AI and Jobs series: How entry level jobs are changing in an AI era

Entry-level jobs provide a special window into the wider changes we'll see to job design and skill development. In this episode of Meet the Leader, Peter Brown of PwC explains how entry-level roles are transforming and breaks down new research on what employers really want from entry-level workers now. He also shares how these roles can continue to serve as training grounds for career skills like collaboration, critical thinking, and relationship building and why a thoughtful redesign of these roles will be key to future leadership development. Top names from our Chief People Officer community also share the advice new grads need to know in a fast-changing job market. Key takeaways: The most dire headlines about entry-level jobs are not yet backed up by data. Employers are increasingly prioritizing applied experience and skills over degrees alone. Employers are expecting more 'seniorized' skills earlier. New grads should focus on outcomes rather than tasks and look for ways to build human skills on purpose. Peter Brown is PwC's global workforce leader and a co-author of the World Economic Forum report Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Entry-Level Work. Subscribe for more conversations on leadership, the future of work, and the biggest trends shaping business. This is the third episode in a 3-part series on AI and jobs.   About this episode: PWC: Pwc.com Report - PWC  AI 2026 Jobs Barometer https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/services/ai/ai-jobs-barometer.html Hopes and fears https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/issues/workforce/hopes-and-fears.html Report - World Economic Forum Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Entry-Level Work: A Framework for Safeguarding and Reinventing Early Career Pathways: https://www.weforum.org/publications/artificial-intelligence-and-the-future-of-entry-level-work-a-framework-for-safeguarding-and-reinventing-early-career-pathways/ Related episodes: AI and Jobs series: Upskilling's 'Messy Middle' and Fixing the Skills Mismatch Listen here - Spotify:  https://tinyurl.com/2vddb3k3 Read here - Transcript:  https://tinyurl.com/2fnuacsz AI and Jobs Series: What one company stopped doing - an HR exec shares lessons shaping the future of work Read here - transcript: https://tinyurl.com/49xjtnyj Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/27fjhud8 AI 'workslop' is a leadership problem. Here's how to fix it Read here - transcript: https://tinyurl.com/2mxkzwc3 Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/4evh8yk6 Watch here - Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTAbIqqAf4Y How to Lead People Through AI Change: Questions to Ask from a Transformation Expert Read here - transcript: https://tinyurl.com/ykk9r7hb Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/yc2azrwv Watch here - Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/yyv24pvd