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&lt;p&gt;It has become increasingly important for college graduates entering the workforce to have AI skills. This demand is largely seen in technology fields, but it continues to grow in a wide range of industries. If you are a recent graduate entering the workforce, here’s what employers are looking for when it comes to AI skills for early career hires.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The Skills in High Demand&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The specific skills employers are looking for can vary by industry, but there are some that are applicable to all fields. One of the most commonly requested skills is prompt engineering. Since AI platforms rely on prompts, it’s important to know how to create a clear and structured prompt. Companies want employees who can successfully use an AI platform to create the desired outcome.&#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Another skill that is necessary for entry-level job seekers is knowledge about machine learning fundamentals. This skill is all about understanding how these models work, and therefore understanding how to utilize them the best. Employers don’t need early talent to be able to build their own models, but they should understand how to work alongside them. This skill is most common for roles in finance, consulting, and technology. Investment banks in particular are increasingly using machine learning tools to complete work, and it’s important to have employees who understand the basics about these models.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Fluency in specific platforms is also a skill new grads should develop. Whether the platform is Microsoft Copilot or Google&#39;s Gemini, having a good understanding about how the tool is used in a variety of contexts is crucial. The reason being that companies can have these tools implemented across the company, such as having Copilot used in Word and Excel. If you already understand how to effectively use the company’s tools across your workflow, you will require less training during onboarding.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;How to develop these skills&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;One problem that college graduates face is that college courses aren’t teaching these skills, and instead a lot of them actually discourage AI use. According to &lt;a href=&quot;https://joinhandshake.com/research/economic-research/class-of-2026-ai-outlook/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Handshake&lt;/a&gt;, 28 percent of undergraduate programs have integrated AI models into their coursework. This creates a gap for students that they have to fill on their own.&#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The good news is that there are a lot of resources available to help you fill this knowledge gap. One of these resources is &lt;a href=&quot;https://grow.google/ai-professional/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Google’s AI Essentials Certification&lt;/a&gt;. This certification provides knowledge about how to use AI in the workplace and as a part of different tasks. In addition to certifications, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.coursera.org/courses?query=deeplearning.ai&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Coursera&lt;/a&gt; provides a multitude of courses that students can take to deepen their knowledge about AI. One of these courses include “AI for Everyone,” which is designed so students with limited technical knowledge can get a good understanding of AI tools.&#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Outside of these education resources, experimenting with AI on your own is a great way to learn. Test out different scenarios like automating a mundane task, or experiment with different prompt structures in order to get the outcome you’re looking for. The more time spent around AI models, the deeper your understanding will go.&#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;How to Approach The Job Search&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;When searching for entry-level jobs, you’ll find that AI skills are consistently being mentioned. According to research done by &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.naceweb.org/job-market/trends-and-predictions/demand-for-ai-skills-in-entry-level-jobs-nearly-triples-since-fall-2025&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;NACE&lt;/a&gt;, 35 percent of entry-level jobs require AI skills. When searching for an entry-level role, search for postings that include the AI skills you possess. Additionally, it’s critical to list your AI skills on your resume. Whether this means listing your AI certification or listing the skills you’ve developed through AI usage, including these items will help your job search success. Expanding on these skills and showing real-life examples within your cover letter will also help give hiring managers a better understanding of your knowledge.&#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;AI is here to stay, and developing these skills is more important than ever. Use these tips to set yourself up for success in finding your first full-time role.&#160;&lt;/p&gt;

Emily Wiegand

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