Will Your Next Partner Job Require AI Skills?
Things are moving fast in partner & GTM, and AI is now considered a core skill set for partner roles.
When I talk with peers and clients across partner and GTM, the mood is the same everywhere: we are all looking for answers. The pace of change can feel unsettling. How do we chart the path ahead? That’s real.
The good news is clear, too. There are meaningful opportunities for the leaders who learn the landscape, use AI with intention, and make results visible. Think simple, practical moves that help your sellers today, not science projects.
AI in Partnerships is a vast topic (heck I started a newsletter because of that!), but I would categorize the main AI uses in our jobs as follows:
The ability to use LLMs tools proficiently; for exampleChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, Grok, Claude, Perplexity) as an assistant for a variety of tasks:
Writing, summarizing, note taking, helping draft, proofread, translating
Building decks, tables, sheets, one pagers
Automating tasks like calculations
The ability to shape plans that leverage AI in a more technical sense, and agents to automate workflows. For example:
Performing calculations, create revenue scenarios
Co-creating joint GTM plans, brainstorming ideas
Track important partner metrics. I recently wrote more on metrics in this post.
The ability to understand the role of AI in your partner GTM from a strategic standpoint, and to realize the potential for joint GTM with AI-powered solutions. Unlike the first 2, this aspect has the customer at the center of it.
So, for partner leaders like you, the question isn’t just whether your next partner job will require AI skills; it’s how deeply those skills will shape your ability to support indirect sales, drive revenue, and stand out.
This article unpacks why AI fluency is becoming a must-have in our world, the top challenges and trends, and practical ways for you to navigate this shift successfully.
Why AI Skills Are Non-Negotiable
Let’s look at what AI is doing to the job market, including partner roles. A 2024 Microsoft and LinkedIn report found that 66% of leaders wouldn’t hire someone without AI skills, and 75% of employees are already using AI at work, often bringing their own tools like ChatGPT or Copilot. On LinkedIn, job posts mentioning AI have surged, with a 17% higher application rate for AI-related roles compared to others. On X, posts highlight how AI is transforming cloud strategies, with one user noting that 65% of consumers trust businesses using AI (per Forbes), pushing partner pros to integrate AI into GTM playbooks to stay competitive. Reddit threads echo this, with users discussing how AI-driven cloud optimization is creating new roles but also raising fears of automation displacing traditional tasks.
For partner pros, this means AI is a core competency. Whether you’re in sales aligning with AWS’s Bedrock for AI-driven solutions, in marketing crafting AI-enhanced campaigns, or in partner enablement training teams on Azure’s AI tools, fluency in AI is becoming a baseline expectation. A McKinsey report shows 72% of organizations are adopting AI, with SaaS leading the pack, integrating it into products and operations. On LinkedIn, execs like those at Partnerstack emphasize that roles like partner marketing directors now require AI literacy to analyze market trends or build AI-powered customer success tools.
Exhibit 1 - McKinsey & Company - Global Survey on the State of AI
Top Challenges for Partner Pros
Skill Gaps in AI Literacy: Many partner pros lack hands-on experience with AI tools like prompt engineering or data analytics. A World Economic Forum report notes that 39% of job skills will change by 2030, with AI literacy topping the list, yet only 25% of companies plan to offer AI training in 2025.
Balancing Human and AI Roles: Partner pros, especially in sales and BD, face the challenge of integrating AI without losing the human touch critical for relationship-driven partnerships. X posts warn that AI agents thrive on context, but mismanaging them can lead to errors, with one user citing a MIT study showing 95% of corporate AI pilots failed due to poor feedback loops. This makes it tough to align AI-driven insights with hyperscaler co-sell strategies.
Keeping Up with Rapid Change: The pace of AI evolution is relentless. A Deloitte report predicts agentic AI - autonomous systems handling complex workflows - will dominate by 2027, requiring partner pros to stay ahead of tools like Amazon Bedrock AgentCore or Azure’s AI agents. LinkedIn discussions highlight that 90% of HR pros see their roles becoming more strategic, pushing partner leaders to master AI to stay relevant.
Key Trends Shaping Partner Roles
AI-Driven GTM Strategies: Hyperscalers are embedding AI into their marketplaces, with AWS’s Bedrock AgentCore offering pre-built agents for tasks like sales proposals, and Azure pushing conversational AI for e-commerce. Partner pros who can leverage these tools to enhance co-sell deals or personalize offerings are in high demand, with Forbes noting AI-savvy workers earn higher wages.
Demand for Hybrid Skills: Beyond technical AI knowledge, soft skills like leadership and emotional intelligence remain critical. A LinkedIn report emphasizes that while AI handles repetitive tasks, partner roles require strategic thinking to align with hyperscaler priorities, like Microsoft’s 69% partner preference in marketplaces. Reddit users in r/technology stress that combining AI fluency with people skills is key to standing out.
Upskilling as a Competitive Edge: With 80% of EU professionals adding AI skills to their LinkedIn profiles in 2023, per the World Economic Forum, upskilling is a differentiator. Programs like OpenAI’s Academy aim to certify 10 million Americans in AI fluency by 2030, signaling a shift toward formal credentials that partner pros can leverage to secure roles.
How to Navigate and Succeed
To thrive as a partner pro in this AI-driven landscape, here’s a practical playbook based on what’s working now:
Build AI Literacy Hands-On: Start with free resources like LinkedIn Learning’s AI courses, which saw a 65% uptick in learners last year, or OpenAI’s Academy for prompt engineering basics. Experiment with tools like Copilot or ChatGPT to automate tasks like drafting partner proposals or analyzing hyperscaler data. For example, a sales leader I placed at a SaaS startup used Copilot to cut proposal creation time by 30%, impressing AWS account managers.
Integrate AI with Human Strengths: Use AI to enhance, not replace, your relationship-building skills. For instance, leverage Azure’s AI analytics to identify high-potential co-sell partners, then use your negotiation skills to seal the deal. A McKinsey study suggests focusing AI on repetitive tasks (e.g., data crunching) to free up time for strategic partner alignment, boosting deal velocity by 20%.
Stay Ahead with Continuous Learning: Experiment with your favorite LLMs. Enroll in hyperscaler certifications, such as AWS’s AI Practitioner or Microsoft’s AI Fundamentals, to signal expertise. Keep up with the innovation on a weekly basis to stay ahead.
Collaborate with Hyperscaler Teams: Engage hyperscaler account teams to co-develop AI-driven GTM strategies. For example, use AWS’s Marketplace to test AI agent integrations, like sales proposal tools, and share results with field sellers to strengthen co-sell motions. It’s been proven that partners with tight hyperscaler alignment grow much faster. No wonder roles dedicated to Cloud Providers alliances are among the first hires for companies building out their partner teams.
Track and Showcase Impact: Quantify your AI contributions in your resume or LinkedIn profile. For instance, highlight how you used AI to increase co-sell conversions or streamlined partner onboarding with automation.
The Bottom Line
Your next partner job will likely demand AI skills, from basic fluency to advanced applications like helping build AI agents for hyperscaler marketplaces. The challenges - skill gaps, balancing AI with human strengths, and keeping up with change - are real, but so are the opportunities. By embracing AI literacy, integrating it with your strategic expertise, and staying plugged into hyperscaler ecosystems, you’ll not only meet the demands of 2025 but also position yourself as a leader in the AI-driven partner landscape. As the World Economic Forum puts it, AI is creating more jobs than it displaces for those who adapt, and for partner pros, that’s your cue to lean in and level up.