Tech Careers Reimagined - Skills Over Degrees in AI Hiring
Amidst the rapid surge in artificial intelligence (AI) adoption, the tech hiring landscape is changing fast. Businesses are now emphasizing skills over traditional education, especially in areas like data, analytics, and machine learning.?
As IT hiring remains a bright spot even amid a broader slowdown in U.S. employment, the criteria for hiring are being reshaped to focus on practical expertise and adaptability.
Focusing on Soft Skills
The last few years have seen an important shift in perspective from IT employers, where soft skills are gaining value by the day. According to SHL, the top 10 soft skills employers need for successful business transformation are the following:
Meanwhile, SHL identified the top five hard skills as project management; Microsoft Excel; Python; SQL; and JavaScript.
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Are Degrees Really Necessary?
While soft skills are high on the list of what organizations want today, being able to actually perform the job requires hard skills. But, increasingly, the search for the standard four-year degree requirement has been dropped in favor of tangible skills and personal traits.
By removing degree requirements, employers open up opportunities to candidates who have honed their skills through alternative pathways like bootcamps, certificate programs, and on-the-job training. This shift also drives greater diversity and creativity, leading to more innovative problem-solving.?
Bootcamp graduates, especially those from coding programs, report quick job placements, making their investment worthwhile with high salaries and solid career opportunities in STEM fields.?
HireVue reported in 2023 that 48% of hiring leaders are adopting a skills-first approach to talent acquisition, forgoing educational and past work experience unless they’re actually relevant to the job at hand.
Incorporating AI
It shouldn't come as a surprise that current employers are particularly interested in candidates who understand AI platforms or can work with large language models (LLMs) through skills like prompt engineering.?
Research from IDC reveals that 32% of business and IT leaders expect AI, including generative AI (genAI), to save time and boost productivity by allowing employees to tap into knowledge bases through natural language queries.
With all the manual skill required for AI/ML development, this technological shift could create a higher demand job demand than one might expect.?
By prioritizing practical skills and adaptability, companies are filling critical roles and building teams with rich, varied perspectives, preparing them for future challenges and innovations in AI and beyond.