For many young professionals, the hardest part of the job search is determining skills to prioritise for the future. In an evolving job market where technical requirements shift overnight, identifying which competencies will actually lead to a pay cheque is a tough task. In this rapidly changing job market, staying competitive requires more than just technical expertise.
According to LinkedIn’s Skills on the Rise 2026 report, five key skill stacks can help professionals stand out and thrive in their careers: AI & Automation, Data & Analytics, IT & Cybersecurity, Business & Growth, and People & Leadership.
The report highlights that 38% of Indian job seekers feel unprepared for the speed at which technology is altering skills requirements.
Meanwhile, 74% of recruiters in India say finding qualified talent is harder than ever, despite 46% of global recruiters relying on skills data to fill roles.
While technical expertise in AI, data analysis, and digital infrastructure is in high demand, it is no longer the sole factor in career success. As teams grow more cross-functional and AI-enabled, collaboration, stakeholder management, and project leadership emerge as people skills that translate technical expertise into measurable results.
The 5 Skill Stacks:
AI & Automation: Professionals who can integrate AI into everyday workflows are in high demand. Skills like workflow automation, LLMOps, AutoML, and API integration are valuable in engineering and IT roles, while prompt engineering is becoming essential in HR, marketing, sales, and consulting.
Data & Analytics: Employers prioritise professionals who can extract insights, communicate clearly, and guide real decisions. Data capability is crucial in engineering, IT, and non-tech functions like business development and marketing.
IT & Cybersecurity: As digital operations expand, professionals who can secure, monitor, and strengthen technology environments are vital. Cybersecurity, cloud infrastructure, IT automation, incident management, real-time monitoring and threat detection are key skills in this area.
Business & Growth: Employers reward professionals who drive growth while improving operational efficiency. Relationship management is becoming increasingly important in business development and sales, while negotiation remains a key skill in revenue-facing roles. Process optimisation is increasing in business development, sales, engineering, information technology, consulting, and finance functions. Visual storytelling is also becoming popular in marketing, art & design, education, and business development.
People & Leadership: Business development, sales, engineering, education, arts and design, information technology, consulting, human resources, finance, and marketing all exhibit a consistent level of collaboration. The diversity of job functions indicates a larger shift in how teams work. As work becomes more AI-enabled and cross-functional, the ability to align people, manage complexity, and produce results collaboratively is emerging as a defining employability advantage.
Here are this year’s Skills on the Rise in India:
- AI & Automation
- Prompt Engineering
- Workflow Automation
- Large Language Model Operations (LLMOps)
- Automated Machine Learning (AutoML)
- Application Programming Interface (API)
- Data & Analytics
- Querying
- Database Optimisation
- Data Analysis
- Data Storytelling
- Data Ethics
- IT & Cybersecurity
- Cloud Infrastructure
- IT Automation
- Incident Management
- Real-Time Monitoring
- Threat Detection
- Business & Growth
- Relationship Management
- GTM & Growth Strategy
- Operational Efficiency (or Process Optimisation)
- Negotiation
- Visual Storytelling & Communication
- People & Leadership
- Collaboration
- Team Management
- Stakeholder Management
- Budget Management
- Project Management
To help professionals develop these in-demand abilities, LinkedIn has provided select LinkedIn Learning courses free until March 31, including AI agents for everyday professionals, learning data analytics, stakeholder management for leaders and managers, and others.
Originally Appeared Here
