by David Marwick, KempMillJobAssist
July 28, 2026
A willingness to learn is more important to employers than years of experience, even experience with AI, according to one company’s chief talent scout.
This is particularly important now because, as reported in The Wall Street Journal, big businesses, who had held off on hiring, are now starting to hire more employees to work with AI.
Employers seek employees who are are willing to learn
“Instead of looking for candidates with years of AI experience, employers increasingly want workers who can prove they’re willing to learn (emphasis added),” according to the head of talent acquisition and human resources at San Francisco-based OpenArt AI.
“The willingness to learn is the biggest thing that we really need right now,” said Sultan Khan, according to a July 20, 2026, article by Brittany Miller on www.FoxBusiness.com (link below).
“The people that are open to learning are the ones that we’re seeing grab jobs really quickly in this current landscape.”
He said resumes packed with years of AI experience aren’t necessarily what stand out.
“I think the biggest thing that helps make people stand out to me is when I see that they’ve done a lot of side projects or a lot of learning,” he said, pointing to applicants who complete AI courses, earn certifications or experiment with AI tools on their own.
Big businesses are starting to do more hiring
Khan’s advice is particularly timely, according to Chip Cutter’s July 26, 2026, article in The Wall Street Journal (link below).
He reported that, for months ”major employers treated hiring as an expensive last resort,” but “a shift is emerging across industries.”
“Major employers largely held back on adding people due to economic uncertainties or a belief that artificial intelligence could shoulder more tasks on the job.
“But some executives say the costs and limitations of AI now demand that more people be added; others want to hire people back following layoffs.”
Resources to improve your AI knowledge
If you would like to improve your AI skills, our article on AI provides links to no-cost/low-cost courses on AI, but it’s worth noting that this article was compiled more than a year ago, so better resources may be available now (link below).
A personal note: At JobAssist, we often see job-seekers who earned their last degree (whether a B.A./B.S. or higher), 5 or more years ago and have not invested in themselves since then, by taking online courses, webinars, etc. This presumably weakens their chances of landing a new job.
Links to articles
“Inside the AI boom: A talent chief’s playbook for winning in the job market,” by Brittany Miller, July 20, 2026 www.foxbusiness.com/technology/inside-ai-boom-talent-chiefs-playbook-winning-job-market
“Big Companies Are Starting to Hire Again, Defying Predictions of AI Wipeout,” by Chip Cutter, July 26, 2026 www.wsj.com/business/big-companies-are-starting-to-hire-again-defying-predictions-of-ai-wipeout-f4974e99
“Learning AI May Help You Land Your Next Job,” by David Marwick, 03.31.25 www.jobassist.org/learning-ai-may-help-you-land-your-next-job/