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ZDNET's key takeaways
Employers may employ buzzwords to signal innovation.
Both employers and job hunters may confuse AI terminology.
Creativity and curiosity are sought-after skills.
In today's employment environment, job hunters may be padding their resumes to some degree with AI skills, but employers are also padding their job descriptions. In a trend known as "AI language inflation," employers are using buzzwords to appear more cutting-edge, but are highlighting capabilities that may not be essential skills for the roles. The result of this inflation is a vicious cycle, with job hunters dropping AI buzzwords into their resumes.
That was the conclusion of a recent panel that featured executives from Indeed, Salesforce, and IBM. For job hunters, AI language inflation means learning the different flavors of AI -- machine learning, versus generative AI and agents, for example, "and don't just drop terms," said Jessica Hardeman, head of talent attraction at Indeed.
Also: AI agents see explosive growth on AWS Marketplace - over 40x the team's initial targets
The panel said employers need to be clear about requirements that may not necessarily focus on AI. In many cases, employers value curiosity and a willingness to learn over AI skills. A recent Spiceworks survey found employers place a high value on skills like cybersecurity. (Spiceworks is owned by ZDNET's parent company, Ziff Davis.)
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