{"id":23588,"date":"2026-01-12T01:20:12","date_gmt":"2026-01-11T19:50:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/timesofpowerandvoice.com\/?p=23588"},"modified":"2026-01-12T01:20:12","modified_gmt":"2026-01-11T19:50:12","slug":"84-of-professionals-in-india-feel-unprepared-to-find-a-job-in-2026-linkedin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/timesofpowerandvoice.com\/?p=23588","title":{"rendered":"84% of professionals in India feel unprepared to find a job in 2026: LinkedIn"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>New research from LinkedIn, the world\u2019s largest professional network, shows many professionals feel lost in an AI-driven hiring process. While 87% are comfortable3 using AI at work, many feel uncertain about how it\u2019s being used in hiring, with 77%4 saying there are too many stages in the process and 66% finding it increasingly impersonal4. Recruiter response time and lack of feedback makes the wait even more overwhelming, leaving professionals across all generations with the same struggle: how to make their application stand out (48% agree).<\/p>\n<p>The research also shows that AI has moved from a productivity aid to a confidence-builder for Indian job seekers, with 94%5 planning to use it in their job search and 66% saying it boosts their interview confidence4. Around 76% of job seekers say finding a new role has become tougher over the last year. LinkedIn data shows that applicants per open role in India have more than doubled since early 2022, intensifying competition and leaving many feeling unprepared. And it\u2019s not just job seekers feeling the pressure. Nearly 74% of Indian recruiters say it\u2019s become harder over the last year to find qualified talent6.<\/p>\n<p>This challenge is reshaping career paths. Almost a third (32%) of Gen X job seekers are considering new functions or roles, while 32% of Gen Zers are looking for roles outside their current industry. At the same time, more people are stepping outside of traditional roles and into entrepreneurship, with \u2018founder\u2019 rapidly growing on LinkedIn.<\/p>\n<p>Nirajita Banerjee, LinkedIn Career Expert and Sr. Managing Editor, LinkedIn India News, said &#8220;AI is now a foundational part of how careers are built and how talent is evaluated across India\u2019s job market. What professionals need most is a clear understanding of how their skills translate into opportunity and how hiring decisions are actually made. When used with purpose, AI tools can bridge that gap by helping people identify the roles they\u2019re right for, prepare with intent, and focus their learning where it matters most. That\u2019s where LinkedIn helps job seekers and hirers meet the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As competition intensifies, LinkedIn Jobs on the Rise shows which roles are growing now<\/p>\n<p>To help job seekers feel better prepared for 2026, LinkedIn\u2019s India Jobs on the Rise report highlights the fastest-growing roles over the past 3 years. This year\u2019s list is led by Prompt Engineer (#1), AI Engineer (#2), and Software Engineer (#3), showing sustained demand for AI and tech talent. Beyond pure tech, the rankings show healthy demand across sales and brand strategy, cybersecurity, and advisory functions. At the same time, roles such as Veterinarian, Solar Consultant and Behavioural Therapist are also on the rise.<\/p>\n<p>How LinkedIn\u2019s AI tools are improving job search and role matching<\/p>\n<p>LinkedIn also offers a wide range of AI tools, including AI-powered job search, which lets members search for jobs in their own words and discover roles they might never have thought to look for. The tool is now rolling out globally in English, French, German, Spanish and Portuguese. Over 1.3M members\u00b2 globally already use it every day, and over 25M weekly searches are powered by the new job search experience. Once you discover relevant roles, you can use LinkedIn\u2019s job match feature to see which roles align with your skills and qualifications, so you can focus on applying to opportunities where you\u2019re a fit and more likely to be considered for the role.<\/p>\n<p>LinkedIn Career Expert tips to help people in their job search<\/p>\n<p>\u25cf Take steps to navigate your job search with confidence: Go to linkedin.com\/jobsearchguide for actionable advice, tips for using our tools, access to free courses and more.<\/p>\n<p>\u25cf Meet the moment: The job market is shifting quickly, so it\u2019s important to get prepared and take action. Start by looking at trends in your industry and thinking about what you want in your next role. Identify the skills that will help you get there and take a few concrete steps today to build momentum and confidence.<\/p>\n<p>\u25cf Get comfortable with AI in your job search: AI is shaping almost every part of the job search, from finding roles to being pre-screened by recruiters and preparing for interviews. The key is to start small. Why not try exploring LinkedIn\u2019s job match tool to help speed up your search for the right role?<\/p>\n<p>\u25cf Keep your Profile fresh: Your Profile is often the first place employers look. Make sure your skills and experience are up to date and clearly highlighted, and verify information such as workplace and identity to help build trust &#8211; this will be key in separating yourself from the competition.<\/p>\n<p>\u25cf Mark your Top Choice job: If you\u2019re a Premium subscriber, mark a job as a top choice when applying through Easy Apply to signal to recruiters you have strong interest in a job they\u2019ve posted. Selecting Top Choice increases your likelihood of receiving a recruiter message by 43%.<\/p>\n<p>\u25cf Lean on your network: Your network is a powerful resource. Engaging with posts, commenting, or reaching out directly can provide support, spark opportunities, and open doors you might not expect. Try LinkedIn\u2019s new AI-powered people search \u2013 by searching for people in plain language \u2013 to unlock the potential of your network.<\/p>\n<p>\u25cf Discover new opportunities: Explore the fastest-growing roles in LinkedIn\u2019s Jobs on the Rise, with actionable insights to help professionals land their next role, including key skills, hiring hotspots, learning resources, links to open roles, and more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>New research from LinkedIn, the world\u2019s largest professional network, shows many professionals feel lost in an AI-driven hiring process. While 87% are comfortable3 using AI at work, many feel uncertain about how it\u2019s being used in hiring, with 77%4 saying there are too many stages in the process and 66% finding it increasingly impersonal4. Recruiter [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[44,38],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23588","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pune","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesofpowerandvoice.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23588","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesofpowerandvoice.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesofpowerandvoice.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesofpowerandvoice.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesofpowerandvoice.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=23588"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/timesofpowerandvoice.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23588\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23589,"href":"https:\/\/timesofpowerandvoice.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23588\/revisions\/23589"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesofpowerandvoice.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=23588"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesofpowerandvoice.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=23588"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesofpowerandvoice.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=23588"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}