The Vanishing Entry-Level Job: How AI is Reshaping Career Starts and What You Can Do

The Disappearing Entry-Level Job

For decades, the entry-level job has served as a crucial proving ground—a place to build skills, make connections, and kickstart a career. But in the age of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, many of these foundational roles are vanishing. Nearly 80 percent of hiring managers predict that AI could lead companies to eliminate internships and entry-level positions.

The Impact of AI on Jobs

One recent report estimates that over 90 percent of information technology jobs will be transformed by AI, with nearly 40 percent of those roles being entry-level. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts the loss of about 1 million office and administrative support jobs by 2029 due to technological advancements.

Tasks that were once staples of a first job, such as drafting press releases, organizing information, or conducting basic research, are now increasingly handled by AI agents. This shift means today's graduates face a steeper climb into meaningful, sustainable careers. It's no longer sufficient to be merely hireable; students are expected to skip levels to get started.

Bridging the Gap with Work-Based Learning

The traditional path from classroom to entry-level job to long-term career is crumbling, creating a chasm between academic learning and workplace readiness. Higher education institutions must step in to address this gap. If early-career experience is no longer reliably available after graduation, students need to gain it beforehand, integrated directly into their education.

Work-based learning is no longer optional—it's a necessity. While internships are one way to fill this need, access is often limited and inequitable. Only about half of senior-year students report having such opportunities, despite 70 percent of first-year students expecting them. Colleges and employers can no longer assume students will secure these experiences independently.

Embedded Learning in Education

To close the growing gap, colleges need a structured approach to real-world learning embedded in the classroom. Unlike traditional internships, this isn't an extracurricular add-on or résumé booster for the fortunate few. It involves structured, project-based collaborations with real employers, designed to mirror workforce challenges. Students gain industry exposure, build professional networks, and develop critical skills.

Students engaged in work-integrated learning report greater career clarity, stronger job readiness, and increased confidence. Most importantly, they graduate with a portfolio of real-world experience that sets them apart in a job market where traditional entry-level roles are disappearing.

Examples of Progress

Some institutions are already moving in this direction. The Council of Independent Colleges has launched an initiative to integrate work-based learning into academic programs at two dozen member schools. Students tackle real business challenges from local employers as part of their coursework, gaining a head start on the experience that first jobs once provided.

Additionally, the nonprofit Complete College America has convened an AI Readiness Consortium to expand access to employer-embedded learning experiences focused on AI and emerging technologies. At five participating institutions, students engage in project-based learning with industry partners, developing in-demand skills for an AI-shaped workforce.

Looking Ahead

As AI and other technologies continue to disrupt the workforce and companies streamline operations, the window for traditional first jobs is closing. By embedding meaningful, real-world experience into higher education, institutions can ensure students enter the job market with the skills, confidence, and connections needed to thrive, even as the first rung of the career ladder crumbles.

The pathway may be changing, but with the right support, students can launch their careers with purpose and momentum from day one.