Is AI Killing Entry-Level Jobs? – Insights from the HHL Career Day Panel, 2025

Every generation of graduates faces its own defining question. For today’s early-career talent, it’s this one: Will AI take my job before I even have the chance to start?

Between headlines about automation and rapid advances in AI, it can feel as if traditional career pathways are becoming obsolete. To bring clarity to this discussion, two experts — Matt Marmoy-Savage (Raisin) and Paula Sprotte (TTE Strategy) — shared their perspectives at the HHL Career Day. Their insights challenged assumptions and offered a grounded outlook on what early careers will look like in an AI-enabled world.

How Macroeconomic Conditions Shape Entry-Level Hiring More Than AI

A central point from the panel was that AI is not the primary force driving fluctuations in entry-level hiring. According to Matt Marmoy-Savage, the rise of AI coincides with a period of broader economic uncertainty — tightening budgets, shifting priorities, and variable market confidence. These external factors have shaped hiring far more significantly than automation.

The job market slowdown often attributed to AI is, in reality, driven by broader macroeconomic trends. Hiring freezes, budget constraints, and shifting investment priorities play a much larger role in shaping entry-level opportunities than automation technologies.

Matt also stressed that the long-term outlook for junior talent is positive. As AI accelerates how quickly technical skills can be learned, human strengths such as problem-solving, learning agility, adaptability, and intrinsic drive become increasingly important. These capabilities enable early-career professionals to contribute more meaningfully from the start.

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What Companies Expect from Early-Career Talent in the Age of AI

Paula Sprotte highlighted that AI is not reducing the number of entry-level roles, but it is reshaping the expectations attached to them. Instead of narrow technical expertise, companies now look for candidates who can navigate evolving tools, work comfortably with AI systems, communicate insights clearly, and adapt quickly to changing requirements.

Companies increasingly seek graduates who can combine human-centered skills with AI literacy. This includes the ability to work with AI tools, interpret data insights, and apply critical thinking to complex problems — competencies that AI cannot replicate.

She emphasized that organizations must stay ahead of AI developments to support clients effectively — and this mindset shapes what they look for in junior talent. Early-career professionals who embrace AI as a natural extension of their work remain in high demand.

Career Development in an AI-Driven Job Market

Both speakers agreed that traditional long-term career planning is becoming less reliable. Rapid technological and economic change requires a more flexible approach to early career development. Graduates benefit from staying open to new paths, exploring emerging opportunities, and viewing AI not as a threat but as a tool that accelerates growth and broadens their contribution.

Instead of worrying about whether AI will replace entry-level jobs, early-career professionals benefit from understanding how AI can accelerate learning curves, enhance productivity, and unlock entirely new roles that didn’t exist before. Adaptability, curiosity, and a willingness to learn are becoming the defining attributes of successful early-career professionals.

Conclusion: Is AI Really Killing Entry-Level Jobs?

So, is AI killing entry jobs?
The answer from the panel: No — but it is transforming them.

Broader economic dynamics shape hiring far more than AI, while AI itself is elevating the importance of uniquely human capabilities. For graduates entering the workforce, this shift presents a powerful opportunity: to build careers that evolve alongside technology rather than compete with it.

The future still needs early-career talent — just talent ready to grow, adapt, and make things happen.