AI is impacting the early career decisions of young people, reveals a new report from Prospects at Jisc.
With the rise of AI, graduates are entering a labour market where traditional roles are evolving and new ones are emerging.
Each year Prospects Early Careers Survey reports the career aspirations and experiences of more than 4,000 students and graduates. For the first time, the survey has shown that AI is having a marked impact on career views and choices as well as how students approach job applications.
Graduates change careers due to AI
The impact of AI on work has raised concerns about job displacement. More than one in ten (11%) of graduates said that they are already changing their career plans due to AI.
While 14% of graduates said the rise in job automation had made them feel pessimistic about their career prospects, 43% already wanted to leave their current employer. Students reported similar concerns in a report by Jisc on perceptions of AI.
The survey found that most graduates were changing careers as they fear job obsolescence. Areas such as coding, graphic design, legal, data science, film, and art were frequently mentioned, with creative jobs seen as the most at risk.
Moli Hitchen is a graduate in Korean Language and Japanese. They are currently in their final year of a master's degree at the University of Sheffield:
“I wanted to pursue a career in translation. Due to the advancement in AI, however, the need for human translators is rapidly decreasing. I am now looking for other ways to use my language skills and am leaning towards something in consultancy or marketing.”
AI presents opportunities for some graduates
Some respondents to the survey felt that AI had created more job opportunities, allowing them to explore careers that didn’t exist, were unattainable or that made use of new technology. Laura Tinsley said:
"I'm studying policing at Sheffield Hallam with the intention of progressing into a local police force and becoming a detective. However, AI was highlighted as a turning point in the way crimes are articulated and devised. This has opened up many new jobs within the criminal justice system. I’m now looking at graduate roles in intelligence to combat the ever-growing crime AI can facilitate. I am also interested in postgraduate education to gain further understanding of cybercrime, which I had never considered prior."
AI in job applications
Prospects Early Careers Survey also looked at what influenced career decisions and the steps graduates were taking to get the job they want.
Nearly a fifth of respondents said they had used generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot as a source of careers advice, and 84% rated them as helpful.
AI was also used widely to save time when applying for jobs, meaning they could apply for a higher number. A quarter said they are applying for as many jobs as possible to improve their chances with 27% of graduates sending out more than 50 applications.
This reflects ISE data that found the average employer receiving 140 applications per graduate job, a 59% increase on the previous year.
Some 43% of applicants used AI for editing a CV or cover letter, 35% for writing a CV or cover letter from scratch, 29% when preparing or practising for interviews, and 26% for answering questions in application forms.
Fewer graduates said they used the technology for completing online tests (9%) such as psychometric assessments, and during interviews (3%).
Jodie Fodden recently graduated from The Open University with an MSc in Environmental Management and BSc Honours in Environmental Studies. They have used AI to apply for 50 jobs so far this year: “I was always reluctant to use AI in application processes as I felt strongly that I should be able to pass screening based on my own merits. But after spending 12 months and countless applications, not even getting past screening, I’m now using it.
“This year, I have applied for 50 jobs so far and have received three interviews since using AI. I use it to draft any statements I need to produce. So, I feed in all my background information and all the job information and any relevant information about the company to draft my statements. I then proof read and adjust it to correct any Americanisms and give it my personal touch. I also use AI to help me prepare for interviews. On one occasion I used AI to help me draft my answers to potential questions and design the presentation I had to deliver.”
Through this uncertainty and transition, students and graduates need guidance from everyone who supports them at school, college, university and in the workplace.
This includes helping students to understand how and when to use AI tools, spot when the information provided is outdated or incorrect, and combine them with other resources to ensure they get a fully rounded picture.
It’s important that young people understand that AI might be disrupting work as we know it but this change is more about reshaping job roles rather than displacing them.