(TNND) -- New surveys from LinkedIn show workers are anxious about learning how to use artificial intelligence on the job. And a LinkedIn career expert said a lot of workers might be overlooking a valuable source of help: their professional network.
Catherine Fisher said about half of professionals rely on their network when they're looking for a job, but it's often neglected through the day-to-day challenges.
The AI learning curve is one of those challenges, she said.
"The good thing about AI is that we're all learning at the same, kind of at the same time," Fisher said.
A third of executives plan to incorporate employees' ability to effectively use AI into performance reviews or hiring criteria, according to LinkedIn surveys.
And employees are quietly struggling to adapt.
Around half of workers said learning AI feels like another job, 45% said they felt like they had to know how to use AI at work to get promoted or land a new job, and 41% said they're overwhelmed by how quickly they're expected to understand AI.
Around a third of surveyed workers felt embarrassed by how little they understood about AI.
That's why Fisher said workers should leverage their human connections to grow their AI competency.
"You're building this network throughout your career, and you're not going to be looking for a job your entire career. I would hope not. But you are going to need help navigating challenges," Fisher said.
Fisher practiced what she's preaching a couple of months back when she posted a short video about how she uses the AI tool Microsoft Copilot to deal with the crush of emails following a vacation.
"I almost didn't post it, because I was like, 'Oh, just this seems really basic. Like, I don't know how helpful it was.' It was one of my most engaged posts," she said.
Networking should be mostly about relationship building, not focused on transactions.
It's about sharing information and asking smart questions.
"I can't imagine going through my career without my network," Fisher said.
And when it does come time to find a new job, that relationship building might pay dividends.
"The analogy I always use is that you wouldn't reach out to a friend you haven't talked to in five years and ask for a ride to the dentist office," Fisher said.
Whether you're intimidated or not about learning AI, Fisher said you shouldn't be intimidated about networking.
Nor should you feel like you have to take a boss or colleague out to lunch to network with them.
Fisher said effective networking can often mean quick check-ins, either in person or online, or simple engagements with a colleague's posts.
"Small actions can lead to bigger moments," Fisher said.
If you ask for help, ask your contact if they need help with anything, Fisher said.
"And if you're struggling learning AI, guess where you can turn to, is your network," Fisher said.