You're Probably Learning the Wrong Skills

Every week I see software engineers asking the same question:

“What skills should I actually be learning?”

Most answers are opinions.

I wanted data.

So I analyzed 724 qualified job postings across 16 technology roles to see how hiring requirements have changed from 2024 to 2026.

Instead of looking at hype, I looked at what employers are actually asking for.

Some of the findings surprised me.

• AI Engineers are now expected to know AI Agents, RAG, AWS, and cloud infrastructure, not just Python and model development.

• CI/CD continues to spread into more software engineering roles.

• Several technologies that were common just a couple of years ago have largely disappeared from the top requested skills.

• Different roles are diverging much faster than many people realize. The skills that help a Data Scientist are increasingly different from those expected of an AI Engineer or Machine Learning Engineer.

The report covers:

• AI Engineer

• Machine Learning Engineer

• Data Scientist

• Data Engineer

• Software Developer

• Front-End Engineer

• Back-End Engineer

• Full-Stack Engineer

• DevOps Engineer

• MLOps Engineer

• Security Engineer

• Prompt Engineer

• Product Manager

• Business Analyst

• Data Analyst

• Forward Deployed Engineer

For each role you’ll find:

• Top 10 employer-requested skills

• Rankings compared with previous years (where available)

• New and emerging technologies

• Skills that are declining

• A visual breakdown of core, emerging, niche, and declining skills

• A concise interpretation of what the changes mean

Recruiters are overwhelmed by the volume of resumes they receive and do not have time to review every one in depth.

If your resume is filled with random keywords or irrelevant information, it can quickly land in the “No” pile.

Think of it like a tourist restaurant serving sushi, hot pot, burgers, and pizza—does that sound like a quality restaurant?

Customize your resume for the job. Ditch the random skills and focus on your strongest projects that are relevant to

the role you’re pursuing. Be the Jiro—the three-Michelin-starred sushi restaurant—of resumes.

A tailored resume grabs attention. Use the same keywords employers use in their job descriptions and stand out from

the crowd. This report helps you identify which skills employers currently emphasize for each technology role—and

how those requirements have shifted.

— Adapted from page 9 of The Ultimate Resume Handbook.

I compiled the top keywords for 16 of the hottest jobs in tech. We analyzed 724 qualified job postings and identified

the ten most frequently used keywords for each role.

Python appeared in 84.5% of Data Scientist, 79.7% of Machine Learning Engineer, and 74.3% of AI Engineer postings,

remaining a strong skill in 2026, as it was in 2024. Focus on keywords relevant to the role and supported by your

experience. Then demonstrate those skills through meaningful projects and accomplishments.

Let’s dive into the keywords!

The full 39-page PDF is available below.