In this week's episode, Omar and I pose that exact question to the absolute guru on all things early career: Christian Garcia.
Christian leads the Career Team at the University of Virginia (Wahoowa! 🧡💙) and so was able to drop serious KNOWLEDGE in this crazy moment:
😮 Half of "AI Is Killing Entry-Level Jobs" Is Just Employers Stalling
He says a lot of companies pulling back on hiring aren't executing some AI strategy - they're in "wait and see" mode. And then the kicker: "you ask them about AI, a lot of them don't know what the hell it is."
🤖 AI Certifications Are Useless on Their Own
"I can get a certification on AI... but if I can't problem solve my way out of a paper bag, it's a useless tool."
❌ The "100 Job Applications" Strategy is a Total Waste of Time
"If all you're doing is click, click, click, click, click... that is not a job search... Finding work is work."
🛑 Stop Obsessing Over the First Job Salary
Christian has a sign in his office that says "Careers aren't ladders, they're jungle gyms." So don't sweat your starting salary as much as how much you get to explore early in your career.
💭 Can We Build a Better University?
Christian wasn't afraid to admit that today's 4-year model may not still make sense in a world of such fast-paced change. His vision for a "Garcia University" would offer shorter degrees with way more work experienced embedded throughout!
So give the full episode a listen:
And then let us know: WTF is up with the new grad job market from where you sit???