The Real Problem With Entry-Level Jobs (It’s Not AI)
The Real Problem With Entry-Level Jobs (It’s Not AI)
Publish Date: 2026-07-07 13:00:00
Source Domain: www.forbes.com
Entry-level roles should never have been about ‘grunt work.’ In the age of AI, companies need a more strategic approach.
Organizations need to redesign entry-level roles
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Entry-level jobs are broken, and it’s not just because of AI.
According to new data from ICIMS, 78% of Generation Z sees artificial intelligence as a major detriment to their early-career opportunities. They’re not wrong, but there’s a bigger problem here—and one that predates the rise of AI.
“The problem with entry-level jobs has only been accentuated with the topic of AI,” says Trent Cotton, Head of Talent Insights, ICIMS. “The real problem is that many of the roles were designed incorrectly.
“Hiring a recent college grad should be more about building your internal pipeline and less about finding someone to do the ‘grunt work’ of the role.”
‘Grunt work,’ or repetitive tasks, is what AI does most effectively, at least right now. This can give companies a unique opportunity to make entry-level roles more strategic—if they can think beyond AI as merely a way to reduce headcount and cut costs.
I recently connected with Cotton to talk about the true state of entry-level jobs and how Gen Z is grappling with this changing job market. Here’s what we covered.
2 major obstacles for Gen Z
I’ve noted before how every generation seems to feel they have a uniquely tough set of circumstances to navigate. And while a little perspective can help, it’s also true that Gen Zers just entering the workforce are facing early-career headwinds from several different directions.
“Generation Z has a distinct set of frustrations regarding entry-level job postings, primarily centering around unrealistic employer expectations and the shrinking availability of roles due to automation,” says Cotton. “Over half (59%) of Gen Z candidates agree that companies now expect entry-level applicants to already have mid-level experience. Gen Z feels the requirements on these postings…
