Half of all U.S. workers use artificial intelligence on the job, per a Gallup report published in April. Mike Caldwell, executive director of TCU’s Center for Career & Professional Development, sees an increase in demand unfolding in real time on Handshake, the job platform TCU hosts for students and alumni, where about 10% of positions mention AI. We asked Caldwell what employers are looking for — and how candidates can prove they have the skills. 

Which industries are looking for people with AI skills? 

We’re seeing more and more employers looking for AI fluency for almost all of their positions, whether it’s sales, creative, finance, accounting or marketing. Unlike many other things that have come and gone, it transcends all industries — healthcare, manufacturing, everything. Everyone is looking at AI and how it will change their industry. 

We even had a listing for a church-related program that was looking for an intern to do some AI work. I think all fields are leaning on it, but the early adopters — tech, engineering, the sciences — those areas are where you’re going to see it most. 

How do you define AI fluency? 

I looked through some of the job descriptions we have on Handshake and picked out a few keywords. One thing I saw consistently was communication and collaboration. I think AI fluency means not just that you know that the tool is out there, but that you can communicate and collaborate with others using that tool — you can train other people in the department on that tool, or you are trainable yourself. 

A couple of keywords that I also saw were security and risk. If I’m bringing a new hire into my organization, I want to know that the person is fluent enough in AI to use it — and also aware enough not to load in confidential company data. 

I saw mentions of strategic thinking — being able to think strategically about the information that you’re gathering using AI. You can feed it the data and have it spit something back to you, but how is it relevant to the work of the department? 

How can candidates demonstrate AI knowledge on their résumés? 

It’s not just telling, but it’s showing — so giving a demonstrated example of how you used AI in your work. So, for example, in your previous job, you might reference that you analyzed sales trends for the quarter without compromising data or proprietary information. 

It’s also an advantage to take a class or do something online. Indicate that you took a three-hour Coursera course or a LinkedIn Learning course on AI principles and practices. 

What can job seekers do to be ready to answer questions about AI in an interview? 

Take a course, watch tutorials, synthesize all of that information as much as possible to be prepared to answer questions from employers. 

I’ve heard that the question is “What are your thoughts on AI, and how do you think it might impact this work?” It’s very open-ended, and there’s no right or wrong answer. It lets someone demonstrate how much they know about AI and how fluent they are, but it also gives the candidate an opportunity to talk to the employer about how they’re using it in their workplace.

— As told to Laura Samuel Meyn

Editor’s Note: The questions and answers have been edited for length and clarity.