Early Careers Rebound with Skills-First, AI-Aware Hiring

Early career hiring is picking up again, but it's different now.

Companies are looking for people who have the right skills and know how to use AI, not just those with good degrees.

They want candidates who can start contributing quickly and show they can learn and adapt.

The government is also helping by creating more apprenticeship opportunities.

For job seekers, it's important to build a portfolio that shows what you can do, learn the AI tools that are relevant to the job you want, and get feedback to improve.

Employers are also being encouraged to focus on skills rather than where someone went to school and to provide good onboarding programs.

The key is to treat AI as a helper and to focus on doing useful work well in the first year.