{"id":14803,"date":"2025-05-09T00:03:57","date_gmt":"2025-05-09T00:03:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/finderica.com\/?p=14803"},"modified":"2025-05-09T00:03:57","modified_gmt":"2025-05-09T00:03:57","slug":"the-job-market-is-weird-right-now-heres-how-new-grads-can-still-win","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/finderica.com\/?p=14803","title":{"rendered":"The Job Market Is Weird Right Now\u2014Here\u2019s How New Grads Can Still Win"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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<\/p>\n

The Class of 2025 faces a job market shaped by AI, inflation fears and hiring shifts. Learn which … More<\/span> industries are growing, what skills matter now and how to land your first job.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/fbs-accordion>Getty<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Class of 2025 is walking off the graduation stage and into one of the most volatile job markets in years, one shaped by economic uncertainty, AI disruption and shifting employer expectations.<\/p>\n

Hiring projections for the class of 2025 are up slightly, by 7.3% compared to last year\u2019s class, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, but people aren\u2019t feeling especially optimistic. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York\u2019s March Survey of Consumer Expectations shows the perceived probability that unemployment will rise in the next year jumped to 44%, the hmarkets ighest level since the early days of the pandemic in April 2020. The share of households expecting a worse financial situation also rose to 30%, the highest since late 2023.<\/p>\n

In this landscape, traditional entry-level jobs are being redefined\u2014or disappearing altogether.<\/p>\n

In a Clarify Capital survey of 1,011 employed Americans, including 44% in executive leadership, 86% of executives said they plan to replace entry-level roles with artificial intelligence. Nearly 1 in 6 had already begun doing so, and 1 in 12 said their companies had stopped hiring for entry-level positions altogether due to AI advancements.<\/p>\n

What used to be entry-level now comes with upper-level expectations, as even first jobs require sharper skills and faster thinking than before, experts say.<\/p>\n

Where the Jobs Still Are<\/h2>\n

While the overall outlook may seem murky, opportunity is far from extinct. Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics<\/u><\/a> shows growth in healthcare, education, professional and business services, and skilled trades. Experts add that some sectors aren\u2019t just hiring, they\u2019re evolving to create entirely new kinds of roles.<\/p>\n

\u201cHealthcare, green energy, cybersecurity, data analytics and compliance roles are expanding across sectors,\u201d says Kelsey Szamet, partner at Kingsley Szamet Employment Lawyers, a firm specializing in workplace rights and employer compliance. \u201cEmployment law is seeing growth as companies navigate changing workplace regulations, offering opportunities not just for legal professionals, but also for roles in HR, policy and compliance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Daniel Wood, founder of DM Estate Staffing, sees strong demand in high-end hospitality, logistics and healthcare support. \u201cBe open to roles that might not look glamorous if they put you close to decision-makers and they open doors,\u201d Wood says. \u201cThey can lead to surprising growth.\u201d<\/p>\n

AI Is Changing the Rules, But Not All the Jobs<\/h2>\n

Artificial intelligence has slipped out of the server room and into the job description, quietly reshaping what it means to start a career. The shift isn\u2019t simply a matter of vanishing roles, it\u2019s the slow rewiring of responsibility itself, where even entry-level positions now demand a fluency in tools, judgment and adaptability that once took years to cultivate.<\/p>\n

\u201cAI isn\u2019t eliminating entry-level positions, it\u2019s elevating them,\u201d says Julio Casado, co-founder of Digital Marketing Career Lab and Full Funnel Growth. \u201cWhen routine tasks are automated, entry-level employees deliver midlevel value, dramatically accelerating their path to mastery and advancement.\u201d<\/p>\n

Szamet agreed that AI\u2019s rise doesn\u2019t mean the end, it means a shift. \u201cGraduates with strong critical thinking skills, flexibility and communication skills will still be in demand,\u201d she says. \u201cThose who welcome AI as a tool, rather than fearing it, stand to thrive.\u201d<\/p>\n

Employers are also increasingly prioritizing what you can do over what your degree says.<\/p>\n

\u201cSkills-based hiring has made the resume nearly obsolete,\u201d Casado says. \u201cEmployers aren\u2019t looking for certification badges, they want evidence you\u2019ve applied your skills to achieve measurable results.\u201d<\/p>\n

That evidence could be a portfolio, a GitHub repository, a LinkedIn endorsement or just a clear story about how you solved a problem.<\/p>\n

\u201cSkills-based hiring is becoming ever more common,\u201d Szamet says. \u201cGraduates are advised to highlight specific competencies, such as data analysis, content creation, language skills, coding, along with real examples of application.\u201d<\/p>\n

And don\u2019t underestimate AI\u2019s role in hiring itself. Lindsey Zuloaga, chief data scientist at HireVue, says that nearly half of HR professionals now use AI-powered assessments in their hiring process. \u201cThey help hiring teams make decisions based on merit, not just well-crafted resumes,\u201d Zuloaga says.<\/p>\n

How to Stand Out<\/h2>\n

In a job market where AI handles the first screening and hundreds of applicants line up for each role, grads need strategy, not spam.<\/p>\n

\u201cTailor all materials,\u201d Szamet says. \u201cA standard resume or boilerplate LinkedIn profile does not cut it. Show you\u2019ve done extensive research on the organization, understand the position and have unique contributions to share.\u201d<\/p>\n

Casado recommends that grads link their learning to real outcomes. \u201cEmployers aren\u2019t looking for perfection,\u201d he says. \u201cThey\u2019re looking for people who\u2019ve done something\u2014anything\u2014that shows drive, skill and results.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zuloaga suggests graduates rely on the STAR method when preparing for interviews: lay out the situation to give context, define the task to explain your responsibility, walk through the action you took to solve the problem, and finish with the result, ideally something measurable.<\/p>\n

This framework helps candidates move beyond vague claims and offer clear, concise narratives that highlight impact. \u201cAlso, don\u2019t be afraid to call out how your experience in one field applies to the new role you\u2019re targeting,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

And above all, be ready to fail a little.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are massive numbers of applicants for every role,\u201d Zuloaga says. \u201cDon\u2019t get too discouraged if it takes more applications than you expected. Employers are being pickier, but skilled workers are still needed.\u201d<\/p>\n

When a Lower Salary Might Be Worth It<\/h2>\n

No one wants to earn less, but taking a lower starting salary can be a smart move if there\u2019s room to grow.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor many grads, yes,\u201d Szamet says. \u201cA slightly lower starting salary may be worth it if the company offers mentorship, upward mobility or equity opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Casado recommends researching companies\u2019 employee development programs and tracking how past entry-level hires have progressed. \u201cThe ideal position combines competitive compensation with real advancement opportunity,\u201d he says. \u201cSettling for less in either category creates a deficit that compounds over your career.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even smart, qualified grads fall into common traps. Experts say the most avoidable missteps are applying to too many jobs with the same generic resume and ignoring your network.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany grads underestimate the importance of networking and rely too heavily on job boards,\u201d Szamet says. \u201cRelationships matter. Reach out to alumni, attend virtual events and follow up with thoughtful questions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Casado put it bluntly: \u201cThe degree alone stopped being enough years ago. The fastest way to stand out isn\u2019t to game the system. It\u2019s to get better at the game.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The Class of 2025 faces a job market shaped by AI, inflation fears and hiring shifts. Learn which … More industries are growing, what skills matter now and how to land your first job. Getty The Class of 2025 is walking off the graduation stage and into one of the most volatile job markets in<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14804,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[196],"tags":[6094,1015,94,6093,373,801],"class_list":{"0":"post-14803","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-finance-news","8":"tag-grads","9":"tag-job","10":"tag-market","11":"tag-nowheres","12":"tag-weird","13":"tag-win"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/finderica.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14803","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/finderica.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/finderica.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/finderica.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/finderica.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=14803"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/finderica.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14803\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/finderica.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/14804"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/finderica.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14803"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/finderica.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14803"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/finderica.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14803"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}