For college seniors eagerly anticipating that first step onto the career ladder, reality is hitting like a brick wall. The tech jobs they studied for? Drying up. Entry-level finance and consulting gigs? Not what they used to be. Even internships are getting scarce. Blame a shaky economy, cautious employers, and a new coworker who doesn’t need coffee breaks: generative AI.
Openings for junior software engineers have dropped significantly, with large tech firms proudly touting AI’s ability to make human workers “more efficient” — a phrase that sounds suspiciously like “more replaceable.” Some companies have even flirted with slashing starting salaries, convinced that AI can shoulder a chunk of the workload previously reserved for fresh recruits.
