Future-Proofing Your Major: How Students Can Navigate a Changing Job Market

For university leavers, these are worrying times. A mounting pile of data suggests that accessing the kind of entry-level jobs that traditionally put degree holders on a path to professional success is becoming even harder. One report published by the job-search site Indeed found that the market for young people fresh out of university is tougher than at any time since 2018. Another analysis found that the number of entry-level jobs on offer throughout the labor market has fallen. But the steepest drop-off appears to be in professional occupations, where the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) may be beginning to affect the bottom rungs of the white-collar career ladder. — The Guardian Editorial

The proliferation of AI in the workplace has caused a great deal of turbulence for recent and anticipating college graduates. As tasks are being offloaded to technological assistants, internship placements are shrinking and entry-level jobs are quickly disappearing. This leaves families wondering how best to support their children as they prepare for professional life amidst a rapidly changing job market.

My last article, “Jobs of the Future,” covers why your major still matters and how a multi- or interdisciplinary background will make students strong candidates. In this article, I’ll be zeroing in on the types of career paths students might consider who are hoping to develop skills that will suit them for long-term, lucrative professions. While studies like the excerpt above may feel intimidating, and as applicant pools continue to swell as entry-level positions dissipate, it’s more important than ever to choose your degree track strategically and consider the skills you’ll need long-term—namely, adaptability.

What’s Really Happening with AI in the Workplace?

The tentacles of AI have stretched well beyond the Silicon Valley bubble, reaching into nearly every professional field. Headlines everywhere confirm this shift: companies like Amazon and Google have announced major layoffs tied to AI implementation, while Microsoft recently released a study identifying 40 jobs most likely to be impacted—or even overtaken—by AI, including historians, editors, political scientists, and teachers. It cannot be denied: AI is here, and it’s transforming both the workplace and our roles within it. Yet if we look beyond the headlines and examine AI-use trends more closely, another undercurrent emerges: AI is more often augmenting human work rather than replacing it.

“Rather than eliminating large swaths of jobs, AI adoption is changing what employers look for in new hires.” —The Economic Times

One of the main points I want to illuminate in this article is that job evolution, not eradication, is the dominant trend. While low-skill, repetitive tasks are—and will likely continue to be—at risk, AI’s capabilities largely excel at basic, pattern-level functions. What this really signals is not the disappearance of jobs, but their evolution: higher-level roles requiring creativity, strategy, empathy, and oversight will become even more essential. Consequently, hiring teams will increasingly seek candidates who embody these qualities, as professionals adapt by leveraging AI as a tool and upskilling into new roles.

How Can Students Prepare for the Future?

One of the main questions many of my clients are grappling with is whether traditionally secure and lucrative tracks—medicine, law, business—will drastically evolve or even cease to exist. The reality is not that these career options will vanish, but that the entry path to securing them is changing. My advice to families and incoming college students is to strategize for this tumultuous market by “upgrading” or “future-proofing” their degree path and resume.

As I mentioned in my last Savvy Applicant post, interdisciplinary backgrounds are enormously valuable, helping students develop critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills that make them flexible and resilient in an ever-fluctuating job market. For strategic, forward-looking candidates, this versatility is increasingly paired with a practical understanding of AI. As one VP of Operations noted, “our hiring strategy prioritizes candidates who demonstrate AI proficiency,” reflecting how AI literacy has become a distinctly competitive advantage in today’s workplace. By deliberately building a hybrid skillset that includes AI competency, students can future-proof their careers and remain competitive across industries.

How Do I “Upgrade” my Major?

Future-proofing can take many forms: combining a humanities major with a STEM minor or certification; pursuing internships that provide cross-functional experience across technical and non-technical industries; or building a portfolio that demonstrates both domain expertise and proficiency with applied tools. However, future-proofing doesn’t equate to pigeonholing yourself into STEM. Instead, it’s about cultivating a broad skillset with a strategic focus, pairing your own interests with AI proficiency, and displaying adaptability that makes you competitive in rapidly evolving professional fields.

Let’s consider two candidates applying for the same early-stage startup position. One has deep knowledge of software engineering but little experience thinking across disciplines. Like an overly-specialized algorithm, they excel in narrow tasks but struggle to adapt when things shift outside their silo. Another candidate has strategically paired their technical background with four years of rigorous coursework in philosophy. The critical thinking and ethical reasoning skills they’ve developed allow them to evaluate complex situations, anticipating potential pitfalls and making decisions that balance competing priorities. Combined with AI proficiency, this candidate can oversee technical teams, generate critical prompts, interpret AI-generated insights, and apply judgement when systems fall short, landing them the job.

Here’s another example from a non-tech industry: a student majors in English but has cultivated AI literacy through personal hybrid multimedia projects. In a marketing or social media role, she can combine her storytelling and creative skills with AI tools that optimize content and generate campaign insights. Her humanities background helps her craft compelling narratives, while her AI skills allow her to implement technology effectively and adapt strategies in real time—making her highly versatile in a role that blends creativity with tech-driven decision-making. This combination secures her a position at an independent publishing house seeking to grow its social media presence.

Conclusion

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to navigating AI in the workplace or ensuring that a particular role or profession won’t be impacted by it. What will put students ahead, though, is recognizing that jobs are evolving and building a solid foundation to thrive in an uncertain industry. By demonstrating that you can bridge disciplines and navigate fast-evolving environments with a proficiency in AI, you position yourself to secure that uber-competitive internship or the high-paying entry-level role you’ve been gunning for. Future-proofing your skillset will help you stand out with a uniquely flexible approach to challenges, excelling in areas where machines cannot. While AI may be able to handle routine tasks, humans continue to lead in strategy, creativity, and ethical decision-making—skills that will remain essential in the workforce for the foreseeable future.

I’d like to leave you with a prescient observation from Lao Tzu that I think captures the sentiment of this article:

Water is fluid, soft, and yielding. But water will wear away rock, which is rigid and cannot yield. As a rule, whatever is fluid, soft, and yielding will overcome whatever is rigid and hard. This is another paradox: what is soft is strong.

Are you ready to take the next step? Request a consultation with our team today!

For more tips on the college application process and beyond, check out our podcast, College Banter, available on most major streaming platforms.