LinkedIn CEO grades career moves: Cover letters get a 'D', while job-hopping earns an 'A'

• Ryan Roslansky gave grades to traditional career moves. He favors job-hopping over cover letters.
• The LinkedIn CEO said applicants should emphasize skills over traditional credentials in hiring.
• Executives are prioritizing AI capabilities and adaptability amid a cooling job market.

Ryan Roslansky doesn't think much of cover letters.

In a video interview with influencer Hanna Goefft, the LinkedIn CEO graded common career advice. Cover letters got a D, while job-hopping for more money earned an A.

"I think we're beyond like a couple of paragraphs that say 'I'm a good collaborator,'" he said. "It's more about actually showing your work."

His rankings point to a broader shift in hiring: Employers are placing less weight on traditional signals like credentials and elite college degrees.

Instead, they're prioritizing demonstrated skills, adaptability, and visibility — especially as AI reshapes how people work and apply for jobs.

Other executives are also signaling that shift. McKinsey Global Managing Partner Bob Sternfels has said his firm has expanded its searches based on resiliency traits, while former Citadel CTO Umesh Subramanian told Business Insider that he personally calls applicants to test their curiosity.

Their advice comes as the job market cools: Hiring in February fell to levels not seen since the Covid lockdowns.

Roslansky's advice for job seekers reflects that shift. He said applicants must display their AI capabilities and remain transparent.

"You have to be able to show that you can actually use AI to create or build something," he said.

Roslansky's other grades also had some surprises. He gave editing résumés with AI an A, getting an MBA a C, and taking a class in AI a C.

His harshest grade went to 'following your passion.' He pointed to a recent conversation with NYU professor Scott Galloway.

"He told me, 'People who tell you to follow your passion are already rich,'" Roslansky said. "If you can find an intersection of your passion and your skill — what you're good at — that's the spot to be."

Meanwhile, he was most bullish on building a personal brand, saying many people get hired by sharing their knowledge publicly — not just listing skills on a résumé.

Roslansky and LinkedIn didn't respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.