The future of work is here, and it’s leaving entry-level tech workers in a state of sheer panic. Artificial intelligence is reshaping the job market at an unprecedented pace, and the consequences are nothing short of a 'jobpocalypse' for those just starting their careers. But here’s where it gets controversial: while AI is automating tasks and slashing roles, it’s also demanding a new breed of workers who can adapt faster than ever before. Are universities and students keeping up? Or are they falling behind in a race they didn’t see coming?
Take Rishabh Mishra, for example. In 2022, he joined a prestigious engineering college in Jabalpur, India, with dreams of coding his way to Silicon Valley. Fast forward three years, and the reality is stark. Among his 400 classmates at the Indian Institute of Information Technology, Design and Manufacturing, fewer than 25% have secured job offers. With graduation looming in May 2026, anxiety is palpable. ‘It’s really bad out there,’ Mishra told Rest of World. ‘Everyone is panicking—even the younger students. As graduation nears, the stress is intensifying.’ Some are considering further studies, but Mishra points out the catch-22: ‘After a year, your degree feels even more outdated.’
This isn’t just an Indian problem. Students in China, Dubai, Kenya, and beyond are facing the same crisis. Tasks once reserved for fresh graduates—debugging, testing, routine software maintenance—are now handled by AI. According to a 2025 report by SignalFire, a San Francisco-based venture capital firm, the number of new graduates hired by big tech companies has plummeted by over 50% in the last three years. Even in 2024, when hiring rebounded slightly, only 7% of new hires were recent graduates. And this is the part most people miss: 37% of managers would rather deploy AI than hire a Gen Z employee. ‘Even highly credentialed graduates are struggling to break into tech,’ the report notes.
The shift is global. Indian IT services companies have cut entry-level roles by 20-25% due to automation, according to EY. Job platforms like LinkedIn, Indeed, and Eures report a 35% decline in junior tech positions across major EU countries in 2024. The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 warns that 40% of employers plan to reduce staff in areas where AI can automate tasks.
Vahid Haghzare, director at Silicon Valley Associates Recruitment in Dubai, recalls a stark contrast. ‘Five years ago, there was a bidding war for coders and developers. Now, it’s almost completely vanished.’ High-paying roles at tech giants like Apple and Microsoft are rare, and even when companies hire graduates, they expect more. ‘They need to manage projects, lead sales, and even handle customer communications,’ Haghzare explains. Is this a fair expectation for entry-level workers, or are companies exploiting the AI-driven shift?
Some students are pivoting. Nishant Kaushik, a computer science graduate from eastern India, is now eyeing sales and marketing roles. Others, like Rita Sande Lukale from Kenya, are rethinking their career paths entirely. Lukale, who studied electronics engineering, watched her dream roles in system architecture disappear. ‘Fresh graduates now need higher-level skills to troubleshoot complex, automated systems,’ she says. While she doesn’t see AI as a ‘job destroyer,’ she acknowledges it’s changed the game. ‘We need to adapt and learn more.’
But adaptation isn’t easy. Liam Fallon, head of product at GoodSpace AI, highlights the pressure: ‘Graduates are expected to increase their output by 70% because they’re using AI.’ Universities, experts argue, aren’t updating curricula fast enough to meet industry demands. ‘The current system isn’t sustainable,’ Haghzare warns. ‘Students are falling into a hole they don’t know how to escape.’
So, here’s the question: Is the AI-driven job market a force for innovation, pushing workers to upskill and evolve? Or is it a crisis in the making, leaving a generation of talented graduates behind? Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments—agree or disagree, the conversation starts here.
