AI Is Changing Entry-Level Jobs. How Will Workers Build Experience?

With graduation season upon us, many new graduates are entering the workforce with a mix of excitement and uncertainty. Eager to gain their first workplace experiences, new graduates are navigating increasingly limited opportunities while also worrying about how artificial intelligence (AI) will impact entry-level jobs. That anxiety has been echoed at recent commencement speeches, where the mere mention of the technology has drawn audible frustration. 

Their concern isn’t unfounded. Research by Boston Consulting Group estimates that five years from now, AI could eliminate 10-15% of jobs in the US. At the same time, 40% of chief executives plan to reduce junior roles in the next year or two. These are staggering numbers, especially as recent research found postings for US entry-level jobs have declined by 35% in the last 18 months, in large part because of AI, while unemployment among 22-27 year old college graduates reached 5.6% in March, one of the highest rates in more than a decade. 

These numbers underscore a deeper concern beyond whether AI will replace workers. The issue is not only job displacement, but also how the changing nature of entry-level work could reshape professional development and mobility. How will new graduates and early-career employees gain workforce skills if AI handles more of the basic tasks that have traditionally helped those new to the workplace learn and grow? 

Why entry-level work has always mattered

For decades, entry-level roles served as the training ground for careers. The path was straightforward: graduate, secure an entry-level job, build foundational skills and continue growing your expertise. It was through those early career opportunities that employees developed proper judgment, communication and professional skills through hands-on experience and workplace confidence that carried them through a full career. But the rapid advancement of AI is threatening that model. With AI absorbing many of those early-career tasks, early-career workers can’t gain the baseline experience that has always mattered for workplace success.

The skills inflation gap 

AI may not eliminate jobs, but it’s disrupting employer expectations. Since AI automates routine tasks once led by entry-level employees, we’re seeing a shift in employer expectations for entry-level workers. Instead of building foundational entry-level skills, employers today expect junior workers to handle more analytical, judgment-based responsibilities earlier in their careers. 

This creates a challenging situation where new graduates may be asked to supervise, evaluate or correct AI outputs before they’ve even learned the underlying tasks themselves. The long-term risk is not just entry-level job displacement, but an emerging experience gap where future workers struggle to build the context and professional skills historically developed through entry-level work. 

At the same time, human-centered skills like critical thinking, collaboration and problem-solving are more important than ever. In fact, the World Economic Forum 2025 Future of Jobs Report says 39% of workers’ skill sets will be transformed or outdated by 2030, and analytical thinking remains the most sought-after core skill among employers. Yet those skills are often underdeveloped throughout school and are now more difficult to attain early in the workplace.

What students need before they graduate

If students cannot reliably gain experience after graduation, education must embed more workforce exposure before graduation. 

Internships have long been an important pathway for hands-on professional learning and early exposure to workplace expectations. But as entry-level opportunities become more limited, the same is true for internships. Nearly 4.6 million students who wanted internships could not secure one. This further limits opportunities for new graduates to gain experience and it's impacting their access to employment. The 2025 Cengage Employability Report found that more than half of graduates who didn’t have an internship believe it hurt their job prospects, reinforced by the fact that 87% of employed graduates say internships helped them land their job.

This means there is a need for stronger partnership between educators and employers, as well as more work-based learning models. Students must have opportunities to build the basic skills needed to grow into more advanced workplace roles. Work-based learning programs, employer-led projects, case-based learning, job shadowing and mentorship can all help students build this practical experience before they enter the job market.

How educators and employers can close the AI experience gap

The biggest AI disruption may not be mass entry-level job loss. It may be the erosion of the traditional system workers used to develop expertise over time. Closing the AI experience gap will require educators and employers to rethink how students gain practical experience. The old model of students building practical experience after graduation no longer holds. 

As Cengage CEO, Michael Hansen, recently wrote in Fortune, “The question is no longer whether AI will reshape the first rung of the career ladder. It already is. The real challenge is ensuring the next generation still has a way to climb.” Career readiness must now become a core part of the educational experience itself, led by a close partnership between employers and institutions to ensure students not only learn how to confidently work alongside new technologies like AI, but also gain the foundational judgment, communication skills and confidence needed to thrive in tomorrow’s workforce.