In 2026, technical skills are becoming a more visible part of Australian recruitment, particularly as employers incorporate AI into everyday work.

Robert Half research found 97% of Australian hiring managers now expect new hires to have some level of AI and automation proficiency, while 88% say finding candidates with the right skills remains difficult. Robert Half

SEEK data also shows references to AI skills in Australian job ads rose 60.4% over the year to July 2026, with particularly strong demand for agentic AI and AI ethics and governance skills.

At the same time, competition for technology roles remains high, with Jobs and Skills Australia reporting that 34% of recruiting IT employers received 20 or more applicants for each vacancy in 2025–26.

The world is shifting fast. The skills that guaranteed employment 5 years ago no longer provide the same security. This is because as the world gears towards the future, that is, technology, the skills that recruiters look for in a resume are now vastly different.

Furthermore, economic downturns are now felt more strongly, marking an age when companies limit new hires, making the job hunt even more difficult. 

To stay competitive, following the tide and equipping yourself with the right skills and tools is of the utmost necessity.

Another aspect you need to consider is how you’re going to present those key skills to your employers. If you’re a bit stuck or unsure what to include in your resume to make it future-ready, there’s no need to fret. 

So, what should you actually be putting on your resume?

1. Data Analytics and Literacy

Whether you choose to learn these skills through an online Master of Analytics program, professional development courses or on-the-job training, data literacy can come in handy in many different career paths.

Businesses use data to inform decisions, track performance, learn more about customers and identify areas for improvement so being able to read and understand data is a helpful professional skill to have.

Just because you’re data literate doesn’t mean you have to be a data scientist. Data analysis is about knowing how to read data and understand what the figures are communicating.

It’s about spotting trends and translating that information into actionable knowledge in a way that can be easily understood by others.

The exact data you work with will vary depending on your industry and position, but you may analyse sales data, monitor ad campaign performance, examine customer behaviour, or use data to influence business strategy. 

Though it may sound intimidating, there are various ways you can showcase this skill in your resume. Some examples are:

• Proficiency in Excel and Google Sheets
• Used SQL, Python and various other programming languages to automate repetitive tasks
• Experienced in visualising data through tools like Tableau to strategically summarise key points 

Don’t just list these skills as “application of software X”. Whenever possible, expand on how you used it and what you accomplished. Instead of saying “excel at Excel”, you could say you used Excel to analyse sales reports, recognise a pattern, and affect a business change. 

2. Prompt Engineering

Modern businesses are trying to catch up with the current technological trends. One such trend is investing in Artificial Intelligence (AI), hoping it can support employees in their day-to-day tasks.

At a minimum, the company expects AI to automate low-level repetitive tasks to provide employees the capacity to focus on higher-level tasks.

However, the main objective is for it to be an intelligent assistant capable of browsing through its extensive database to provide solutions to questions employees are stuck with. 

Anyone can ask AI a question, but what sets a regular employee apart from an exceptional one is whether they can engineer their prompt to obtain the most efficient response in the shortest amount of time possible.

This will show that not only do you understand output better than the average user, but your critical thinking skills are also put to use.

In your future-ready resume, an example of how you can present this skill can be “utilised prompt engineering to steer AI to create more accurate and relevant responses, thereby reducing run time by X%” 

3. Cybersecurity

As everything becomes more digital, cybersecurity has never been more important. One misclick and your entire company information is forever lost and in the hands of the wrong people. Therefore, you must know the different vulnerabilities of cyberattacks to avoid that mistake. 

For example, when faced with phishing, a more common cyberattack that comes in the form of inconspicuous messages or emails that deceive you into clicking a link, you need to be more suspicious of its contents and senders. Determine if the sender’s email address is slightly altered and do not click on its attachments or links.

Though it may seem like an obvious skill that everyone knows, it is not actually that common and even less common for it to be mentioned in a resume. You can use this to set yourself even further apart from the competition, all the while demonstrating your in-depth technical knowledge. 

One way to present this key skill is to highlight that you quickly identified an online scam and immediately warned your colleagues, eliminating a threat before it could cause major repercussions.

4. Cloud Computing

Cloud-based solutions and services are used for more and more business applications these days. Whether it’s storing documents, organising customer information, running specific applications or supporting remote workers, cloud computing has become integral to many organisations.

There are degrees of cloud knowledge that can be useful, depending on the role. You don’t need to be a cloud engineer to put cloud computing on your resume.

Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud are just a few platforms you may want to familiarise yourself with. Also important is knowledge of cloud storage, cloud collaboration tools, and a basic understanding of security protocols.

Employers will likely be looking for candidates with more technical expertise if the job requires working with back-end systems.

These candidates should list cloud architecture experience or cloud infrastructure knowledge as well as any security certifications they may have acquired. For less technical positions, familiarity with working in cloud-based programs will do.

As with any skills listed on your resume, be specific. Instead of listing “cloud computing” as one of your skills, mention specific platforms and programs. 

5. Digital Project and Technology Management

Technology is useless if organisations aren’t capable of successfully deploying it. When businesses invest in new software, systems and digital processes, they need employees who can help facilitate that change.

Digital project management can include leading teams, creating timelines, tracking deliverables, assessing risk and ensuring a new tech solution is fit for purpose.

Depending on the role, working knowledge of project management tools and methods such as Agile project management can also help.

This knowledge is especially important if you’re looking to pursue a career in management. You don’t have to be the person building the apps or working on the code.

Having an understanding of how these technical projects are built and executed can help you to communicate with experts, make decisions and keep things moving along.

On your resume, be sure to include any technology projects you’ve worked on and, where applicable, describe your role and the outcome.

Implementing new systems, streamlining digital processes or managing a software rollout are great ways to show off these skills rather than simply stating “digital project management”. 

Make Your Technical Skills Mean Something

Understanding which skills will be increasingly in demand is one piece of preparing yourself for the future of work. Demonstrating what you can do with them is another.

On a resume, simply listing “data analysis,” “AI,” or “cybersecurity” doesn’t give potential employers much context. Tie your technical skills to results whenever you can. Describe the challenges you faced, the technologies you leveraged, and what was different after your work was done.

This can help you do more than list buzzwords on your resume. It also shows employers how you approach problems, how you operate as an employee (or team member) and how you might fit into their workplace of the future.