Your first job could be an ‘AI apprenticeship.’ The new entry-level playbook.

Data released last week indicates the U.S. private sector may be experiencing its most significant hiring slowdown in several years. The gap between the unemployment rate for new grads and the broader labor force is at its lowest point in 40 years—a historic signal that something fundamental is shifting when it comes to entry-level work.

But this moment is about more than a chaotic macro environment and a tough job market. The real disruption is deeper. Artificial intelligence and emerging technologies are accelerating the pace of change across industries. And the Covid-19 pandemic didn’t just shift where work happens—it fundamentally changed how we think about work, collaboration, and contribution.

For new graduates, all of this change has created a complex job market and work environment. Traditional early-career paths are less defined. Expectations are shifting. The old playbook for entry-level work is being shredded. That may sound like a challenge—and it is. But it’s also an incredible opportunity.

Character is no longer a soft skill.

AI is reshaping work—quickly. PwC’s latest AI Jobs Barometer, which is based on nearly a billion job postings globally, found that roles with the highest AI exposure are evolving more than twice as fast as others. The World Economic Forum estimates that nearly 40% of workers’ current skills will either transform or become outdated by the end of the decade. And these changes may impact junior employees degrees the most.

As AI replaces or augments technical skills, entry level workers will need to emphasize their character and humanity. AI can’t build relationships or earn the trust that drives lasting impact in a workplace. Uniquely human traits like empathy and discernment are no longer just “nice to haves.” They are essential skills for employees.

This shift isn’t limited to those just starting out. It also applies to experienced employees and executives. Leaders will need to redefine performance metrics to be centered on human connection and high-quality character traits like owning outcomes, taking initiative without being asked, careful listening, asking better questions, and doing the right thing when it matters most.

Organizations that want to lead in this next chapter will need to promote that kind of human leadership at every level—starting now.

Rethink culture and talent development.

In a workplace being reshaped by AI, every company needs to take a fresh look at how talent is developed and how culture is intentionally built. The end goal should be a human-led, tech-powered culture where tomorrow’s leaders will thrive.

Companies should equip and encourage their people to develop fluency in AI and fluency in what makes us distinctly human. That means learning how to prompt, validate, and apply emerging technologies responsibly—while also building leadership and relationship skills like leading a meeting with clarity, telling a compelling story, and solving a problem from first principles.

That dual focus will require a shift in how we think about early-career roles. Increasingly, we should view these more like “AI apprenticeships,” where early-career professionals are equipped with the right AI tools and taught to use them with confidence. AI handles routine work. People handle judgment calls.

What we value in junior talent is changing, too. It’s no longer about how well someone executes a rote task. It’s about how they think, how they show character under pressure, how they apply judgment, and how they grow from one moment to the next.

That is where leadership matters most. We all need what I call a personal board of directors: people who will challenge us, offer honest feedback when it counts, and remind us to pause, reset, and ask for help when needed. Business leaders must intentionally design and build this kind of support into our workforce. And they should play a more active role in people development, coaching and developing young talent from the start.

Think and act differently.

The past five years structurally reset work. Some are still hoping for a return to “normal”—some pre-Covid, pre-AI version of reality—but there’s no going back. What we’re living through isn’t a transition: It is a transformation.

The next few years will define what the new normal looks like. And that calls for bold leadership. We can’t meet tomorrow’s challenges with yesterday’s assumptions. We have to think differently—about how teams are built, how careers are grown, and how value is created.

The workplace is being rewritten. Businesses—and this new generation of workers—must be bold enough to help write it.

Paul Griggs is the CEO of PwC US.