LinkedIn's chief economic opportunity officer, Aneesh Raman, said the key is to focus on distinctly human strengths.
Raman recently co-wrote Open to Work: How To Get Ahead in the Age of AI, said the job market is challenging across industries and age groups.
He encouraged workers to rely on what he calls the "five C's": curiosity, creativity, courage, compassion and communication.
"Flex those muscles. Use those in your job search," Raman said. "Be curious about other jobs around the job that you're trying to get that you just can't seem to get into the door on. Look at other jobs that are available, that are open, that you think you could go and be competitive in."
Raman also urged job seekers to be creative in how they build their networks, including connecting with peers, fellow job seekers and mentors.
He said mentors can help people think differently about how to work in a changing environment.
"Where you work matters a lot more than what you do right now," he said. "Like find your way into a culture of learning that is adapting as a company, because that's where you're going to get to change your job as work changes on you."
Raman said he worries that people who struggle to keep up with technological change may be left behind. He encouraged workers to regularly challenge themselves.
"Did you do something today to push yourself? Did you learn something new? Did you try something new, are you using these tools to do something new to partner with someone else in a new way?" he said. "That's what this is all gonna come down to. So we all have control. But it's gonna be work. It's gonna require us to be resilient, to be adaptive."
He added that thriving in an AI-driven economy will require taking small steps each day to evolve alongside changing jobs. Skills once labeled "soft," he said, are now essential.
Raman, a parent of children ages 9 and 11, said he is teaching them to use technology and AI in ways that spark deeper thinking and creativity.
Instead of asking a tool like ChatGPT for answers, he suggests asking how best to learn or experience something new. He also emphasized the importance of young people trying a variety of activities to discover their interests and passions.