Best skills for AI jobs are these five, as a minimum…

In the last year, nearly every job spec we come across includes AI experience as a ‘nice to have.’ And that’s for roles across the board, with 72% of companies adopting Artificial Intelligence (AI) in at least one business function, according to McKinsey & Company.

Likewise, anytime I advertise an AI-based role, I am inundated with applicants wanting to add some commercial AI experience to their CVs. 

People know that there is a bright future ahead in AI and they want to propel their career in an exciting field, writes Alex Reeder, management consultant at Harvey Nash, a global leader in technology recruitment.

The Artificial Intelligence struggle

However, when it comes to AI, many companies struggle to pinpoint exactly what they need, but know that they need to act fast, or risk being left behind.

And despite the increase in AI-specific roles, there are, in most instances machine learning roles or data science roles with elements of automation and Python - just repackaged as AI. 

For contractors in particular, this is a strong market given that companies are looking to bring in skills to help them explore and experiment with the benefits of Artificial Intelligence.

What's expected of AI contractors?

If that’s you, you would be expected as a contractor/freelancer to be hired to find ways for a business to increase productivity, save money and even make money using AI.

After deep examination and analysis, your role may involve building a case for where AI ‘fits’ within the business, and you’d then encourage its adoption. You may even become responsible for rolling out AI and leading new initiatives with generative AI.

Best skills for AI jobs are these five, as a minimum…

With that in mind, here is a summary of the top requirements for AI contractors in H2 2024.

1. Experience in Python

Python will often be your main technical requirement as an AI contractor.

But if your experience sits with C# or Java, or any other modern programming language, you can easily pick up Python.

From what I’ve seen, people from most programming backgrounds can adapt to Python, as it is user-friendly and has loads of AI-focused libraries to enable faster development.

2. Analytical mindset

AI roles - both contract and full-time - involve lots of analysing, testing, and learning.

So, AI jobs might be best-suited to people from computer science backgrounds; those fresh out of university, or Data Scientists.

The unifying factor of these - an analytical mindset - is certainly what clients appear to be looking for with AI right now, sometimes linked to an initial focus on data structures and algorithms.

3. Problem solving

A company may be facing a productivity problem or need to make drastic cuts. It might therefore be your job to solve those problems with the use of AI.

To be a successful AI candidate or to just make the shortlist, you will need to be confident in building your case, with an acute awareness that you may need to convince hesitant budget-holders to invest in the shiny new thing; Artificial Intelligence.

4. Curiosity

AI is not always introduced for a specific, set reason.

It is mostly used in 2024-25 to streamline processes or save time.

So, you should have an inquisitive nature and seek to understand as much as you can about how the business operates, so that you can have maximum impact.

5. Collaboration

AI is a tool to enhance the business as a whole.

You will need to work across teams and collaborate with multiple people. This involves speaking to various people within the business to understand problems and find the solutions. You will therefore need to be an excellent listener and communicator.

A low, non-technical entry barrier (for now)

Did you notice, above, that only one of these requirements of AI contractors in 2024 is a technical skill? It is an important one (Python), but it can be easily gained if you come from the right background.

So with the right mindset and the above ‘soft’ skills, a career in AI has a relatively low barrier to entry.

Finally, full-time roles in AI? They don’t have the edge at this experimental stage

Permanent roles in AI do exist, and a massive 133 million new jobs are expected to be created by 2030.

But in the early stages – that’s right now, most companies choose to bring in contractors to spot problems, identify opportunities, and figure out AI solutions to help them innovate. It is why the soft skills outlined above are so critical.

Almost needless to say, it is an exciting time to be dipping into the world of AI, and there are plenty of routes in. Good luck!