Some AI industry leaders are predicting white-collar bloodbaths. Even the most inspirational advice to new graduates lands like a Band-Aid on a bullet wound. Some thoughts on new grads, and finding a job in the AI wave:
2/ What you really want is a dynamic career path, not a static one. Would it have made sense to internet-proof one’s career in 1997? Or YouTube-proof it in 2008? When new technology starts cresting, the best move is to surf that wave. This is where new grads can excel.
3/ College grads (and startups, for that matter) almost always enjoy an advantage over their senior leaders when it comes to adopting new technology. If you’re a recent graduate, I urge you not to think in terms of AI-proofing your career. Instead, AI-optimize it.
4/ How? It starts with literacy, which goes well beyond prompt engineering and vibe-coding. You should also understand how AI redistributes influence, restructures institutional workflows and business models, and demands new skills and services that will be valuable.
5/ The more you understand what employers are hiring for, the more you’ll understand how you can get ahead in this new world.
6/ People with the capacity to form intentions and set goals will emerge as winners in an AI-mediated world. As OpenAI CEO @sama tweeted in December, “You can just do things.” It’s getting harder to find a first job, but it has never been easier to create a first opportunity.
7/ Pick projects that let you show off your specific skills. Try lots of things. Instead of making five-year plans, consider six-month experiments. Look for a niche you find meaningful or a problem you find important to solve. Let people see the journey you’re on.
8/ It’s also what will help you create opportunities for others, and that’s never been more crucial. Human referrals and trust can’t scale like AI, so your personal network becomes more valuable than ever.
If we settle for anything less with AI, we’ll be failing to act on what’s possible. For new graduates, this is not just a time to survive disruption but one to shape what comes next. You can read my full thoughts in today's @sfstandard : https://t.co/Wfkyyqs0Gp