and employee engagement .

Jennifer also believes that soft skills will be increasingly valued and companies will hire based on personality traits. “I think many of the hard skills traditionally valued in education will become less relevant. Instead, soft skills, which were previously undervalued, like sales and emotional intelligence will now hold greater importance,” says Ong.?

Embrace a culture of continuous experimentation

Instead of fearing or competing with AI, how about we learn to live with it , says Kevin Kan.?

“AI can be a helpful assistant rather than a threat. While AI is good at repetitive tasks, it lacks the ability to express human emotions or provide empathy. We should focus on developing new skills and finding ways to use our own unique abilities to add value to our work,” he suggests.?

?? Read more of Kevin Kan’s content on career tips and future of work.

Bence recommends, “Come up with new and unique ideas and use your imagination to drive unconventional thought leadership . For now, technology lacks imagination. So ask yourself: How much time do you spend daily in your imagination, coming up with new ideas, better operational methods, and developing new models?”?

Chadha adds, “To stay competitive is to understand how to leverage AI as a supportive tool and amplify our strengths in creativity, empathy and critical thinking. Begin by integrating AI tools into your current workflow, then iteratively refine your approach to maximise their impact.”

Have you tried out some new AI tools yet?

“Knowing how to work with AI tools will become a fundamental requirement in 2024 . As AI can speed up jobs by 30% to 40%, reducing the hours spent on emailing, chatting, and meeting, not utilising this productivity booster will be increasingly frowned upon in most companies,” says Rossum.

“Have you experimented with any new AI tools recently? Have you explored AI meeting transcriber or considered using Grammarly AI for your next emails or proposals? Have you ever shared a problem with ChatGPT, from interpersonal conflicts to time management issues, and asked what the world’s most renowned expert in the field would advise you?”?

He believes that this is where you can get hands-on experience and understand what AI’s real power is.??

Understand a company's vision when considering a new role

Remember that even if the ‘how’ of doing work may be changing with the introduction of systems, technology, and AI, the ‘what’ of work remains constant, says Bence.

She suggests asking questions such as:

• What is the vision for the company you are interested in joining??
• What role can you play in helping the company achieve its objectives??

Don't be afraid to take risks

“I’ve met many inspiring individuals who have pivoted into roles and careers that were completely different from what they may have been doing for several years,” says Chadha.??

“When you look back at your career 50 years down the road, you shouldn’t see a vertical ladder but an entire jungle gym. Don’t be laser-focused on just climbing to the top. Lateral shifts can provide fresh perspectives and opportunities to refine your skills or give clarity to your career objectives. During interviews, I frequently ask about the latest thing candidates have learned. I firmly believe that a commitment to learning and staying curious can set you apart,” she adds.?

What role does upskilling play in building a successful career? Share your thoughts in the comments below, using #GetHiredAsia.

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Reported and proofread by: Neha Jain Kale

About this article

This article features experts from LinkedIn's Top Voices program covering AI, skill development and future of jobs. Top Voices is an invitation-only program featuring a global group of experts on LinkedIn covering a range of topics across the professional world, helping members uncover valuable knowledge relevant to them.

LinkedIn members who meet high trust standards, are consistently active on the platform and share valuable expertise are eligible to become a Top Voice. You can learn more here [and check out other Top Voices articles in Asia here ]?

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