There is a surge in the number of professionals updating their LinkedIn profiles with AI-related job skills as demand for AI proficiency continues to grow in the job market.
Bhavana Chauhan, LinkedIn’s Head of Talent Solutions for the Philippines, said that they have seen a 140 percent increase in people adding new skills to their profiles, globally.
AI-related skills, in particular, have seen a 21 times growth in the past year.
“What’s also interesting is on the other side, on the LinkedIn platform, there are about 3,300 open job positions, which means companies are also looking for these skills and capabilities,” Chauhan told the media after the launch of DepEd and LinkedIn’s partnership on March 12 at DepEd’s central office in Pasig.
“So, it’s the coming together of people adding skills and companies looking for AI skills.”
She cited their survey of C-suite executives worldwide found that 80 percent prefer hiring candidates with AI skills, sometimes even over those with more years of experience.
Related:Filipino workers with AI skills are much more likely to be hired — study
“They will actually probably prefer a person with AI skills than a person with more relevant experience,” Chauhan said.
The AI skills professionals are adding to their LinkedIn profiles vary based on their industry and expertise. For those in technical roles, this includes large language models, machine learning, and AI algorithms.
Meanwhile, non-technical professionals are focusing on AI literacy, such as understanding responsible AI and ethical AI practices or using AI tools for productivity and decision-making.
“It is all a range. If you are an AI specialist or a technical coder, it will be large learning models, machine learning, algorithms,” the LinkedIn executive said.
On the other hand, Chauhan noted that there are people who are more concerned about the ethical use of AI than advanced AI skills.
With AI courses available on LinkedIn Learning, professionals worldwide are upskilling to keep pace with AI’s growing role in the workplace.
“All of us will need to know how to use AI-driven tools like chatbots and Copilots to be more efficient and more productive,” she said.
The impact of AI on the Philippine job market reflects global trends. A report by the International Monetary Fund estimates that 36 percent of jobs in the Philippines are highly exposed to AI, with 14 percent at direct risk of automation.
The business process outsourcing sector, which employs a large portion of the workforce, is among those most affected.
However, the Philippine IT-BPM industry remains optimistic, projecting 7 percent growth in 2024, with employment in the sector expected to reach 1.82 million jobs.
The Philippine government has also recognized AI’s economic potential, estimating that it could contribute PHP 2.6 trillion annually to the economy by 2030.
Chauhan said younger professionals, particularly Gen Z, are showing a strong appetite for AI skills.
“Fifty percent of professionals in the Philippines on LinkedIn are Gen Z. They are digital natives, always on the go, and learning through their mobile devices. Therefore, (consuming) AI is going to be alot higher (for them) than for someone like me,” She said.
Moreover, LinkedIn has embedded AI into its platform, offering AI-powered job recommendations and an AI learning coach to help users gain relevant skills.
