Recent news reports point out a concerning trend: the apparent erosion of entry-level employment opportunities. Data from the New York Federal Reserve shows that unemployment among recent college grads has increased by over 30% since 2022 compared to an 18% increase in the broader labor market. Meanwhile, job postings for software and tech roles on Indeed have dropped by more than half, and industries like law, finance, customer service, and gaming are increasingly using AI to complete tasks once handled by early college grads.

While there are many reasons behind the trends outlined above, automation due to AI seems to be a significant factor. Since ChatGPT came out two years ago, pundits predicted AI would replace jobs, and our recent college graduates seem to be the first ones feeling the effects. 

Reading about these issues left me wondering: What can we do, as educators, to prepare our students for the world ahead?

Right now, what’s keeping the entire workforce from being replaced by machines is that AI still lacks the essential context, judgment, and ability to make sense of complex or ambiguous situations. In short, AI can generate answers, cannot reason why or think of implications. That’s where critical thinking and research come in. These skills require people not just to find information, but to question, validate, and apply it thoughtfully. Jobs with a high propensity for critical thinking, like ours, are safe for the time being.

To truly prepare students for what’s ahead, schools need to emphasize problem-solving, creativity, and adaptability alongside AI. As AI democratizes information, those who know what questions to ask, how to test ideas, and challenge claims will be the ones who will stand out.  That’s how we can make sure they’re leading with confidence, not just parroting AI platitudes.

What College Counselors Can Do

1. Familiarize yourself with AI tools. It seems like there's a new AI tool every day. Trying to learn what each one can do, and what is out there, is overwhelming. You don't need to know everything. I certainly don't and anyone who says they do is full of it. Fortunately, the principle of how AI works now is the same for every tool: the model will predict the next most likely word or piece of a word based on patterns learned from terabytes of text data. Pick a tool, whether it be ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and just play with it. You will be amazed how much you learn by just experimenting. 

2. Model ethical, healthy AI use. Once you’ve gotten more comfortable using AI, try showing your students how to use it thoughtfully. For example, when I’m brainstorming college suggestions for juniors, I usually start by considering a few schools based on their criteria. After that, I’ll sometimes ask ChatGPT for additional colleges. It often gives me a mix of solid suggestions and some definite stinkers. I walk students through the process of what I asked, what I doubted, and where I needed to dig deeper. We research the suggestions together, eliminating weak ones and keeping the promising options. That kind of modeling shows students that AI isn’t a magic genie providing answers, but instead a starting point for deeper thinking.

3. Ask our college friends about how their schools are preparing their students. Keep an eye out for colleges updating their curricula to include AI ethics, applied data, and interdisciplinary problem-solving. Consider highlighting these schools.

4. Emphasize critical thinking as job prep. Many of you do this already, but I believe this message is more critical than ever. Frame academic skills not just as college prep, but as career survival. Research, writing, presenting, and analyzing are future-proof skills.

5. Keep in touch with young alumni.  Many young people are understandably feeling discouraged about their job prospects in this shifting landscape. A quick text or email to say hello and to remind them of their strengths can go a long way. Reaffirm your belief in their potential and let them know they’re not navigating this alone.

The world our students are stepping into is changing fast; our schools can work to ensure they can rise to meet it. We may not be able to control the pace of change, but we can help them walk into it with confidence, clarity, and purpose.