LinkedIn's September class of Top Voices in the U.S. and Canada features executives such as Dow CEO Karen S. Carter, sports industry experts like Brad Zimmerman, and rising voices including Sundas Khalid, who shares insights on AI. Together, they are among the professionals actively shaping how we think about some of the most pressing topics of our time.
The LinkedIn Voices Shaping Work in 2026: Experts Job Seekers Should Be Paying Attention To
The world of work is changing quickly.
Artificial intelligence is transforming how people work. Employers are rethinking skills and organizational structures. Career paths are becoming less linear, while personal branding, networking and continuous learning are becoming increasingly important.
Against this backdrop, LinkedIn has announced its September 2026 Top Voices in the U.S. and Canada — a group of experts, executives, creators and public figures whose work is influencing conversations about careers, technology, leadership, business and the future of work. LinkedIn says the program recognizes people who consistently demonstrate expertise and leadership through content that educates, informs and inspires its professional community.
For job seekers and professionals, the list is more than a collection of influential names. It provides a useful snapshot of the subjects that are dominating today's professional conversation.
What the 2026 Top Voices list tells us about work
One of the clearest themes in this year's list is the continuing importance of AI.
The September class includes voices discussing AI engineering, enterprise AI, AI governance, AI infrastructure, AI and marketing, AI and education, AI and software development, and the implications of AI for different professions. Among them are Sundas Khalid, Andrew Feldman, Linda Haviv, Amjad Masad, Soribel F., Lily Ray and others.
But AI isn't the only story.
The list also covers:
Leadership and management
Career development
Entrepreneurship
Marketing and content creation
Cybersecurity
Finance and investing
Higher education
Workplace culture
Sales
- Sports and entertainment
Public health
Sustainability and energy
Journalism and media
That breadth is significant.
The modern career is increasingly connected to developments outside an individual's immediate job description. A marketer may need to understand AI. A software engineer may need communication and business skills. A manager may need to understand organizational redesign. And a job seeker may need to understand how technology is changing the skills employers value.
AI skills are becoming a career conversation
Several of the new Top Voices are focused specifically on the intersection between artificial intelligence and professional skills.
Sundas Khalid, for example, discusses data science and AI and has highlighted the skills professionals need in the age of AI. Linda Haviv focuses on AI infrastructure and engineering skills, while Soribel F. focuses on AI governance and regulation.
The message for professionals is straightforward: AI literacy is increasingly becoming relevant across industries, not just inside technology companies.
That doesn't necessarily mean everyone needs to become an AI engineer.
Instead, professionals should consider how AI intersects with their own occupation.
For a recruiter, that could mean learning how AI is changing sourcing and candidate evaluation.
For a marketer, it could mean understanding AI-assisted content and search.
For an accountant, lawyer or analyst, it could mean learning how AI tools can support research and routine work.
For a manager, it could mean understanding how teams should work alongside AI systems.
The most valuable skill may therefore be the ability to connect domain expertise with new technology.
Career development is becoming more visible
The Top Voices list also includes creators specifically focused on careers and the future of work.
Jade Walters, for example, focuses on Gen Z careers and workplace issues, while Maureen Wiley Clough focuses on careers and the future of work, including questions surrounding experienced and mid-career professionals.
This reflects an important change in career conversations.
Career advice is no longer limited to traditional subjects such as writing a résumé or preparing for an interview.
Professionals are increasingly asking:
How do I remain employable?
How do I build a career that can adapt to technological change?
How do I develop a professional reputation?
How do I change careers without starting completely over?
Which skills will remain valuable as AI develops?
These questions are particularly relevant to JobAdvisor's audience because career development increasingly requires an ongoing process rather than a one-time job search.
Personal branding matters — but expertise matters more
Another lesson from the list is the growing importance of professional visibility.
Many of the individuals recognized by LinkedIn have built substantial audiences by consistently sharing knowledge, experience and perspectives in their areas of expertise. Some have hundreds of thousands of followers, while others have much smaller audiences.
That distinction is important.
You don't need hundreds of thousands of followers to benefit from building a professional presence.
A strong LinkedIn profile, thoughtful posts, useful comments, and evidence of your expertise can help people understand what you know and what you can contribute.
For someone looking for work, this can complement a traditional résumé.
Instead of simply telling employers:
"I have experience in marketing."
Your online presence can demonstrate how you think about marketing, what you have learned, and what problems you understand.
That is a fundamentally different approach to personal branding.
The future of work needs more than technical skills
The September Top Voices list also highlights something that can easily be overlooked during conversations about AI: human skills remain important.
Leadership, communication, creativity, curiosity, judgment, entrepreneurship and relationship-building appear throughout the topics represented in the list.
Francine Katsoudas, for example, discusses HR and policy and has highlighted curiosity as an important leadership capability. Geoffrey Colon focuses on strategy and culture, while Amy Webb discusses leadership and the changing implications of technology for organizations.
For job seekers, this creates an important opportunity.
Technical knowledge can help you qualify for a position. But employers also need people who can communicate, collaborate, make decisions, and adapt when circumstances change.
The strongest career strategy may therefore be to combine:
Technical capability + industry knowledge + human skills.
Don't follow influencers. Follow ideas.
One of the easiest mistakes professionals can make with lists like this is to treat them as popularity contests.
The more useful approach is to use the list as a learning resource.
If you work in HR, explore voices discussing people strategy, AI and organizational culture.
If you work in technology, follow discussions about AI infrastructure, cybersecurity and software development.
If you're searching for a job, pay attention to voices discussing career development, networking and the future of work.
If you're an entrepreneur, explore conversations around startups, investment and growth.
The goal isn't to consume more content.
The goal is to find better information that improves your decisions.
What Job Seekers Can Learn From LinkedIn's Top Voices
Here are five practical lessons professionals can take from the September 2026 list.
1. Build expertise, not just a résumé
Your résumé tells employers what you've done.
Your professional presence can demonstrate what you know.
Share lessons from projects, explain industry developments, and contribute thoughtfully to conversations in your field.
2. Learn how AI affects your profession
You don't have to become an AI specialist.
But you should understand how AI is changing the work you want to do.
Identify the repetitive tasks AI can affect, the new tools emerging in your industry, and the skills that humans will continue to provide.
3. Develop skills continuously
A degree or qualification is not the end of professional education.
Industries change, tools change, and employers' expectations change.
Set aside time each month to learn something relevant to your career.
4. Make networking part of your career
Networking isn't only about asking people for jobs.
Follow experts. Participate in discussions. Congratulate colleagues. Share useful information. Build genuine professional relationships.
A career network becomes valuable long before you need it.
5. Have a point of view
The people recognized by LinkedIn aren't simply repeating job descriptions.
They are contributing ideas.
You don't need to be controversial. You don't need to become an influencer. But developing informed opinions about your profession can make you more visible and help you communicate your expertise.
A changing job market requires a changing career strategy
The September 2026 LinkedIn Top Voices list reflects a professional world where technology, leadership, business and career development are increasingly interconnected.
AI is clearly a major part of the conversation, but it isn't the entire story.
Professionals also need to think about adaptability, communication, credibility, networking, leadership and continuous learning.
LinkedIn itself says aspiring Top Voices should remain consistent, share knowledge authentically, add value, experiment with topics and formats, participate in conversations, and maintain trustworthy, professional content.
Those recommendations are useful even if becoming a Top Voice isn't your goal.
Because the objective for most professionals isn't to become famous.
It's to become valuable, visible, and adaptable.
And in a rapidly changing job market, those qualities can make a significant difference.
The JobAdvisor takeaway
You don't need to follow every career influencer or spend hours scrolling LinkedIn.
Instead, choose a handful of credible people in your profession, learn from their ideas and apply what is relevant to your own career.
The future of work won't be shaped by a small group of online personalities alone. It will also be shaped by millions of professionals who keep learning, adapting, and sharing what they know.
Your next career opportunity may start with the next skill you learn — or the next useful conversation you join.