Questions concerning the skills required for entering the labor market and taking advantage of emerging employment opportunities, particularly in startup and freelancing environments, have become a major concern among management students in recent years. The present study aims to develop a skills framework to enhance the alignment of university education with labor market requirements and improve management students’ employability in startup and freelancing work environments. This study adopted a qualitative approach and employed thematic analysis based on the Attride-Stirling framework. Research data were collected from three sources: the academic literature, specialized websites related to startups and freelancing, and management students at Meybod University. In the student section, data were collected through questionnaires containing both open-ended and closed-ended questions, as well as semi-structured interviews. The questionnaire sample consisted of newly enrolled management students selected through convenience sampling. Interview participants were selected using snowball sampling from among students with experience in startup and freelancing activities. The collected data were analyzed through a coding process and thematic analysis. The findings revealed that the skills required for students’ successful participation in startup and freelancing environments can be categorized into three main groups: soft skills, hard skills, and digital skills. The results further indicated that the academic literature places greater emphasis on soft and cognitive skills, whereas labor market demands are more focused on hard and digital skills. Students’ perceptions were also found to be more oriented toward practical and digital competencies. Based on these findings, revising educational approaches, strengthening skill-oriented learning, and integrating digital competencies with management knowledge can contribute to the development of graduates equipped with the multidimensional competencies required for effective participation in the digital economy.