Are you looking for a temporary job? Maybe it’s a short-term solution to secure an income for a few months until you find a permanent role, or perhaps you already have a job and want to increase your earnings. Or maybe you want to enter a new field and lack experience. In recent years, more and more people have found themselves in exactly this situation: work is no longer a linear path, but a sequence of projects, collaborations, and transition periods. To navigate an unpredictable career, it’s essential to invest time and energy in developing skills that employers are looking for right now.
What do you notice when you take a closer look at job postings? Employers’ requirements no longer look the same as they did two or three years ago. It’s no longer just about experience or degrees, but about technical skills (AI, industry-specific tools) and soft skills: how quickly you learn, how well you adapt, how you collaborate, and how you respond to change.
The World Economic Forum report New Economy Skills: Unlocking the Human Advantage (December 2025) shows that nearly 40% of the skills required for today’s jobs will be different by 2030, and 80% of employers say that reskilling and upskilling are essential to their business strategy. Moreover, the WEF estimates that by the end of this decade, around 170 million new roles will be created, while 92 million will disappear, highlighting how quickly demand is shifting from one set of skills to another.
In this context, a temporary job becomes a test—not just of whether you can do the work, but of whether you can keep pace with a professional world that is constantly changing. Here are the skills you should develop this year to increase your chances of getting a job.
What skills are employers looking for in 2026? “Knowing your job” is no longer enough
For a long time, a candidate’s value was tied to stability: years spent in one company, a clear career path, a fixed set of skills. In 2026, this logic no longer works. The World Economic Forum shows that employers can no longer rely on stable skill sets, because technology changes them too quickly. Instead, they are looking for people who can handle change—those who can learn, relearn, and combine different skills. In 2026, it will no longer be enough to have only technical skills or only human skills. The difference will be made by professionals who can combine them, in a labor market increasingly influenced by AI and automation. While technology is changing how we work, real value still lies in people’s ability to think, adapt, and collaborate.
Hard skills
Digital skills and AI literacy
In 2026, almost every job is connected to technology. You work in digital platforms, applications, and increasingly in systems that use artificial intelligence. That’s why digital skills and AI literacy have become part of the basic “workplace alphabet.” This doesn’t mean you need to be an IT expert. It means feeling comfortable working with:
CRM systems for customers and sales
platforms that track orders and deliveries
HR Tools
financial or reporting systems
tools that automate tasks
In short, it means understanding what these systems do and how to use them to do your job better. Employers are looking for people who can work alongside technology, not people who are blocked by it.
Data interpretation and the use of AI have become a basic professional language
The World Economic Forum report shows that AI, big data, and digital literacy are among the most in-demand skills for the coming years—and they are not relevant only for IT roles. In logistics, marketing, HR, finance, or retail, decisions are increasingly based on data and algorithms.
If you know how to:
read a report
interpret a dashboard—using data from CRMs, logistics platforms, HR applications, financial systems, marketing tools, or project management software to make data-based decisions
understand what an automation actually does
…you become a key link between technology and people.
Applied but flexible technical skills
Every field has its own tools: in sales, CRMs; in logistics, inventory and delivery management platforms; in HR, employee administration applications; and in finance, invoicing and reporting systems. In 2026, these tools are changing rapidly, and companies are using more and more platforms at the same time. That’s why it’s no longer enough to master a single piece of software—what matters is how quickly you can learn a new one and how easily you can adapt to new processes and technologies.
Analytical thinking matters more than any software
One of the most important skills of the present and the future is analytical and systems thinking. In practice, this means employers want people who understand how a process works, not just how to click buttons in a program.
In a temporary role, you enter an organization with established procedures, workflows, and objectives, and you may have only a few days to adapt.
If you can quickly identify:
where workflow blockages appear
what information is missing
which decisions impact other teams
…your value increases immediately. This skill makes the difference between someone who simply executes tasks and someone who truly contributes.
Soft skills that technology cannot replace
The World Economic Forum report shows that tasks involving empathy, creativity, leadership, and curiosity have only a 13% potential for automation. These are exactly the skills that become more important as technology takes over repetitive work.
Creativity – the skill that sets you apart when everything becomes automated
Creativity is probably the most misunderstood skill in the labor market. Many people associate it with design or art, but for employers it means something far more pragmatic: the ability to find solutions where standard procedures no longer work. Creativity is one of the least mentioned skills in job postings, but one of the most valuable when it is recognized within organizations.
In a world dominated by algorithms, creativity is what makes the difference between:
following a process
and improving that process
Companies need people who can rethink ways of working, redesign projects, adapt solutions, and see opportunities where others see only rules.
Emotional intelligence – the invisible superpower of teamwork
In 2026, work is not just about checking off tasks, but about building relationships: with clients, colleagues, managers, and partners in other organizations. Empathy, active listening, and collaboration are among the hardest skills to automate and among the most important for performance. During recent crises, these skills declined far less than others—precisely because people needed connection and trust, according to data from the New Economy Skills: Unlocking the Human Advantage report. New Economy Skills: Unlocking the Human Advantage.
In practice, emotional intelligence means:
understanding what motivates others
managing conflicts
creating psychological safety within a team
Without these skills, even the best technology will not deliver results.
Curiozitatea – dovada adaptabilitatii profesionale
The World Economic Forum identifies curiosity and the desire to learn as one of the biggest gaps in the global workforce—and at the same time, one of the most important skills for the future. In a world where technologies, jobs, and industries are constantly changing, what matters most is not how much you know today, but how quickly you can learn tomorrow.
A curious person:
asks questions
explores solutions
seeks to understand, not just to execute
This mindset allows you to remain relevant in the labor market over the long term.
Autonomy and decision-making – the new performance standard
The way we work is constantly changing as we place greater importance on emotional well-being. Work should be based on trust, not on constant managerial control. Teams are more flexible, often distributed across different parts of the world or working in different styles, and the focus is on results, not supervision. That’s why employers are looking for people who can:
work independently
make decisions
take responsibility for outcomes
In an environment where AI provides options and predictions, someone still needs to decide which option is correct, ethical, and effective. Judgment remains a human responsibility.
Do you need support in a changing labor market?
In a context where skills and employer expectations are evolving quickly and temporary jobs are becoming increasingly common, the right support can make the difference between a period of uncertainty and a successful transition.
Smartemp is a Romanian HR company with 14 years of experience, specialized in recruitment and career counseling for professionals in transition. Smartemp can help you:
identify temporary or permanent roles aligned with your professional goals, skills, and desired salary level; joburi temporare sau permanente aliniate cu obiectivele tale profesionale, cu abilitatile si nivelul salarial dorit;
build or adjust your CV so it reflects the skills employers are looking for in 2026;
prepare for interviews to increase your chances of success;
explore new fields where your skills can be transferred, if you are considering a career change.
If you are experiencing challenges finding the right job or are unsure which professional direction to follow, write to us at recrutare@smartemp.ro . Attach your CV and include a few lines about the challenges you are facing in your job search..
In 2026, you will likely go through job changes as automation takes over some administrative tasks or through transition periods between roles. This is not a sign that “things aren’t working,” but that the way work is done has changed. What makes the difference for you is how quickly you can learn new things, how you use technology, and how well you work with the people around you.
By investing in these skills, you give yourself more opportunities for long-term career success. You can secure the job you want, while also gaining greater control over your career direction and the opportunities that come your way.
Sources:
World Economic Forum (2025) – New Economy Skills: Unlocking the Human Advantage
World Economic Forum (2024) – Future of Jobs Survey 2024
Indeed Hiring Lab & World Economic Forum – GenAI Skill Transformation Index
Coursera (2020–2025) – Global Learning Data on Human-Centric Skills
Workhuman (2019–2025) – Global Employee Recognition Data
Read also:
What advantages do you get if you take a temporary job in 2026? Are companies open to this type of collaboration?
How to Set Realistic, Easier-to-Reach Goals in 2026 While Job Hunting
