Customer Success Is Changing, So You Need To As Well
By Parul Bhandari
October 2026
It’s October, and Customer Success teams are planning for 2027 and the year ahead. If you are noticing more KPIs and changes in metrics thanks to AI, you are not alone. And if you are in the job market and not privy to this change, you have to learn these changes and address them in your interviews.
We recently hosted an interactive workshop focused on how job seekers can best prepare for the evolving hiring landscape in the age of AI. A key takeaway from the session was the delicate balance between passion and role alignment during a job search.
While pursuing work you are passionate about is essential, enthusiasm alone isn't enough in today's market. With tighter hiring budgets, fewer open seats, and a surging number of applicants per role, employers are prioritizing candidates who precisely match the job description (JD). Being explicitly aligned with the required competencies, skills, and outcomes specified in the JD is now more critical than ever to ensure your application gets considered.
In addition to that, there are other ways we can all stay competitive in the age of AI.
Build Repeatable AI Workflows: Identify recurring administrative tasks, such as meeting summaries, account briefs, and Slack updates, and create custom AI assistants or prompts to handle them. Consistently delegating admin hours frees up bandwidth for strategic customer engagements.
Develop Technical Fluency: Gain a deeper understanding of product mechanics, prompting, data hygiene, and AI capabilities. Partnering with solution engineers and learning technical fundamentals allows you to hold more meaningful value conversations beyond basic QBR agendas.
Exercise Independent Judgment as an Editor: Treat all AI outputs as a first draft. Because models can hallucinate or misinterpret context, acting as a skeptical, fast editor ensures that every external communication remains accurate, tailored, and authentic.
Commit to Continuous Upskilling: Leverage certifications, workshops, and community resources to master practical AI frameworks throughout the customer lifecycle. Staying proactive in skill development ensures your value evolves alongside changing industry demands.
One of the things we heard in the sessions at NY Success Week was that AI is no longer “nice to have” ; it is table stakes. So gaining proficiency is key and showcasing what you can do with it is important in any interview.
As you approach 2027, thinking about what skills you will need to take you into the year ahead, to land that role, to grow your career, or to stay relevant are the name of the game now.
Speaking of skills, I am speaking at Zero-In on Nov 4 on Revenue Skills for CSMs. And again at Customer Success Festival, Chicago. If you are there, hope to see you!
