Employers are demanding AI skills. What’s the best way to learn them?

Fluency in artificial intelligence is increasingly a prerequisite in today’s labor market, with employers across industries seeking AI-literate job candidates.

Research from Resume Genius found that 8 in 10 hiring managers consider AI skills a priority. And in a sign of the times, other data shows that most employers would hire a candidate with AI skills over one with additional years of work experience.

Yet while many workers today are well aware of the need to hone their AI chops, few employers offer the necessary training, said Lisa Gevelber, who heads Google’s “Grow with Google” initiative, a program that provides digital skills training to workers and businesses.

“We know AI can be extremely beneficial and that hiring managers say knowing how to use it is essential, but employers aren’t meeting that need in terms of training employees,” she told CBS News.

Indeed, companies often aren’t the best place to acquire the kind of AI skills that are suddenly in demand, said Sam Caucci, founder of 1Huddle, a company that partners with firms to develop corporate training for workers. 

“Companies and academia are not equipped because the curriculum development process is so slow,” while AI advances at breakneck speed, he said. 

How can workers level up?

So how can people learn about AI in ways that might boost a job search or advance their careers? According to AI and career development experts, a good way to start is simply by using publicly available AI tools daily.

“Workers are learning AI natively by going directly to platforms to get better at using it,” Caucci said. “They are learning AI by prompting ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, you name your platform.”

Such platforms are free, while paid subscriptions offer additional benefits and features. Some AI companies also offer free training. For example, ChatGPT developer OpenAI offers training programs in “prompt engineering,” which it describes as “the art of communicating with AI models to get a desired output.”

People interested in getting up to speed on AI can also find a plethora of free training materials online, Caucci noted, pointing to AI courses on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, among other platforms, as a good way “to acquire a lot of baseline knowledge.”

Ask AI how to build AI skills

Christine Cruzvergara, vice president of higher education and student success at Handshake, a hiring platform, also recommends leaning on AI to learn how to use it. 

“You can literally use AI to teach you AI,” she said. “Go to ChatGPT or Claude and say you’re interested in learning more about how to use AI in your role, and it will help you get started. Say, ‘Over the course of two weeks or one month, can you build out a schedule of courses?’ And it will give you a play-by-play of what you should do.”

While some signs suggest that growing corporate adoption of AI is weakening demand for entry-level workers, Cruzvergara expects more companies, over time, to recruit younger adults, many of whom are developing expertise in using the technology for a range of purposes. 

“Employers are looking to this next generation to do that,” she said. “They are the first fully-native AI generation. They are already self-taught.” 

Show what you know

Demonstrating your AI skills to prospective employers is also critical, according to career experts. 

“Just saying, ‘I use ChatGPT,’ is not how workers should be reflecting their skills,” Caucci of 1Huddle said. “Make sure your resume has an AI throughline.” 

That means outlining examples of how AI has helped you work more efficiently and productively, as well as spelling out any additional AI qualifications or training. 

Grow with Google is one place workers can turn to earn AI credentials. For example, the program’s “Google AI Professional Certificate” course is available online for $49 per month. The certificate consists of seven modules, each taking about an hour to complete, while students can move at their own pace.  

“We are teaching the things that employers want employees to be able to do,” Google’s Gevelber said. 

That includes developing core skills, such as using AI for more effective communication, building presentations and conducting data analysis.

“Companies buy talent — they don’t build it,” Caucci said. “My advice is to stack as many of those credentials as you’re able to onto your resume to signal that this is an important area of focus for you.”