The narrative a year ago was that AI tools were having a 10x impact on beginners and subject matter experts were getting less benefit. So, I find it baffling that things have swung so quickly the other way and we no longer have a place for people to begin their careers. Is part of the problem that what's being taught at Universities is not keeping pace with the demands of employers? Or that employers have no clue what skills they really need? I think the latter. But perhaps a bit of both. 🙄
Reimagining any role requires organisations to break jobs down into individual tasks and figure out what skill and level of capability are required to perform those tasks. As you point out, the solution exists in organisations moving to becoming more Skills-Based. The outcome might be the realisation that AI-enhanced entry-level staff can do 80% of the tasks, which means more, not less, hiring at this level.
Like I shared, there are some options to solve this issue: adopt a model like NL or Belgium where kids start working summer jobs at 15-16. Another solution might be working students/internships programs, they would give a few years of experience before graduating. But it’s gonna be a challenge in the short term.
Before the pandemic, undergraduate unemployment was about where it was in 1992 on that chart. It went through ups and downs, but the average % remained stable, despite undergraduate volumes doubling in many countries since the 90s. The total number of jobs has therefore kept pace with the significant growth in that cohort over the past 30 years. So I think this is partially a reaction to the unsustainable growth of a cohort of candidates who are not necessarily being prepared with the skills an evolving workforce requires. The last couple of years have been the first in which we've seen a drop in applications for undergraduate courses in the UK, but the reduction in overseas students could largely explain this. Participation rates in further education are likely still higher than the demand for undergraduate workers in the UK, but that's a trend that's been signalled for a decade. In the face of continued geopolitical and economic uncertainty, where the "no hire, no fire" attitude is likely to persist, hiring at all levels will be unpredictable.
I’ve been watching my recent college grad live out this article for the past 12 months. It’s especially rough in the graphic design field. “Entry level” jobs are literally getting filled by people with 5-10 years of experience. Things are changing, we must adapt, but my perspective is the adaptation pressure is being placed mostly on those entering the job market post college.
I've explored this as well, and I think the disruption that will happen for early careers (both for the individuals and how companies must proactively redesign work) may be the single largest disruptor of AI on organizations.
Your advice to new graduates is sound; one thing I am seeing directly is the need for judgment, creativity, and business context knowledge to be elevated by our professionals at earlier points in their career. The more those human skills can be cultivated, the more AI-durable your career will be.
The narrative a year ago was that AI tools were having a 10x impact on beginners and subject matter experts were getting less benefit. So, I find it baffling that things have swung so quickly the other way and we no longer have a place for people to begin their careers. Is part of the problem that what's being taught at Universities is not keeping pace with the demands of employers? Or that employers have no clue what skills they really need? I think the latter. But perhaps a bit of both. 🙄
Reimagining any role requires organisations to break jobs down into individual tasks and figure out what skill and level of capability are required to perform those tasks. As you point out, the solution exists in organisations moving to becoming more Skills-Based. The outcome might be the realisation that AI-enhanced entry-level staff can do 80% of the tasks, which means more, not less, hiring at this level.
Spoke about the same topic and issue in my last week’s issue: https://alexgotoi.substack.com/p/ai-is-breaking-entry-level-jobs-that
Like I shared, there are some options to solve this issue: adopt a model like NL or Belgium where kids start working summer jobs at 15-16. Another solution might be working students/internships programs, they would give a few years of experience before graduating. But it’s gonna be a challenge in the short term.
Helpful post on graduate entry roles. Lots to think about.
Great summary.
Before the pandemic, undergraduate unemployment was about where it was in 1992 on that chart. It went through ups and downs, but the average % remained stable, despite undergraduate volumes doubling in many countries since the 90s. The total number of jobs has therefore kept pace with the significant growth in that cohort over the past 30 years. So I think this is partially a reaction to the unsustainable growth of a cohort of candidates who are not necessarily being prepared with the skills an evolving workforce requires. The last couple of years have been the first in which we've seen a drop in applications for undergraduate courses in the UK, but the reduction in overseas students could largely explain this. Participation rates in further education are likely still higher than the demand for undergraduate workers in the UK, but that's a trend that's been signalled for a decade. In the face of continued geopolitical and economic uncertainty, where the "no hire, no fire" attitude is likely to persist, hiring at all levels will be unpredictable.
I’ve been watching my recent college grad live out this article for the past 12 months. It’s especially rough in the graphic design field. “Entry level” jobs are literally getting filled by people with 5-10 years of experience. Things are changing, we must adapt, but my perspective is the adaptation pressure is being placed mostly on those entering the job market post college.
Fascinating, and people need to understand this - the world is changing, and we need to adapt too.
Loved it, thanks
They never wanted to hire me anyway. Now Chatgpt is my best friend.
Redesign the career ladder.
https://substack.jurgenappelo.com/p/ai-wrecks-the-corporate-career-ladder
I've explored this as well, and I think the disruption that will happen for early careers (both for the individuals and how companies must proactively redesign work) may be the single largest disruptor of AI on organizations.
Your advice to new graduates is sound; one thing I am seeing directly is the need for judgment, creativity, and business context knowledge to be elevated by our professionals at earlier points in their career. The more those human skills can be cultivated, the more AI-durable your career will be.